Having absolutely nothing better to do this fine Gwinnetian morning, we decided to figure out why Beaver Ruin Road is called Beaver Ruin Road. First, we found this snippet on the GPB website:
Sadly, GPB did not cite the source of their information about this enigmatic toter of beavers, but we were intrigued. The AJC offered a few more details, including Beaver Toter's occupation as a ferry operator, and a possible source as well:
The AJC report also notes some possible flaws in the story, including the lack of a timeline, so we consulted their source, Georgia Place Names by Kenneth Krakow, where we found the following:
Not much there, so we decided to investigate the identity of the mysterious Beaver Toter. Consulting ancestry.com, we discovered:
There was actually a Beaver Toter! However, Beaver Toter was apparently a woman born in Maine, who died in Texas. What are the odds that she traveled to Gwinnett County, masqueraded as a man, and opened a ferry business which was then destroyed by a flash flood? Not to mention, and this should be the nail in the Beaver Ruin coffin, the fact that there is no body of water in the Beaver Ruin area that would require a ferry?
We're declaring this myth busted. With no authentic source material, a completely different historical Beaver Toter, and a dubious ferry, it would appear that the origins of Beaver Ruin Road are anecdotal at best and likely a complete fabrication. The most likely true origin would be similar to Clarke County's Beaver Ruin Creek, which took its name from flood destruction caused by actual beavers.
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Keep it classy, Gwinnett. This is not a political forum, nor is it place for intolerance or crude behavior of any sort. We are all in this together, so just enjoy the ride.