Bleckley County was
created by the State Legislature on July
30, 1912, and after ratification in a
popular election held October 2 of that
year, Pulaski County and Laurens County
once contained the area that is currently
known as Bleckley County. Bleckley County
was the 145th county in Georgia.
This
county was named for Justice Logan E.
Bleckley of the Georgia Supreme
Court. After serving in the
Confederate Army during the Civil War,
Bleckley resumed his law practice, served
as an Associate Justice of the Supreme
Court from 1875 to 1880 and was named
Chief Justice in 1887, a position he held
until 1894.
Cochran,
the County Seat of Bleckley County, is
named for Judge Arthur E. Cochran and was
incorporated on March 19, 1869.
Once known as Dykesboro, Cochran was
settled by B. B. Dykes, who owned the
site on which the town is built.
The earliest settlers located here to
engage in the turpentine industry.
Judge
Cochran was largely instrumental in
developing this section of Georgia
through his work as President of the
Macon & Brunswick Railroad, now the
Southern Railroad.
Bleckley
County possesses some of the most fertile
agriculture soils in the South. The
land is conducive to all types of row
crop farming. The major commodities
grown here are cotton, corn, soybeans,
peanuts, vegetables, peaches, apples and
pecans. In addition to row crops,
livestock, such as quality beef cattle
and hogs, provide major sources of
farming income.
Bleckley
boasts one of the best educational school
systems in the mid-state area, with over
2300 students system wide. Cochran
and Bleckley County is also home to one
of the finest two-year colleges in
Georgia, Middle Georgia College. Recognized as
the oldest two year college in the United
States, MGC is one of the original units
of the University System of
Georgia. The college enjoys a
national and international reputation,
and the only two-year state supported
junior college in Georgia with a football
team.
Our
town is rich in traditions such as our
annual Pumpkin Festival. This day-long
event is to celebrate the coming of the
fall. Featured at this festival are
exciting rides and booths selling such
things as artwork, handicrafts, and
delicious foods from all over the county.
Another attraction is our annual Fall
Festival, which is held at our middle
school. It features fun games and a scary
haunted house.
Recreation
in Bleckley County is well suited for the
outdoors person. The Ocmulgee
Wildlife Management Area, two golf
courses, and a city-county recreation
area provide plenty to keep even the most
person active and involved.
Bleckley
County, the 145th county formed in
Georgia, was created in 1912 and was
originally part of Laurens and Pulaski
counties.
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