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Georgia Genealogy Trails
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Forsyth County, Georgia
FORSYTH COUNTY.
Laid out from Cherokee in 1832; named after the Hon. John Forsyth.
The lands on the rivers and creeks are fertile.
The climate is healthy.
Cumming, named after Colonel William Gumming, is the county town, 145
miles from Milledgeville ; it is surrounded
by beautiful scenery.
The public places are Big Creek, Hartford, High Tower, Vickery's Creek,
and W'arsaw.
This section lies in the gold region. The mineral resources are
supposed to be great.
The principal streams are the Chattahoochee and Etowah. There are
several creeks, such as Vickery's, Dick's, John's,
&c.
According to the census of 1850, there were in this county—Dwellings,
1,334; families, 1,334; white males, 3,950;
white females, 3,862 ; free coloured males, 6; free coloured females,
5. Total free population, 7,823. Slaves,
1,027. Deaths, 39. Farms, 765 ; manufacturing establishments, 8. Value
of real estate, 8672,978; value of personal
estate, $700,426.
The first persons who made settlements 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.
On Mr. Rogers's plantation, twelve miles south of Gumming, on the road
to Lawrenceville, are several small mounds.
On the road from Canton to Dahlonega, ten miles northwest from Gumming,
is a very remarkable rock, an unhewn mass
of granite, eight and a half feet long, and two and a half feet wide,
three-sided, with irregular converging points,
upon which are numerous characters, seventeen of them varying in shape.
The largest circles are eight inches in
diameter. From its appearance, it must have been wrought at a very
remote period. The designs are very regular,
and it is probable that they were executed by the same race of people
who constructed the mounds in this and other
sections of the State.
Source: "Historical
Collections Of Georgia", by George White,
1855 Transcribed and Submitted by Brenda Wiesner
Towns, Hamlets and Villages
Forsyth County was laid
off from Cherokee in 1834 and named for the Hon. John Forsyth a native
of Virginia, who came with his parents to Georgia at an early age and
was for many years prominent in the affairs of the state. The
county lies in the northern part of the state and is bounded by Dawson
on the north, Hall on the east, Hall and Gwinnett on the southeast,
Milton on the south and Milton and Cherokee on the west. The
Etowah and Chattahoochee rivers, with their tributaries, drain the
count. The soil is fertile and yields abundant crops of cotton,
corn, wheat, rye, oats, tobacco, fruits and vegetable. There are
no extensive fruit farms, but almost every farmer has an orchard, the
products of which are often marketed at Atlanta. Much of the land
id covered with second growth forests of pine, hickory and oak.
Most of the saw-mills are portable and say by contract for those who
own the timber. The Chattahoochee affords almost inexhaustible
water-power, only a small percentage of which is utilized. There
are no railroads in the county, but a branch of the Southern system
runs within a few miles of the eastern border. The products are
marketed principally at Buford, though some are carried to Atlanta and
Gainesville. The schools both public and private are good.
Among the latter are High Tower institute, a Baptist school, and
Hopewell academy, which belongs to the Methodists. Forsyth county
lies within the gold belt and some mines have yielded large
returns. One of these, the Green mine, is a rich placer and is
worked by a few men who employ the most primitive methods. Copper
and silver are also found. The population according to the census
of 1900 was 11,550, a gain of 395 since 1890. Cumming, the county
seat, is surrounded by beautiful scenery. About twelve miles
south of this place are several small Indian mounds and ten miles
northwest is a peculiar rock of unhewn granite, over 80 feet long, and
carved with various characters, which from their appearance must have
been wrought at a very early period. The characters are regular
and it is probable they were carved by the same race of people who
constructed the mounds in this and other states.
[Source: Georgia:
Sketches, Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions & People, Vol. 2,
Publ. 1906 Transcribed By: Maggie Coleman]
Liverpool, a post-hamlet
of Forsyth county is about six miles southwest of Cumming and not far
from the Cherokee county line. Suwanee is the most convenient
railroad station.
(Source: Georgia Sketches
of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, VOL II, by
Candler & Evans, Publ. 1906. Transcribed by Joanne Morgan)
Mat, a post-hamlet of
Forsyth county, is on a branch of the Etowah river, about seven miles
north of Cumming. Ball Ground is the most convenient railroad station.
(Source: Georgia Sketches
of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, VOL II, by
Candler & Evans, Publ. 1906. Transcribed by Kim Mohler)
Towns,
Hamlets and Villages
Gravel Springs, a post-village in
the southern part of Forsyth county, is not far from the Chattahoochee
river and takes its name from some springs in the vicinity.
Buford and Suwanee on the Southern railway are the nearest
stations. The population in 1900 was 42.
(Georgia: Comprising
Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons,
Arranged in Cyclopedic Form. VOL III Publ. 1906. Transcribed by Marilyn
Clore)
Heardville, a post-village of
Forsyth county, is about six miles northwest of Cumming, and in 1900
had a population of 91.
(Georgia: Comprising
Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons,
Arranged in Cyclopedic Form. VOL III Publ. 1906. Transcribed by Angelia
Carpenter)
High Tower, a post-village in the
northwestern part of Forsyth county is located about eleven miles east
of Gober, which is the hearest railroad station. It has religious and
educational advantages and stores with good local trade. The population
in 1900 was 120.
(Georgia: Comprising
Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons,
Arranged in Cyclopedic Form. VOL III Publ. 1906. Transcribed by Angelia
Carpenter)
Martin, a town in the northern part
of Franklin county, was incorporated by act of the legislature on Sept.
7, 1891. In 1900 it had a population of 160. It is on the Elberton
& Toccoa division of the Southern railway, has a money order
postoffice, with rural free delivery, express and telegraph service,
and is an important trading and shipping point.
(Source: Georgia Sketches
of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, VOL II, by
Candler & Evans, Publ. 1906. Transcribed by Kim Mohler)
Mish, a post-hamlet of
Forsyth county, with a population of 42, is about seven miles northeast
of dimming. Flowery Branch is the nearest railroad station.
[Source: Georgia
Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and
Persons, Vol 2, Publ 1906. Transcribed by Tracy McAllister]
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