BURTON

NAME: Burton
COUNTY: Rabun
ROADS: 2WD
GRID: 2
CLIMATE: Cold in Winter
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Spring or Summer
COMMENTS: Under Lake Burton
REMAINS: Unknown
Burton was named for Jeremiah Burton, a popular citizen in the area. Situated at the junction of the Tallulah River and Moccasin Creek, Burton was a thriving community of some 200 people, boasting three general stores, in 1917 when the Georgia Railway and Electric Company bought the town. Formed in the early 1800's Burton was one of the first gold rush towns in north Georgia. The city was located on an old road running from Clayton to the Nachoochee Valley where it joined the old Unicoi Turnpike in the vicinity of the Old Sautee Store. The Byrd-Matthews Lumber Company built a narrow gauge railroad into the city to haul lumber from the nearby mountains to its lumber mill in Helen. A dam was built and began flooding the surrounding land on December 22, 1919. As the residents watched their homes being destroyed the rivers rose to form Lake Burton. Submitted by: Mike Woodfin


Lake Burton
Courtesy Mike Woodfin


Moccasin Creek
Courtesy Mike Woodfin

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