--- title: HR 1666. John W. Ralston Memorial Intersection; Lumpkin County; dedicate collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1666 cite_as: HR 1666, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1666 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1666.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1666/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74044 date: 2026-03-18 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1665.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1667.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 132 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1666.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1666 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-12 last_action: House Second Readers sponsors: - Will Wade - Lee Hawkins text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1666/2025 upstream_id: 2133294 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - memorial resolution - Lumpkin County - road dedication - Georgia Department of Transportation --- # HR 1666. John W. Ralston Memorial Intersection; Lumpkin County; dedicate ## Text House Resolution 1666 By: Representatives Wade of the 9th and Hawkins of the 27th A RESOLUTION Honoring the life of Mr. John W. Ralston and dedicating an intersection in his memory; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Mr. John W. Ralston was born July 4, 1891, a beloved son of John W. Ralston, Sr., and Lavada Stone Ralston; and WHEREAS, after his family moved to Lumpkin County, Georgia, in 1913, Mr. Ralston went on to become one of Lumpkin County's most influential community leaders particularly in the Mill Creek community; and WHEREAS, affectionately known as "Big John Ralston," Mr. Ralston and his father "Wash Ralston" shared the same birthday and many friends and family would annually gather for birthday celebrations at the family property that has now been in the Ralston family for over 100 years; and WHEREAS, he was a member of Mill Creek Baptist Church and served his community as a school bus driver for over 20 years, a justice of the peace, a poll worker, and a member of Georgia Freemasonry and the Etowah Masonic Lodge; and WHEREAS, in 1922, Mr. Ralston donated a portion of his property for the construction of Highway State Route 9; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that this remarkable and distinguished Georgian be appropriately recognized by dedicating an intersection in his memory. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AND ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA that the intersection of State Route 9 and Castleberry Bridge Road in Lumpkin County is dedicated as the John W. Ralston Memorial Intersection. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is authorized and directed to erect and maintain appropriate signs dedicating the John W. Ralston Memorial Intersection. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the family of Mr. John W. Ralston and to the Department of Transportation. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution would honor the late John W. Ralston by naming the intersection of State Route 9 and Castleberry Bridge Road in Lumpkin County the John W. Ralston Memorial Intersection. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives honors John W. Ralston, a longtime Lumpkin County community leader who was born in 1891 and known as a school bus driver, justice of the peace, poll worker, and Freemason. The resolution recounts his life, including his 1922 donation of part of his property for the construction of State Route 9. The resolution dedicates the intersection of State Route 9 and Castleberry Bridge Road in Lumpkin County as the John W. Ralston Memorial Intersection. It directs the Georgia Department of Transportation to erect and maintain appropriate signs marking the dedication, and it directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to Ralston's family and to the Department of Transportation. ### What it does - Dedicates the intersection of State Route 9 and Castleberry Bridge Road in Lumpkin County as the John W. Ralston Memorial Intersection. - Directs the Georgia Department of Transportation to erect and maintain signs marking the intersection's new name. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to distribute copies of the resolution to Ralston's family and to the Department of Transportation. ### Who it affects This resolution primarily affects the Georgia Department of Transportation, which must install and maintain the memorial signage, and the family of John W. Ralston, who receive copies of the resolution. Drivers passing through this Lumpkin County intersection will see the new memorial name. ### Why it matters The resolution creates a lasting public memorial to a local community figure by putting his name on a Lumpkin County road intersection, requiring state resources to install and maintain signage but making no other change to law or policy. ### Key provisions - The resolution's whereas clauses describe John W. Ralston's biography, including his community roles and his 1922 land donation for State Route 9. - The operative section dedicates the intersection of State Route 9 and Castleberry Bridge Road in Lumpkin County as the John W. Ralston Memorial Intersection. - A further resolved clause authorizes and directs the Department of Transportation to erect and maintain appropriate signs marking the dedication. - A final clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to Ralston's family and the Department of Transportation. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2026-03-12) - Last action: House Second Readers (2026-03-18) - Sponsors: Will Wade, Lee Hawkins - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74044 > The history, votes, and amendments (132 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1666.md?full=1