Dawson County, Georgia

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

County Seat: Dawsonville
Year Organized: 1857
Square Miles: 211

Court House:

78 Howard Avenue East

Dawsonville, GA 30534-3435

Etymology - Origin of County Name

named for Judge William C. Dawson, a compiler of the laws of Georgia and commander of a brigade in the Creek Indian War of 1836

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

History

Dawson County was created from parts of Lumpkin, Gilmer, and Forsyth counties. Georgia's 118th county, and the county seat of Dawsonville, were named for Judge William C. Dawson, a compiler of the laws of Georgia and commander of a brigade in the Creek Indian War of 1836. Dawson also served in both houses of the state legislature and in Congress before the Civil War.

Built in 1857, the historic Dawson County Courthouse has been the focus of recent renovation and preservation efforts. A coalition of interested parties, ranging from the local Women's Club to a local builder, have worked on the building.

Points of Interest

Dawson County is home to 729-foot Amicalola Falls, the highest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains. Amicalola Falls State Park surrounds the falls, and the Amicalola Falls Lodge is located at the top of the falls. The approach trail to the start of the Appalachian Trail on Springer Mountain is also located in the park.

The Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area is maintained in Dawson County and provides more than 23,000 acres of hunting, hiking, bird watching, camping and fishing opportunities. The state purchased 2,031 acres along Wildcat Creek at the northwestern end of the wildlife area in 1993 as part of the Preservation 2000 program.

Lake Sidney Lanier forms Dawson County's southeastern border, providing recreational and economic opportunities for local residents. The completion of Lake Lanier and development of Georgia Highway 400 has spurred growth and development in the county during the past 30 years.

Notable Citizens

NASCAR driver and former Winston Cup Champion Bill Elliott is a native of Dawson County. "Awesome Bill from Dawsonville" has many fans throughout the county, as evidenced by the many shops and storefronts in Dawsonville filled with Bill Elliott and other racing memorabilia.

Neighboring Counties:

Northeast: Lumpkin County
Southeast: Hall County
South: Forsyth County
Southwest: Cherokee County
West: Pickens County
Northwest: Gilmer County; Fannin County

Cities and Towns:

- Dawsonville (County Seat)

city

Incorporated Area

County Resources:

County http://www.dawsoncounty.org/

Chamber of Commerce http://www.dawson.org/

Additional County Info http://www.georgiaplanning.com/CountyPortal/countyportal.asp?FIPS=13085

County Resource Guide

Counties: US Map

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."

Penn Foster High School

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