Fayette County, Georgia

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1821 Fayette County, Georgia was created by the Georgia legislature from the territory ceded to the United States by the Creek Indians. Fayetteville, was established in 1823 as county seat. ^[1][2][3][4]

Fayetteville town square

1821 The United States signed a Treaty at Indian Springs with the Creek Indians. This was a cession of a large part of their land. Fayette County was named in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, the French hero of the Continental Army who is reported to have aided Gen. George Washington during the American Revolution.^[1][2][3]

Marquis Lafayette

May, 1821 The state of Georgia received land from the United States four months after the Creek Indians ceded some of their lands (the first Treaty of Indian Springs) to the United States, located between the Ocmulgee and Flint Rivers.. (Ga. Laws 1821 Extra. Session, p. 3. w This was ceded Jan 8, 1821. ^[4]

1821 Fayette County was formed as an original county, created when Georgia this #49 County. The land came from the Georgia Land Lottery Draw. Mostly Revolutionary War veterans and Widows were eligible to draw land. The land was ceded from the Creek Indian Nation. This Piedmont county is one of the five counties formed in 1821. From this five new counties were created: ^[5]

1) Fayette (Fayette is #49 original county created from other counties Georgia)

2) Henry county

Houston County

Dooly County

Monroe County

Geographically the county boundaries extended from Atlanta to past Jonesboro.

Four counties were later formed from Fayette

Campbell County

DeKalb County

Clayton County

Fulton county

Spalding County

1822 map showing C.H. (Fayetteville)

1822-1823 Following the creation of Fayette County, the same Dec, 1821 act gave instructions to the justices of the county inferior court to locate a spot near the center of the county for the county Seat. These justices performed their job as the 1822 map of Georgia shows a site in Fayette county which is marked C.H. for Courthouse This later received its name as Fayetteville and was incorporated as a town. ^[4]

Fayetteville, Georgia, was established in 1823 as county seat. ^[1]

https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/counties-cities-neighborhoods/fayette-county

Fayetteville town square

1830 After the white settlers began migrating to Fayette County in 1822 , altercations between the white settlers and the Creek Indians. By 1830 the Creek Indians who had lived here until they were removed to Oklahoma on the "Trail of Tears".^[2][3][4]

1832 The Creek land was divided into lots the size of (202.5 acre) . These were drawn in the 1832 Georgia Land Lottery. Veterans of the Revolution and their widows with minor children were eligible to receive land in the lottery. ^[2][4]

Like many states, the state of Georgia requested that counties locate their county seats fairly close to the center of the county. Originally, Fayette County extended Northwest to Atlanta, with the eastern boundary was past the Clayton County courthouse. Since Fayetteville, also named for the marquis, met Georgia's requirement, it was chosen as the county seat. ^{[2] [3][4]}Other incorporated cities are:

Brooks

Peachtree City

Tyrone

Woolsey

1825 This courthouse is known as Georgia's oldest courthouse building.. It has had several restorations. 1888 they added a clock tower. 1965, the interior was renovated.. Then arsonists set a fire which damaged the 3rd floor and roof. By acourthouse, the oldest courthouse building in the state, has undergone several restorations and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1888 a clock tower was added. The interior was renovated in 1965 and again in 1983, after a fire set by arsonists caused major damage. The courthouse was fully restored in 1983-84. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the oldest counrhouse still standing today in Fayette County. The Fayette county Chamber of commerce and Fayette County Development Authority occupy the building. ^{[3] [4]}

1825 Fayetteville, GA, Fayette County Courthouse

1825 Fayette Co. Courthouse

1828 to 1858 Georgia created four new counties from Fayette County land: Campbell (later Fulton), DeKalb, Spalding, and Clayton, leaving Fayette County with its current area of 197 sq mi.^{[2] [3][4]}

Fayette County had many settlers who became cotton planters. These settlers used African American slaves to plant and pick this crop. The early years involved a lot of agriculture into the 1900's.^{[1] [2][3]}

1864 During Civil War, there was cavalry action in the middle of Fayette County. The Union army burned a wagon train of several hundred wagons two miles west of Fayetteville. The following day one of the last skirmishes with the cavalry as part of the Battle of Atlanta.^[5]

July 29, 1864 Union General Edward M. McCook led 3,600 cavalry against a Confederate supply train in Fayetteville, Georgia . This was near the center of Fayette County where the Union troops captured about (400 Confederates who were leading the train of 500 wagons and guarding the supplies for the Confederate army. Gen. McCook's troops burned the wagons and killed the 800 mules that had been pulling the wagons. ^[6]

1895 Map

July 30-31, 1864 Gen Joseph Wheeler led his Confederate cavalry to free the (400) Confederate prisoners in the Battle of Brown's Mill near Noonan.. The Confederates, had been pulling the 500 wagons and guarding the supplies. A Confederate monument, was placed at the courthouse on April 26, 1934.^[6]

Post 1880's The white supremacist group, Ku Klux Klan was prominent in Fayetteville. After African Americans began farming the land as sharecroppers, the Klan's presence decreased. In 1920 the Klan appeared again and several African Americans disappeared during the white violence. ^[6]

1886 - Fayette County News began to be printed and continues its service today.^[6]

1888 The clock tower was added to the 1st Fayette County Courthouse.^[2] The Atlanta and Florida railway arrived this year. ^[6]

1886-1888 The first gas lamps began in Fayetteville. A few years later Fayetteville had electricity. , followed by electricity. Fayetteville had its first public water system in 1920's. and the first public water system in the 1920s.^[6]

1900's Fayette county had (43) public schools operating. Attendance that year was (865 students) in the white schools and (300 students} in the African American schools., The county population of 10,114 which had increased by (1,386 citizens) in (10) years. ^[2]

1910-20's A.O. Blalock opened the first bank in the county, the Bank of Fayetteville. The new phones began this era with the first phone being in Blalock's house. ^[6]

up to 1920 Cotton was the main agricultural crop in the county during the 1800's. The county seat, Fayetteville was the only area with significant commercial activity, until about 1920. By the 1900's, soybean farming was the leading crop, as cotton tends to wear out the land. ^[2]

1925 Due to the drought, the Bank of Fayetteville went bankrupt. The bootlegging during this time in Atlanta kept the corn as a commodity. and corn became the only profitable commodity, due to the bootlegging commerce in Atlanta. ^[6]

1939Fayetteville suffered a huge blow when the railroad line was ceased and removedThe biggest blow to the city came with the removal of the railroad line in 1939. ^[6]

1945 - Post World War II, the suburban residential communities had many workers commuting to Atlanta.^[1]

Peachtree City, GA flag

1959 Peachtree City, Georgia started as a pre-planned town on 16,000 acres with chartering 1959. Peachtree City, Georgia has a Foreign Trade Zone for its main industries. It has grown considerably since 1970, being within the Atlanta metropolitan area. ^[2]

The Fayette County Historical Society was chartered in 1972 and meets each third Sunday, September through May. For more information, call 770-716-6020.^[5]

1996 Heritage Park was dedicated during the 1996 Olympic Games. There are Plaques, with engravings of the county history were arranged in five circles around the fountain. ^[2][3]

2002-08 Charles "Chuck" Floyd was appointed as Chief Magistrate Judge for Fayette Count, 2002. elected the first African American to be elected to any office in Fayette County. In 2004 and 2008, he was the first African American ever elected to any office in the county.^[1]

2003 The new courthouse was completed, named the Justice Center. ^[2]

Margaret Mitchell Library ( the famous author) holds the Fayette County Historical Society and has displays of Civil War, genealogical records.^[2][3]

Current Fayette County had (9) voting districts in 1821 which are still existing. A population increase has divided the 9 districts to (36) voting precincts. Fayette has a top-notch education system with (5) public high schools, (5) middle schools and (17) grade schools. ^[2]

Fayette County is the locale for (100) churches. Five churches are from the 1800's time frame yet still have active congregations: Antioch Baptist, Fayetteville First Baptist, Fayetteville First United Methodist, Flat Creek Baptist, and Whitewater Baptist.^[2]

Towns of Fayette County

Fayetteville, Georgia is the county seat of Fayette county. Fayetteville, Georgia was named county seat, 1823 and incorporated. It also began on the Southern railway, was incorporated in 1823, and its charter was amended in 1888. It has a money order postoffice with rural free delivery routes, express and telegraph offices, a court house worth $15,000, cotton seed oil mill, guano factory being built and a dozen stores. This town was Fayette County's only city until the 1900's except small beginning communities. The 1900 census recorded 2,265 inhabitants with 430 living in town.[Source: Georgia: Sketches, Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions & People, Vol. 2, Publ. 1906 Transcribed By: Maggie Coleman]^{[3] [5]} http://genealogytrails.com/geo/fayette/countyhistory.html

Fayetteville town square

Flat Creek, Georgia a little village of Fayette county, (ten miles southwest) of Fayetteville where in 1864 some Civil war encounters occurred. These were the Union raids on the West Point and Macon Railroads. During 1864 Civil War skirmishes in summer and fall, here which were Union raids on West Point Railroads.Source: Georgia: Sketches, Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions & People, Vol. 2, Publ. 1906 Transcribed By:Maggie Coleman. ^[3]

Kenwood, Georgia began as a station on the Southern railway, located (5 miles north) of Fayetteville. Source: Georgia Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, VOL II, by Candler & Evans, Publ. 1906. Transcribed by Tracy McAllister^[3]

Lowry, Georgia is located on the Southern railway, (10 miles south of Fayetteville, Georgia. (Source: Georgia Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, VOL II, by Candler & Evans, Publ. 1906. Transcribed by Joanne Morgan)^[3]

Milners Store, Georgia is located in the northern segment of Fayette County, (2) two miles northwest of Kenwood, a nearby railroad station. ^[3]

Starrs Mill.

Starrs Mill, Georgia is a small unincorporated community, on Georgia State Rte 74. This grew around a grist mill in the area. According to a historic marker, Hannah Gillcoat built the first mill prior to 1825 on Whitewater Creek. This was (<1 mile) from the Creek Indian lands and Georgia. Hilliard Starr owned the mill 1866-1879. The original two log buildings burned. In 1907 William T Glower built the existing building which operated until 1959. This used a water powered turbine to grind corn, operate a sawmill , aw cotton gin with a dynamo to produce electricity for Senioa, Georgia.^[7]

Peachtree City, GA flag

Peachtree City, Georgia was begun in 1959 as a pre-planned city. Peachtree City is the largest city in Fayette County, Georgia, USA, with population of 35,186. The water fountain in the city plaza is a donation from Japanese companies who opened businesses there. ^[5]

Fayetteville town square

Fayetteville, Georgia was named as the county seat in 1823. This was the only city until the 1900's, except for some small communities: Peachtree City, Tyrone, Brooks, and Woolsey.^[5] http://genealogytrails.com/geo/fayette/countyhistory.html

Fayette county Citizens' Histories

General David Dickson

General David Dickson was commanding a volunteer company during the Revolutionary War, 1775 at Snow Camps located on the Reedy River, when they overtook Col. Cunningham and the Tories. In 1776, Gen. Dickson commanded a different volunteer company against the Tories and the Cherokees, under command of Gen. Williamson. By 1777 he brought minute men into Georgia for stationing on the Frontiers.. 1778 Dickson and company sent to take St. Augustine (soon to become Florida). After this the minute men were discharged and Gen. Dickson returned to South Carolina to help out there until the end of the American Revolution.^[3]

Samuel Parsons

Samuel Parsons died in 1832, aged 70 years. He was a native of the State of Virginia. At the age of fifteen he entered the army of the Revolution, was engaged in the battle of Guilford Courthouse, at the siege of Little York, and witnessed the surrender of Lord Cornwallis.

Holliday Dorsey Fife House

John Stiles Holliday

John Stiles Holliday, an uncle of John Henry "Doc" Holiday built his house in 1855, called the Holliday-Dorsey-Fife House, near the Old Courthouse Square. This building holds items of Fayette County history, and Civil War items. A log cabin (built in 1930) by the Works Progress administration. Fayetteville bought this home, 1999 to renovate and reopened it in 2003. This is currently owned by the American Legion.The Holliday family was from Fayette county. One of the cousins of "Doc" Holliday married a Fitgerald. Thus Doc Holliday was a "kissing cousin" of Margaret Mitchell^[2]

Doc Holliday

1930's Margaret Mitchell researched Fayette county for facts for her novel, " GONE WITH THE WIND".^{[5] [5]}

Margaret Mitchell, author

Phillip Fitzgerald

Phillip Fitzgerald, the great Grandfather of Margaret Mitchell, arrived in Fayette County in the 1820's. He opened some of the first businesses in Fayetteville. the Fitzgeralds were the prototypes for the O'Hara in the book. The Fitzgeralds are buried in the Fayetteville City Cemetery.^[5]

Other Fayette County citizens

Other Fayette County citizens, Matthew Yates, who hybridized the Yates apple, and Talula Gilbert Bottoms, a well-known southern quilter. Former governor Hugh M. Dorsey, folk artist Nellie Mae Rowe, and Charles D. Redwine, a state senator instrumental in establishing compulsory public education in the state, were notable twentieth-century residents. Ferrol Sams, a prominent physician and author, and his wife, Helen, also a physician, began practicing medicine in the county in the early 1950s.^[5]

Adjacent counties

• Fulton County – north
• Clayton County – east
• Spalding County – south
• Coweta County – west

Government Offices

https://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/topics/counties/fayette

Dec. 24, 1821 The Georgia act authorized the formation of Fayette County and specified the County justices to select the county seat. (Ga. Laws 1821, p. 44). These justices did select the location for the county seat market at first "C H" (for courthouse). These became Fayetteville, Georgia. (Ga. Laws 1823, p. 178). incorporated Fayetteville into a town.^[4]

1st place to hold court this was directed to hold court, but the location has not been found.

1825 Fayetteville, GA, Fayette County Courthouse

1st Courthouse, 1825 was a two-story courthouse was constructed. z

1825 Fayette Co. Courthouse

1st courthouse was remodeled, 1965 - the original building became a 3-story building in 1965. This building still stands, and is the oldest courthouse of Georgia

1st Courthouse Fire, 1983 Fire caused by arsonists damaged the 3rd floor, roof and clocktower.

1st courthouse Renovation, 1983-84 Restoration of the courthouse began in August 1983 and was completed in May 1984. However, after the fire, Fayette County officials decided that the old courthouse was inadequate

2nd Courthouse Annex, 1985 - completion. This became the new Fayette Courthouse and center for the Fayette County County Complex.

3rd Complex, 1992 - Fayette county had another Fayette County Administration Complex built

Fayette County current courthouse, (named Justice Center)

4th County Justice Center, 2003 the current building was completed 2003

The 1825 courthouse no longer serves as courthouse, this structure is the oldest former courthouse, but is still standing in Georgia.

Geography

Size- 199 square miles (520 km2), of which 194 square miles (500 km2) is land and 5.0 square miles (13 km2) (2.5%) is water.

Dimensions - Length, 27 m.; breadth, 18 m.; area square miles, 486.

Rivers-- The Flint River provides the earliest route for transportation and shipping of crops.

Border - Eastern border is the Flint River

Basins -Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin ACF River Basin

Sub Basin -Upper Flint River sub-basin All Fayette County

County Seat - Fayetteville, 107 miles from Milledgeville.

Jonesborough, Georgia locatedon the Macon and Western Railroad

Rough and Ready, and Fairburne, are small places.

Terrain - level

Soil - gray quality, adapted to cotton, corn, &c.

Climate- healthy.

Protected areas

Demographics

In 2000, there were 91,263 people in the county with a population density of 463 people/sq. mi. The racial makeup of the county was 80.96% White, 12.87% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 2.42% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.76% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. 2.83% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. In 2010 there were 106,567 people with a population density of 548.3 people/sq. mi.

• Since late 1990's, Fayette County has been part of the Greater Atlanta Metropolitan Area. It is located south of Atlanta, which is based in Fulton County.
• Fayette County is minutes from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Schools

• The county commission and school board are elected members. This school board is one of the )20 boards/180 boards) that have this system.
• NAACP Plaaintiffs filed the system prevented its minority of 20% of population from electing their choice of candates. (The judge ruled in their favor), thus 2013, single member voting was begun. 2014, first African Americans were elected to the Commission and school board. A negotiated system of four seats are elected at from single member districts plus one at-large seat.

Highways

• Georgia 54.svg State Route 54
• Georgia 74.svg State Route 74
• Georgia 85.svg State Route 85
• Georgia 92.svg State Route 92
• Georgia 138.svg State Route 138
• Georgia 279.svg State Route 279
• Georgia 314.svg State Route 314

Notables

• Furman Bisher, longtime late sports columnist, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
• Robert H. Brooks, former Chairman and CEO, Hooter's of America Inc.
• Zac Brown, Grammy award-winning singer, Zac Brown Band
• Robert J Burch, Children's author
• Kandi Burruss, singer, reality TV star
• Kathy Cox, State School Superintendent
• Creflo Dollar, televangelist
• Mike Duke, Former CEO of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
• Emmanuel Lewis, actor, Webster
• Carole Marsh, children's author and founder of Gallopade InternationalPaul Orndorff, pro wrestle
• Ferrol Sams, physician, humorist, storyteller, and best-selling novelist.
• Reed Sorenson, NASCAR driver
• Gy Waldron, creator and executive producer, The Dukes of Hazard
• John Waller, contemporary Christian singer
• Gary Anthony Williams, television and film actor

County Resources

Cities/Communities

• Brooks
• Fayetteville
• Peachtree City
• Tyrone
• Woolsey

• Fayette County has five incorporated municipalities within its borders; Fayetteville, Brooks, Woolsey, Tyrone and Peachtree City. Formerly, Inman was also a municipality, but gave up its charter years ago. In 2015 Fayetteville, a majority-white city, elected its first African-American mayor, Ed Johnson. In 2011 he had been the first African American elected to its city council and only the second black elected to any office in the history of Fayette County.

Peachtree City, GA flag

• Peachtree City was chartered in 1959. It was developed as the only planned community in the county and in the Southeast; it covers 16,000 acres.

Census

• Fayette County has increased rapidly in population and development since the late 20th century, nearly doubling its population since 1990 Atlanta suburb.
• 2010 U.S. census, the population is 106,567, an increase from the 2000 population of 91,263.
• 1850 Census.—Dwellings, 1,196; families, 1,206; white males, 3,450; white females, 3,290; free coloured males, 3; 1 free coloured female. Total free population, 6,744; slaves, 1,965. Deaths, 99. Farms, 818; manufacturing establishments, 6. Value of real estate, $2,185,835 ; value of personal estate, $1,162,169.^[3]

Cemeteries

• The Fitzgeralds are buried in the Fayetteville City Cemetery.

• Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War Burials

• FindAGrave Cemeteries of Fayette County, Georgia

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fayette_County,_Georgia
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16} https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/counties-cities-neighborhoods/fayette-county
3. ↑ ^{3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15} http://genealogytrails.com/geo/fayette/countyhistory.html
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8} https://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/topics/counties/fayette
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9} https://www.fayettecountyga.gov/information/about_Fayette.htm
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8} https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/fayetteville
7. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starrs_Mill,_Georgia

• "Historical Collections Of Georgia", by George White, 1855
• Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War Burials
• https://www.fayettecountyga.gov/information/about_Fayette.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fayette_County,_Georgia
• http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/fayette/history.htm
• Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War Burials

• FindAGrave Cemeteries of Fayette County, Georgia