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Georgia Genealogy Trails "Where your Journey Begins" |
Muscogee County, Georgia
Towns, Hamlets and Villages
Muscogee
County
was laid out in
1826 and was named for a tribe of Indians that once inhabited that part
of the state. In 1827 parts were set off to Harris, Talbot, and
Marion counties and in 1829 it was increased by parts of Marion and
Harris. It is situated in the western part of the state and is
bounded on the north by Harris and Talbot counties, on the east by
Talbot and Marion, on the south by Chattahoochee, and on the west by
the State of Alabama, from which it is separated by the Chattahoochee
river. Many smaller streams, tributaries of the Chattahoochee,
cross the surface of the county. The soil varies greatly in
different parts. In the northern portion are rolling, red clay
lands, in the southern is a sandy loam, along the Chattahoochee are
hummock lands, unsurpassed in fertility, and in the center, is a strip
of mulatto soil. Part of the Chattahoochee bottoms are subject to
overflow yet so great is the productiveness of this section that if the
owners gather but one crop out of three the land is still
profitable. Of the 163,200 acres of land in the county, about
75,000 are under cultivation, divided into farms of about 600 acres
each, every one of which is abundantly supplied with water flowing from
bold springs and irrigation is practiced to some extent. Corn,
wheat, oats, sugar-cane and cotton are the principal productions.
Vegetables, fruits, melons, etc., are shipped to Columbus in
considerable quantities. A number of dairy farms do a profitable
business and the raising of beef cattle is becoming an important
occupation. But little timber remains. In the northern part
of the county some oak, hickory, popular, chestnut and dogwood still
stands, but shingles and staves are the only forest products of any
consequence. Columbus, the county seat, is one of the largest
cities of the state and ranks next to Augusta in the production of
cotton goods. The transportation facilities of the county are
good. Seven railroads center at Columbus and several lines of
steamboats run upon the Chattahoochee, giving competition in freight by
water. A few miles from Columbus on the Chattahoochee river, is
the high and rugged cliff known as “Lover’s Leap.” (q. v.) The
population of Muscogee county in 1900 was 29,836, a gain of 2,075 since
1890.
[Source: Georgia Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Vol 2, Publ 1906. Transcribed by Renae Donaldson]
Gentian, a little village of Muscogee county, is on the Southern railroad, about six miles northeast of Columbus. It has a money order post office, with free rural delivery, an express office, some mercantile interests and is a shipping point of some importance.
(Georgia: Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form. VOL III Publ. 1906. Transcribed by Marilyn Clore)
Midland, a village of Muscogee county, is on the Central of Georgia railroad, about ten miles north of Columbus. It has a money order postoffice, with rural free delivery, an express office, some mercantile concerns, and in 1900 reported a population of 71.
[Source: Georgia Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Vol 2, Publ 1906. Transcribed by Tracy McAllister]
Fortson, a village of Muscogee county, is located on the Central of Georgia railway, about twelve miles northeast of Columbus. It has a money order postoffice, with rural free delivery, some stores and does considerable shipping.
(Source: Georgia Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, VOL II, by Candler & Evans, Publ. 1906. Transcribed by Renae Donaldson)
Lover’s Leap, a short distance above the city of Columbus, overlook the Chattahoochee river, is a bold cliff that bears the romantic name of “Lover’s Leap.” In former times the region was inhabited by two tribes of Indians known as the Cussetas and the Cowetas and the name was given to the point on account of the following legend: Mohina, daughter of the Cusseta chief, was betrothed to Young Eagle, the son of the chief of the Cowetas. But there was serious rivalry and lack of friendship between the tribes and some of the young Cusseta braves resented the notion of their chief’s lovely daughter becoming a bride of a Coweta. A party of these braves followed the maiden to the trysting-place and while she was exchanging vows with her lover, the infuriated band suddenly appeared before the happy pair. They fled, love and fear adding wings to their flight, but they did not notice carefully, the course they took until they stood upon the summit of this cliff. Here was a dilemma. In close pursuit were a number of the most intrepid of the Cusseta braves, bent upon Young Eagle’s death, while in front were the raging waters of the Chattahoochee. Choosing union in death to separation, the lovers clung to each other and sprang over the precipice into the seething torrent just as the foremost of the pursuers, with uplifted tomahawk, was about to strike. The pursuers bore the sad tidings to Mohina’s father and it is said that he soon died of a broken spirit.
(Source: Georgia Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, VOL II, by Candler & Evans, Publ. 1906. Transcribed by Joanne Morgan)
[Source: Georgia Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Vol 2, Publ 1906. Transcribed by Renae Donaldson]
Gentian, a little village of Muscogee county, is on the Southern railroad, about six miles northeast of Columbus. It has a money order post office, with free rural delivery, an express office, some mercantile interests and is a shipping point of some importance.
(Georgia: Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form. VOL III Publ. 1906. Transcribed by Marilyn Clore)
Midland, a village of Muscogee county, is on the Central of Georgia railroad, about ten miles north of Columbus. It has a money order postoffice, with rural free delivery, an express office, some mercantile concerns, and in 1900 reported a population of 71.
[Source: Georgia Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Vol 2, Publ 1906. Transcribed by Tracy McAllister]
Fortson, a village of Muscogee county, is located on the Central of Georgia railway, about twelve miles northeast of Columbus. It has a money order postoffice, with rural free delivery, some stores and does considerable shipping.
(Source: Georgia Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, VOL II, by Candler & Evans, Publ. 1906. Transcribed by Renae Donaldson)
Lover’s Leap, a short distance above the city of Columbus, overlook the Chattahoochee river, is a bold cliff that bears the romantic name of “Lover’s Leap.” In former times the region was inhabited by two tribes of Indians known as the Cussetas and the Cowetas and the name was given to the point on account of the following legend: Mohina, daughter of the Cusseta chief, was betrothed to Young Eagle, the son of the chief of the Cowetas. But there was serious rivalry and lack of friendship between the tribes and some of the young Cusseta braves resented the notion of their chief’s lovely daughter becoming a bride of a Coweta. A party of these braves followed the maiden to the trysting-place and while she was exchanging vows with her lover, the infuriated band suddenly appeared before the happy pair. They fled, love and fear adding wings to their flight, but they did not notice carefully, the course they took until they stood upon the summit of this cliff. Here was a dilemma. In close pursuit were a number of the most intrepid of the Cusseta braves, bent upon Young Eagle’s death, while in front were the raging waters of the Chattahoochee. Choosing union in death to separation, the lovers clung to each other and sprang over the precipice into the seething torrent just as the foremost of the pursuers, with uplifted tomahawk, was about to strike. The pursuers bore the sad tidings to Mohina’s father and it is said that he soon died of a broken spirit.
(Source: Georgia Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, VOL II, by Candler & Evans, Publ. 1906. Transcribed by Joanne Morgan)
