Named "Mule Camp Springs," Gainesville is known as Hall County's county seat and serves as the center of the Gainesville Metropolitan Statistical Area. Gainesville got its name in honor of General Edmund P. Gaines, a hero of the 1812 War and a known military surveyor and road-builder.
Textile mills have become Gainesville's economic driver. The area gained the title "Poultry Capital of the World" right after World War II after businessman Jesse Jewell initiated the poultry industry in north Georgia. Poultry farming is still an essential economic driver in Gainesville today.
Gainesville house must visit numerous recreational parks with top-rated facilities. Visitors will also enjoy some of the fantastic tourist attractions in the area.
Lake Lanier, or Lake Sidney Lanier, is one of the most-visited Corps-built lakes in the US. The Army Corps of Engineers created the lake in 1956 to provide surrounding counties with power and water. Aside from being the main power and water source, the lake brought numerous benefits, including flood protection from the Chattahoochee. The lake was named after poet Sidney Lanier who wrote "Song of the Chattahoochee." Anglers can hook striped bass, largemouth bass, spotted bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish, and black crappie.
Lake Lanier hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics rowing and sprint canoeing events. The lake has also hosted many international and local events. Three states, namely Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, have rights to the lake's water as it flows to the rivers in those states.
Aside from Lake Lanier, anglers are welcome to visit other famous fishing spots in Gainesville, such as Reservoirs One and Seven, Allen Creek, Walnut Creek, Flat Creek, Cedar Creek Reservoir, and the Gainesville Stone Lake. Gainesville fishing spots are the best places to try fly fishing, bank fishing, and drift fishing. Some spots, like Gainesville Stone Lake, have strict fishing and boating rules. Boats that are non-motorized with electric trolling motors are allowed to enter Gainesville Stone Lake.
Tourists will surely enjoy Chicopee Woods' shaded trails. The Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve is a 1,400-acre protected woodland overseen by Elachee Nature Science Center. Chicopee is the largest adjacent preservation easement in North Georgia. Mountain bike trails and a golf course are also found in the Chicopee Woods area.
The Quinlan Visual Arts Center provided extensive opportunities in the arts to the growing cultural community of Gainesville over the years. The art center is a haven for artists, collectors, students, and art appreciators. Quinlan provides for everyone's artistic needs. The center hosts seven significant exhibitions annually, featuring original dimensional works of art in all media ranging from realism, folk art, abstracts, impressionistic works, landscapes, still life, portraits, and photography.