Lost Mill Towns of North Georgia - Paperback

by Lisa M. Russell (Author)

The textile era was born of a perfect storm. When North Georgia's red clay failed farmers and prices fell during Reconstruction, opportunities arose. Beginning in the 1880s, textile industries moved south. Mill owners enticed an entire workforce to leave their farms and move their families into modern mill villages, encased communities with stores, theaters, baseball teams, bands and schools. To some workers, mill village life was idyllic. They had work, recreation, education, shopping and a home with the modern conveniences of running water and electricity. Most importantly, they got a paycheck. But after the New Deal, workers started to see the raw deal they were getting from mill owners and rebelled. Strikes and economic changes began to erode the era of mill villages, and by the 1960s, mill village life was all but gone. Author Lisa Russell brings these once-vibrant communities back to life.

Author Biography

Lisa M. Russell supports regional historical and archaeology societies. She is a member of Society for Georgia Archaeology, Bartow History Museum, Etowah Valley Historical Society, Whitfield-Murray Historical Society and the Cherokee County Historical Society. She earned her Master of Arts degree in professional writing from Kennesaw State University. Lisa teaches English full time at Georgia Northwestern Technical College. She is a part-time professor of communication at Kennesaw State University. She also teaches at Belhaven University. In her "spare time," you can find Lisa exploring North Georgia for her next story.