As it turns out, Norcross has a stronger connection to the historic past than the spirit world.
Until last Halloween, Sally Toole, a 29-year Norcross resident, spent five years conducting tours that showcased eerie happenings in the Gwinnett County town. The double murder of moonshiners in the ’20s and odd goings-on at Thrasher Park were the top stories.
“Those tours were fun, but I think a lot of people who took them were surprised that nothing jumped out at them,” said Toole.
Instead, more of her patrons wanted information on the city that was established in the 1870s. On their urging, she shifted the focus from the freaky to the factual. She now conducts walks that take visitors through some of the highlights of Norcross’s more traditional past.
As with the ghost tours, Toole has done her homework. She researched and interviewed, picking up tales from some of the town’s elders. A few months ago, two longtime families shared their personal pictures and stories. Anyone with an anecdote got in touch with her.
“I just never know when I'm going to hear a new story,” she said with a laugh.
The material Toole gathered produced yarns about the first Indian settlers, the early whistle-stop community on the train line and some of the town’s most memorable residents. Now, dressed in vintage costume as a character she calls Winnie Sue Simpson, Toole takes strollers around to some of the historic area’s most fascinating spots. A tour takes approximately 45 minutes, depending on how much the participants want to see and hear.
“I can walk people anywhere in Norcross, point at a building and tell a cool story about it,” she said. “One of my favorites is the Blue House Market on College Street. One hundred years ago, it was a family home, then it was sold, then it sat empty. The present owners are actually from the family that originally built it.”
No tour would be complete without a stop at the town’s oldest commercial building at 7 Jones Street that now houses Paizano’s restaurant.
“It was built about 1885 and was one of the first brick buildings, too,” said Toole. “Behind it was a side rail where the trains could pull off the main track and unload.”
Toole offers two tours on the last Saturday of the month, but each trip includes different stories and tidbits so visitors can come back regularly and not hear the same information.
“People do come back because they are blown away by the amount of history here,” she said. “Norcross was a county hub and a very busy little town. It’s amazing how much happened here.”
The next tours are coming up at noon and 3 p.m. Feb.25. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the tour booth inside Home, a shop at 138 Holcomb Bridge Road (formerly Cemetery Street). Info is online at www.historywalksofnorcross.com; 404-934-4805.
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Each Saturday, we shine a spotlight on a local neighborhood, city or community. To suggest a place for us to visit, e-mail Bob Howard at bhoward@ajc.com.
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