Dahlonega is a small town in the mountains of northeast Georgia, best known for being the site of the first real gold rush in the United States. The city is host to the University of North Georgia with its Corps of Cadets; Camp Frank D. Merrill, better known as the Ranger Camp; and the home of approximately 3,000 veterans. Patriotic holidays such as Vietnam Veterans Memorial Day, Memorial Day, July 4 and Veterans Day are celebrated with great enthusiasm. The city has two cemeteries, Mount Hope and Memorial Park. In Mount Hope alone, there are resting places for over 300 veterans, from the Revolutionary War through the current conflicts. But something was missing.
In 2000, retired Ranger and member of Blue Mountain Masonic Lodge #38 Brother Master Andre Howard challenged his membership to find a worthy project for the Lodge. Jack Smoot, a member and Army veteran, came up with the idea of markers similar to those he had seen in Duluth, Ga. It really came to life when another Lodge member and Army veteran, Paul Hanson, volunteered to construct the markers. Using contributions from the Lodge, American Legion Post 239 and Mountain Ranger Association, the idea became a reality.
The markers are simple wooden crosses, with the veteran’s name and branch of service. Each holds a 12” x 18” American flag. The first group of 24 markers honoring Lumpkin County veterans was placed at the Veterans’ Memorial Park on Memorial Day 2000.
Since then, the Veteran Memorial Marker project has grown to approximately 1,100 markers, placed by 17 volunteer groups for Memorial Day through Veterans Day. Every major road leading from the square, home of the Gold Mine Museum, is lined with markers. They are also placed at the Legion, Veterans’ Memorial Park and the newest location, the entry drive to Lumpkin County High School. This particular site is manned by members of the LCHS JROTC Curraches Battalion.
As the program grew, so did the need for a central facility to make and store the markers. The original building was on a piece of land owned by the Legion. When that property was sold, a new, and larger building was constructed on land adjacent to and owned by Post 239. In 2024, due to an increase in demand, it became necessary to enlarge the building. it has also been plumbed, electrified and insulated. Management of the program is now a joint effort between the Legion and the Lodge. In order to receive a marker, the veteran must have spent some time in Lumpkin County.