Georgia Magazine - September 2024 - 22

corner could have a number like 121-12, which represents the
county in the GHS's internal system (121 is Richmond County)
and denotes that the marker is the 12th to be installed in that
county.
History in the making
An organization must go through an extensive
application process to obtain a marker through the Georgia
Historical Marker Program. (Markers are not available for
individuals.) Documents required include a research paper with
a bibliography of sources, signed easements from property
owners and sponsor agreements. The subject must relate
to a broader context of Georgia history or even national history
as it relates to Georgia.
The process can take between six months and a year while
the Georgia Historical Marker Review Committee works with all
parties to discuss the details.
" Historians and other professionals from across the state
come together and analyze all of the applications and make
deliberations on which ones they think would make successful
markers, " James says, adding that the committee is " amazing. "
Sponsors and the Georgia Historical Society enter into a
cost-sharing agreement, with the society covering half of the
price tag and any overages. Each marker costs more than $5,000.
Special focuses
The GHS also has a Business History Initiative, with
markers that tell the stories of companies significant to
Georgia's economic development. The list includes mega
companies such as Coca-Cola (marker located in front of
14 Marietta St. in Atlanta) and CNN (on Centennial Olympic
Park Drive just south of Marietta Street in Atlanta) as well as
some lesser-known firms like Fieldale Farms (located in Poultry
Park, 444 Jesse Jewell Parkway, Gainesville), which helped to
establish Gainesville as " the poultry capital of the world. "
The Civil War Historical Marker Initiative was conceived
in 2014 to highlight the war's 150th anniversary. In anticipation,
the GHS surveyed more than 900 markers relevant to the war
Several markers in Georgia commemorate events of the Civil War. This
one in Loganville describes an initiative by Union Brig. Gen. Kenner
Garrard to disrupt the Confederacy's communications and supplies.
in Georgia and discovered that the majority dealt with military
tactics. The initiative sought to erect new markers that describe
the impact of the war on families, women, children and the
enslaved. Today, the society encourages input to continue to
tell the stories of these populations.
For the 50th anniversary of the modern civil rights
movement in Georgia, the society established the Georgia
Civil Rights Trail in 2014 with more than 60 markers
focused on the cultural, political and social history of the
movement. As the GHS tells it, these markers invite people
" to stand on the ground where struggles and events took place
and [provide] a foundation upon which to build and cultivate
a deeper understanding of the past and its relevance to the
present. "
" There's really a marker out there for any topic you can
think of, and they're a really great way to learn about Georgia's
history in an easily digestible format, " James says. " I always
encourage people ... if you've driven past the same marker
every day and you haven't stopped to look at it, go find it online,
because it really is interesting and it might get you hooked. "
Jim Kelly is a freelance writer based in Gwinnett County.
Learn more
* Georgia Historical Society, georgiahistory.com: Explore the
database of more than 2,200 historical markers maintained by the
society. Browse by region or topic, or pick a place on the map.
* Historical Marker Project, historicalmarkerproject.com: This
site maintains a large collection of historical and other markers
throughout the country.
* Historical Marker Database, hmdb.org: This database lists more
than 200,000 entries of " public history cast in metal, carved on stone
or embedded in resin. "
* William G. Pomeroy Foundation Historical Marker Grant
Relatives of the late artist Nellie Mae Rowe and members of the
Judith Alexander Foundation and the Vinings Village Homeowners
Association pose at the new historical marker in Vinings.
22 Georgia Magazine September 2024
Programs, wgpfoundation.org/history: The foundation off ers a
" signage grant program that aligns with the local history you're
passionate about. " Subjects include folklore and food and
transportation history.
http://www.georgiahistory.com http://www.historicalmarkerproject.com http://www.hmdb.org http://www.wgpfoundation.org/history
Georgia Magazine - September 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - September 2024
