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The North Georgia town is older, but took on its Alpine identity in ‘69.
Helen, Georgia, turns 50 in 2019. Well, sort of. It’s actually been known as Helen, Georgia, for 106 years—since taking its name from Helen McComb, the niece of a major real estate developer, John E. Mitchell.
But it was not until 1969 when what was once a dying lumber town adopted its Bavarian-style look with cobblestone alleyways and gingerbread trim—thanks to the vision of local artist John Kollock and the support of several businessmen.
“It was a very simple, little town,” says 60-year-old Terry Sims, who grew up three miles north of Helen.
“And it was a pass-through place,” remembers Alta Buckley, who drove through in 1969. “It was just a Georgia town that was dying. Fortunately, it was not dying completely.”
Today, little but lively “Alpine Helen” is a place to play—from the parade of tubers on the Chattahoochee River, bubbling through town, to the live music, horse-drawn carriages, eclectic gift shops, lodges and German cuisine served at Helen’s restaurants.
“It’s just an exciting, little town,” says Buckley, an information specialist at the Helen Visitor Center.
This year, too, Helen marks the addition of the new Georgia Mountain Coaster—an offshoot attraction of the Cool River Tubing Company, owned by Sims. And while that new ride adds tracks, what was once the Gainesville & Northwestern Railroad is now the universally accessible Helen to Hardman Heritage Trail, offering a mile-long journey in the woods, overlooking a milldam and the ruffles of the river’s course.
The story above appears in our September/October 2019 issue. For more subscribe today or log in to the digital edition with your active digital subscription. Thank you for your support!
