Matt Gedney

Matt Gedney's paternal ancestors came to Helen, Georgia in the 1930s to mine gold in the last big burst of activity along the Georgia Gold Belt. The great sawmill and the railroad which gave rise to the town were just gone, but left behind a colorful place where children could run free and the saying was that that if you needed a dozen characters for a Hollywood movie, you could just come to Helen and get the first 12 people you met.

The abandoned beds of logging railroads wound high into the mountains, passing old gold mines along the way. From much earlier times, mysterious Indian mounds stood in Nacoochee Valley, inspiring an assortment of local tales. Things changed with the modern Alpine development, which brought big crowds and displaced many of the old ways. It is, however, another chapter in what continues to be an interesting place.

Gedney is the author of two books on area attractions and history. "Living on the Unicoi Road" focuses on the pioneer century and the Georgia Gold Rush, during which the Helen area saw as much mining as anywhere. "The Story of Helen" focuses on the modern era, starting with the story of the Alpine conversion before revealing who Ms. Helen was and the unexpected story behind the founding of what was a wild and sometimes dangerous town, and also offers maps and guides to area natural and historical attractions.