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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.

Lanier County, Georgia

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

County Seat: Lakeland
Year Organized: 1920
Square Miles: 187

Court House:

100 Main Street
County Courthouse
Lakeland, GA 31635

Etymology - Origin of County Name

The county was named in honor of Georgia state poet, Sidney Lanier.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

County History

Lanier County, the 155th county formed in Georgia, was created in 1920. The county was named in honor of Georgia state poet, Sidney Lanier.

Lakeland, the county seat, is Lanier County's only incorporated municipality. Originally called Mill Town, Lakeland received its current name in 1925 in honor of its proximity to several lakes including Grand Bay Lake, Lake Irma and Banks Lake.

Points of Interest

For many years, Lakeland owned and operated its own railroad.

The county is famous for its excellent fishing in the Alapaha River, as well as in its many small lakes. Banks Lake Wildlife Refuge, which includes a 3,900-acre lake, is located in the county.

Lanier shares Moody Air Force Base with Lowndes County on its western boundary.

Notable Citizens

One notable person from Lanier County was Eurith Dickinson "Ed" Rivers, a Georgia governor and speaker of the Georgia House. He was a strong proponent of the "New Deal" and an outspoken opponent of Eugene Talmadge.

Neighboring Counties:

Northeast: Atkinson County
Southeast: Clinch County; Echols County
Southwest: Lowndes County
Northwest: Berrien County

Cities and Towns:

- Lakeland (County Seat)

city

Incorporated Area

County Resources:

Additional County Info http://www.georgiaplanning.com/CountyPortal/countyportal.asp?FIPS=13173

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."