History of jeff Davis County, GA

HISTORY AND COMMUNITIES OF JEFF DAVIS COUNTY

If you have any corrections or additions, please contact me

Sources: Georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu; Hazleton-Jeff Davis Co, GA.org

Jeff Davis County Courthouse in Hazleton, GA

Jeff Davis County was created from parts of Appling and Coffee Counties and would have been named for John A Cromartie (the Appling County

representative in the Georgia Legislature who introduced the bill to create the County in 1905). However, there was a custom at the time to name counties for

deceased citizens, so instead it was decided to name it after Jefferson Davis. Jeff Davis County began operations on Jan 1, 1906.

Original boundaries: Beginning at a point on the Altamaha River which bounds the present counties of Appling and Tattnall, being at the northeast corner of land

lot 659; thence running the land line south to the southeast corner of land lot 443; thence due west to the land line to the southwest corner of land lot 448; thence again due south the land line to the southeast corner of land lot 272; thence again due west the land line to the southwest corner of land lot 271; thence due south the land line to the northeast corner to land lot 222; thence due east the land line to the northeast corner of land lot 122; thence again due west the land line to Coffee Count line dividing Appling and Coffee counties at the southwest corner of land lot 116; thence beginning at the southeast corner of land lot 116 in Coffee County and running west the land line to the southwest corner of land lot 129; thence running north the land line to the Ocmulgee River, which now forms the present boundary line between the Counties of Coffee and Telfair, all being in the first district of Coffee County, thence along the Ocmulgee and Altamaha rivers to the point of the beginning.

They needed a courthouse and land was donated by John Cromartie. J. M. Odom hauled timbers for the Courthouse foundation. Until the courthouse was built,

court was held in the upstairs of the old wooden schoolhouse. The courthouse was completed in 1907 and was a two story building. It was extensively renovated in 1975, and again in 1994-5 with a large addition built in the back and adjoined to the old courthouse.

Corn Crib, Jeff Davis County, GA

~HAZLEHURST~

Hazlehurst was originally known as Handtown because the original settles were the Hand family. This was a small community in Appling County.

The Hand family and relatives seems to have been the only settlers in the Hazlehurst area until about 1869 when J M Odom came. Next came the railroad which

paved the way for Jeff Davis County.

George H Hazlehurst was instrumental in building rail systems in the South. Two crews started to build a railroad line - one from Macon, GA and one

from Brunswick. They would meet in the middle at Mile Post 8-1/2 which would become Hazlehurst. The new train tracks and depot were in operation in 1870.

The railroad depot took over the stagecoach relay station which was just a shed at the time.

Hazlehurst was named for Col George Hazlehurst at his request in Appling County Superior Court in 1877. They had a population of 793 in 1900.