Brantley County, Georgia: History and Information

Brantley County, Georgia

Brantley County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

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Etymology - Origin of County Name

amed for Benjamin D. Brantley, a member of a prominent local family, although some historians claim the name honored State Senator William Goodman Brantley of Brunswick.

Demographics:

History

The county was formed in 1920 from Charlton, Pierce, and Wayne counties and was named for Benjamin D. Brantley, a member of a prominent local family, although some historians claim the name honored State Senator William Goodman Brantley of Brunswick.

Since the Okefenokee Swamp is to the south and west of the county, passage through Brantley County was essential to the railroads running from the coast through the southern part of the state.

Fort McIntosh was built in the early years of the Revolutionary War to protect the extensive herds of cattle. It was placed under siege from Tories in 1777 and eventually surrendered.

Fort Mudge was built in the county at about the same time. This fort was immortalized by Walt Kelly in the "Pogo" comic strip.

Nahunta sounds as if it has an Indian name, but in fact the name is a colloquialism derived from railroad maps and a sign, "N.A. Hunter Siding."

Points of Interest

The 35,789-acre Dixon Memorial State Forest, shared by Brantley and Ware counties, is administered by the Georgia Forestry Commission.

Brantley County residents also have access to the Harrington Tract Wildlife Management Area (shared with Glynn County) and the Rayonier Wildlife Management Area (shared with Wayne County).

The scenic Satilla River winds its way through Brantley County, providing opportunities for boating, fishing and camping.

Neighboring Counties:

North: Wayne County

East: Glynn County

Southeast: Camden County

Southwest: Charlton County; Ware County

Northwest: Pierce County

Cities and Towns:

- Hoboken

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- Nahunta (County Seat)

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County Resources:

The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic features of our country!"

But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.

Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally, act locally."

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