For the sake of our community
Education, Preservation, and Recreation
Stephens County, Georgia
uNICOI TURNPIKE
IN STEPHENS COUNTY RESEARCH PROJECT
The Stephens County Foundation has made significant strides in researching, locating, and documenting the fascinating history of the Unicoi Turnpike through Stephens County .
In the 1700's , long before the interstate highway system that we know today and paved roads for that matter, overland travel to the west was difficult and ardous.
By 1813, the State of Georgia contracted with representatives of the Cherokee to form the Unicoi Turnpike Company for the construction of a new toll road, guaranteeing safe passage through the Cherokee Territory to the West.
The Unicoi Turnpike basically followed the ancient Unicoi Trail - the native American interstate highway system of trading paths that had been in use for over 1000 years.
Stephens County was the beginning point of the Unicoi Turnpike, the gateway, to new territories in the west. Traveler's Rest, as the name suggests, provided travelers with accommodations.
The upper section of the Unicoi Turnpike through Stephens County is well documented. However research and further exploration continues on the lower section through the county.
Unicoi Turnpike Map. Toccoa, GA (Stephens County) to Ft.Lowden , TN
