Big Canoe: The First 50 Years

Project Portfolio

Publishing & Editorial

Big Canoe: The First 50 Years

Researching, writing, and designing a 118-page anniversary book for a community of 2,800 homes

Editorial Design Adobe InDesign Copywriting Research Project Management

Context

Big Canoe Property Owners Association, North Georgia

Timeline

10 months, published fall 2022

My Role

Lead writer, designer, and project manager

The Project

Big Canoe is a private mountain community in North Georgia spanning 9,000 acres and roughly 2,800 homes. In 2022 the community marked its 50th anniversary, and the Property Owners Association wanted to commemorate it with a book: a proper record of the people, decisions, and moments that shaped the place over half a century.

I led the project from concept to press. That meant working with a team of property owners and longtime community members to source stories, photographs, and historical records; organizing and editing contributed material; writing most of the content; and laying out the full 118-page book in Adobe InDesign. The book was published in September 2022.

What the Work Involved

Research and Sourcing Ten months of interviews, archival digging, and coordination with longtime residents, former staff, and community historians to build an accurate picture of 50 years of community history.

Writing Most of the editorial content was written from scratch, covering founders, pioneering residents, landmark decisions, community milestones, and the natural history of the land itself.

Editorial Management Multiple rounds of edits coordinated across contributors, subject matter sources, and organizational stakeholders, keeping the project on schedule through a 10-month production timeline.

Design and Layout Full book layout in Adobe InDesign, integrating historical photography, editorial content, and design elements across 118 pages to produce a print-ready final file.

What It Produced

A 118-page commemorative book distributed to Big Canoe property owners and community members in fall 2022. The book covers the founding vision of developer Tom Cousins, the stewardship of the Byrne Corporation, the community’s natural landscape, its people, its landmarks, and the five decades of history that turned a wilderness tract into one of the most well-regarded private communities in the Southeast.

Skills Demonstrated

Long-form writing Editorial management Adobe InDesign Research and interviews Print production Stakeholder coordination Project management