Long forgotten Old GA 161 is located in an area with both historical significance as well as interesting geographical features. In the case of this highway, both ends of the route have large limestone springs on them. Cave Spring itself is a huge limestone spring noted for its purity flowing out of a cave that is also noted for its impressive formations. The other spring is found in Cedartown a short distance from the south end in downtown.

Located in Polk and Floyd Counties, "Old Highway 100", once known as GA 161, extends 9.7 miles from Cedartown to Cave Spring. Other names for the highway include Cave Spring Road and Cedartown Road. This narrow route itself begins in a historic side of Cedartown before cutting through the hillside along a narrow valley before ending at U.S. 411 in Cave Spring.

GA 161 was first commissioned as a state route by early 1939, directly linking for the first time the cities of Cedartown and Cave Spring. It was the first time the two places had been joined by a state route and the new road was one of the first paved roads in Georgia as well. The highway lasted nearly a quarter of a century before it disappeared.

GA 161 a few years before it became part of GA 100 (1959 GHD Map).

When considering this, why has GA 161 been forgotten? Well the main issue has to do with time and other events that occured inbetween. GA 161 originally followed the entire length of what is now known as Old GA 100 from Cedartown to Cave Spring. What changed was that by 1963, GA 100 was extended northward from its previous terminus south of Cedartown where the route presently joins U.S. 27 today.  The extension took GA 100 over the route of GA 161, resulting in its demise.   

The irony of the change was that GA 100 did not remain on the route either. In 1976, only 13 years after GA 161 was decommissioned, GA 100 was moved west along Mountain Home and Freezer Locker Roads, both former county roads. Despite this, the route today is known as Old Highway 100 with its former life as GA 161 forgotten.

Here are links related to sites and information on or near Old GA 161:

Top of Page	Back to State Routes	Back to Peach State Roads
	AARoadtrips - Interstate-Guide - NorthEastRoads - RockyMountainRoads - SouthEastRoads - WestCoastRoads - Updates