Local effort gets Kettle Creek Battlefield marked on next Georgia highway maps

After a months-long campaign by a Washington man, the Georgia Department of Transportation has decided to put the Kettle Creek Battlefield historic site on the officialstate map.

Retired educator Dr. Joseph B. Harris said that DOT Commissioner Harold Linnenkohl has officially approved the display of the Kettle Creek Battlefield Historic Site on the OfficialGeorgia Highway and Transportation map.

"It will be on the new maps," said U.S. Rep Mickey Channell in an email to Harris. "Thanks for bringing this to my attention."

Harris, long active in the Sons of the American Revolution's observance of the battle anniversary, had spoken with Channell at a Washington Rotary Club luncheon in July, and followed up with a proposal for the DOT. A committee of six, representing the SAR, the Daughters of the American Revolution, military and other historians, and educators prepared the proposal, which addressed the battle site's public interest and the economic value of helping the public findthe rural battle site.

The proposal made several points in support of the request. The annual observance of the battle each February draws hundreds of visitors, and many have trouble finding the remote site in southwest Wilkes County off State Road 44. Although the turn to the site is marked with signs, visitors often have to stop and ask for directions in Washington since there is no indication of the site on maps.

And, the proposal said, although visitors come to the battle site throughout the year, the annual celebration in February, with meetings, social gatherings, and other observances, brings visitors to town for as many as three days and provides an economic boost during a traditionally slow time of year.

In support of the proposal to put Kettle Creek on the map, some two dozen local government, civic, business, and tourism leaders signed a letter urging the DOT to add the battlefield site to the state map.

The completed proposal package went to Mickey Channell, who sent it to DOT Commissioner Linnenkohl with his endorsement. "The approval of this request by citizens and officials in Washington-Wilkes County to have the Kettle Creek battlefield clearly identified on our state map would be an investment that would allow all citizens an opportunity to share knowledge about our nation's past, and help preserve the memory of the men who fought and died at Kettle Creek, Georgia."

Channell notified Joe Harris of the DOT commissioner's decision last week.

Reader Comments

No comments have been posted. Be the first!

Other Stories With Comments:
Article	Comments
The Office Cat	2
Neighborhood vandalism is out of control	1
The Office Cat	1
Drug problem growing; little is being done	1
The Office Cat	1
Family escapes death in semi hit-and-run	1
Feed a family of four for $10 a week	1