Forsyth County, Georgia

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Surnames/tags: Forsyth_County Georgia US_History

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Welcome to the Forsyth County, Georgia Project!

... ... ... is a part of Georgia history.
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Leader of this Project is Paula J
Coordinator is Mary Richardson
Written by Karen Herndon

History/Timeline

about 1000 A.D. - There were two indigenous cultures that settled along the Etowah River in this area. The first were called Mound Builders of the Mississippian culture. They built earthwork mound structures and large communities in land encompassing what is now called Bartow County and in neighboring Cherokee County. This group eventually disappeared. The second group were members of the Iroquoian-speaking Cherokee Nation that migrated from the North, possibly from the Great Lakes. They settled in portions of Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and western North Carolina. 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.^[1]^[2]

1829 - European Americans discovered gold in the surrounding area and numerous settlers moved in. ^[1]^[3] Due to the proximity to the Old Federal Road (a road for travelers from the borders of Georgia to the west), a surge in expansion of regional trade, including the opening of numerous roadside inns and taverns.^[4]^[5]

Eary Settlers in this county were: J. Scudder, L. Blackburn, John Jolly, W. W. Vaughan, A. Cameron, Wm. Rogers, John Rogers, Noah Strong, L. Hudson, B. Allen, W. H. Bacon, L. D. Harris, E. Harris, Geo. Kellogg, Mr. Julian, Alfred Hudson, W. G. Fields.^[6]

1832 - Divided from Cherokee lands, formerly the Cherokee Nation, Forsyth County, Georgia's 81st county, was named after John Forsyth, the 33rd Governor of Georgia (from 1827-1829). He was a lawyer from Georgia, the first president of the University of Georgia, attorney general of Georgia, a member of the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, Minister to Spain, and Secretary of State. It is important to note that Georgia did not own the land, it was still held by the Cherokee Nation. The Cherokee fought for their rights for six years, but evenually lost. ^[4]^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10]

1831-1833 - In 1831, the Georgia General Assembly authorized the Gold Lottery of 1832 of land lots that had been divided into 40 acres and 160 acres. The 40 acre lots were designated as "gold lots", lots that were close to the Chattahoochee River and probably had a greater potential for gold to be found. The lots dvided into 160 acres were further away from the Chattahoochee River and deemed to be more agricultural in nature. Lots not included in the Gold Lottery bordering the Chattachoochee were divided into lots of less than 33 acres, known as "fractional lots". These lots, drawn in the 1833 Land Lottery, were of more value since they had plentiful water supply from the River. there were a total of more than 4,500 lots in the 1832 and 1833 lotteries The lottery was held in Milledgeville, Georgia, the State Capital of Georgia. Many of the lucky winners sold their lots immediately and never came to Forsyth County, but many of the original surnames from the lottery grants are present in the County today. By this time, the gold rush in North Georgia was waning.^[10]^[11]

1833 - Elections were held by eligible residents for posts of Clerks for Superior and Inferior Courts, Sheriff, Tax Collector, Tax Receiver, County Surveyor, and Coroner.^[10] The first County Officers were as follows:

Clerk of the Superior Court: Oliver Strickland (possible Wikitree profile)
Clerk of the Inferior Court: John Blaylock
Sheriff: John Jolly
Tax Collector: Lewis Sams
Tax Receiver: William Humphrey
Surveyor: Thomas Burford
Coroner: Alston B. Welborn (possible Wikitree profile)

1834 - The county seat of Cumming was formed, named after Col William Cumming of Augusta, War of 1812 and an advocate of states' rights. Sometime between 1833-1834, the first courthouse was built and this courthouse served until 1900, when it burned. It is not known what location served as the courthouse before that time. ^[7]^[9]

1838 - The last of the Cherokee Nation was removed from Forsyth County to Oklahoma. The removal started with placing them in one of two Cherokee Removal Forts, called Fort Scudder and Fort Campbell, located on the Old Federal Road. ^[7]^[12]

1840's - New roads were beginning to form and tolls were no longer gathered from the Old Federal Road. Since it was no longer used regularly, it fell into disrepair. Roadside inns and taverns were abandoned. The area became more of an agricultural community after the established businesses died out. This change hit the County pretty hard. ^[13]

1857 - Milton County (now the northern part of Fulton County) was formed from parts of Cobb, Cherokee, and Forsyth counties. A large part of the population was lost due to this change. ^[10]

1863-1865 - The Civil War ended, bypassing the county. But the Reconstruction Era brought hunger and poverty to the area. Only two soldiers from Forsyth County were known to have died during the war.^[10] Confederate Companies Raised: ^[14]

Co. K, 3rd Regt., 2nd Brig., 1st Div, Georgia State Troops, "Georgia County Confederates" (Forsyth) Note: The served from Oct 1961 to Apr 1862 when most joined other units.
Co. D, 2nd Battalion, North Carolina Inf. (became New Co. E, 21st Georgia Infantry), "Concord Rangers" (Forsyth & Dawson)
Co. H (new Co. N), 38th Georgia Vol. Inf., "Chestatee Artillery" (Forsyth & Dawson)
Co. E, 14th Georgia Vol. Inf., "Lester Volunteers" (Forsyth)
Co. E, 22nd Georgia Vol. Inf., "Warsaw Rebels" (Forsyth & Milton)
Co. B, 38th Georgia Vol. Inf., "Milton Guards" (Forsyth & Milton)
Co. I, 38th Georgia Vol. Inf., "Dawson Farmers" (Forsyth & Dawson)
Co. C, 42nd Georgia Vol. Inf., "Milton Tigers" (Forsyth & Milton)
Co. E, 43rd Georgia Vol. Inf., "Kellogg Rifles" (Forsyth)
Co. I, 43rd Georgia Vol. Inf., "Zillicoffer Guards" (Forsyth)
Co. I, 52nd Georgia Vol. Inf., (Forsyth & Dawson)
Co. D, 56th Georgia Vol. Inf., (Forsyth & Hall)
Co. G, 56th Georgia Vol. Inf., (Forsyth & Milton)
Co. E, Cherokee Legion (Cav), "Forsyth County Cavalry" (Forsyth)
Co. I, Cherokee Legion (Inf), (Forsyth)
Several other companies of State Guards and Local Militia

A list of known Confederate Soldiers from Forsyth County can be found here.

late 1800's to early 1900's - During this time, the county was predominantly agricultural with only slight growth. Most families made their living by growing corn, cotton, and other staples. ^[10]

1900-1905 - The first courthouse burned down, originally built about 1833-1834. A new courthouse was completed in 1905, and subsequently burned down in 1973. It was a two-story, brick buildilng with a clock tower^[9]

1912 - Sleety Mae Crow (1893-1912), a white woman, was sexually assaulted and murdered, allegedly by a black man. Five black men were arrested. One man, Robert Edwards (abt.1888-1912), was lynched by a mob of thousands. Two of the men, Ernest Knox and and Oscar Daniel (1894-), were convicted and sentenced to be hung. This was the second of 2 incidents that occured. The first was a white woman accused a black man of raping her. As a result, many blacks were arrested and some were physically assaulted by whites. Afterward, whites harassed and intimidated blacks in and around the neighboring counties. They forced 98% of the black population to leave the region in fear of their lives, losing land and personal property that was never recovered. Whites took over the abandoned properties, sometimes without a sale and a legal transfer of title. In 1910, there more than 1,000 blacks in the community, and by 1920, there were only 30 remaining. ^[1]

1930-1940 - The county began to invest heavily in the chicken industry and it was fairly profitable. Many farmers switched to the poultry industry. After quickly becoming one of the most active counties in the nation for chicken production, Tyson Foods built a large processing center in Cumming. It is still one of the biggest industries in Forsyth, even though most of the old chicken houses are now empty. ^[10]

1950's - The building of Buford Dam by the Army Corps of Engineers on the Chattahoochee River to form Lake Sydney Lanier helped the local economy. The dam construction brought a constant water source, hydroelectric power, and tourism. More people began building homes on the shores of the lake and made it one of the more fashionable places to live in the Atlanta area. ^[10]

1971 - The opening of Georgia State Route 400, allowed easy access from Atlanta to Lake Lanier and Forsyth County expanding the county's population to a point where the Forsyth County became one of the fastest growing counties in the United States. More people were moving to the rural area and commuting to Atlanta for employment. ^[10]

1977 - The construction for the third courthouse was completed in 1977. A new administrative office building was built across the street.^[9]

1987 - A civil rights march was organized in January 1987 in Cumming. A counter-demonstration was made by the Klu Klux Klan, mostly by men who were not residents of the county. Four marchers were reported to have been slightly injured by objects thrown at them. Eight counter-protestors were arrested on charges of trespassing and carrying concealed weapons. One week later, a second march was held with over 20,000 participants from all over the country forming a caravan from Atlanta. The newly formed Forsyth County Defense League rounded up 5,000 members for a counter-protest. The demonstration was peaceful, most likely due to the presence of 2,000 peace officers and national guardsmen (many of whom were black). All paid for by the county, which angered residents of the county, since most of the marchers were not residents of Forsyth County. 66 of the counter-protestors were arrested for "parading without a permit". During the march, most of the white residents left their homes or boarded up, so the marchers walked along the streets lined by armed National Guardsmen. The demonstration is thought to have been the largest civil rights demonstration in the U.S. since about 1970. and turned out to be the largest resistance opposed to civil rights since the 1960s. ^[1]

2000-2010 - An influx of more ethnically diverse persons began to migrate into the county. This changed the ratio of white population to mostly Asian. ^[1]

2007-2013 - A severe drought occurred due to water supplies for the Atlanta area and downstream areas of Alabama and Florida were threatened. A more severe drought came in 2007 and 2008, with flooding in 2009. Flooding occurred again in 2013, followed by a severe drought in 2016. A tri-state water dispute has been in place since 1990 between Georgia, Alabama and Florida over apportionment of water flow from Lake Lanier, which forms the eastern border of the county and is regulated by the Army Corps of Engineers as a federal project.^[1]

Current: Forsyth County is considered to be one of the fastest growing areas in the United States.^[1]

Government Offices

Forsyth County Courthouse

Forsyth County was incorporated 3 Dec 1832.

Courthouses

1833-1834: first courthouse was built, there does not appear to be a photo or artist rendering of the courthouse^[15]
1900: the first courthouse burned down^[15]
1905: the construction of the second courthouse was completed; two-story brick courthouse with clock tower^[15]
1973: the second courthouse was destroyed by a fire^[15]
1977: the construction of the third courthouse was completed, and it is the current-day courthouse building^[15]
1996: administration offices were built across the street due to the expansion of the population of Forsyth County ^[15]
2015: the fourth courthouse was constructed (after 18 months) and opened for business on March 16, 2015.^[16]

Geography

Location: north central portion of Georgia, 40 miles north of Atlanta and a part of the Metro area^[1]
Altitude/Elevation: Elevation: 399m / 1309feet ^[17]
Area: 247 square miles (640 km2), of which 224 square miles (580 km2) is land and 23 square miles (60 km2) (9.4%) is water^[1]
Top Commodities: Greenhouse, Poultry (broilers), Horses^[18]
Total Economic Contribution: 7,429 jobs, $1,324,350,842 output^[18]
Climate: Summer: hot and muggy; Winter: short, very cold, and wet; Year Round: partly cloudy. Temperature typically varies from 34°F to 88°F and is rarely below 22°F or above 94°F.^[19]
Topsoil: thin over most hills and steep slopes, while much deeper near streams^[20]
Soil: Located in the Upper Piedmont Region and Blue Ridge foothills , it is generally well suited for agriculture. Cotton, soybeans, and wheat are some of the more commons crops. Beef cattle and dairy cattle are raised in large numbers in this region, but the most important part of the agricultural economy is chicken broilers. There are large areas of bedrock with numerous streams and rivers flowing from north to south.^[21]
Trees/Vegetation/Forests: large forests, from which pine trees remain an important part of the timber industry^[21]
Basins: The eastern two-thirds of Forsyth County are located in the Upper Chattahoochee River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin), while the northwestern third of the county is located in the Etowah River sub-basin of the ACT River Basin (Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin).^[1]
Ponds/Lakes: Lake Lanier a reservoir in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Georgia^[1]
Wetlands/Swamps: only a few permanent or seasonal wetlands parall the streams flowing into the Chattahoochee; some swamps are in the broader flood plain of the Etowah River, but nowhere near as many as the counties to the south^[20]
Mountains: some small to medium height mountains (for the Southeast) but not continuous ridges; Saunee Mountain is the dominant ridge in the central part of the county^[20]
Terrain: rolling hills and valleys or ravines formed by streams^[20]
Rock Type: rock strata of igneous and metamorphicized igneous rock^[20]
Caves: Sawnee Mountain was once riddled with pits and caves dug by settlers searching for gold^[22]
Streams: Chattahoochee River a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers and emptying from Florida into Apalachicola Bay in the Gulf of Mexico^[1]

Adjacent Counties

Dawson County - north
Hall County - east
Gwinnett County - southeast
Fulton County - southwest
Cherokee County - northwest

Demographics

Forsyth County is the 8th largest county in the State of Georgia.^[23]

2010 United States Census: 175,511 people, 59,433 households, and 47,623 families

46.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.5% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 19.9% were non-families, and 15.9% of all households were made up of individuals

- Average Household Size: 2.94

- Average Family Size: 3.29

- Median Age: 36.9 years

Population Density: 783.5 inhabitants per square mile (302.5/km2); 64,052 housing units at an average density of 285.9 per square mile (110.4/km2)
Racial Makeup: 85.4% white, 6.2% Asian, 2.6% black or African American, 0.3% American Indian, 3.8% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino origin made up 9.4% of the population.
Ancestry: 15.7% were German, 14.4% were American, 14.2% were Irish, 12.9% were English, and 5.8% were Italian.
Median Income: for a household was $87,605; for a family was $96,501; for males was $72,030 versus $46,310 for females;
Per Capita Income: $35,385

Poverty Line: 4.5% of families and 6.0% were below poverty level, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over

^[1]^[24]

Forsyth County has the 16th-highest median household income in the US ($100,909).^[25]

According to a 2015 analysis, Forsyth County is the "richest" county in Georgia with a median household income of more than $85,000 and a home ownership rate of nearly 86 percent.^[26] See also Forsyth County News.

In 2015, Forsyth County was ranked as the "healthiest" county in Georgia, for all combined health outcomes, which measure length and quality of life.^[27]

Census

Census... Pop... %±^[1]
1840... 6,619... —
1850... 8,850... 33.7%
1860... 7,749... -12.4%
1870... 7,983... 3.0%
1880... 10,559... 32.3%
1890... 11,155... 5.6%
1900... 11,550... 3.5%
1910... 11,940... 3.4%
1920... 11,755... -1.5%
1930... 10,624... -9.6%
1940... 11,322... 6.6%
1950... 11,005... -2.8%
1960... 12,170... 10.6%
1970... 16,928... 39.1%
1980... 27,958... 65.2%
1990... 44,083... 57.7%
2000... 98,407... 123.2%
2010... 175,511... 78.4%
Est. 2017... 227,967... [25] 29.9%

Public Schools

Forsyth County Schools is the largeset employer in the county ^[1]

- Number of Students: 42,600 students
- Number of Employees: over 4,100 full-time and 1,500 substitutes
- Number of School Districts: 180, 7th largest school system in Georgia.
- Number of Schools: 37 - twenty-one elementary, ten middle, seven high schools, as well as the Academies for Creative Education (A.C.E) that houses one school, iAchieve Virtual Academy, FCS' 6–12 online school, and two programs, Gateway Academy (the alternative program for middle and high school students) and Forsyth Academy

Natural Resources

Upper Chattahoochee River Conservation District - Dawson, Forsyth, Habersham, Lumpkin, & White Counties

Trails

Big Creek Greenway - currently under construction

Parks/Recreation

Lake Lanier
Forsyth County Parks & Facilities

Highways

U.S. Route 19
State Route 9
State Route 20
State Route 53
State Route 141
State Route 306
State Route 369
State Route 371
State Route 400

Cities/Towns

Cumming, Georgia established as the County seat in 1833.

Unincorporated

Big Creek, Georgia
Brookwood, Georgia
Chestatee, Georgia
Coal Mountain, Georgia
Dave's Creek, Georgia
Ducktown, Georgia
Friendship, Georgia
Matt, Georgia
Oscarville, Georgia
Silver City, Georgia

County Resources

Cumming-Forsyth Chamber of Commerce
City of Cumming
Forsyth County Public Library
Forsyth County Schools
Forsyth County Sheriff
Lanier Technical College, Gainesville, Hall County, Georgia
University of North Georgia, Cumming Campus
Northeast Georgia Health System
University of Georgia Extension Office, Forsyth County

National Protected Areas

Wikipedia: Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

Historical Markers

Blue Star Memorial Highway Dahlonega Hwy (Ga 9) - a tribute to United States Armed Forces
Charles F Welch (1941-1997) recognizes his leadership and dedication for the preservation and development of Poole's Mill Park
Colonel William Cumming (1788-1863) - War of 1812; Captain of the Augusta Independent Blues in 1812; commissioned Major, U.S.A., in 1813; appointed Adjutant General of the Northern Army the following year with the rank of Colonel
Cumming Historic Cemetery first burial in 1834
Cumming School built in 1923
Forsyth County Courthouse
Fowler Family Farm early 20th century farm comprised of the main house, a renter house and various agricultural outbuildings associated with cotton and, later, chicken production
Old Federal Road highway linking Georgia and Tennessee across the Cherokee Nation
Poole's Mill Covered Bridge bridge constructed sometime after 1820 at the site of a grist mill one the homeplace of Cherokee Chief George Welch

National Register of Historic Places

Poole's Mill Covered Bridge
Cumming Public School--Cumming High School

Notables

Wikipedia: Luke Appling (1907-1991), a Major League Baseball player, shortstop for Chicago White Sox, coach for the Atlanta Braves; he died and was buried in Cumming, Georgia^[28]
Hiram Parks Bell (1827 - 1907) a Confederate Officer and US Congressman, lived in Forsyth County. See also Bell Research Center, Cumming, Georgia.^[28]
Zac Brown of the Wikipedia: Zac Brown Band was raised in Cumming, Georgia and is a triple-platinum, Country music icon
Wikipedia: Dalton Day was born in Cumming and is an American actor and singer; twin to Skyler Day
Wikipedia: Skyler Day was born in Cumming and is an American actress and singer; twin to Dalton Day
Wikipedia: Wynn Everett an American actress; grew up in Cumming, Georgia
Wikipedia: Kelli Giddish was born in Cumming and is an American television, stage, and film actress
Wikipedia: Colby Gossett an American football guard for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League; born in Cumming, Georgia
Wikipedia: Billy Magnussen an American actor of stage, television, and film, lived in Cumming, Georgia.
Wikipedia: Helen Matthews Lewis a sociologist, historian, and activist who specializes in Appalachia and women's rights; lived in Forsyth County, Georgia
Wikipedia: Zach Morrison an American football coach and player, third head football coach at Shorter University in Rome, Georgia, born in Cumming, Georgia
Wikipedia: Garry Puetz a former American football guard and tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, and the Washington Redskins; retired after spending 14 years as Director of Transportation for the Forsyth County (Ga.) School System and 23 years in the Pupil Transportation field.
Wikipedia: Ryann Redmond an American actress and singer, born and raised in Alpharetta and Cumming, Georgia
Wikipedia: Ron Reis an American professional wrestler, under the ring names The Yeti and Reese; lives in Cumming, Georgia
Wikipedia: Junior Samples (1926-1983), American comedian, best known for his role on Hee Haw; born in Cumming, Georgia.^[28]
Wikipedia: Alice Harrell Strickland (1859-1947) an American politician and activist; first woman to be elected mayor in the U.S. state of Georgia; establishing the first community forest in Georgia; posthumously named a Georgia Woman of Achievement; was born in Forsyth County, Georgia
Wikipedia: Hardy Strickland (1818-1884) settled in Forsyth County and found gold on his land, member of the Georgia State Legislature, member of the Secession Convention, representative from Georgia in the Confederate Congress^[28]
Wikipedia: Andrew Thacker an American football coach; defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at the Georgia Institute of Technology; standout high school career at North Forsyth High School in Cumming, Georgia
Laura Thompson, Co-host of MuggleCast and #Millennial podcasts, lives in Cumming
Wikipedia: Fred Toettcher a Marconi winning sports radio talk show host on WBZ-FM in Boston, co-hosting "Toucher and Rich" with Rich Shertenlieb. job at a small radio station in Cumming, Georgia
Olin Welborn (1843-1921), a Confederate Officer and US Congressman, born in Forsyth County^[28]
Chief James Vann (1766-1809), influential Cherokee leader, wealthy planter and slaveholder, one of the triumvirate with Major Ridge and Charles R. Hicks, who led the Upper Towns of East Tennessee and North Georgia. See also Wikipedia: James Vann.
Wikipedia: Roger L. Worsley (b. 1937), president of Laredo Community College, chancellor of Southern Arkansas University Tech, "Outstanding Educator of America" in 1971, "Leader in Education" in 1974, resided in Cumming (2010-2011)