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Young Potts (part 2)

Updated: Mar 21


Young Potts House front view
Young Potts House front view with detached kitchen behind and to the left of the house


In a previous post about Young Potts Cemetery, we learned of Young Potts, his emigration to the gold mines of the Dahlonega area, and his acquisition of land in the Wolfscratch Wilderness area. He was a successful businessman and built a nice house beside a spring near the north end of Yellow Creek (The creek, not the road) north of present Hwy 53 and east of Steve Tate.


Potts died early and his wife and daughters remained at the property, one day after Mrs. Potts died, Roxie Lee Blackwell Hendrix stayed at the Potts house with the corpse. This wasn't an uncommon practice in Appalachia. Frequently, families would cover the body of a loved one with a blanket and stay up so they could privately grieve before having them buried.


The last burial at the Potts family cemetery was in 1892 of Dr. William Padgett.   Interestingly, her husband Dr. W. Padgett is shown on the 1903 Pickens County map where the Potts property was.



Dr. Padgett gravesite Potts Family Cemetery
Dr. Padgett gravesite (1837-1892)

Christianna 'Tina' 'Christina' Potts
Christina 'Tina' Potts (1848 - 1929)


Bill Brooks always wanted to live at the Potts' home. He purchased it from Young Potts's daughter Christianna around 1905. The house was so big it had a separate building for a kitchen.



William "Bill" Brooks (1869-1942)


Melinda Buchanan Brooks
Melinda Buchanan Brooks (1867 - 1946)


Melinda Buchanan Brooks (1867 - 1946)
Melinda Buchanan Brooks in front of the detached kitchen


Mr. Brooks lived there for a while and tried farming the land but found it difficult. He moved to Copperhill, Tennessee, and worked the mines until his retirement. He moved back to the Potts property until he died in 1942 and was buried at the Corinth Baptist Church cemetery.



Potts house rear view
Potts house rear view



Potts House side view
Potts House side view

After he passed, Bill Brooks' children sold the land to Steve Tate. Steve rented out the house to the family of Bud Wright for a while. Eventually, the house was abandoned and on July 15, 1967, it was destroyed by fire. Sadly, all that tangibly remains of this North Georgia History is the tombstones in the family plot of original settlers.





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Christopher is a writer, poet, artist, composer, and history buff with a penchant for tomfoolery.

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