GORDON COUNTY, GA HISTORY AND LOOKUP
Table of Contents
- In-Print County History Books
- Free Public Domain County History Books
- Related Books
- Concise County History
- Comments & Suggestion
In-Print County History Books
These titles are currently in print and selected for their relevance to local and county history. Click anywhere on the book listing below, each listing links directly to the book’s purchase page.
Book Title TBD
This book is still being located or processed. Details will be added once available.
Free County History Books
This section features a curated collection of county history books sourced from public domain archives. Each book provides valuable insights into local history and heritage. Click anywhere on the book listing below, each listing links directly to the book’s public domain resource.
History of Gordon County, Georgia by Lulie Pitts, (1933) – 481 Pages
This county history traces the settlement, growth, and civic development of Gordon County through the early twentieth century. It includes accounts of communities, institutions, and significant local events. The work provides a detailed narrative of the county’s historical progress.
Related Books
This section highlights additional county and local history titles that complement the main collection. These books are selected for their relevance, historical value, and research usefulness. Click anywhere on the book listing below, and each listing links directly to the corresponding resource or purchase page.
Book Title TBD
This book is still being located or processed. Details will be added once available.
Gordon County, Georgia: A Genealogical Overview
Located in the ridge-and-valley region of Northwest Georgia, Gordon County is an area defined by its profound Native American history and its strategic role during the Civil War. For genealogists, its past is shaped by its origins as the heart of the Cherokee Nation, its settlement by white pioneers following the land lottery, and its position along the path of Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign.
I. County Formation and Evolution
Gordon County’s creation from former Cherokee territory and its relationship with its parent counties are critical starting points for researchers.
- Year of Creation: 1850.
- Parent County: It was formed from portions of Cass County (renamed Bartow in 1861) and Floyd County. Researchers seeking records for settlers who lived in the area before 1850 must consult the records of these two parent counties.
- Original Territory & Daughter Counties: Gordon County has not produced any daughter counties; its boundaries have remained largely stable since a few minor adjustments in the 1850s.
- Boundary Changes: The most significant “boundary change” was the establishment of the county itself from land that had been Cherokee territory until the 1830s.
- Bordering Counties:
- Murray County (north)
- Whitfield County (north)
- Pickens County (east)
- Cherokee County (southeast)
- Bartow County (south)
- Floyd County (southwest)
- Walker County (northwest)
II. Settlement and Early History
- Early Inhabitants: Before 1838, the area was the heartland of the Cherokee Nation. The county contains the site of New Echota, the Cherokee national capital from 1825 to 1838. It was here that the controversial Treaty of New Echota was signed, leading to the forced removal of the Cherokee people on the Trail of Tears. Researchers with Cherokee ancestry will find this area of profound significance.
- First Pioneers and Settlement: Following the Cherokee removal, the land was opened to white settlement through Georgia’s Land and Gold Lottery system. Settlers, primarily of English and Scots-Irish descent, moved in to establish farms and communities. The county was named for William Washington Gordon, a prominent civic leader and the first president of the Central of Georgia Railway.
- Civil War Significance: Gordon County was the site of significant action during the Civil War’s Atlanta Campaign. In May 1864, the Battle of Resaca was fought near the county’s northern border. This was one of the first major engagements between the Union army of General William T. Sherman and the Confederate army of General Joseph E. Johnston. The battle and subsequent troop movements brought the war directly to the county’s residents.
III. Genealogical Records and Resources
This section provides the practical information needed to locate ancestral records.
- County Seat: Calhoun, Georgia. This has been the only county seat.
- Record Loss & Preservation: Gordon County is fortunate not to be a “burned county.” Its courthouse records are largely intact and complete from its formation in 1850, providing a valuable resource for researchers of that period forward.
- Location of Records:
- Gordon County Courthouse: Located at 100 S. Wall Street, Calhoun, GA 30701. This is the central repository for historical county records, including deeds, probate records (wills and estates), court orders, and marriage licenses from 1850.
- Vital Records:
- Birth and Death Records: The state of Georgia did not mandate the recording of births and deaths until 1919. Records before that date are rare and usually not found at the county courthouse. For records after 1919, contact the Georgia Department of Public Health.
- Marriage Records: Marriage licenses have been recorded at the county level since its formation in 1850 and are held at the Gordon County Probate Court in the courthouse.
- Libraries with Genealogy Collections:
- Calhoun-Gordon County Public Library: The library in Calhoun has a local history and genealogy room with valuable resources, including published family histories, local histories, census records, and cemetery surveys.
- Georgia Archives: Located in Morrow, Georgia, this is the primary state archive and an essential resource for any Georgia researcher. It holds a vast collection of materials that supplement county records, including state military records, land lottery records, and tax digests on microfilm.
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