The Beginning
At the close of the Civil War in 1865, the area where Cornelia is located was a typical mountain forest. The spot was so well secluded that a moonshine still was operated without interference at the site of what is now the center of downtown. Cornelia was first a settlement around 1860. It was situated near the old boundary line between the Cherokee and Creek Indian tribes.
Railroad
In 1872, workers of the Charlotte-Airline Railroad (later Southern Railway) invaded the virgin forest. A roadbed was cleared and graded, and tracks were laid from Gainesville to Toccoa. In 1882, the Blue Ridge and Atlantic Railroad opened a line that extended northward from the Charlotte-Airline to Clarkesville and Tallulah Falls. The Tallulah Railway, as it came to be called, carried passengers and freight from Cornelia to Franklin, North Carolina. Many of the passengers rode to view Tallulah Gorge, which was one of the most scenic spots in northeast Georgia. Later, the railway served a more utilitarian purpose until after World War II when the line was discontinued.
The Big Apple
The Big Red Apple stands on the railway depot grounds in downtown Cornelia. The replica of the North Georgia apple is 7 feet high and 22 feet in circumference. It weighs 5,200 pounds and is painted in natural colors. The apple is constructed of steel and concrete and was molded in Winchester, Virginia, in 1925. It is erected on a concrete pedestal 8 feet high and 6 feet square at the base. The monument was donated by Southern Railway, and for many years a festival was held in celebration of the apples grown in the area. Cornelia has since been touted as “The Home of the Big Red Apple.”
Community
Today, Cornelia is a pleasant, picturesque small town at the gateway to the North Georgia mountains. It is located at the juncture of US 441 and GA 365. The 2000 census shows its population to be near four thousand. During the 1980-1990s, Cornelia became a more diverse community with the addition of Laotian and Hispanic residents. Several thriving retail centers and a rebirth of downtown business development has placed Cornelia in the position of retain business leadership in northeast Georgia.
