“Without a doubt, the number 1 question I am asked is Where is Amicalola Falls?”
Chatting with a group of 4 tourists from Michigan, Dell Conner is in his ELEMENT. His knowledge of the area, and well, just things in general, has game. Local landmark, The ”Junkin” Junky, sits proudly in the swell on Highway 53 just about half way between GA 400 and the city limits. Another of those places that are easy to toss a smile. My visit was unannounced. The journey here is neophyte and on uncharted waters. Asking folks to sit and chat about themselves is met with a bit of....”ummm.....yeahhh....sure “.
Today I decided to take “ambush” out for a stroll.
Score! It worked out perfectly. Listening to him for 5 minutes it is hard to imagine the tourism dollars he has put in the pockets of local business.
A true ambassador of the area, not a negative word left his lips as he
chatted up the visitors from the Wolverine State. This is now,
but the “that was then” is as much a mosaic as his shop.
Dell Conner is an artist. A musician. A collector. And at one time he stood in the middle of a field and talked to a group of folks that weren’t from around here..... about an Outlet Mall.
An Outlet Mall that was almost built in Riverdale, Georgia.
There was a small matter of a 3 million dollar investment from Dawson County.
Sole Commissioner at the time, and Dell’s father in law,
Kenneth Long thought that was a big number for the County.
County Manager Dell Conner (there were many others too and we will get to them later:)) pushed and pulled and wheeled and dealed and The North Georgia PREMIUM OUTLETS came to Dawson County.
It was an unusually cold March day when we chatted in his office. Wind whipped through the steel building filled to the brim with memorabilia. Coca Cola, Gone With the Wind, RACING, more Coca Cola, more racing and Dawsonville nick knacks, even a rare collector’s edition of Princess Diana Doll, still in the original packaging, line the shelves. “Uncle Dell” is a Rock a Billy, Red Boned blues musician that has played with everyone from Roger Daultry to The Marshall Tucker Band. “Running Shine Down
Hwy 9” is a Dell Conner original, written and sung by the artist, it is played 72 times a day at The Racing Hall of Fame located in the HEART of the city. A native of
Hall County, Dell moved to Dawson County more than 30 years ago to marry
local Dawson County Homecoming Queen, Kayron Long.
From as far away as Auckland, New Zealand people have stopped in to pick up a piece of history, or hear a tale of the same. Dell Conner. The Junkin’ Junky. Just a guy that stood in a field and BELIEVED it was POSSIBLE.
