Follow the River: Etowah Charts Course of City
The Etowah River flows through Canton’s history and into its future, the sparkling centerpiece of what was a renowned mill town in the early 1900s and is now one of north Georgia’s most sought-after communities for young professionals and families.
![Drone shot of Etowah River in Canton Georgia and bridge with Canton logo](https://cantonga.imgix.net/images/DRONE-Canton-Bridge.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=59.19%2080&q=80&w=320&s=7a9177599a017c0f1bf0ca6a56c75daf 320w, https://cantonga.imgix.net/images/DRONE-Canton-Bridge.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=59.19%2080&q=80&w=540&s=7e6d07a4e88b9740b338dfc076dcef4e 540w, https://cantonga.imgix.net/images/DRONE-Canton-Bridge.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=59.19%2080&q=80&w=768&s=004dea6a02c12d119d25cfa3ad85153e 768w, https://cantonga.imgix.net/images/DRONE-Canton-Bridge.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=59.19%2080&q=80&w=1024&s=45429b1dbdb3735308236c47ca297197 1024w, https://cantonga.imgix.net/images/DRONE-Canton-Bridge.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=59.19%2080&q=80&w=1200&s=1547c1ee9646b51f054dd599438825a1 1200w, https://cantonga.imgix.net/images/DRONE-Canton-Bridge.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=59.19%2080&q=80&w=1440&s=56a5bcaa8f3303b92d1abcf9af06a72d 1440w, https://cantonga.imgix.net/images/DRONE-Canton-Bridge.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=59.19%2080&q=80&w=1920&s=05b46c15a021a7120a4aa799d565ce4c 1920w, https://cantonga.imgix.net/images/DRONE-Canton-Bridge.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=59.19%2080&q=80&w=2560&s=7615f6b110f8ed9c544020b2c3237e42 2560w, https://cantonga.imgix.net/images/DRONE-Canton-Bridge.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=59.19%2080&q=80&w=3840&s=f7d2f4c3ee0687d54f70e62eb70f7c8f 3669w)
While just 5 percent of the Etowah River’s 164-mile length is within the city limits of Canton, those eight-and-a-half miles of waterway not only helped establish the city in 1834, but continue to be vital to its growth, prosperity, and quality of life.
Rivers have always attracted settlement and, prior to railroads and interstates, were important routes for commerce. In the 1800s, the Etowah provided a route for shipping raw marble to the Georgia Marble Finishing Works in Canton and also provided the water necessary for the finishing process.
The river was also vital to Canton’s most renowned historic business. The Canton Cotton Mills, which operated from 1899 to 1981, used water from the Etowah in almost every step of its textile production process.
But even as historic Canton businesses located near the Etowah, much of the land bordering the river remained untouched. Over the past decade, the city has developed several large tracts along the river into public parks — with plans to connect them all with a five-mile walking trail — transforming the Etowah River into a beautiful backdrop for community living and leisure.
![Child walks with grandparents at Etowah River Park in Canton Georgia](https://cantonga.imgix.net/images/Etowah-Park_20230420-HistoricCanton-99649.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=9636fb4eb2199e70e8ff86617a1fd3bc 320w, https://cantonga.imgix.net/images/Etowah-Park_20230420-HistoricCanton-99649.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=5f057d9ddd3b33393688026719bf1ce6 540w, https://cantonga.imgix.net/images/Etowah-Park_20230420-HistoricCanton-99649.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=c768d69380682e668fa744db3703e3a0 768w, https://cantonga.imgix.net/images/Etowah-Park_20230420-HistoricCanton-99649.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=481ab69f2310b86e38bdd4fda5bf5a8f 1024w, https://cantonga.imgix.net/images/Etowah-Park_20230420-HistoricCanton-99649.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=d5955973da06236401af5c4085b1b739 1200w, https://cantonga.imgix.net/images/Etowah-Park_20230420-HistoricCanton-99649.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=ee9b5c924ef3ef51a1c370bba8035e49 1440w, https://cantonga.imgix.net/images/Etowah-Park_20230420-HistoricCanton-99649.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=7d2867e483c334ba8d90239b2f4a439b 1920w, https://cantonga.imgix.net/images/Etowah-Park_20230420-HistoricCanton-99649.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=2560&s=39e05b05822617a8a86628094d931138 2560w, https://cantonga.imgix.net/images/Etowah-Park_20230420-HistoricCanton-99649.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=3840&s=e0236c87cee973b74525f1eb3ff02a5c 3840w)
“There are a lot of cities that wish they had a beautiful river like Canton does,” says Adam Dodson, Canton’s parks and recreation manager. “By creating parks along the river, we are making sure everyone has access and can enjoy the natural beauty.”
Canton operates nine city parks with a combined total of 182 acres. The parks are well maintained and offer a variety of recreation facilities including basketball, racquetball and tennis courts; baseball, soccer and lacrosse fields; playgrounds, pavilions, picnic tables, and canoe put-ins at Etowah and Boling Parks. And then there are the events.
“I’m not sure people understand the scope of activities that take place in our parks,” Adam points out. “There are sports, concerts, festivals, 5K races, the farmers market - on an almost daily basis there is something happening in one of our city parks.”
![Crowd watches Sammy Kershaw, Collin Raye, Aaron Tippin perform a free show at Etowah River Park in Canton Georgia for their Roots & Boots tour](https://cantonga.imgix.net/images/Crowd-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=80534353978e5e054b081ccb10dd2906 320w, https://cantonga.imgix.net/images/Crowd-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=6c7f02c536a5bda955bb08451f6d5b50 540w, https://cantonga.imgix.net/images/Crowd-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=7c143721bda98517e58ef7ba9e77d186 768w, https://cantonga.imgix.net/images/Crowd-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=a8fca41991998fa5d8d0aa7be57cec1b 1024w, https://cantonga.imgix.net/images/Crowd-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=24d3aeacab76b1c371648ea9e0a15368 1200w, https://cantonga.imgix.net/images/Crowd-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=8d8658c2a7e3ceddeba9b8b676eb809e 1440w, https://cantonga.imgix.net/images/Crowd-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=2f9e719089687d6cb264bdc755ac811e 1920w, https://cantonga.imgix.net/images/Crowd-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=2560&s=00dca950cba3bea08dd5c742ce3c297e 2048w)
Plans for the city’s parks align with two of the priorities recently identified by the City Council, sustaining the natural environment and connecting citizens to parks and recreation, Lauren Johnson, the city’s communications manager, notes. She believes one of the most important benefits of the parks is fostering a sense of community.
“The parks are about bringing people together,” says Lauren. “Whether you just want to enjoy nature, or work out, walk your dog, or go to a festival, there’s always something you can be a part of. Canton’s parks have something for everybody.”
This was featured in the Historic Canton magazine. Read more.