Suches
Christmas
tree lit in Suches
This
page under construction,
much more to be added.
circa 1940
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Woody
Gap School, the smallest public school in Georgia
Suches, Georgia is an
unincorporated area located in Union County, Georgia. With
an altitude of around 3,000 feet, Suches describes itself
itself as "The Valley Above The Clouds." It is the
birthplace of Arthur Woody, a forest ranger who was a key
figure in the early history of the Chattahoochee National
Forest.
Arthur
Woody (April 1, 1884 -
June 10, 1946) was born in Suches, Georgia. Arthur Woody,
who saw his father kill the last deer in the North Georgia
mountains in 1895, is credited with bringing deer back to
the North Georgia mountains. As a forest ranger for the
United States Forestry Service, he served in Georgia from
1911 to 1945 and was involved in the acquistion of land in
what became the Chattahoochee National Forest. He also is
known for putting fish in streams and bringing roads to the
area. Woody was known as the "Barefoot Ranger," "Kingfish,"
or simply "Ranger." He, along with "Ranger Nick" Nicholson
are considered to be the two most important early figures
in the history of the Chattahoochee National Forest. Among
the landmarks in the Chattahoochee National Forest honoring
Woody is a trail through the Sosebee Cove, a 175-acre tract
of prize hardwood that Woody purchased for the Forest
Service that is now part of the Brasstown Ranger District.
Roscoe
Nicholson (January 22,
1887 - October 22, 1959) was a surveyor and early advocate
of conservation, who played an important role in preserving
forest land in the U.S. state of Georgia in the early 20th
century. Born and raised in Pine Mountain, an
unincorporated community at the eastern edge of Rabun
County, Georgia he was the first forest ranger in Georgia.
Before becoming Georgia's first forest ranger in 1912, he
worked as a surveyor for the federal government. Nicholson
advised the United States Forest Service in its initial and
subsequent land purchases in what is now the Tallulah
Ranger District of the Chattahoochee National Forest. He
and Arthur Woody are considered to be the two most
important early figures in the history of the Chattahoochee
National Forest. In addition to being instrumental in the
early land purchases, Ranger "Nick", as he was called,
worked to prevent forest fires by purchasing bloodhounds to
track arsonists and building the first fire tower in the
area on Rabun Bald (second-highest peak in Georgia). He
also played an important role in establishing
telecommunications in the region, being responsible for
having telephone lines run from Clayton, Georgia to Pine
Mountain. Ranger "Nick" retired in 1952. In 1960, the
Coleman River Scenic Area near Clayton, Georgia was
dedicated to Ranger "Nick" following his 40 years of public
service in honor of his promotion of conservation ideals
and other work.
From Wikipedia,
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