A neatly-dressed stranger from an out-of-town company was examining a lot upon which his firm had contracted to build a home for a local resident. Suddenly, a man with a shotgun walked up. "Get out of Esom Hill," he rasped at the builder. "You ain't got no bizness here." After a glance at the barrel of the deadly weapon, the builder had to agree, and quickly departed. Such has been the reputation
for the little state line community in northwest Georgia's Polk County for decades, an image fostered by a long record of illicit activities such as moonshining, gambling, and even darker crimes like murder. And surprisingly, it seemed the stronger the criminal element became in the township, the less visible was law enforcement. Despite its infamy, Esom Hill, according to many residents, is a friendly community with caring neighbors and a bad name circulated by "out-siders". Just like many situations, the truth lies somewhere in between. Settlers in this western-most edge of what once was Cherokee Indian Territory were among the last to arrive in Paulding County, Georgia (later reorganized as a part of Polk County in 1851). The beginnings of Esom Hill occurred with the founding of SHILOH BAPTIST CHURCH in 1848 and the first post office in 1850. Partly as a result of its close proximity to the Georgia-Alabama state line and partly due to its generally remote location, Esom Hill has long been frequented by lawlessness and controversy. Local tales describe - tongue- in-cheek - how bootleggers could escape law enforcement officers by moving their liquor from one room in a building (in Georgia) to another room in the same building (in Alabama). Another claim even maintains the first Esom Hill post office was actually established in Alabama (1847) and then later moved to Georgia (1849). This possibly could be explained by the fact that the first postmaster - Benjamin WHEELER - lived in Alabama and actually operated the post office there from his home or store. Today, no one really knows for certain. Local folklore maintains the name of the little community sprang from an old trading post once operated by an Indian named "Esom" or "Easom", possibly prior to the removal of the Cherokees from the territory. The "Hill" apparently was added later. Another version of the origin of the town name claims it came from an early settler now buried in Shiloh Baptist Church cemetery beneath an unmarked fieldstone. Whatever the origin, the name of the tiny township has spread far and wide over the years, always accompanied by its dark reputation. A book entitled the GEORGIA STATE GAZETTER4,published in 1881, lists Esom Hill as a community of 169 people with five general stores, three churches, a school and a saloon. The village also boasted a steam gin, a water-powered gin, and a saw mill. Four years earlier when Amos WEST founded his Cherokee Iron Company in Cedartown, Esom Hill must have shared the prosperity as mining operations grew (supported by plentiful iron ore deposits in the area). Farming, of course, undoubtedly also figured prominently as a professional pursuit, as did a number of small businesses listed in the book, all of which suggest a self-sufficient little community:
W.P.
