Best Autumn Drives #5 - Highway 190 in Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park, Georgia

Overlook at Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park

Highway 190, which passes along the crest of Pine Mountain through the full length of Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park in Georgia, is one of the most beautiful fall drives in the South.
The park takes its name from the President that led the United States through the dark days of the Great Depression and World War II. In fact, President Roosevelt died at his Little White House near Warm Springs on the northern slopes of Pine Mountain. He frequented the beautiful scenery now included in the more than 9,000 acres of the state park.

Highway 190 enters the park at the Callaway Store and Overlook just north of Hamilton, Georgia. From there it winds its way along the top of the mountain, past overlooks, the park office, cabins, picnic areas, trail heads and other points of interest until it exits the park just outside Warm Springs. The total length is just under 12 miles.

Roosevelt Statue at Dowdell's Knob

Along the way, be sure to take Dowdell Knob Road out to Dowdell's Knob, a favorite picnic spot of President Roosevelt. The knob is a hilltop that projects from the side of the mountain and provides a spectacular, panoramic view of the surrounding countryside.  During the fall it overlooks an amazing natural canvas of color, especially reds and golds.

Highway 190 itself is simply a spectacular drive in years when the leaves are good.  Along much of the route, the trees form natural arches over the roadway. When these take on their full color, the scene as you pass through the trees is simply amazing.

The drive is also just minutes away from Pine Mountain's famed Callaway Gardens, which also offers spectacular fall scenery.  The grounds of the Little White House near the northern end of the highway are also beautiful in the fall.

If you want to enjoy a great lunch while visiting Pine Mountain, consider the Callaway Country Store located at the southern entrance to the state park. The dining room there has what may be the best fried chicken in Georgia and features spectacular views from your table.  You can also take a picnic and enjoy the mountain scenery itself as there are plenty of great picnic spots along the road and the weather is usually mild, but cool (be sure to take a sweater or jacket).

To learn more about Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fdrstatepark.

You can also check out the views from Dowdell's Knob at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/dowdellsknob.

You can read about the Little White House and President Roosevelt at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/littlewhitehouse.

And, last but not least, read about Callaway Gardens at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/callawaygardens1.

Warm Springs, Georgia

In the last post I mentioned the Little White House and President Franklin Roosevelt's association with the historic city of Warm Springs, Georgia.

Warm Springs is a charming little community nestled in the hill country of western Georgia about 45 minutes north of Columbus and perhaps an hour south of Atlanta. It is known today as a popular resort area and is rich in historic sites and natural landmarks.

According to legend, warriors of the Creek and other Indian nations came to Warm Springs for centuries before the first white settlers arrived. They believed the natural warm water flowing from springs near Pine Mountain held medicinal properties that would help them recover from war wounds and other injuries. During the 19th century, however, it became a popular resort for residents of Georgia and other southern states who came either for their health or just for a break away from their daily lives.

The city's real claim to fame, of course, was its association with Franklin D. Roosevelt. He first came to Warm Springs in 1924 in hopes that the warm water might help him recover from his polio-related paralysis. While Roosevelt never regained the use of his legs, the swims at Warm Springs and exercise in the clean mountain air did him worlds of good. He fell in love with the area and built his Little White House there in 1932. It was the only home he ever owned and where he died in 1945.

Warm Springs today is the centerpiece of a popular area for vacations and outdoor recreation. Visitors can explore the charming downtown area, visit the restored pools where Roosevelt once swam, see the Little White House and explore both the Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park and nearby Callaway Gardens.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/warmsprings.

Anniversary of the Passing of President Franklin D. Roosevelt

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt died at the Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia, on this date, April 12th, in 1945. Sixty-four years have now passed since FDR went to his final rest.

The longest serving President in American history, Roosevelt was also a fixture in the Deep South. He came to Warm Springs, Georgia, in 1924, in hopes that the natural warm water flowing from springs near Pine Mountain might cure him of the paralysis he suffered following a battle with polio. The water did not cure Roosevelt, but the aquatherapy and exercise did improve both his strength and outlook. In 1927, with help from a philanthropist, he purchased the springs and a surrounding farm. It was the beginning of the organization we know today as the March of Dimes.

The Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute was the only such facility available for those recovering from polio in his day. The disease terrified many Americans and the people it affected were often ostracized from their family and friends. The work at Warm Springs, however, gradually changed such perceptions.

Although he came in search of a medical cure, Roosevelt soon fell in love with the beautiful scenery of Warm Springs and Pine Mountain. In 1932, while serving as Governor of New York, he built the Little White House at Warm Springs. It was the only home he would ever own. Later that same year Roosevelt was elected President of the United States.

The story of his association with Pine Mountain and Warm Springs is one of the most remarkable in American political history. The Little White House became a refuge for the President as he struggled to guide the nation first through the dark years of the Great Depression and then through the difficult times of World War II.

On April 12, 1945, as World War II entered its final months, President Roosevelt was sitting for a portrait in the Little White House in Warm Springs when he suddenly collapsed. Carried to his nearby bedroom, he died later that day.

It is difficult today to understand the impact that the death of President Roosevelt had on the people of the United States. He had been the determined figure that led the nation through some of its most difficult times. He had told Americans that they had "nothing to fear, but fear itself." And as a man with severe disabilities, he guided the nation through World War II with a will of iron. The outpouring of grief experienced across the country was perhaps the greatest explosion of emotion in American history. People from all walks of life and from all races mourned the passing of the man who introduced himself to his rural Georgia neighbors as simply a farmer from Warm Springs.

To learn more about the Little White House and other sites associated with President Roosevelt in and around Warm Springs, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/littlewhitehouse.