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Fort Mountain (Murray County, Georgia)
Encyclopedia
Fort Mountain is a mountain
in northern Georgia
, just east of Chatsworth
. It is part of the Cohutta Mountains
, a small mountain range
at the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains
. It also lies within the Chattahoochee National Forest.
Fort Mountain takes its name from a peak
that has remnants
of a stone
fort around part of that peak. The stones, which are from the local area around the summit, are piled in an 928 feet (283 m)-long discontinuous zig-zag line. The fort may have been constructed by pre-Columbian native Americans
, but exactly who created the fort and why, are still unknown. Other suggestions include that it owes its construction to a race of what the Cherokee
termed "moon-eyed people" because they could see better at night than by day. These "moon-eyed people," who were said to have fair skin, blonde hair and opalescent eyes, have often been associated with Prince Madoc
and his Welsh band, who some claim visited North America in the 12th century. Another tradition claims that the wall was built by Hernando de Soto
to defend against the Creek
Indians around 1540.
Around and mostly south of the fort peak is Fort Mountain State Park
, with camping
areas, a mountain lake
, and a variety of public facilities, such as a camp store, walking
trails, swimming, boating
, and playgrounds.
Mountain
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in northern Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, just east of Chatsworth
Chatsworth, Georgia
Chatsworth is a city in Murray County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Dalton, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,531 at the 2000 census, but was estimated around 3,890 as of the 2005 census. The city is the county seat of Murray County...
. It is part of the Cohutta Mountains
Cohutta Mountains
The Cohutta Mountains in Georgia, USA, include:* Big Frog Mountain* Fort Mountain *Grassy Mountain , in Murray County near Lake Conasauga...
, a small mountain range
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
at the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
. It also lies within the Chattahoochee National Forest.
Fort Mountain takes its name from a peak
Summit (topography)
In topography, a summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. Mathematically, a summit is a local maximum in elevation...
that has remnants
Ruins
Ruins are the remains of human-made architecture: structures that were once complete, as time went by, have fallen into a state of partial or complete disrepair, due to lack of maintenance or deliberate acts of destruction...
of a stone
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
fort around part of that peak. The stones, which are from the local area around the summit, are piled in an 928 feet (283 m)-long discontinuous zig-zag line. The fort may have been constructed by pre-Columbian native Americans
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
, but exactly who created the fort and why, are still unknown. Other suggestions include that it owes its construction to a race of what the Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
termed "moon-eyed people" because they could see better at night than by day. These "moon-eyed people," who were said to have fair skin, blonde hair and opalescent eyes, have often been associated with Prince Madoc
Madoc
Madoc or Madog ab Owain Gwynedd was, according to folklore, a Welsh prince who sailed to America in 1170, over three hundred years before Christopher Columbus's voyage in 1492. According to the story, he was a son of Owain Gwynedd who took to the sea to flee internecine violence at home...
and his Welsh band, who some claim visited North America in the 12th century. Another tradition claims that the wall was built by Hernando de Soto
Hernando de Soto (explorer)
Hernando de Soto was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who, while leading the first European expedition deep into the territory of the modern-day United States, was the first European documented to have crossed the Mississippi River....
to defend against the Creek
Creek people
The Muscogee , also known as the Creek or Creeks, are a Native American people traditionally from the southeastern United States. Mvskoke is their name in traditional spelling. The modern Muscogee live primarily in Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida...
Indians around 1540.
Around and mostly south of the fort peak is Fort Mountain State Park
Fort Mountain State Park
Fort Mountain State Park is a 3,712 acre Georgia state park located between Chatsworth and Ellijay on Fort Mountain. The mountain is named for an ancient 885 foot long rock wall located on the peak. The wall is thought to have been built by area Native Americans either for defense or for...
, with camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
areas, a mountain lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
, and a variety of public facilities, such as a camp store, walking
Walking
Walking is one of the main gaits of locomotion among legged animals, and is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults over the stiff limb or limbs with each step...
trails, swimming, boating
Boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
, and playgrounds.