Hyde Farm offers fun and educational look at past

County Manager David Hankerson gets to
know the newest additions to Hyde Farm,
mules Jack and Jill. They will help reenact how
farming was done in the early 20th century.


The century-old buildings on Hyde Farm will
serve as learning tools for visitors interested in
what farm life was like in Cobb in the 1900s.
The structures will also be studied to determine
their original appearances.

By Bailey Humphries
CobbLine Staff

Hyde Farm is a historical, educational and functional farm made up of 95 acres and located on Lower Roswell Road along the Chattahoochee River in east Cobb.

In combination with the National Parks Service (NPS), the county has accomplished protecting the farmstead which serves as a testament to time. Visitors will have the opportunity to observe a working farm as well as witness community life as it existed in the early 1900s.

JC Hyde and his brother Buck worked the land for decades, growing crops such as sweet potatoes, okra, tomatoes and peas which they sold on the Marietta Square. The Hyde brothers spent their entire lives on the farm, living in a cabin on the property with no electricity or running water. It wasn’t until 1989 that basic utilities were installed in the home. After Buck died, JC continued to cultivate the land well into his seventies. JC died in March 2004, at the age of 94.

The century-old buildings on the site have been stabilized. Two mules, Jack and Jill, were recently purchased to demonstrate how the land was plowed a century ago when the Hyde family labored on the very same fields.

These particular mules were chosen because of their mild temperament, according to Cobb County Manager David Hankerson.

Students will be able to learn about life on a farm circa 1900 and there will be an informational tour of the area available. Families will also be welcome to come and enjoy the education and recreation offered.

“Hyde Park is a great representation of how settlers lived in Cobb and made a living,” Bob Ash, Public Services Agency Director, said.

The University of Georgia’s College of Environment and Design has shown a keen interest in Hyde Farm and will study the buildings as well as the land itself. The college will work with Cobb and NPS staff to develop a program of activity based on the importance of agriculture in the development of the area.

A landscape survey will provide information about what buildings looked like when they were first built and what crops were originally grown. NPS will also research the historical structures and conduct a study of artifacts. All these factors will add to the educational value of Hyde Farm.

For the convenience of visitors, Cobb also obtained the adjoining 17 acres for parking, which will have enough space for school buses and around 30 cars.

Cobb voters approved a $40 million bond in 2006 to help preserve park land throughout the county. There are approximately 220,000 acres of land in Cobb and more than 90 percent of it is developed. With so little undeveloped land available, preserving green space is even more paramount.

Cobb County and NPS are currently finalizing a maintenance and operation agreement as well as a conservation easement. The county will manage the cultivated portion of the property, including the buildings and fields, while NPS will handle protecting the surrounding woodlands.

Preservation of Hyde Farm is only one piece in the puzzle that is protecting park land around the county. Cobb was able to purchase several other land tracts with money from the 2006 parks bond. Voters approved an additional $40 million bond in 2008 to continue saving park land for future generations to enjoy.

The Parks Bond Citizen Advisory Committee has been actively-involved throughout the whole process and helps ensure the best available properties are considered.

Diners get into the holiday spirit while enjoying
lunch at the Mable House Tea Room. Many
seasonal activities and events are planned
around the county.

Staff Reports

As the holiday season approaches, many fun activities are planned in Cobb.

St. Nick’s Café will be Saturday, Dec. 5, at The Art Place-Mountain View. There will be three shows, at 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and each includes a light breakfast or lunch, a holiday performance of “Frosty the Snowman” and a visit from Santa. Tickets are $10. For details, visit theartplace.us/mvaa.htm.

The 25th annual Christmas House Arts and Crafts Show will be held Dec. 4-13, at Mable House Arts Center, 5239 Floyd Road, Mableton. More than 60 artists will have handmade items for sale, including scented candles, clothes, decorations, jewelry, home décor, pottery, toys and wreaths.

The event runs 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday-Friday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday and includes many other activities. Enjoy homemade soups, salads, sandwiches and desserts at Mable’s Tea Room which is open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday-Saturday.

The Candy Cane Hunt will be held 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 5, and there will be a Mommy & Me Tea Party, Sunday, Dec. 6. A table for four is $35 and includes lunch.

Enjoy Concerts in the Tea Room Dec. 5, 6, 12 and 13 at 6 p.m. A table for four is $40 and includes hors d’oeuvres, wine and coffee. For more information, visit mablehouse.org. To make reservations for the various events, call 770-819-3285.

The North Cobb Arts League will host its annual Christmas Shoppe at the Art Station-Big Shanty 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Dec. 3-4, 7-11 and 14-16. Arts and crafts and one-of-a-kind gifts and decorations will be available. For details, call 770-514-5930.

The Empty Bowl Brunch will be 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 13, at The Art Place-Mountain View. Handmade bowls are $10 and can be filled with soups and food. Proceeds benefit local charities. For details, visit theartplace.us/mvaa.htm.

Cobb’s oldest community theatre, Centerstage North, will present the play “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” Dec. 11-13 and 17-20. For information, visit centerstagenorth.org.

Another holiday theatrical performance, “Home for the Holidays,” will be Dec. 18-20 at Jennie T. Anderson Theatre. Call 770-528-8490 for tickets and information.

The Art Station-Big Shanty’s Holly Jolly House will be held 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 19. Children 4-12 are invited to participate in make-and-take art projects and other activities. Santa will drop by around noon and the event is free.

Senior Services has many holiday events planned at its facilities, including Thanksgiving potlucks, ornament-making workshops, holiday sing-alongs and dances. Visit cobbseniors.org or check with each senior center for specific activities.

In addition to holiday events, Keep Cobb Beautiful is offering residents the opportunity to give unique gifts that will make a difference in our community.

For a minimum $25 contribution, the organization will send attractive holiday cards to recipients announcing that a special donation to Cobb Trees has been made in their honor. To place an order, visit cobbcounty.org/kcb.

In the spirit of giving, Cobb Community Transit and Cobb Department of Transportation are sponsoring the 2009 Cobb Christmas Stuff-A-Bus.

Residents can help “Stuff-A-Bus” with donations of money, new toys and gifts, non-perishable food items and gift certificates. The generosity will brighten the holidays for thousands of low-income families.

Donations will be collected at various venues around the county Dec. 7-11. For details or to find donation locations, visit cobbchristmas.net or call 770-428-2601.

Keep grease out this holiday

Fats, oils and grease from food accumulate in pipes causing blockage and sewer overflows. Cobb Water System’s Grease Management Program provides a few simple practices that will keep your pipes, and the festivities, flowing:

• Scrape pans and plates into trash, not the sink.
• Pour, wipe and scrape oil and grease from pans into a container and throw it away.
• Fryer grease should be cooled then placed in a sealed container and disposed of in the trash.
• Use sink strainers to catch food and empty strainer into the trash.
• For more information, visit cobbstreams.org or e-mail fog@cobbcounty.org.

Get help preparing safe meals

This season, you may have questions about preparing your holiday meals, such as what type of turkey to purchase, how to safely thaw that turkey, how to use a meat thermometer or if your dessert recipe with uncooked eggs is safe. Home economists at the UGA Cobb Cooperative Extension are available to answer your food preparation and food safety questions 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Call 770-528-4090 with questions and request a copy of “Tasty Holiday Foods.”

(left) Helen Goreham, (right) Tim Lee

Staff Reports

The public is invited to attend two town hall meetings this month and receive news about projects and progress in the county.

District 1 Commissioner Helen Goreham will host a town hall meeting 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, at the Public Safety Training Center. The center is located at 2109 Valor Drive in Marietta. For more information about her meeting, call 770-528-3313.

Commissioner Tim Lee will host the District 3 town hall meeting at 7 p.m., Monday, Nov. 16. The meeting has been moved to Marcus Jewish Community Center, 2509 Post Oak Tritt Road, Marietta. It is located between Sandy Plains Road and Holly Springs Road. For more information about his meeting, call 770-528-3317.

Staff Reports

The Cobb Library Foundation will host an “Enchanted Evening of Jazz” 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 20, at the historic Strand Theatre, 117 North Park Square, Marietta.

The headliner, Freddy Cole, plays the piano, sings and performs live with guitar and upright bass, just like his brother Nat “King” Cole.

His style has been compared to Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday and his vocals are among the most respected in jazz.

Dwight Anderson will also perform. Rev. Dr. Anderson is a senior minister at First Congressional Church and an associate professor of music theory at Emory University. Anderson is founder of the Atlanta Jazz Chorus and has many Broadway musical and film credits.

General admission tickets are available for $85 and VIP tickets are available for $150, including reserved seating, a reception and an opportunity to meet the artists.

Proceeds benefit the Cobb Library Foundation.

Tickets are available at the Strand box office and online. For more information, visit cobbcat.org.

The 5th Dimension is just one of the popular acts
set to perform at Anderson Theatre. Season tickets
are on sale now.

Staff Reports

Season tickets for the 2010 Encore Series at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre are on sale now. The entertainment kicks off with live shows by the local Pebblebrook High School ComPAny 2010.

Many other popular acts are scheduled throughout the season, including The 5th Dimension, Julianne Hough, the Osmond Brothers, Frankie Avalon and Vicki Lawrence.

Individual show tickets go on sale Wednesday, Nov. 18. The Jennie T. Anderson Theatre is located at 548 South Marietta Parkway, Marietta. For more information, call 770-528-8490.

Staff Reports

Cobb Public Library System is encouraging residents to participate in the free “Let’s Read Cobb” program, which runs through January. The community-wide program is part of a campaign to promote books and encourage literacy. This year’s theme is based on popular books that have been made into movies: John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men,” Sydney Pollack’s “Out of Africa,” Charles Portis’ “True Grit,” Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” and Homer Hickam’s “Rocket Boys.”

Those interested can check out one of the books from their local library branch, join a library system book club or start their own book clubs. Each of this year’s titles, as well as previous titles, are available in the Book Club in-a-Box, which is a free kit containing a biographical article on the author, 12 copies of the book and discussion questions. Any library card holder can checkout a kit. For more information on the program, call 770-528-2377. For more information on starting a book club, call 770-528-2342.

Staff Reports

Cobb transit users living in southwest Cobb can look forward to starting the new year with new transit service. Cobb Community Transit, the county’s public transportation system, announced it is adding a new bus route, Route 35, which will begin operating Monday, Jan. 4. Service starts at WellStar Cobb Hospital, near the Austell Road/East-West Connector intersection, and ends at MARTA Holmes Station. Route 35 will provide 30 minute peak service and 60 minute off peak service. Bus schedules will be posted at bus stops and shelters so riders will know when to expect the bus.

Notable stops along the route will include service to and from South Cobb Government Service Center; downtown Austell; Cobb-Douglas Community Services Board; the south Cobb campus of Chattahoochee Technical College; historic Mableton, including South Cobb Regional Library and Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre; Camp Timber Ridge; The Walk at Legacy; Lee Industrial District and Six Flags Theme Park. For the route map and schedule information, visit cobbcct.org or call 770-427-4444.

Staff reports

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently honored Cobb as one of five national WaterSense Partners of the Year. Last year, more than 1,000 partners helped Americans save 9.3 billion gallons of water. Cobb County Water System was honored as the Promotional Partner of the Year for a large utility.

According to EPA, Cobb took a leading role in promoting water efficiency to its more than 650,000 water customers and helped residents save water, energy and money on utility bills.

Cobb developed a unique toilet rebate program that assists homeowners who replace old toilets with new low-flow models. Last year, more than 1,650 WaterSense label toilet rebates were issued. The program's success inspired many of the largest utilities in the 16-county metro area to adopt Cobb's rebate model.

The county also worked closely with other partners to leverage Georgia's first sales tax holiday weekend on WaterSense-labeled products. For more information on WaterSense Partner of the Year award winners, visit epa.gov/watersense.

The EPA also recently recognized Cobb County’s fleet management as the newest environmental steward to join the National Partnership for Environmental Priorities.

The commitment includes the use of environmentally-safe, lead-free wheel weights, as well as recycling lead wheel weights used on the existing fleet of cars and trucks. Fleet management estimates that 2,500 pounds of lead will be safely recycled, eliminating a potential toxic pollutant from posing risk to human health and the environment. For more information on the county’s environmentally-friendly efforts, visit cobbcounty.org/green.