History

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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Horace King – American Architect

In celebration of Black History Month February 2021, we wanted to highlight the life of Horace King, an American architect, engineer, and builder of covered bridges. In keeping with our purpose to educate and promote quality planning, preservation, and conservation…
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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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Audio Tour App is LIVE…Download the Tour!

The Friends of the Concord Covered Bridge Historic District proudly announce the release of our Historic District Audio Tour App.

This Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour explores numerous historical sites and other prominent landmarks within and adjoining the Historic District.  The narration will enrich you about the people and their lives from the 19th century when these lands were first settled. The Audio Tour App is also filled with additional visual content.

You can take the Tour starting from three different locations around the Historic District and be guided Stop-by-Stop as…

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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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Audio Tour App Under Development

Your Friends of the Concord Covered Bridge are busy developing a Smartphone App that will lead visitors along an exciting and educational Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour of the Historic District.  This unique App will take tour takers to and through fourteen different locations within and around the District; pointing out its landmarks, describing the rich history of the area, and providing supplemental photo and video content, right on your iPhone, iPad or Android device.

The App utilizes GPS Locations from your Smartphone to lead you from point-to-point…

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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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Happy 2018! (And 2017 in Review)

As 2017 has come to and end and the new year begins, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in the Concord Covered Bridge Historic District! For those of you who have become members, and to those of you who have donated generously in 2017, we say THANK YOU!

Here are just a few of the things we’ve accomplished this year:

Poem: The Covered Bridge Exposed

The Covered Bridge Exposed, by Jeffrey Zygmont In wintertime one hundred years ago New Hampshire country people couldn’t go across a covered bridge upon a sleigh because the cover kept the snow away, and runners under sleighs won’t glide on…
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Sherman’s Return to Ruff’s Mill in October, 1864

Many residents of Cobb County know about the Battle of Ruff’s Mill, fought in and around the mid-1800s milling community just outside present-day Smyrna. What many do not know is that Sherman’s army returned to Ruff’s Mill in October, 1864,…
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