Lula: Hall County's Original Border Town

There's been a good bit of discussion lately about Buford and Braselton and the impact they are having on Hall County. Essentially, these border towns are perceived as pro-growth and Hall County is perceived as anti-growth, so the border towns and other counties are getting the growth and tax income and Hall County is becoming a bedroom community and getting the expenses.

Listening to the discussion, one would think this is a brand new issue, but not so. The Hall County town named Lula is probably the champion border town in our area. First, Lula Junction was founded in Hall County about 1875, and Belton was founded, mostly as a railroad station, just across the county line in Banks County. The two towns got together and built a high school in 1938 with half the building in Lula, the other half in old Belton, which meant half the schoolhouse was in Hall County and half in Banks County. Then in 1955 the two towns merged, There was a mutal exchange contract in which 88 Hall County students attended Gillsville elementary while 90 Banks County children attended Lula, and later East Hall High. So far so good.

Then in 1968 Banks County closed Gillsville elementary, and told Hall County to take care of its own kids. And Hall County told Banks County what they could do with their kids. The Mayor of Lula at the time, Talmadge Pless, was quoted as describing it as a "mixed up mess." They eventually worked it out, but in 1968 the mayor of Lula had the border town war about right...it was a mixed up mess. Sound familiar?

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/5/194703