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| Laurens County
History |
| contributed
by: Rose Jones at TOMNROSEJ@aol.com Author unknown
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On December
10, 1807, the General Assembly of Georgia
passed an Act to lay out and identify new
counties out of the counties of Baldwin
and Wilkinson. One of these new counties
was to be called and known by the name of
Laurens in honor of John Laurens
of Revolutionary fame. John Laurens, a
native of South Carolina, was of Huguenot
ancestry, and had the honor of being aide
to General Washington.
The new county of Laurens was to consist
of "all that part of Wilkinson
County lying between the Oconee and the
Ocmulgee Rivers.
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The size and location of Laurens changed
several times due to size concerns by
local citizens. Sumpterville was the
first county seat of Dublin and was
located on the West Side of the Oconee
River on Turkey Creek. Sumpterville is
located about eight miles west of the
present county seat of Dublin. The first
court was held at Sumpterville at the
home of Major Peter Thomas.
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The first grand jury consisted of: Benjamin
Adams, Benjamin Brown, William Boykin,
Robert Daniel, Joseph Denson, Benjamin
Dorsey (Darsey), Simon Fowler, Henry
Fulgham, John Gilbert, Thomas Gilbert,
Leonard Green, Edward Hagan, Andrew
Hampton, Charles Higdon, Mark May, Gideon
Mays, George Martin, William McCall,
Charles Stringer, John Speight, James
Sartin, Jesse Stephens, Samuel Stanley,
Samuel Sparks, George Tarvin, Joseph
Vickers, Jesse Wigins, Nathan Weaver,
David Watson, Joseph Yarbrough.
(Taken from G.C. Smith's "The Story
of Georgia and the Georgia People"
and "The History of Laurens County,
Georgia 1807-1941" by Bertha Hart)
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More
information and documents
on Laurens County history can
be found
here. |
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County
Host:
© Copyright 2003/2004 Scott E. Warren,
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