Ball Ground
The name for the town of Ball Ground, in northern Cherokee County, comes from a Cherokee Indian ball playing site located somewhere in the vicinity. It was not the exact site of the town, however. Indian ball grounds were usually located on a level area of 100 yards long and often along a running stream. Ball Ground did not come into existence as a town until the railroad passed through it in 1882. The community until that point was almost entirely agricultural. When the railroad line was surveyed to run through Ball Ground, officials decided to put up a depot and develop a town to go along with it. Within two years, Ball Ground had a population of 250 and a large number of new buildings, including three churches and a high school. Ball Ground was considered to be one of the best business points on the railroad. In addition to providing a market for nearby farms, it had several industries such as saw milling and woodworking. However, its best-known industry for many years was marble working. Today, Ball Ground has approximately 1000 residents, but with its proximity to both Cherokee and Pickens Counties, it continues to grow and thrive.