History Dalton, Georgia. Long before any European settlement, Dalton was home to the Creek Nation. They held this area until the mid-1800’s when the Cherokee pushed them to the West and South, renaming this beautiful territory the “Enchanted Land.” However, in 1838, the United States government forced the removal of the Cherokee from these lands in a travesty known today as the “Trail of Tears.” Nearby, Red Clay State Park, New Echota, and the Chief Vann House stand as reminders of the legacy left by the Cherokee.By the time the last Cherokee had left, work was underway for an exciting new frontier: the American Railroad. The Western and Atlantic rail linked the Tennessee River with the cities near the Chattahoochee. The pivotal railroad was finished in 1850, allowing for a second rail to connect East Tennessee to Georgia. The town that emerged from the two rails was Dalton, whose borders were defined as a mile radius from the Western & Atlantic Depot, known today as the Dalton Depot. Due to its proximity to the rail line, Dalton became a production center and hospital town during the Civil War, which would lead to Dalton’s part in several historic events. On April 12,1862, the Great Locomotive Chase placed Dalton in the national eye. On September 19,1863, a massive conflict was fought nearby at the Battle of Chickamauga, which would develop into the Siege of Chattanooga. Finally, in May 1864, Dalton became the starting point for General Sherman’s notorious Atlanta Campaign. The war ended in 1865, but many of its stories can still be found in Dalton. In the early 1900’s, a young farm girl sparked a local industrial revolution. Through the use of the colonial art of tufting, Catherine Evans Whitener made a simple bedspread that sold for $2.50. From this act, a new market was born along U.S. Hwy 41, known by locals as Peacock Alley. This market evolved into the modern carpet industry that still goes hand-in-hand with Dalton, giving the city its title as “Carpet Capital of the World.” www.VisitDaltonGA.com 3
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