Forgotten Pieces of Georgia: Northwest Counties Paperback -

A visual and historical tribute to abandoned small businesses in northwest Georgia, highlighting their decline amid changing economies and rapid modernization.

Forgotten Pieces of Georgia: The Northwest Counties documents the abandoned small business buildings throughout the state. By carefully documenting as many buildings as possible while obtaining accurate historical information, this book seeks to raise awareness to the plight of small businesses not only in Georgia, but in the United States as a whole. As humankind constantly changes and evolves, alongside technology and "progress," we do not consider how this rapid change affects the small business owners in our local, county, and state communities. Some small businesses can specialize in niche markets like small engine repair or landscaping, but others--such as small "mom-and-pop" stores, gas stations, or hardware stores--are forced out of business by larger box store chains. Other small businesses, such as textile companies, can be forced out by bad decisions on the part of politicians who regulate companies to death or make it impossible to compete in a fair market. We tend to forget the United States was built by the small business owner, whether they were fur traders and farmers in the early days or general stores and retail stores through the late 1990s. Humankind must continue to move forward, but not at the expense of our small businesses and local communities.