DAWSON COUNTY, GA HISTORY AND LOOKUP

County History Books

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Dawson County, Georgia: A Genealogical Overview

Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia, Dawson County is an area rich in the history of the Georgia Gold Rush and Appalachian culture. For genealogists, its past is defined by its Cherokee origins, its creation during the gold fever era, its infamous legacy as a center of moonshining, and the unfortunate loss of its early records in a courthouse fire.

I. County Formation and Evolution

Dawson County’s relationship with its parent counties and its status as a “burned” county are critical pieces of information for researchers tracing family lines in the region.

  • Year of Creation: 1857.
  • Parent County: It was formed from portions of Lumpkin and Gilmer counties. Researchers seeking records that pre-date 1857 must consult the records of these parent counties, particularly Lumpkin.
  • Original Territory & Daughter Counties: Dawson County’s territory has remained largely the same since its formation. It has not been partitioned to create any “daughter” counties.
  • Boundary Changes: The county’s boundaries have seen only minor adjustments and have remained largely stable since the late 19th century.
  • Bordering Counties:
    • Fannin County (north)
    • Lumpkin County (east)
    • Hall County (southeast)
    • Forsyth County (south)
    • Pickens County (west)
    • Gilmer County (northwest)

II. Settlement and Early History

  • Early Inhabitants: Before European settlement, the area was the territory of the Cherokee Nation. The forced removal of the Cherokee people on the “Trail of Tears” in the 1830s opened the entire region to settlement, a direct result of the gold rush.
  • First Pioneers and Settlement: The primary driver for settlement was the Georgia Gold Rush, which began in neighboring Lumpkin County in 1829. Prospectors and settlers flooded the area searching for gold. The county was officially created decades later and named for William Crosby Dawson, a Georgia statesman, judge, and U.S. Senator. After the gold rush, the county’s isolated, mountainous terrain made it a center for illegal corn whiskey (moonshine) production, earning it the nickname “The Moonshine Capital of the World” and giving rise to the bootlegging culture that was a precursor to modern stock car racing.
  • Civil War Significance: Dawson County was not the site of any major Civil War campaigns or battles. Its primary contribution was providing soldiers for the Confederate army. The county’s history is more deeply defined by the events preceding and following the war.

III. Genealogical Records and Resources

This section provides the practical information needed to locate ancestral records.

  • County Seat: Dawsonville, Georgia. This has been the only county seat since the county’s formation.
  • Record Loss & Preservation: Dawson County is a significant challenge for genealogists as it is a “burned” county. A courthouse fire in 1883 destroyed nearly all county records from its formation in 1857 up to that year. This includes deeds, wills, court minutes, and early marriage records. Research before 1883 requires relying on federal records (like census data) and records from parent counties.
  • Location of Records:
    • Dawson County Courthouse: Located at 25 Justice Way, Dawsonville, GA 30534. This is the central repository for the county’s surviving historical records, which largely begin after the 1883 fire.
  • Vital Records:
    • Birth and Death Records: Statewide registration in Georgia began in 1919. For records after this date, contact the Dawson County Probate Court or the Georgia Department of Public Health, State Office of Vital Records. No official records exist before 1919.
    • Marriage Records: The collection of marriage licenses at the Probate Court begins in 1883, immediately following the courthouse fire.
  • Libraries with Genealogy Collections:
    • Dawson County Library: Part of the Chestatee Regional Library System, the library in Dawsonville offers resources for local history and has a collection of published family histories and local sourcebooks.
    • The Georgia Archives: Located in Morrow, this is the primary state archive and an essential resource for any Dawson County researcher due to the extensive record loss. It holds a vast collection of materials that can supplement county records, including census records, land lottery records (for the region pre-county formation), tax digests, and military records.

Please share any resources you have and will do lookups or links to resources you are aware of. Thanks