'Sunny Side Up' Exhibit Explores Cherokee's Poultry Industry

CANTON, GA -- If you are a new or longtime resident of Cherokee County, then you may be well aware of its status as one of the country's poultry powerhouses.

If you were not privy to that information, the Cherokee County Historical Society will introduce you to the topic with its Sunny Side Up: The Poultry Industry in Cherokee County exhibit at its museum.

The exhibit opened May 24, and focuses on the history of an industry that continues to shape Cherokee County today from its humble beginnings as a backyard industry to its heyday when it was dubbed the “Broiler Producing Capital of the World.”

“The Museum is thrilled to be able to share this history with the public,” said Meghan Quinlan, program manager for the Historical Society. “We have worked with several families who have been involved in the poultry industry since it started here. We are lucky to have firsthand stories, tools, advertisements, photographs and inventions.”

The exhibit is located in Suite 140 of the historic marble courthouse and will be open through September 2017. The museum is located at 100 North Street in downtown Canton and is free and open to the public. The operating hours are Wednesday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

In conjunction with the exhibit, the Historical Society will be releasing "Poultry Pioneers in Cherokee County," which is a collection of oral histories by Karen Smithwick. The book will be available for sale beginning Wednesday, June 7. The book also features numerous first-hand accounts and original photographs.

Images via Cherokee County Historical Society