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In the 1870’s when the railroad came through town,
it brought with it remarkable change. The City
of Toccoa, chartered in 1874
and later made the county seat, became a terminal along the
main line of the Southern Railway System. Toccoa was a key
link in the rail system connecting Atlanta with Charlotte,
N.C., and later Richmond, Washington, D.C., and New York City.
Today, Toccoa is one of only three AMTRAK passenger stops
in Georgia.
Entrepreneurial visionaries of the era foresaw Stephens
County's future as a manufacturing center.
Because cotton was already being grown, textile mills from
New England moved in to take advantage of the agricultural
and transportation resources. The area’s streams and
rivers were perfect for powering machinery and soon the construction
of dams and hydroelectric plants added to the growth of the
industry. In addition, there was a steady supply of quality
labor. Companies wanting to establish plants in the area took
the aesthetic importance of a clean environment and surrounding
scenic beauty into consideration in their decision to locate
here.
Abundant
timberland
provided
resources
for
the
first
furniture
and
casket
factories;
rock
quarries
provided
granite
and
crushed
stone;
construction
and
building
industries
developed
and
concrete
products
were
needed.
In
an
upwardly
economic
progression,
one
thing
led
to
another
with
each
new
industry
that
came
in
supporting
another
one
already
in
existence.
Metal
industries
sprouted
up
providing
machine
tools
and
other
metal
products
used
by
the
factories
and
construction
industry.
The
growth
of
companies
providing
industrial
sales
and
services
and
food
processing
and
packaging
has
flourished
also.
Today, Stephens County is principally a manufacturing community
and its manufacturing base continues to expand. Approximately
4,000 or 35% of Stephens County's employed citizens work in
diversified industries that include furniture, textiles, chemicals,
plastics, caskets, metal fabrication and garments; almost
twice the state average for manufacturing employment. According
to the University of
Georgia’s Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development,
farm income was almost $48 million in 1998; while Stephens
County’s total personal income for that same year was
over $528 million.
In the last 30 years, 46 new industries have chosen
Stephens County as the ideal community in which to
live work and prosper. These new industries have created more
than 5,000 new manufacturing jobs. According to the U.S. Department
of Commerce, 5,900 more people have joined the community,
adding an additional 2,300 more households and $100 million
more in personal income per year. As a result, non-manufacturing
jobs have also increased by 1,500 leading to an increase in
retail sales of more than $40 million per year. Existing industrial
plants continue to serve as the bedrock of the local economy,
creating over 1,000 new manufacturing jobs since 1996. Local
industrial expansion, facilitated by a favorable business
climate, continues to sustain the local economy, while also
providing the Toccoa/Stephens County community with the 2001
Georgia Small Manufacturer of the Year designation for Toccoa
Metal Finishing, Inc., and Georgia Exporter of the
Year distinction for two consecutive years with Patterson
Pump in 2000 and Coats American in 2001.
The new Currahee
Club is the first planned use development project
for the community. Located on 1100 acres, the property has
six miles of shoreline along beautiful Lake Hartwell. Upon
completion, this planned community will offer a Jim Fazio
18-hole golf course, marina, hotel/conference center and a
variety of housing including golf villas, cottages, condos
and private home sites. The breathtaking mountain vistas and
abundant wildlife will give residents and visitors a lifestyle
of casual elegance perfected in nature. In addition, biking
and jogging trails, fine restaurants, retail shops, wine cellar,
tennis complex and equestrian center will allow all who venture
there an exceptional experience.
The
leadership
in
Toccoa
and
Stephens
County
feels
strongly
that
safe
and
secure
communities
create
a
climate
conducive
to
growth.
Communities
where
crime
is
controlled
and
fear
of
crime
kept
to
a
minimum,
succeed
in
attracting
families
and
businesses.
Consequently,
providing
effective
law
enforcement
to
protect
the
public
and
maintaining
a
fair
and
effective
judicial
system
are
among
the
major
goals
of
the
Toccoa
and
Stephens
County
governments.
The
City
of
Toccoa’s
Police
Department
is
both
state
certified
and
nationally
accredited.
The city and county have benefited from the interests and
actions of involved, civic-minded organizations and the accredited
Toccoa-Stephens
County Chamber of Commerce has used its influence
to benefit the local economy. The Chamber was instrumental
in supporting the Stephens
County Development Authority, a combined effort
on the part of the city and county that resulted in the purchase
of the communities’ new Industrial Park. The Hayestone/Brady
Park’s, 420 acres, six miles from Interstate
85, boasts Caterpillar as its first tenant and the completion
of the North Georgia Technical College’s 50-acre satellite
campus. Hayestone/Brady represents a successful collaboration
of both public and private sector organizations working to
increase employment opportunities for all citizens of Stephens
County. By continuing this spirit of cooperation, the Toccoa/Stephens
County community will continue to grow and prosper in the
future.
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