Rockmart marks 150th anniversary with community celebration
With the history of the small city surrounding them, the people of Rockmart got together last August to celebrate its 150th anniversary with a day of fun and reflection.
The city’s sesquicentennial was marked on Aug. 20, 2022, with a parade through historic downtown Rockmart leading up to a presentation in Seaborn Jones Park that included performances from both the Rockmart Community Chorus and the Rockmart High School chorus.
The grand marshal for the parade and the guest of honor for the park celebration was Rev. Burch Fannin, former pastor at Rockmart United Methodist Church. He was recognized as the city’s oldest living resident at 100 years and 8 months, and gave the opening prayer.
Rockmart Mayor Sherman Ross served as the master of ceremonies and was joined by his two predecessors, Steve Miller and Curtis Lewis, in cutting the official 150th birthday cake created by Mac’s Bakery, a long-time staple of Rockmart.
“We thank you for coming back to celebrate Rockmart’s heritage and look forward to the future,” Ross said. “We want to welcome back or native sons and daughters who are visiting, and we look forward to having a good time today.”
Ross and City Manager Stacey Smith honored Cathy Matthews, who volunteered to lead the organization of
the sesquicentennial celebrations.
Alan Dean, son of former State Sen. Nathan Dean, recognized Rockmart citizens who have served in Georgia’s General Assembly, including his father and Bill Cummings. Dean was a member of the House of Representatives from 1963 to 1975 and the State Senate from 19752004. Cummings served 26 years in the House.
Dean died in 2013, while Cummings died the following year.
“First off, I put in my remarks here that he would truly have loved to be here today,” Alan Dean said of his father.
“It was a running joke when I was growing up that if there were three people’s picture in the Rockmart paper, my dad was one of them.”
Nathan Dean was born in the Goodyear Village area of Rockmart, and Alan Dean spoke about how his roots and responsibilities to the people of his hometown never were an afterthought, mentioning it in his final address from the Senate floor.
“’The greatest honor I’ve ever received was to serve the citizens of Rockmart and Northwest Georgia,’ and he truly meant that,” Alan Dean said. “He loved representing Rockmart, he loved the Goodyear Village, and I wished he was with
us today.”
Live music and free food were available for anyone in the park following the presentation, along with kids activities. The night was capped off by a performance from Jules and the Romeos on Hilburn Field followed by a fireworks display.
The official city charter for Rockmart is dated Aug. 22, 1872, and it developed as a railroad depot town when the Southern Railway built a station in the area. Of course, the abundance of slate and the establishment of several quarries in the area gave the city its name.