Historic Plaque unveiled for the legacy of Stan Smith

Main Street Toccoa unveiled a Historic Plaque inside the Currahee Military Museum recognizing the legacy of Stanley “Stan” Ralph Smith this past weekend.

A large crowd gathered on Saturday for the plaque unveiling.

Smith passed away on Monday, July 12, 2021. He was a lover of local history and helped to create and guide multiple local history groups, including the Stephens County, Georgia History Club and the Toccoa City Adventurers.

Main Street Manager Christian Hamilton said Smith was an asset and assisted Main Street Toccoa with the implementation of its historic plaque program and walking guide.

“The City of Toccoa implemented a Historic Plaque Program many years ago, and what we do is we recognize the history of the buildings and the people that have made downtown Toccoa the heart and soul of our community. We’ve done, for quite a while, up to five to 10 plaques a year, and now, as you can see, most of the buildings downtown has a plaque on them. So, we’ve slowed down a bit over the past few years and we haven’t installed a plaque in about a year. That’s why I’m honored to say that our first plaque in over a year is for Stan Smith,” he said.

Hamilton says it was a huge loss to the city when Smith passed away.

Stephens County Historical Society Executive Director Brenda Carlan says Smith assisted the Currahee Military Museum on many occasions and would often be found in the museum’s archive room at the end of the day.

She says he dedicated so much time to research in order to present the truth.

Carlan says because of people like Smith, the Currahee Military Museum tells the full story of Stephens County’s history.

The plaque reads: “Stan Smith—Toccoa’s Historian. This plaque stands in memoriam to Stanley “Stan” Ralph Smith, whose love of downtown Toccoa, was not only recognized through his valued assistance with these historic plaques, but by his influential way of promoting love of history in others.”

For more information about the Historic Plaque Program contact Hamilton by calling 706-898-5777.