OLD FEDERAL ROAD

The first vehicular and postal route of Georgia to Rossville was the Federal Road across the Cherokee Nation.  Beginning on the southeast Indian boundary in the direction of Athens, Georgia.  The throughfare led this way forward to Nashville via Tate, Jasper, Talking Rock and Spring Place.

Formal permision by the Cherokees to open the road was granted in the 1805 Treaty of Tellico, Tennessee. Prior that time the trace served as an Indian trading path to Augusta.

The earliest post office in Northwest Georgia was
established on this route at Rossville on April, 5th 1817, with John Ross as postmaster.