22nd Annual Chickamauga Civil War Show News

Originally published March 2017 · p. 17

DALTON, GA.-Dalton, Georgia was once again the center of the Civil War universe on February 4th & 5th as dealers and collectors from around the country gathered for the 22nd Annual Chickamauga Civil War Show sponsored by Mike Kent of MK Shows. The Northwest Georgia Trade Center in Dalton was filled to capacity with 500 tables manned by dealers, collectors, historians, authors and enthusiasts eager to ply their trade at Georgia’s biggest Civil War show. Dalton was the scene of fierce fighting on February 24th and 25th, 1864 as Union General George Thomas attacked Joseph Johnston’s troops, but Thomas was outnumbered and retreated after the battle, having suffered 300 casualties to Johnston’s loss of 140 men. Confederate sentiments still run deep in Dalton as evidenced by the location of the Trade Center on Dug Gap Battle Road! Now 153 years to the month after the fighting in Dalton ended, descendants of both armies gathered to engage in commerce, trade stories, renew old friendships and search out that special relic that has evaded their collection for years in a manner similar to that enjoyed by their ancestors at veteran’s gatherings around the turn of the century. The primary difference is that all of the above mentioned activities can now take place on your cell phone without actually ever dealing with someone face to face! The Internet and cell phones have definitely changed the way the Civil War industry operates, but nothing beats the old fashioned method of examining an artifact in person and dealing with it’s owner one on one, which is one reason Civil War shows still attract hundreds of dealers and thousands of attendees each year. The Chickamauga (Dalton) Show is rated as one of the top shows in the country by many dealers and is one nobody wants to miss. This year’s weather was mild which is always a boon to dealers driving from distant states and attendees coming from around the Southeast. The state of the art Trade Center is easily accessible off I-75 with great hotels and restaurants only minutes away. Excellent lighting, ease of move in, good concessions and plenty of free parking are only a few of the reasons dealers are always eager to sign up for this event. The city of Dalton also supports the show with great newspaper coverage and guest speakers throughout the weekend. All in all, Dalton is the “perfect storm” of Civil War interest, enthusiasm and activity! The doors opened at 9 AM on the dot Saturday morning to a huge lobby filled with eager shoppers who had been waiting for 30 or more minutes. The hall quickly filled to capacity as the line was processed through and there was hardly any times throughout the day when there was not someone in line purchasing a ticket. As always, the Atlanta Round Table made their appearance in mass, caravaning up from Atlanta to enjoy the show, as has become an annual event for them. As noted in last month’s issue, the Franklin Show is always viewed as the “bellwether” event in the industry and Franklin attendance was up around 5% this year. Following in its footsteps was Dalton with the largest number of tables ever and a crowd that was also up around 5%. If these indicators run true, we are in for a great year of shows in the Civil War industry! As always, displayers continue to amaze the public with new exhibits and more info added to old ones as evidenced by the show photos. If you’ve never been, make plans now to attend next year’s Dalton Civil War Show at the Dalton Trade Center on February 3 & 4, 2018. See you there!