Rockmart, Georgia
Seaborn Jones Memorial Park
The Seaborn Jones Memorial Park which is located in the Historic Downtown district of the City of Rockmart was originally founded in the name of the Wayside Park due to it’s proximity to the downtown area. The park was renamed “Seaborn Jones Memorial Park” in 2002 after Mr. Seaborn Jones because of his generosity and the other significant contributions he made to the city. Among his contributions were the lots for several churches to be built, the Rose Hill cemetery which overlooks downtown Rockmart and the land for the town square and the city park. The park is frequented by locals and visitors who want to relax under the shady oaks for a picnic or family gathering. Common sites in the park are bicyclers and walkers meandering through the shaded vistas or stopping by the creek for a refreshing wade through its cooling water.
The Silver Comet Trail
The Silver Comet Trail is built on an abandoned rail line, once owned by Seaboard Airline Railroad. The Trail is proudly named after the shiny, silver passenger train which traveled along this route from May, 1947 until April, 1969, carrying passengers and mail between New York and Birmingham.
The eastbound Comet ran from Atlanta, making stops at Rockmart and Cedartown, before reaching Birmingham. Many west Georgians remember the excitement of embarking on a journey to the big city aboard the sleek, silver train. The Silver Comet was the link to sophistication for many small southern towns for over twenty years.
This spirit is alive today as the Silver Comet Trail provides thrills and excitement for cyclists and hikers who venture between these same cities.
The goal for the Silver Comet Trail is to start at Mt. Paran Road in Atlanta and continue to the Alabama state line where it will connect with the Chief Ladiga Trail and Anniston, Alabama. The resulting trail will be over 101 miles long.
The Silver Comet Depot
The latest addition to the area is the “Silver Comet Depot” which is a beautiful community building adjacent to the park and Silver Comet Trail.
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Located in the heart of the Coosa Valley area of Northwest Georgia, Rockmart is situated in a triangle formed by Atlanta, Georgia; Birmingham, Alabama; and Chattanooga, Tennessee. The name was derived from Rock Market because of it’s abundance of slate, limestone, iron shale, and clay.
Back in the days of the Civil War and for some years after, the leading town in East Polk County was little Van Wert which was settled by Welsh miners in 1838. They worked in the slate and rock quarries of the area.
When the first railway was being built, Van Wert was immediately thought of as the logical place for the Southern Railway depot to be built. However, a wealthy landowner, Colonel Seaborn Jones, offered land and money for a station to be built one mile west of Van Wert, in an area that became Rockmart, which was incorporated in 1872.
