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Georgia Counties

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Georgia Counties

Georgia is divided into 159 counties. Under the Georgia Constitution, Counties are granted home rule to deal with issues that are local in nature. Four consolidated city-Counties — Athens (Clarke County), Augusta (Richmond County), Columbus (Muscogee County), and Cusseta (Chattahoochee County) — exist.

Georgia has the second-highest number of Counties of any state in the United States, behind Texas (254). A few Georgia Counties have changed names over time. Jasper County was originally known as Randolph County. Later, the current Randolph County came into being. Webster County was once known as Kinchafoonee County, and Bartow County was formerly known as Cass County.

Forsyth County, Georgia

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

County Seat: Cumming
Year Organized: 1832
Square Miles: 226

Court House:

110 East Main Street
County Courthouse
Cumming, GA 30040-2473

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Named for John Forsyth, Governor of Georgia from 1827-1829 and Secretary of State under Presidents Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

County History

Forsyth County was created in 1832 from parts of the original Cherokee Country. It was named for John Forsyth, Governor of Georgia from 1827-1829 and Secretary of State under Presidents Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren.

Cumming was established in 1834. The city is named for Colonel William Cumming of Augusta, a prominent lawyer.

Several Indian archaeological sites are located within Forsyth County. An Indian mound and village are located on Settendown Creek near the mouth of the Etowah River. Another Indian village is located near Sawnee Mountain on Big Creek.

Two places of historic note in Forsyth County are Pool's Mill Covered Bridge and the Settles Home. One of the few remaining covered bridges in the country, Pool's Mill is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Settles Home is considered to be the oldest home in the county and is under consideration to be listed as a historic landmark.

Points of Interest

Much of the eastern side of the county lies on the shores of Lake Sidney Lanier, one of the busiest recreational bodies of water in the nation with 200 miles of shoreline. Created in the 1950s with the impoundment of the Chattahoochee River at Buford Dam, the lake has accelerated the growth of the county, as well as provided recreational enjoyment for many throughout north Georgia. The lake is home to Southern Bald Eagles and Peregrine Falcons, both endangered species.

Forsyth County has been ranked by the US Census as the fastest growing county in Georgia.

Notable Citizens

Famous residents of Forsyth County include Hiram P. Bell, a Confederate Officer and US Congressman, and William Rogers, Johnson Rogers, and George Welch, signers of the Treaty of New Echota which established the terms of removal for the Cherokee Indians.

Neighboring Counties:

North: Dawson County
Northeast: Hall County
Southeast: Gwinnett County
Southwest: Fulton County
West: Cherokee County

Cities and Towns:

- Cumming (County Seat)

city

Incorporated Area

County Resources:

County http://www.forsythco.com

Chamber of Commerce http://cummingforsythchamber.org/

Additional County Info http://www.georgiaplanning.com/CountyPortal/countyportal.asp?FIPS=13117

County Resources

The history of our nation was a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names given the counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic features of this 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."