Oconee River

Oconee River. Description and Historic Views. Run -off water from the upper piedmont forms the Oconee (a Native American word meaning "river")., Below the Appalachian Mountains of North Georgia, the Oconee River headwaters begin in the rolling hill country of Hall and Gwinnett Counties northwest of Athens. The middle and northern branches of the Oconee flow through Athens-Clarke County and meet at Whitehall near the Clarke and Oconee county line., The Oconee River continues flowing south along 265 miles where it joins the Ocmulgee to form the Altamaha River just north of Hazelhurst, Georgia., (captions) , (Above): A rare 1950s post card view of a farmer crossing the covered bridge on the Oconee River at College Ave. Through the years Athens-Clarke County was home to many covered bridges, some of which were located on College Ave., Oconee St., North Ave., Broad St., Mitchell Bridge Rd., and over Sandy Creek. no historic covered bridges exist in Athens-Clarke County today., (Inset): Circa 1900 view of the Oconee River falls and rapids near downtown Athens located below the Oconee St. Bridge. Three major cotton manufacturing mills opened in the Athens area between 1829 and 1833 - the Georgia Factory, Athens Cotton and Wool Factory, Athens Cotton and Wool Factory, and Princeton Mill. These mills processed the rich harvest from adjacent plantations and farms. For a time Athens - A pioneer city in the south for cotton manufacturing - could claim the sobriquet "Manchester of the South." All this was made possible by the natural resource of the Oconee River., 1925 view - sightseeing along the Oconee River, Circa 1900 Historic Views along the Oconee River , Cow grazing near downtown Athens across from Cook and Brother Armory., Painting of the Oconee River., Athenians fishing., Victorian woman in small boat.