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Sautee Nacoochee
SAUTEE VALLEY HISTORIC DISTRICT, WHITE COUNTY, GA.jpg
Sautee Nacoochee is located in Georgia (U.S. state)
Sautee Nacoochee
Sautee Nacoochee
Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
Sautee Nacoochee is located in the United States
Sautee Nacoochee
Sautee Nacoochee
Location in the United States
Country United States
State Georgia
County White
Elevation
1,483 ft (452 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 332
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
30571
Area code(s) 706
GNIS feature ID 2629786

Sautee Nacoochee (or Sautee-Nacoochee) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in White County, Georgia, United States, near Sautee Creek in the Appalachian foothills of northeast Georgia, approximately 95 miles (153 km) north of Atlanta. The nearest incorporated town is the tourist destination of Helen.

Geography

Sautee Nacoochee is located at longitude −83.68094, latitude 34.67994.

Origin of names

The meaning of Sautee Nacoochee's name, which combines two place names of Native American origin, is uncertain. James Mooney believed "Sautee" to be an anglicized version of a Cherokee placename Itsati that was used to describe several Cherokee places including Echota, Chota, and Chote. Itsati is a significant placename for the Cherokee as it was the name of their ancient capital, an important "peace town" and it is the name that was used for their new capital, established in the 19th century, New Echota. A 1734 land grant between Great Britain and the Cherokee lists Nacoochee or Nagutsi as a Cherokee town. The meaning of this placename is unknown, and James Mooney thought it might have some connection with the Yuchi.

A state historic marker states that the location was visited by Hernando de Soto in 1540 AD. However, a study of the route taken by De Soto by a team of Southeastern university professors in the 1980s placed his route far to the north.

Nearby Yonah Mountain is the site of a folktale where a beautiful Cherokee maiden named Nacoochee fell in love with the Chickasaw warrior Sautee. When their love was forbidden by the tribal elders, a war party followed the eloping lovers and threw Sautee off the mountain, with Nacoochee then jumping to her death, a Lover's Leap. This "Lover's Leap" story is identical to the story in Lookout Mountain's Rock City attraction. Although he did not invent the legend, George Williams, the son of one of the original white settlers, popularized it in his 1871 Sketches of Travel in the Old and New World.

Sautee Valley Historic District

Sautee Valley Historic District
SAUTEE VALLEY H.D., WHITE COUNTY, GA.jpg
Location GA 255 and Lynch Mountain Rd., Sautee, Georgia
Area 1,000 acres (400 ha)
NRHP reference No. 86002742
Added to NRHP August 20, 1986

The Sautee Valley Historic District (adjacent to the Nacoochee Valley Historic District) is a historic district centered on the community of Sautee Nacoochee. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 and has agricultural, architectural, and historic significance. The district includes the location of pre-historic villages and more recent buildings and structures from after American settlers came to the area. Spanish explorers sought gold in this valley, as did settlers who were seeking their fortune in the Georgia Gold Rush. The center point of the Sautee Valley Historic District is the intersection of Georgia State Route 255 and Lynch Mountain Road.

Sautee Nacoochee Center

Sautee Nacoochee is most noted for the Sautee Nacoochee Center, a cultural and community center housed in the restored Nacoochee schoolhouse. The center was founded by the Sautee-Nacoochee Community Association (SNCA), which was also responsible for getting both Sautee and Nacoochee Valleys placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In September 2006, the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia opened on the grounds of the Sautee Nacoochee Center. The Pottery Museum's new facility, designed by Atlanta architect Robert M. Cain, features a 3,200-square-foot (300 m2) main exhibit floor that houses more than 150 vessels on permanent display and has space for additional temporary exhibits.

The numerous cultural programs at the Sautee Nacoochee Center led to Sautee Nacoochee being designated as one of "The 100 Best Small Arts Towns in America" in a book by the same name written by John Villani.

Demographics

Sautee Nacoochee first appeared as a census designated place in the 2010 United States Census.

Historical population
Census Pop.
2010 363
2020 332 −8.5%
U.S. Decennial Census
1850-1870 1870-1880
1890-1910 1920-1930
1940 1950 1960
1970 1980 1990
2000 2010 2020
Sautee Nacoochee CDP, Georgia – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 305 279 84.02% 84.04%
Black or African American alone (NH) 53 24 14.60% 7.23%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 0 0 0.00% 0.00%
Asian alone (NH) 4 3 1.10% 0.90%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 0 0 0.00% 0.00%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 0 0 0.00% 0.00%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) 1 21 0.28% 6.33%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 0 5 0.00% 1.51%
Total 363 332 100.00% 100.00%

Nearby towns

Resources

  • 2005 In the Shadow of Yonah: A History of White County, Georgia. Garrison Baker, Brasstown Creek Publications, Cleveland, GA.
  • c1922 Mrs J. E. Wickle, Clarksville, Georgia "A History of the Early Settlers of Nacoochee Valley March 10, 1822" in "Habersham County, Geoegia History" at Georgia Genealogy Trails, presented by the Georgia Genealogy Trails Group.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Sautee Nacoochee para niños

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