Sweetwater Creek State Park

I photographed a candlelight lantern history walk through Sweetwater Creek State Park in Lithia Springs for the Powder Springs Patch newspaper on Saturday, July 23, 2011. The 1.2 mile trail, lit by 1800s period lanterns, takes hikers along Sweetwater Creek and into the ruins of the New Manchester cotton mill. The five story mill, which was built in 1849, was burnt to the ground by Union soldiers led by William Tecumseh Sherman during the Civil War. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the war between the states. These are my favorite images from the hike.

John Johnston, left, co-vice president of the Friends of Sweetwater Creek, counts up 1800s period candle lanterns for the candlelight hike to the cotton mill ruins in Sweetwater Creek State Park on Saturday, July 23, 2011.

 

Ruy Tobar-Mosqueira, left, and his mother Vanenka Mosqueira check out their 1800s period candle lanterns before the hike to the cotton mill ruins inside Sweetwater Creek State Park on Saturday, July 23, 2011.

 

Vanenka Mosqueira holds her lantern as John Johnston lights the candle inside during the monthly candlelight hike at Sweetwater Creek State Park on Saturday, July 23, 2011.

 

George Giddens, center, and John Johnston, left, lead a group of eight on a candlelight hike to the cotton mill ruins in Sweetwater Creek State Park on Saturday, July 23, 2011.

 

Ruy Tobar-Mosqueira, 10, carries a candle lantern as he explores the shore of Sweetwater Creek on Saturday, July 23, 2011.

 

Sweetwater Creek flows through Lithia Springs past the cotton mill ruins and then meets the Chattahoochee River.

 

Jesse Rowell, left, and April Acklin hold onto 1800s period candle lanterns as they walk the trail towards the cotton mill ruins in Sweetwater Creek State Park on Saturday, July 23, 2011.

 

Hikers carry 1800s period candle lantern as they hike towards the cotton mill ruins inside Sweetwater Creek State Park on Saturday, July 23, 2011.

 

George Giddens talks about the history of an old speakeasy that used to be inside the town of New Manchester which is now Sweetwater Creek State Park on Saturday, July 23, 2011.

 

John Johnston talks about the history of the cotton mill ruins inside Sweetwater Creek State Park on Saturday, July 23, 2011. The mill was built in 1849 and then later destroyed in 1864 by Sherman's troops during the Civil War.

 

The cotton mill ruins inside Sweetwater Creek State Park are the remenants of New Manchester, a town that was burnt to the ground during William Tecumseh Sherman's march through Georgia during the Civil War.

 

The cotton mill inside Sweetwater Creek State Park was built in 1849 and later destroyed by Union soldiers during the Civil War in 1864.

 

Rodrigo Tobar, takes a drink of water as he sits next to Sweetwater Creek after hiking to the cotton mill ruins inside Sweetwater Creek State Park during a candlelight hike on Saturday, July 23, 2011.

 

Ruy Tabor-Mosqueira throws rocks into Sweetwater Creek during the candlelight hike to the cotton mill ruins inside the state park in Lithia Springs on Saturday, July 23, 2011.

 

Ruy Tobar-Mosqueira walks through the ruins of the cotton mill inside Sweetwater Creek State Park as he carries an 1800s period candle lantern on Saturday, July 23, 2011.

 

Vanenka Mosqueira takes a photo of the cotton mill ruins inside Sweetwater Creek State Park during the monthly candlelight hike on Saturday, July 23, 2011.

 

John Johnston, left, explains the different parts of the cotton mill ruins to a group of hikers on the candlelight hike through Sweetwater Creek State Park on Saturday, July 23, 2011.

 

Jesse Rowell, holds a lantern up to one of the walls of the cotton mill ruins inside Sweetwater Creek State Park as he looks at graffiti left by Union soldiers during the Civil War.

 

Jesse Rowell, holds a lantern up to one of the walls of the cotton mill ruins inside Sweetwater Creek State Park as he looks at graffiti left by Union soldiers during the Civil War.

 

John Johnston, center, leads a group of hikers through the ruins of the cotton mill inside Sweetwater Creek State Park on Saturday, July 23, 2011.

One comment to “Sweetwater Creek State Park”
One comment to “Sweetwater Creek State Park”
  1. Beautiful photos Jonathan! Sherman did what he planned to do, try to break the will of the Southern people. He destroyed the mill and hence killed a town. You have to wonder how different Atlanta the area around it would be if Sherman hadn’t burnt everything to the ground.

    Thanks for sharing this special event!

    Cheers

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