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The first major railroad tunnel in the South is in Tunnel Hill, Georgia, a fifteen minute drive to the north of Dalton. Completed in 1850 and built completely by hand the 1/4 mile long tunnel is open to visitor's who receive guided tours and walk its entire length. The tunnel completed the first railroad connection from the Atlantic Ocean to the Tennessee River. You can also explore the Tunnel Hill Heritage Center Museum and Visitor's Center, which houses artifacts from the construction and renovation of the tunnel along with exhibits on the Civil War, Cherokee Indians and the local carpet industry.
Visit the original 1855 grist mill. Civil War soldiers from both sides used it as a camp site and today it hosts the annual Prater's Mill Country Fair each October.