Ellijay calls itself Georgia’s Apple Capital, and the numbers back it up. According to the New Georgia Encyclopedia, the valleys of Gilmer County produce more than 600,000 bushels of apples a year, more than any other county in the state. That did not happen overnight. Here is a short version of how a mountain crossroads turned into orchard country.

A town where rivers meet

Ellijay sits where the Cartecay and Ellijay rivers join to form the Coosawattee. Long before the town existed, the spot was home to a Cherokee town, and the New Georgia Encyclopedia describes it as a large Cherokee trading center.

The name comes from a Cherokee word, but no one agrees on exactly what it meant. Translations offered over the years include “many waters,” “place of green things” and “new ground.” Given the rivers, “many waters” is easy to believe.

Removal, gold and a new county

The land was taken from the Cherokee Nation through treaty, conflict and forced removal in the 1830s. Gold had been found in the region in 1829, and prospectors came through Gilmer County in waves until the excitement faded in the 1840s.

In December 1832 Georgia’s legislature split the huge original Cherokee County into smaller counties. One was Gilmer County, named for George R. Gilmer, who served two terms as governor of Georgia. The city of Ellijay was laid out in 1833 around a public square and became the county seat on December 29, 1834. Old Cartecay United Methodist Church, established the same year, is considered the oldest Methodist church in North Georgia.

Rails, timber and roads

For decades the mountains kept Gilmer County isolated. Residents worked hard to bring in a railroad, which arrived in the 1880s and set off growth in the timber industry. Even so, the New Georgia Encyclopedia notes that automobile travel made the biggest difference. The four-lane GA-515, the Zell Miller Mountain Parkway, was completed in 1991, putting Ellijay within easy reach of metro Atlanta.

Why apples?

Mountain slopes and cool fall nights suit apple trees, and over the 20th century orchards became a mainstay of Gilmer County farming. Today most of the orchards and apple houses around Ellijay are family-run, and several have been in the same family for generations. See our guide to Ellijay apple orchards for who is who.

The boll weevil story

A favorite local story says apples rescued the North Georgia farm economy after the boll weevil wrecked cotton in the 1920s. The boll weevil was real and devastating. But cotton’s decline in Georgia had other causes too, including the long aftermath of the Civil War, a changing global economy and falling prices as other parts of the world grew more cotton. Apples were part of how mountain farmers adapted, not the whole story. Read more on our About page.

The festival

In 1971 Ellijay held its first Georgia Apple Festival, which grew out of a small arts and crafts show. Today the festival runs across two October weekends at the Ellijay Lions Club Fairgrounds and is one of the region’s biggest events, with a juried crafts show and, in the words of one old-timer quoted by the New Georgia Encyclopedia, “every apple product known to mankind.” The 2026 festival was the 55th. Planning a trip? Start with our 2027 festival guide.

See the history yourself

  • Tabor House History Museum, 138 Spring Street, run by the Gilmer County Historical Society.
  • The courthouse square, laid out in the 1833 town plan.
  • The apple houses on GA-52, where you can still buy from the families who grow the fruit. Take our Highway 52 drive.

Sources and further reading

Facts in this article were checked against these sources on October 30, 2026. Hours, fees and seasons change, so confirm before you go.