Jenkins County, Georgia Genealogy and History - Presented by Genealogy Trails History Group

Jenkins County, was organized by act of the legislature on August 17, 1905, and was laid off from the counties of Burke, Emanuel, Bulloch and Screven. It was named in honor of Hon. Charles J. Jenkins, governor of the State during the stormy reconstruction period. It is bounded on the north by Burke, east by Screven, south by Bulloch and Emanuel and west by Emanuel and Burke. This county is well watered by the Ogeechee river and its numerous tributary creeks. It is traversed by the Central of Georgia and the Millen & Southwestern railroads. The soil is well adapted to production of cotton, corn, wheat, barley, oats, rye, Bermuda, crab and wire grass, pea vine and field peas, ground peas, Irish and sweet potatoes. The horticultural products are vegetables of all kinds, peaches, pears, plums, melons and berries. The forest timbers are some hard woods, but chiefly yellow pine and cypress yielding excellent lumber and shingles. Marls are the only mineral product. Millen is the county seat. Jenkins county belongs to the First Congressional district and the Middle judicial circuit.

Jenkins, Charles Jones, was born in Beaufort district, S. C., Jan. 6, 1805, but came with his parents to Georgia when he was eleven years old, settling in Jefferson county. He was educated in the best schools of his native and adopted states, read law under John M. Berrien at Savannah, and was admitted to the bar in 1822. He practiced at Sandersyille until 1829, when he removed to Augusta; was elected to the legislature in 1830; attorney-general of Georgia and solicitor of the middle circuit in 1831; resigned to return to the legislature, where he served from 1836 to 1841; was defeated in 1842, but was again elected the following year and served without interruption to 1849, being speaker of the house three terms; reported the famous Georgia Platform to the convention of 1850; declined an appointment as secretary of the interior from President Fillmore, and in 1852 was a candidate for vice president on the ticket with Daniel Webster. In 1860 he was appointed to a place on the supreme bench to fill the unexpired term of Linton Stephens, resigned, and served in that capacity until he became governor in 1865. He was removed from this office by General Meade in January, 1868, for refusing to issue a warrant to pay the expenses of the reconstruction constitutional convention, and went into retirement for a time, taking the seal of the executive office with him, and placing the money of the State and its records in safe keeping. In 1872, when Governor Smith was inaugurated, Governor Jenkins returned the seal, records and funds to the new administration. For years he was one of the trustees of the state university; served as president of the Merchants' & Planters' bank of Augusta, and of the Augusta Cotton Mills. In 1877 he was president of the constitutional convention, which ended his public services. He died near Augusta, June 13, 1883, and in August, 1905, the general assembly named a county in his honor.

Herndon, a village of Jenkins county, is located on the Central of Georgia railroad about ten miles west of Millen, and in 1900 reported a population of 200. It has a money order post office, an express office, stores with good local trade and docs some shipping.

Midville, a town in the western part of Jenkins county, is at the junction of the Central of Georgia and the Midville, Swainsboro & Red Bluff railroads, and in 1900 reported a population of 275. It has express and telegraph offices, a money order post office, from which several free delivery routes supply mail to the surrounding rural districts, some mercantile and manufacturing concerns, and does a good shipping business.

Millen, the county seat of Jenkins county, was incorporated by act of the legislature in 1881. It is at the junction of two branches of the Central of Georgia railway system and is the northern terminus of the Millen & Southwestern. It has a money order post office, with rural free delivery, express and telegraph service, a bank, a cotton seed oil mill, a cotton yarn mill with 5,000 spindles, a large fertilizer warehouse, several successful stores and good school and church privileges. The merchants of Millen handle annually about 10,000 bales of cotton. The population of the town was 411 in 1900, while that of the district in which it is located was 2,491.

Millen, John, was born in Savannah, Ga., in 1804; educated a lawyer; served in Georgia legislature; and died near Savannah, Ga., Oct. 15th, 1843, about ten days after his election to a seat in the national house of representatives in the 28th Congress. The town of Millen, the county site of the new county of Jenkins, on the Central of Georgia railroad, between Savannah and Augusta, was named for him.

Lawtonville, or Lawton Station, is a town in Jenkins county, located on the Augusta & Millen division of the Central of Georgia railway, and in 1900 had a population of 150. It has a money order post office, some mercantile interests, and does considerable shipping.

Maceo, a post-hamlet of Jenkins county, is about twelve miles southwest of Millen. Garfield, on the Millen & Southwestern, is the nearest railroad station.

Georgia: comprising sketches of counties, towns, events, institutions, and ...edited by Allen Daniel Candler, Clement Anselm Evans

Towns, Hamlets and Villages

Flower, a post-hamlet about ten miles east of Millen, is near the line between Jenkins and Screven counties. Millen is the most convenient railroad station.
[Source: Georgia: Sketches, Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions & People, Vol. 2, Publ. 1906 Transcribed By: Maggie Coleman]

Herndon, a village of Jenkins county, is located on the Central of georgia railroad bout ten miles west of Millen, and in 1900 reported a population of 200. It has a money order postoffice, an express office, stores with good local trade and does some shipping.
(Georgia: Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form. VOL III Publ. 1906. Transcribed by Angelia Carpenter)

Maceo, a post-hamlet of Jenkins county, is about twelve miles southwest of Millen. Garfield, on the Millen & Southwestern, is the nearest railroad station.
(Source: Georgia Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, VOL II, by Candler & Evans, Publ. 1906. Transcribed by Joanne Morgan)

Midville, a town in the western part of Jenkins county, is at the junction of the Central of Georgia and the Midville, Swainsboro & Red Bluff railroads, and in 1900 reported a population of 275. It has express and telegraph offices, a money order postoffice, from which several free delivery routes supply mail to the surrounding rural districts, some mercantile and manufacturing concerns, and does a good shipping business.
Midway, a post-hamlet of Meriwether county, is about seven miles north of Greenville, which is the most convenient railroad station.
[Source: Georgia Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Vol 2, Publ 1906. Transcribed by Tracy McAllister]

Millen, the county seat of Jenkins county, was incorporated by act of the legislature in 1881. It is at the junction of two branches of the Central of Georgia railway system and is the northern terminus of the Millen & Southwestern. It has a money order postoffice, with rural free delivery, express and telegraph service, a bank, a cotton seed oil mill, a cotton yarn mill with 5,000 spindles, a large fertilizer warehouse, several successful stores and good school and church privileges. The merchants of Millen handle annually about 10,000 bales of cotton. The population of the town was 411 in 1900, while that of the district in which it is located was 2,491.
[Source: Georgia Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Vol 2, Publ 1906. Transcribed by Tracy McAllister]