Georgia Counties and Historical Facts

Georgia County records vary widely from county to county in both quality and quantity. Some have been carefully preserved while others have been much abused and neglected. Some Georgia records have simply disappeared.

For genealogists doing research in Kentucky there is no effective replace for an on-site search of county courthouse records.

Georgia Map of Counties
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Georgia Map of Counties

Georgia County Records

Land records were recorded with the Clerk of the Superior Court in each county. Probate records were recorded with the Clerk of the Ordinary Court, as were marriages. Most civil court cases were handled completely by the Superior Court.

In 1777 the first Georgia counties were formed. However, they only covered a small part of the present-day area that is Georgia.

Soon, more Native American land was acquired, leading to the formation of new counties. Then land records began to be recorded by each county’s superior court clerk.

The clerk of the ordinary court, meanwhile, kept records of marriages and probate records. The superior court handled most civil court cases.

Most of the county records for Georgia are available at the Georgia Archives in bound volumes, on microfilm and in collections of original, loose records.

See also a list of links to county and county seat government run websites.

List of Georgia Extinct Counties

Georgia has counties that no longer exist because they were discontinued, renamed or merged with another county.

A lot of these counties were established and disbanded within the 19th century; county borders have changed very little since 1900.

These are important for genealogy research purposes. Pay attention where the courthouse records went to if the county was eliminated or joined with some other county.

See the History of Georgia Counties for more details.

List of Georgia Counties with Burned Courthouses

Georgia burned county courthouse
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The damage to courthouses greatly has a bearing on genealogists in every way.

Not only are these historic structures torn from our lifetimes, so are the records they housed: marriage, wills, probate, land records, and others.

Once destroyed they’re lost forever. Although they have been placed on mircofilm, computers and film burn too.

However, not all records were damaged or lost in some counties.

  • Baker – Flood – 1925, 1929.
  • Baldwin – Fire – 1861.
  • Bartow – Originally Cass Co. – . Courthouse destroyed by enemy fire during War Between the States in the 1860
  • Bulloch – Fire – 1864.
  • Burke -Fire – 1825, 1856.
  • Calhoun – Fire – 1888, 1920.
  • Carroll – Fire – 1927.
  • Charlton – County site then at Traders Hill. Destroyed by fire in 1877. Present site fire 19 February 1928.
  • Cherokee – Fire – 1865, 1928.
  • Clayton – Fire – 1864.
  • Clinch – Fire – 1856, 1867.
  • Cobb – Fire – 1864.
  • Coffee – Fire – 1898, 1938.
  • Colquitt – Fire – 1881.
  • Crawford – Fire – 1829.
  • Dade – Fire – 1865, 1895.
  • DeKalb – Fire – 1842, 1898.
  • Dooly – Fire – 1847.
  • Douglas – Fire – 1896, 1957.
  • Early – Fire – 1896.
  • Echols – Fire – 1897.
  • Emanuel – Fire – 1841, 1855, 1857, 1919, 1938.
  • Fayette – Fire – 1983
  • Forsyth – Fire – 1973.
  • Glynn – Storm – 1896.
  • Gordon – Storm – 1888.
  • Greene – Town burned by Indians in 1787.
  • Gwinnett – Fire – 1871.
  • Habersham -Fire – 1856. Blown up in 1898.
  • Hall – Fire – 1851, 1882. Tornado in 1936.
  • Harris – Set fire by Federal Troops in 1865, but quickly extinguished.
  • Hart – Fire – 1900, 1967. Courthouse burned in 1967. Clerk & Ordinary’s Office in adjacent building.
  • Heard – Fire – 1893.
  • Henry – Fire – 1824. Some records destroyed by Sherman’s men, 1864
  • Jenkins – Fire – 1919.
  • Lee – Fire – 1856. Co. seat then at Starkville. Fire at Leesburg in 1872.
  • Lowndes – Fire – 1858, 1869.
  • Macon -Fire – 1857.
  • Marion – Fire – 1845.
  • McIntosh – Fire – 1864, 1872, 1931.
  • Meriwether – Cyclone – 3 March 1893. Fire – 1976.
  • Miller – Fire – 1873, 1974.
  • Mitchell – Fire – 1869.
  • Muscogee – Fire – 1838.
  • Newton – Fire – 1883.
  • Paulding – Fire – The county has no record loss from fire. The old courthouse burned in the 1920s, but the new courthouse had already been built and the records transferred. The reason that there is record loss comes from when Polk County was cut out of Paulding and Dallas was made the county seat in 1852. They didn’t bring the records with them, and their whereabouts are unknown. The books that still had blank pages in them were brought to Dallas and still exist. This means the marriages start in the 1830s, the deeds in the 1840s, and probate records in the 1840s.
  • Pickens – Fire – 1947.
  • Pierce – Fire – 1875.
  • Quitman – Fire – 1920.
  • Screven – Fire – 1860’s, 1896.
  • Stewart – Fire – 1922.
  • Talbot – Fire – 1890.
  • Telfair – Fire in the early 1900’s.
  • Thomas – Damaged by storm in 1849.
  • Toombs – Fire – 1919.
  • Troup – Mysterious fire 4 November 1936.
  • Twiggs – Fire – 1901.
  • Union – Fire – 1859.
  • Walker – Fire – 1883.
  • Ware – Fire – 1854.
  • Warren – Fire – 1909.
  • Washington – Fire – 1855, 1864 (Sherman).
  • Webster – Fire – 1914.
  • Wheeler – Fire – 1916.
  • Whitfield -Fire – 1864 (Sherman).
  • Wilkes – Fire – 1958.
  • Wilkinson – Fire – 1829, 1854, 1864, 1924.
  • Worth – Fire – 1879, 1893

List of Georgia Counties

CountyDate FormedParent CountyCounty Seat
Appling1818Land ceded by the Creek Indians in theTreaty of Fort Jackson in 1814 and the Treaty of the Creek Agency in 1818.Baxley
Atkinson1917Clinch and Coffee CountiesPearson
Bacon1914Appling, Pierce and Ware CountiesAlma
Baker1825Early County.Newton
Baldwin1803Creek cessions of 1802 and 1805.Milledgeville
Banks1858Franklin and Habersham CountiesHomer
Barrow1914Gwinnett, Jackson and Walton counties.Winder
Bartow1832Created from a portion of Cherokee County in 1832 and originally called Cass County after General Lewis Cass.Cartersville
Ben Hill1906Irwin and Wilcox counties.Fitzgerald
Berrien1856Coffee, Irwin, and Lowndes counties.Nashville
Bibb1822portions of Houston, Jones, Monroe, and Twiggs counties.Macon
Bleckley1912Pulaski County.Cochran
Brantley1920Charlton, Pierce, and Wayne counties.Nahunta
Brooks1858Lowndes and Thomas countiesQuitman
Bryan1793Chatham CountyPembroke
Bulloch1796Bryan and Screven CountiesStatesboro
Burke1777Originally organized as St George Parish.Waynesboro
Butts1825Henry and Monroe counties.Jackson
Calhoun1854Early and Baker counties.Morgan
Camden1777St Mary and St Thomas Parishes.Woodbine
Candler1914Bulloch, Emanuel and Tattnall counties.Metter
Carroll1826Created by the state legislature from lands ceded by the Creek Indians in 1825 in theTreaty of Indian Springs.Carrollton
Catoosa1853Walker and Whitfield counties.Ringgold
Charlton1854Camden County.Folkston
Chatham1777Christ Church and St Philip Parishes.Savannah
Chattahoochee1854Muscogee and Marion counties.Cusseta
Chattooga1838Walker and Floyd counties.Summerville
Cherokee1831Cherokee Cession of 1831.Canton
Clarke1801Jackson County.Athens
Clay1854Randolph and Early counties.Fort Gaines
Clayton1858Fayette and Henry counties.Jonesboro
Clinch1850Lowndes and Ware counties.Homerville
Cobb1832Cherokee CountyMarietta
Coffee1854Clinch, Irwin, Telfair and Ware counties.Douglas
Colquitt1856Thomas and Lowndes counties.Moultrie
Columbia1790Richmond CountyAppling
Cook1918Berrien County.Adel
Coweta1826Created on Creek lands ceded in 1825 in the treaty of Indian Springs and Creek Cessions of 1826.Newnan
Crawford1822Houston County.Knoxville
Crisp1905Dooly County.Cordele
Dade1837Walker County.Trenton
Dawson1857Gilmer and Lumpkin counties.Dawsonville
De Kalb1823Early County.Bainbridge
Decatur1822Henry, Gwinnett, and Fayette counties.Decatur
Dodge1870Montgomery, Pulaski and Telfair counties.Eastman
Dooly1821Creek Cession of 1821.Vienna
Dougherty1853Baker County.Albany
Douglas1870Campbell and Carroll counties.Douglasville
Early1818Creek Cession of 1814.Blakely
Echols1858Clinch and Lowndes CountiesStatenville
Effingham1777St Mathew and St Philip Parishes.Springfield
Elbert1790Wilkes CountyElberton
Emanuel1812Bulloch and Montgomery CountiesSwainsboro
Evans1914Bulloch and Tattnall CountyClaxton
Fannin1854Gilmer and Union CountiesBlue Ridge
Fayette1821Creek Cession of 1821.Fayetteville
Floyd1832Cherokee CountyRome
Forsyth1832Cherokee CountyCumming
Franklin1784Cherokee and Creek Cessions of 1783Carnesville
Fulton1853DeKalb County + the former Campbell and Milton Counties and a portion of Cobb CountyAtlanta
Gilmer1832Cherokee CountyEllijay
Glascock1857Warren CountyGibson
Glynn1777St David and St Patrick ParishesBrunswick
Gordon1850Cass (now Bartow) and Floyd CountiesCalhoun
Grady1905Decatur and Thomas CountiesCairo
Greene1786Washington CountyGreensboro
Gwinnett1818Cherokee Cession of 1817 and Creek Cession of 1818.Lawrenceville
Habersham1818Cherokee Cessions of 1817 and 1819Clarkesville
Hall1818Cherokee Cessions of 1817 and 1819Gainesville
Hancock1793Greene and Washington countiesSparta
Haralson1856Carroll and Polk CountiesBuchanan
Harris1827Muscogee and Troup countiesHamilton
Hart1853Elbert and Franklin countiesHartwell
Heard1830Carroll, Coweta and Troup CountiesFranklin
Henry1821Creek Cession of 1821McDonough
Houston1821Creek Cession of 1821Perry
Irwin1818Creek Cessions of 1814 and 1818Ocilla
Jackson1796Franklin CountyJefferson
Jasper1807Baldwin (FKA Randolph County 1807 – 12)Monticello
Jeff Davis1905Appling and Coffee countiesHazlehurst
Jefferson1796Burke and Warren CountiesLouisville
Jenkins1905Bulloch, Burke, Emanuel, and Screven CountiesMillen
Johnson1858Emanuel, Laurens and Washington countiesWrightsville
Jones1807Baldwin CountyGray
Lamar1920Monroe and Pike CountiesBarnesville
Lanier1920Berrien, Clinch and Lowndes CountriesLakeland
Laurens1807Wilkinson CountyDublin
Lee1826Creek Cessions of 1826Leesburg
Liberty1777St Andrew, St James, and St John ParishesHinesville
Lincoln1796Wilkes CountyLincolnton
Long1920Liberty CountyLudowici
Lowndes1825Irwin County Valdosta
Lumpkin1832Cherokee, Habersham, and Hall CountiesDahlonega
Macon1837Houston and Marion CountiesOglethorpe
Madison1811Clarke, Elbert, Franklin, Jackson and Oglethorpe CountiesDanielsville
Marion1827Lee and Muscogee CountiesBuena Vista
McDuffie1870Columbia and WarrenThomson
McIntosh1793Liberty CountyDarien
Meriwether1827Formed form Troup CountyGreenville
Miller1856Baker and Early CountiesColquitt
Mitchell1857Baker CountyCamilla
Monroe1821Creek Cession of 1821Forsyth
Montgomery1793Washington CountyMount Vernon
Morgan1807Baldwin CountyMadison
Murray1832Cherokee CountyChatsworth
Muscogee1826Creek Cession of 1826Columbus
Newton1821Henry, Jasper, and Walton CountiesCovington
Oconee1875Clarke CountyWatkinsville
Oglethorpe1793Wilkes CountyLexington
Paulding1832Cherokee CountyDallas
Peach1924Houston and Macon CountiesFort Valley
Pickens1853Cherokee and Gilmer countiesJasper
Pierce1857Appling and Ware CountiesBlackshear
Pike1822Monroe CountyZebulon
Polk1851Floyd and Paulding CountiesCedartown
Pulaski1808Laurens CountyHawkinsville
Putnam1807Baldwin CountyEatonton
Quitman1858Randolph and Stewart countiesGeorgetown
Rabun1819Cherokee Cession of 1819Clayton
Randolph1828Lee CountyCuthbert
Richmond1777St Paul ParishAugusta
Rockdale1870Henry and Newton countiesConyers
Schley1857Marion and Sumter countiesEllaville
Screven1793Burke and Effingham CountiesSylvania
Seminole1920Decatur and Early CountiesDonalsonville
Spalding1851Fayette, Henry, and Pike CountyGriffin
Stephens1905Franklin and Habersham CountiesToccoa
Stewart1830Randolph CountyLumpkin
Sumter1831Lee CountyAmericus
Talbot1827Muscogee CountyTalbotton
Taliaferro1825Greene, Hancock, Oglethorpe, Warren, and Wilkes CountiesCrawfordville
Tattnall1801Montgomery CountyReidsville
Taylor1852Macon, Marion and Talbot CountiesButler
Telfair1807Wilkinson CountyMcRae
Terrell1856Lee and Randolph CountiesDawson
Thomas1825Decatur and Irwin CountiesThomasville
Tift1905Berrien, Irwin and Worth CountiesTifton
Toombs1905Emanuel, Tattnall, and Montgomery CountiesLyons
Towns1856Rabun and Union CountiesHiawassee
Treutlen1917Emanuel and Montgomery CountiesSoperton
Troup1826Creek Cession of 1826Lagrange
Turner1905Dooly, Irwin, Wilcox and Worth CountiesAshburn
Twiggs1809Wilkinson CountyJeffersonville
Union1832Cherokee CountyBlairsville
Upson1824Crawford and Pike CountiesThomaston
Walker1833Murray CountyLafayette
Walton1818Creek Cession of 1818Monroe
Ware1824Appling CountyWaycross
Warren1793Columbia, Hancock, Richmond, and Wilkes CountiesWarrenton
Washington1784Creek Cession of 1783Sandersville
Wayne1803Creek Cession of 1802Jesup
Webster1853Stewart County (Formally Kinchafoonee)Preston
Wheeler1912Montgomery CountyAlamo
White1857Habersham CountyCleveland
Whitfield1851Murray CountyDalton
Wilcox1857Dooly, Irwin, and Pulaski countiesAbbeville
Wilkes1777Cherokee and Creek Cessions of 1773Washington
Wilkinson1803Creek Cessions of 1802 and 1805Irwinton
Worth1853Dooly and Irwin CountiesSylvester
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