Fannin County, Georgia

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

County Seat: Blue Ridge
Year Organized: 1854
Square Miles: 386

Court House:

420 West Main Street
County Courthouse
Blue Ridge, GA 30513-8543

Etymology - Origin of County Name

named for Colonel James W. Fannin of Georgia, who, with approximately 350 volunteers, fought in Texas' War of Independence from Mexico.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

History

Fannin County was created in 1854 from parts of Gilmer and Union counties. Georgia's 106th county was named for Colonel James W. Fannin of Georgia, who, with approximately 350 volunteers, fought in Texas' War of Independence from Mexico. Fannin and his regiment were captured and massacred in 1836. Fannin's county seat, Blue Ridge, is named for the southern reach of the Appalachian Mountain Range which stretches into the county.

The last remnants of the Cherokee Nation found shelter in the mountains of Fannin County before their removal west along the "Trail of Tears" to Oklahoma in 1838.

Points of Interest

The US Fish and Wildlife Service operates a cold water fish hatchery in Fannin County. The Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery raises rainbow trout to stock streams, lakes, and reservoirs throughout North Georgia.

Parts of the Chattahoochee National Forest and Cohutta National Wilderness Area are in Fannin County. The Cohutta Wilderness Area is the largest national wilderness area east of the Mississippi River.

Outdoor recreational opportunities are also plentiful within Fannin County. Campers, hikers, nature lovers, and anglers enjoy the Chattahoochee National Forest and Cohutta Wilderness Area. In addition to these federal facilities, local parks include the Horseshoe Bend Park, the Blue Ridge City Park, and the McCaysville City Park.

Water resources are plentiful in Fannin County. Blue Ridge Lake in the center of the county impounds part of the Toccoa River, which flows into Tennessee and becomes the Ocoee River, site of the 1996 Olympic whitewater events. Jacks River, Fightingtown Creek, and Rock Creek also flow through the county.

The Blue Ridge Railway is a vintage passenger train running a 26-mile roundtrip along the Toccoa River.

Notable Citizens

Well known country musician, Mark Wills, was raised in Fannin County.

Neighboring Counties:

Northeast: Cherokee County, N.C.
East: Union County
Southeast: Lumpkin County; Dawson County
Southwest: Gilmer County
West: Murray County
Northwest: Polk County, Tenn.

Cities and Towns:

- Blue Ridge (County Seat)	city	Incorporated Area
- McCaysville	city	Incorporated Area
- Morganton	town	Incorporated Area

County Resources:

County http://www.fannincounty.org/

Chamber of Commerce http://www.blueridgemountains.com/

Additional County Info http://www.georgiaplanning.com/CountyPortal/countyportal.asp?FIPS=13111

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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