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Habersham County, Georgia History
The Story of Georgia and the Georgia People 1732 to 1860
by George Gillman Smith, D.D.
Originally published c. 1901
Submitted by K. Torp, ©2007
HABERSHAM.
The county of Habersham lies north and northwest of the county of Franklin. It was originally owned by the Cherokees
and was surrendered by them to the United States commissioner in 1818. It is in the main a very poor county. Along
the Tugalo, the Sequee and the Chattahoo chee there are some beautiful valleys, but in the main the land is a thin
red land which is soon exhausted. It has, however, such an altitude, being from fifteen to eighteen hundred feet
above the level of the sea, and at Tallulah falls over two thousand two hundred and fifty feet, that it has almost
unrivaled advantages as a summer climate; and before the railroad system was fairly opened, and when it was necessary
to find mountain resorts as near home as possible and reach them by private conveyance, the people from the low-country
and from the cities of Savannah and Augusta fixed their summer homes on these foot-hills. They came to the up-country
in June and re mained until November. They built neat villas and surrounded themselves with many comforts, and
formed a delightful if somewhat exclusive society. The population, however, was largely of those sturdy yeomanry
who have done so much for Georgia; and in 1830, when Habersham included White, there were ten thousand people in
the county. The most of these were poor people, and life among them was very primitive.
There was much inducement for the landless South Carolinian and North Carolinian, or Georgian, to settle when he
could get one hundred and sixty acres of land, much of it arable, for one hundred dollars; so the tide of settlers
poured into the country, and one-roomed cabins sprang up like magic in the forests. The rich lands on the rivers
were soon occupied by the well-to-do immigrants from North Carolina.
The beautiful Nacoochee valley, one of the fairest spots of earth, comprising a narrow strip of land on the Chatta
hoochee, at the foot of Mount Yonah, had been bought at the first settlement of the county by Major Williams and
by a few other North Carolina settlers. It was evident that in the days of De Soto the Spaniards had mined for
gold in this valley, and in the garden of a local Methodist preacher, a Mr. Richardson, a rich placer mine was
discavered in 1829. This was the beginning of the wild gold excitement which made the unpeopled mountains of upper
Georgia for a long time as populous as a city full. Along the Chatta hoochee and on Duke’s creek, after the placers
were washed out, the veins were opened and stamp-mills were put up. While digging for gold a subterranean town,
evidently of De Soto’s time, was discovered.
The county was early a favorite with tourists, and the railroad from Atlanta to Charlotte opened up the country
to them, and the marvelous beauty of Tallulah Falls in this county, began to draw visitors from all sections. This
wonderful freak of nature has but few equals east of the Rocky mountains. The Tallulah river, a limpid and rapid
stream, dashes its way through the hills into a deep cañon, and then over sundry precipices until it reaches
the grand chasm, where it is eight hundred feet below the surface of the earth. A pool at the base of one of the
cascades is called "Hathorn pool,” in memory of a Presbyterian minister who many years ago lost his life while
bathing in it.
There is a beautiful cascade of one hundred and eighty feet near the city of Toccoa, also in this county. There
was quite an immigration of Swiss people to these foot-hills some years ago. They have been thrifty people and
have done well raising grapes and other fruits and cul tivating small farms.
Although Habersham has been remote from the center of population in Georgia, and has, in the main, been inhab ited
by a very plain, uncultured people, no county has had in it a finer class of cultured men and women, Most of these
have, however, only resided here a part of the year, but some have been permanent residents.
Among the distinguished citizens of the county was Dr. George D. Phillips, long a prominent physician and a dis
tinguished member of the Senate of the State. He was a Virginian by birth, who came from the mountains of North
Carolina to Georgia, and won by his probity and ability the highest place in the confidence of the people. His
three sons, General Wm. Phillips, Colonel Charles D. Phillips and Major Jas. P. Phillips, were distinguished officers
in the Confederate army.
Colonel McMillan, who lost his life during the war, was from this county. He was a gallant irishman by descent,
and led a regiment.
The county has always been a religious one, and the Mossy Creek camp-ground has been in existence for over seventy
years. The Baptists have a strong hold in this county, and the Presbyterians and Episcopalians have each of them
churches in it.
The mining interests of the county have been more or less prosperous since the first opening of the mines seventy
years ago.
In the last few years the manufacturing interests of the county have been grcatly developed, and the prospect of
rapid advance in this direction is bright.
Among the early settlers were: Gabe Fish, Major Williams, Alex Walden, B. Cleveland, John Whitehead, John Grant,
Jesse Kinney, Chas. Rich, Mr. Vandiver, H. Moss, Wm. Herring, Mr. Richardson, Mr. Lumsden, Mr. Logan, Josiah A.
Kees, James Quillian and General Wofford.
©2007 Genealogy Trails
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