Awesome video man. Love all the history in Walker County as a Lafayette local.
@georgiabackroads8906
7 ай бұрын
This was a really fun video to research and put together. I love hiking the Estelle Mine Trail and seeing the ruins of the old mines and communities. I'll return soon, because I always hike this loop in April. Thank you for viewing the video and commenting.
@87kimled
Жыл бұрын
Love this! My great grandfather was a miner at Estelle and when the mine closed, they moved to the Gadsden area.
@georgiabackroads8906
Жыл бұрын
Thank you for reading and mentioned your family story. Did your g-granddad work in Alabama mining or textile mills or something else?
@87kimled
Жыл бұрын
@@georgiabackroads8906 ore mining
@claytonbrannon3060
2 ай бұрын
My grandparents owned a boarding house in Estelle and my Dad started working in the mines when he was 13. My grandparents are buried in the Estelle Cemetery. As a kid in the Boy Scouts we used to camp in the area and slept in some of the old houses.
@jasonhand7334
2 ай бұрын
Do you know how I could find the remains of estelle?
@georgiabackroads8906
Ай бұрын
The main community of Estelle was located on what is now Ga. Highway 193 about a mile east of Davis Crossroads and about six miles west of LaFayette. Estelle Cemetery is located on a short gravel road (Estelle Cemetery Road) on the north side of Hwy. 193. On the south side, close to a Crockford-Pigeon Mountain WMA gravel parking lot, there are some concrete ruins of the Estelle mining and railroad operations in the woods a bit. One of the old dinky line railroad beds, including something like seven tunnels, are preserved, partly as the Estelle Mines Road and partly as the Estelle Mine Trail. There may be other features, but those are the main things that I'm aware of. Google for more info on Estelle. Good luck!
@jasonhand7334
Ай бұрын
@@georgiabackroads8906 thank you.
@lairdhaynes1986
Жыл бұрын
This was a fascinating and well researched little documentary. I love Pigeon Mountain and gave enjoyed its wonders many times. I've been on the Estelle Mine Trail a few times. I biked the length to the gravel road once a long time ago. A few years ago I hiked in to one of the tunnels and went down in, it may have been the same one you walked through. I appreciate the history on Estelle as I've often wondered about its story as I drive through on 193 on my way to the Pocket. The spring ephemerals call to me every year near the end of February and I have to oblige their beckoning.
@georgiabackroads8906
Жыл бұрын
Laird, thanks for the personal reminiscence. Glad you enjoyed the video. You and I feel the same beckoning at the same time of the year. I generally go to Pigeon Mountain in March and April each year. Sometimes there are other visits, but the spring wildflower show and birdsong is the biggest draw. I did the Estelle Mine and North Pocket Loop described in the video last Tuesday. Perhaps we'll bump into one another one of these days.
I hiked this trail for the first time today. beautiful trail, went through a few of the shafts and went around a couple. I started where you said at the pocket loop end and worked my way north. I have known about the 7th tunnel for a while being that you can pretty much drive up to it. In the past few months ive been spending quite a bit of time up there. At roughly 34.73197, -85.36143 there is another tunnel i found, not hard to spot, maybe you have seen it before. In front of it there is a roughly 2" iron pipe coming out of the ground with half of a pipe union still threaded onto it. i want to see where it comes out at and map it all out. Really enjoyed the video and learned about some nature towards the end!
@georgiabackroads8906
7 күн бұрын
Sounds like you hiked both the Estelle Mines Trail and the Estelle Mine Road section, between Pocket Loop Trailhead and HIghway 193. I've only done the latter once. I saw the seventh tunnel - the big one. I don't recall another with a 2" iron pipe, but it's been about six or eight years. Did you see any hunters on the trail? I had to turn back in November, a few years ago, because there were alot of them out, and I forgot my orange vest. That's a lovely and interesting area. Thank you for sharing.
@aaronlynch4045
7 күн бұрын
@@georgiabackroads8906 yes sir. No body hunting that I saw.
@overtheGarage-ue8lh
Жыл бұрын
I can tell your a local by the way you pronounce LaFayette! Great video! - Former Berry College student
@georgiabackroads8906
Жыл бұрын
Thank you. Georgia has so many place names with unusual pronunciations, like LaFayette and Armuchee and Euharlee. :) I've been teaching at Berry in various capacities since the late 1980s. My wife and I say that we raised our family there, picnicking, bike riding, hiking, laughing. We call it Berry National Park. My wife works at Winshape, on the campus. Thanks for watching and commenting. I love knowing "local folks" have tuned in.
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