Copperhill Photo Thread

[HABANERO7]

Copperhill / McCaysville and the whole Copper Basin area has a rich history dating back to 1843 when Copper was first discovered in them there hills! Since then the town has seen much change, but amazingly enough after all mining operations ceased in 1987 the community has since found a way to survive. Think about this, mining and chemical manufacturing ends in 1987, the city is under 12 feet of water after massive flooding in 1991, yet now the town is as busy today as it was in the 60

[Rural King]

Great pics!!!!! I of course as a disclaimer love these sorts of picture threads. I really enjoyed the tour, and Copperhill definately looks like a place I would want to go wonder around for a hour or two for fun.

Very scenic town and area from the looks of it.

[Hankster]

Those really are great shots of Copperhill! I'm very familiar with the area having traveled through there 100's of times (an old job of mine had me travelling between Nashville and Blairsville, GA (about 35 miles SE from Copperhill) on a regular basis. It really is a very scenic area today. However, a few decades ago, that wasn't the story. Copperhill was home to a copper mine and sulfuric acid plant. The acid fumes from the plant eroded the vegetation to the point that became a moonscape. Abosolutely no plant life could survive. In the 60's when we first started sending satellites into space, Copperhill could clearly be seen from space as a brown spot surrounded by the lush green of the mountains. I remember as a boy travelling through the area and seeing it. It was amazing.

Eventually EPA regulations forced the plant to clean up and limit its emissions, and the area has since come back to life, and has nearly fully recovered. I found a couple of old photos of the old Copperhill area to show you what a wasteland it was.

[it's just dave]

I remember the first time I saw Copper Hill. Although some of the vegetation had begun to re-emerge, the entire area reminded me of old movies of Martian landscapes. It was fascinating because of the contrast between that area and the hills surrounding it.

I was also there when the 1991 flood hit. Downtown was literally almost up to its rooftops in water. Amazingly, this town and McCaysville survives, and from the looks of things right now, doing quite nicely at it.

Highly recommended pitstop for anyone traveling through the N. Ga SE Tennessee mountains. The entire area is full of surprises.

Thanks for the pix. You too Hank.

[fieldmarshaldj]

^Great pics. I visited Copperhill/McCaysville last year and took several pics there in the late afternoon, arriving there right when the railroad excursion passengers disembarked (but all of mine are taken the old-fashioned way, no digitals). I got a shot overlooking the towns from one of the steep hills on the McCaysville side (along a switchback drive behind a school, if I remember correctly). They're interesting little towns.

[Tennesseestorm]

Excellent photos. I had never heard of Copperhill. I am wondering, is the city on each side of the state the same name? That is how it is here in Bristol, TN-VA.

I noticed an area code on one of the boards is "423". That is our area code here in northeast Tennessee. I thought that southeast Tennessee had a different area code? I know the Knoxville area is "865". Is that just for east central TN?

[flith]

Excellent photos. I had never heard of Copperhill. I am wondering, is the city on each side of the state the same name? That is how it is here in Bristol, TN-VA.

I noticed an area code on one of the boards is "423". That is our area code here in northeast Tennessee. I thought that southeast Tennessee had a different area code? I know the Knoxville area is "865". Is that just for east central TN?

No, Copperhill is just in TN as far as the city name goes.

When 423 was split Knoxville volunteered for the change. They wanted 865 (VOL) for their area code, they got the idea from the Cape Canaveral are whose area code is 321. Anyway under the old rules Knoxville would have kept 423 and the rest of E. TN would have had the new area code.

I remember then TN was just 901 and 615. I'm sure many people in this forum remember the 615/423 split.

[Tennesseestorm]

Thanks. So, what is the name on the "Georgia side" of the city?

I remember back when our area code was "615", but I do not recall the exact date. I was thinking that it was only the Knoxville area that had the "865" area code and especially after I saw that "423" in that photo of that building.

Thanks for verifying.

No, Copperhill is just in TN as far as the city name goes.

When 423 was split Knoxville volunteered for the change. They wanted 865 (VOL) for their area code, they got the idea from the Cape Canaveral are whose area code is 321. Anyway under the old rules Knoxville would have kept 423 and the rest of E. TN would have had the new area code.

I remember then TN was just 901 and 615. I'm sure many people in this forum remember the 615/423 split.

[HABANERO7]

The town on the Georgia side is called McCaysville... See back before 1908 Copperhill TN was known as McCays TN then it changed to Copperhill so when the area on the other side of the river was ready to incorporate they chose to go back with the McCays name and therefore became McCaysville...

[Brian]

Interesting, I didn't realise Cooperhill has about everything, Benton got. My step-father's family (the Rymers) is from Polk County.