Drawing of original Sawyer-Snell store. Provided.
By Kelly McAloon
SNELLVILLE, Ga. | It’s been 100 years since Snellville became a city, and in that century, it has come a long way from when it was just a supply stop for travelers between Athens and Atlanta.
Located approximately 25 miles northeast of Atlanta and 45 miles west of Athens at the intersection of U.S. Highway 78 and Georgia Highway 124, the city now boasts a population of approximately 20,000—which is quite a population jump from when the Creek Indians (actually Muscogee, but termed Creeks by settlers since they lived along waterways) were the first settlers in the southern part of Gwinnett County. One of the Indian burial sites was Lanier Mountain, just west of downtown. For two centuries, residents of Snellville have found arrowheads, broken pottery, tomahawks, pipes and other evidence of the Native Americans’ presence.
An unveiling of the town founders’ statue, that of Thomas Snell and James Sawyer, will kick off the Centennial Celebration on 11 a.m. on August 18 at the Promenade at the Grove next to the now-under-construction new library.
Snellville City Hall
The Centennial activities continue on Friday evening on the Snellville Towne Green at 2342 Oak Road. It will be from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. with food trucks, fun and games, an antique and classic car display, free kids zone with inflatables and gaming bus, plus 100 Eskimo Pie type ice cream bars will be given out. Stop by for a Decade Button fun by the volunteer tent to represent the decade when you were born for a chance to win door prizes. A Centennial Booth will be set up, where centennial merchandise can be found from t-shirts, caps to keepsake coins. Be sure to put your name in the box for a chance to win Chick-fil-A for a year, too!
A Ghost Tour on August 18, sponsored by Snellville Performing Arts, will begin at 8:30 p.m. near the entrance to the cemetery by the Adult-Senior Center.
Saturday morning, stop by the Snellville Farmers’ Market from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in clothing representing a former decade for a chance to win more door prizes. Be sure to show off which decade attire you will be styling and enter your name for door prizes.
Saturday evening, August 19, a free concert, featuring Atlanta Seventeen will play music from across the decades from 6 – 9 p.m. Bring your dancing shoes as this band will keep you on your feet.
At 8 p.m. a giant Centennial cake, modeled after Snellville City Hall will be cut at the Towne Green by members of the Snellville Masonic Lodge 99. There will be a community Happy Birthday sing-a-long. Cake will be served to attendees. At 9:15 p.m. on Saturday, another Ghost Tour will begin, following the concert.
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