Cohutta Springs West (Waterhouse, Colvard's)

The place name of Cohutta Springs appears on Murray County maps in at least three locations, not including North Cohutta Springs, which makes a fourth. It can become quite confusing for researchers. Genealogists whose families were listed at Cohutta Springs in the 1860s should look closely at this "other" Cohutta Springs, in the Tenth District, Third Section of Murray County (I'll call it Cohutta Springs West, to clarify ).

THE "OTHER" COHUTTA SPRINGS:

This Cohutta Springs is southwest of Cisco, Georgia in the Tenth District, Third Section of Murray County. It is west of the community of Fairy. "Oakwood," a privately owned antebellum plantation sits at the crossroad of what is now Halls Chapel Road and Georgia Highway 225. At various times in its history, the plantation and the area around it was known locally as Waterhouse's farm, McCroskey's, or Colvard's plantation. The area on old maps was designated long ago as Cohutta Springs, as it appears on very early state and county maps. It also had a well spring where people came to draw drinking water. The spring eventually ran dry and was filled with dirt.

Waterhouse's farm is mentioned in Civil War correspondence as a place where Union scouts rendezvoused while scouting the Confederate-held Spring Place, just before the Atlanta Campaign. During or after the Civil War, a Confederate, Major M.D.L. McCroskey, bought the Waterhouse plantation. His name appears on this map, on land lot 96 in the Tenth and Third, just east of the five-way intersection.

Mail delivery was spotty in the early history of Murray County. Callaway Campbell, a resident of this Cohutta Springs area that is west of Cisco (land lot 82 on map), has difficulty getting mail when he first moves into Murray, before the Civil War. Later, mail delivery became easier after a post office opened in his area. Cal Campbell's land is to the north west, almost cater-cornered, and shows a mill (land lot 82). In the 1860s, folks in Cisco and west of there were listed in census as residing in the Tenth District, Cohutta Springs. In other census years, it may show Tenth District, 874, and other designations. Much later, it became known as Colvard's, after a physician who owned the plantation and ran a store at the crossroads. There was also a big spring, which became known as Colvard's spring.

Residents of the Cisco area, at least those west of the ridge, were listed in 1860 census as residing in the Tenth District, Cohutta Springs. In the 1880s, some of them file pension applications, listing Cohutta Springs as their address.