UPSON COUNTY, GA HISTORY AND LOOKUP

County History Books

History of Upson County, Georgia by Carolyn Walker Nottingham And Evelyn Hannah (1930) – 1125 Pages
Source: Family Search
Book ID: CH.2025.06.25.2345.FS

Upson County, Georgia: A Genealogical Overview

Located in the west-central Piedmont region of Georgia, Upson County is an area rich in Native American history, cotton plantation culture, and Civil War-era manufacturing. For genealogists, its past is defined by its creation from Creek Nation lands, its rapid settlement through land lotteries, and its well-preserved county records.

I. County Formation and Evolution

Upson County’s relationship with its parent counties and its origins in a land cession from the Creek Nation are critical pieces of information for researchers tracing family lines in the region.

  • Year of Creation: 1824.
  • Parent County: It was formed from portions of Pike and Crawford counties. The land was acquired from the Muscogee (Creek) Nation through the First Treaty of Indian Springs in 1821. Researchers seeking records that pre-date 1824 must consult the records of the parent counties.
  • Original Territory & Daughter Counties: Upson County has not had its territory significantly reduced to form new counties. Its boundaries have remained largely stable since its creation.
  • Boundary Changes: Aside from minor adjustments with its neighbors, the county’s territory has not changed substantially since its formation.
  • Bordering Counties:
    • Meriwether County (northwest)
    • Pike County (northeast)
    • Lamar County (northeast)
    • Crawford County (southeast)
    • Taylor County (south)
    • Talbot County (west)

II. Settlement and Early History

  • Early Inhabitants: Before European-American settlement, the area was the territory of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, a confederacy of Southeastern tribes who lived in towns along the Flint River and its tributaries.
  • First Pioneers and Settlement: The county was rapidly settled by white pioneers following the Georgia Land Lotteries of 1821 and 1827, which distributed the newly acquired Creek lands to citizens of Georgia. The county was named for Stephen Upson, a respected Georgia lawyer and legislator. The economy was overwhelmingly based on cotton cultivation, which relied heavily on the labor of enslaved African Americans.
  • Civil War Significance: Upson County contributed several companies of soldiers to the Confederate army. While it was not the site of a major pitched battle, it was a significant manufacturing center for the Confederacy. The Franklin and Waymanville textile mills produced cloth for Confederate uniforms. In April 1865, during the final weeks of the war, the county was visited by Union cavalry under General James H. Wilson. This event, known as Wilson’s Raid, resulted in the burning of the textile mills, cotton warehouses, and the train depot in Thomaston.

III. Genealogical Records and Resources

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

  • County Seat: Thomaston, Georgia. This has been the only county seat since it was established.
  • Record Loss & Preservation: Upson County is a treasure for genealogists as it is one of Georgia’s “unburned” counties. Its records are remarkably complete and were not destroyed during the Civil War, despite Wilson’s Raid. The courthouse holds a nearly complete run of historical records from the county’s formation.
  • Location of Records:
    • Upson County Courthouse: Located at 106 E Main St, Thomaston, GA 30286. This is the central repository for the county’s historical records from its creation in 1824. This includes a full run of deeds, wills, court orders, and marriage records.
  • Vital Records:
    • Birth and Death Records: Statewide registration in Georgia began in 1919 and has been continuous since. For records after this date, contact the Upson County Health Department or the Georgia Department of Public Health, State Office of Vital Records.
    • Marriage Records: Marriage licenses are available from 1825 onward and are held at the Upson County Probate Court in the courthouse.
  • Libraries with Genealogy Collections:
    • Thomaston-Upson Archives: This is an essential first stop for Upson County researchers. Located in Thomaston, it houses a significant collection of county records on microfilm, local newspapers, family histories, and manuscript collections.
    • The Georgia Archives: Located in Morrow, this is the primary state archive and a vital resource. It holds a vast collection of materials that supplement county records, including state tax digests, land lottery records, colonial records, and military records.

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