City History-Blue Ridge is a town built around a railroad depot. The town came to life with the arrival of the Marietta and North Georgia in 1886, which chose the level valley west of the county seat to build the railroad. Eventually, Blue Ridge became the county seat, and a hotbed for tourism, even back in the 19th century. Although the original tourist boom did die down, Blue Ridge's core business (agriculture) did not. Even after passenger traffic died in the 1960's, freight shipping kept the railroad in business until the 1980's. By that time the town became an antique shopping destination, although not to the extent of Marietta, Georgia. In 1998 the town, and the town of McCaysville were revitalized with the arrival of the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway.