Genealogy and history for Appling County, GA

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History of Appling County, GA

APPLING COUNTY
Named after Colonel Daniel Appling, was laid out in 1818; part added to Telfair in 1819, part to Ware in 1824, and a part to Telfair in 1825. Length, 55 m.; breadth, 35 m.; area square miles, 1,925.

Appling is sparsely populated.

The head waters of the Great and Little St. Ilia are in this county. The creeks are Ten-mile Creek, Five-mile Creek, Big and Little Goose, Dougherty's, &c.

The face of the country is level. The soil is poor. Productions, cotton, sugar-cane, corn, and rice.

Holmesville is the county site, distant from Milledgeville 115 m.

Town Bluff is a small place on the Alatamaha.

The climate is healthy.

The first settlers of this county were Nathan Dean, John Taylor, Henry Taylor, Silas O. Quin, Moses Vick, John Johnson, John Hawkins, John Smith, D. Redish, D. Summerall, R. Strickland, Samuel Sellears, John Pervis, A. Eason, G. Moody, John Roberson, Jesse Carter, Samuel Carter, Thomas Woods, R. and S. Swilley, B. George, tke Mobleys, Halls, Overstreets, and Wilcoxes.

According to the census of 1850, there were in this county 410 dwellings, 410 families, 1,271 white males, 1,250 white females, 17 free coloured males, 7 free coloured females. Total free population, 2,545 ; slaves, 405. Deaths, 27. Farms, 313.
[Source: "Historical Collections Of Georgia", by George White, 1855 -- Submitted by Brenda Wiesner]

TOWNS

Holmesville, a town which no longer appears upon the map, was made the county seat of Appling county by act of the legislature on Dec. 8, 1828, and was to be located “on the land of one Solomon Kennedy.” Subsequently Baxley was made the county seat and the name of Holmesville has been almost forgotten.
(Source: Georgia Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, VOL II, by Candler & Evans, Publ. 1906. Transcribed by Kim Mohler)

Medders, a post-hamlet of Appling county, is twelve miles due south of Baxley. Rockingham, on the Atlantic & Birmingham, is the nearest railroad station.(Source: Georgia Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, VOL II, by Candler & Evans, Publ. 1906. Transcribed by Kim Mohler)

Myra, a post-hamlet of Appling county, is on the Altamaha river, about twelve miles northeast of Baxley, which is the most convenient railroad station.[Source: Georgia Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Vol 2, Publ 1906. Transcribed by Renae Donaldson]