Editing Tallapoosa, Georgia (section)

==History==
The [[Georgia General Assembly]] incorporated Tallapoosa as a town in 1860.<ref>{{cite book|title=Acts Passed by the General Assembly of Georgia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Tgs4AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA103|year=1861|publisher=J. Johnston|page=103}}</ref> The community lends its name to the [[Tallapoosa River]].<ref>{{cite book | url=http://www.kenkrakow.com/gpn/t.pdf| title=Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins | publisher=Winship Press | author=Krakow, Kenneth K. | year=1975 | location=Macon, GA | pages=220 | isbn=0-915430-00-2}}</ref>

The name "Tallapoosa" is derived from the Creek words "Talwa" (town) and "Puse" (grandmother).

The name first appearing on Georgia maps in the 19th century, notably around the 1820s, the name "Tallapoosee" was used to refer to the Tallapoosa River and surrounding regions.

The spelling reflects documentation and naming conventions of the time, prior to the more standardized spelling "Tallapoosa" that became common later.

The name shows respect, reverence and origin of the grandmother as the native Creek and nearby Cherokee practiced a matrilineal system of descent. Clan membership, inheritance, social structure and descent were traced through the mothers line and passed down through the maternal side.

The Tallapoosa branch of the Muskogee (Creek) tribe is one of the oldest groups in the Southeast.

The Grandmother was seen as a central figure in community life. They held a significant role in council meetings and were regarded as the bearers of wisdom, tradition and cultural knowledge having a key role in mediating disputes and conflicts preserving traditions and guiding future generations. They often led social and ceremonial events.

Tallapoosa was a location of tribal meetings held by the Creek Indians, its location being a central point of trade between the Creek territory located in the lower flatlands to the south and the northern Cherokee territory located in the upper Appalachian mountains.

A historic marker marks this meeting location in Tallapoosa titled "Seven Chestnuts" where Creek Indians held their council meetings under seven chestnut trees. Another nearby historical marker titled "Sandtown Trail" marks the location of the Sandtown Trail a route taken by Creek Indians which later became a stage coach route traveled by white settlers.

Tallapoosa was once referred to as "Opossum Snout" (circa 1891) a painting titled by artist Lyell E. Carr depicting the area

Today the town hosts an annual New Year's Eve [[The Possum Drop|Possum Drop]], one of the largest New Year's Eve celebrations in Georgia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Possum Drop Tallapoosa, Ga. / History and Information |url=https://thepossumdrop.com/about-the-possum-drop-our-history.html |access-date=2024-05-01 |website=thepossumdrop.com}}</ref>