The Big Spring

The Big Spring is the second largest limestone spring in the South, producing an average of 4 million gallons of water per day and providing water to 10,000 people in northwest Georgia. It also was the site of a ball field and ceremonial dance ground of the Cherokee Indian natives until the early 1800s. According to legend, rights to the main water source, The Big Spring, were won by the Cherokee, who challenged the Creek in a peaceful ballgame. Asa Prior purchased the land around Big Spring in 1834. In 1852, Prior deeded the spring and adjacent land to the newly charted city of Cedartown.

In more recent times, the spring was turned into a park. A modern water treatment facility was installed on the site at 301 Wissahickon Avenue, which pumps water through pipelines to the surrounding areas. In 2000, the American Water Works Association named the Cedartown Water Plant an American Water Landmark. In 2011, the Big Spring was named a certified site on the Trail of Tears, as it was the site of Camp Cedar Town, a Cherokee removal camp in 1838.