Author Archive: PhilipIvester

Upcoming Events

Hello Friends. There are several exciting events coming up I wanted to make sure you were aware of: Covered Bridge Historical Lecture Bridge Closure for Repairs Annual Tree Planting Community Serivce Smyrna’s 150th Birthday Celebration Historic Ruff Cemetery Cleanup Covered…
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Ruff’s Mill Battlefield Report Now Available

This weekend we celebrate the Fourth of July, our country’s independence. Readers of this blog will also know that it is the 158th anniversary of the Battle of Ruff’s Mill, fought along Concord Road near the Concord Covered Bridge in…
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The Jonquils are Blooming Again

In the spring of 1976, when I was turning five years old, my family bought an old home-place just outside the city limits of Smyrna, Georgia. The house was overgrown and in need of quite a bit of work, but…
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November 7th, Sunday Afternoon Events

This Sunday, November 7th at 3PM the Friends of the Concord Covered Bridge Historic District will hold their annual meeting. Join us online for a fascinating historical tour through some of Smyrna’s treasures. Some highlights of this meeting: Jennie Eldrige,…
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Historic Cemetery Clean Up Saturday, November 6th 10AM

Join your neighbors and friends Saturday Morning, November 6th at 10 AM to help maintain the Ruff Family Cemetery. Historic cemeteries in Cobb County are preserved by volunteer organizations, and since 2019 the The Friends of the Concord Covered Bridge…
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Silas Gibboney, Born on the Fourth of July

Today on the 4th of July we celebrate our nation’s independence from Britain. It is also the anniversary of the final assault of the Battle of Ruff’s Mill, fought along Concord Road in 1864, the culmination of several skirmishes over…
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A Year In Review – 2020

While many of us may be glad to leave 2020 behind, I wanted to take a minute to celebrate some of our community’s accomplishments this past year. We got quite a number of our goals completed despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic. Here are a few of the highlights!

Historic Cemetery Preservation Workshop November 21st, 1PM

If you are interested in historic cemeteries, preservation, local history, or just being outdoors, consider participating in the upcoming Cemetery Preservation Workshop at the historic Ruff Family Cemetery. As you may remember, our Friends of the Concord Covered Bridge group…
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Ghost Stories!

It is Halloween Night in the Concord Covered Bridge Historic District, and what could be more appropriate tonight than a 100-year old ghost story set right here in the place that used to be known as “Concord”. This is a…
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July 3rd, 1864: The 54th Ohio Regiment at Ruff’s Mill

156 years ago today, July 3rd, 1864, Sherman’s army fought through the woods in our area of Cobb County, intent on destroying Johnston’s army and capturing Atlanta, the manufacturing base of the Confederacy. Today’s newsletter contains Captain Edward B. Moore’s…
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“Hold The Fort, I Am Coming”

Last year in October, I posted about Sherman’s return to Ruff’s Mill three months after the 1864 battle there. Confederate General Hood had crossed the Chattahoochee and was determined to attack Sherman from behind, disrupting his supplies and communications, jeopardizing…
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Unearthing Cobb County’s Historic Maps

I have always been fascinated with maps. Old maps; unfamiliar maps; maps that hold lost information; maps that show secret buried treasures; maps that walk you through dark unknown caves, etc…. The best birthday party I ever attended I was…
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Fake News! in 1870s Smyrna

We have all heard quite a bit about “Fake News” lately–probably much more than we really want to. But I think it will be interesting to look at a little incident from the 1870s that happened at the Concord Woolen…
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The Story of the Silver Comet

The Silver Comet Trail has been enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of cyclists and joggers each year since its completion in the late 1990s. Most people know the trail was built on an abandoned railroad track, but not everyone knows…
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