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Towns County, GA History
TOWNS COUNTY.
Towns County was formed out of Union and Kabun counties in 1856, and was named in honor of G. W. Towns, who represented
Georgia in Congress in 1834, and was governor from 1847 to 1849. He died in the city of Macon in 1854, at the age
of 54 years.
Towns county is bounded on the north by the State of North Carolina, on the east and southeast by Rabun and Habersham
counties, on the south by White county, on the west and southwest by Union county. Hiawassee river flows from north
to south through the center of the county. Other streams are Hightower, Fodder's, Bell and Brasstown creeks.
This is a mountainous country, but on the river and creeks are some very rich lands.
The climate is cool and bracing; the water, freestone, clear and cold. The loamy black soil along the mountain
streams is well adapted to corn, rye, oats, fruits and vegetables. The clay, mulatto soil of the uplands is well
adapted to all crops. Clover, though not extensively raised, gives fine yields on good land. Red top is best adapted
to this county. The natural grasses that grow about the lowlands are the chief reliance for hay. Peavines, wherever
planted, give an abundance of hay.
The average yield to the acre of the various crops under ordinary methods of cultivation is: corn, 25 bushels;
oats, 30 bushels; wheat, 12 bushels; rye, 10 bushels; Irish potatoes, 60 bushels; sweet potatoes, 50 bushels; field-peas,
20 bushels; ground-peas, 20 bushels; crab-grass hay, 4,000 pounds; corn fodder, 1,000 pounds; sorghum syrup, 100
gallons. With scientific farming the lands do even better. Towns county produces the very best quality of cabbages,
with heads firm and white, large as a peck measure, and weighing 15 or 20 pounds. Turnips of immense size and excellent
flavor are raised in great quantities. Fruits, melons and berries do well, but remoteness from the railroad prevents
the raising of more than enough for home consumption. Apples are on exception, however. Large numbers of them are
sold and at good profits. Nearly every farmer has plenty of peaches for home use. Most of the chestnuts found in
the markets of our Georgia cities and towns in the fall of the year come from Towns and other counties of this
section.
At Osborn there is a small vineyard producing the best varieties of grapes.
There are no dairy farms in the county, but there is a considerable amount of butter made on the farms. The people
raise some cattle for beef, and there is considerable improvement in the breeds of both dairy and beef cattle.
Some pure breeds, especially bulls, have been lately brought into the county. The poultry and egg industry is decidedly
on the increase.
The stubble fields and meadows give excellent pasturage, and there is good mountain range for cattle, sheep and
horses, and a fair supply of ma.=t for hogs, which grow fat on acorns, hickory-nuts and chestnuts. In 1890 Towns
county had 4,242 sheep with a wool-clip of 7,093 pounds, 2,998 cattle, 504 working oxen, 980 milch-cows, 406 horses,
292 mules, 6 donkeys, 4,731 swine and 37,374 domestic fowls of various kinds. Among the products were 268,033 gallons
of milk, 61,673 pounds of butter, 29,914 dozens of eggs and 9,590 pounds of honey. There is abundance of mountain
trout in the streams, and in the mountains some game, such as bear, deer, turkey, wolves and panthers.
There are about 75,000 acres of forest land, mostly in hardwoods. The most valuable species are oak, hickory, poplar,
walnut, chestnut, cherry, Lynn birch, maple, ash and locust. The price of the timber is from $8 to $10 a thousand
feet. There ore 3 sawmills getting out timber for the home supply.
The mountain streams afford abundance of water-power, varying at different points from 1 to 1,000 horse-powers.
There are some few small flour-mills and grist-mills scattered through the county, grinding for the county custom,
probably about 30, all but 3 of which are operated by water.
There is one tannery. The people are anxious for manufactories, especially such as will work up their hardwoods,
which are very valuable.
There is abundance of granite and serpentine gneiss for building and other uses. Gold is mined to some extent.
Iron, chrome and magnetite,, manganese, asbestos, talc, ochre, yellow and red plumbago, buhr, some gems and plenty
of corundum are found. A very large plant is now being constructed at a cost of $100,000 at Tate City, in the eastern
part of the county for mining corundum.
Hiawassee, the county site, has several successful mercantile establishments. A new court-house is being built
at a cost of $8,000.
Other post-offices are Mountain Scene, Osborn, Visage, Welch and Young Harris. At this latter place is a fine school
endowed by Young L. G. Harris, of Athens, Georgia, and under the control of the North Georgia Conference of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Here young men and young ladies of limited means can obtain an education at
the least possible expense. There is also at Hiawassee a good school under the patronage of the Baptists. Methodists
and Baptists are the leading Christian sects. Their churches are scattered at convenient distances throughout the
county. There are some 26 schools of the public school system, with an enrollment of 1,350 pupils. Of these 23
are for whites and one for colored. The average attendance is 790 white pupils and 14 colored.
Murphy, North Carolina, is the nearest railroad town. In this and several Georgia towns the products of the county
are marketed.
The area of Towns county is 168 square miles, or 107,520 acres. Population in 1900, 4,748, a gain of 684 since
1890; school fund, $3,210.80.
By the Comptroller-General's report for 1900 there are: acres of improved land, 91,712; of wild land, 23,241; average
value of improved lands to the acre, $1.91; of wild lands, $0.45; city property, $20,095; money, etc., $40,815;
merchandise, $16,450; capital invested in mining, $210; household and kitchen furniture, $19,140; farm and other
animals, $61, 099; plantation and mechanical tools, $9,641; watches, jewelry, etc., $716; value of all other property,
$4,716; real estate, $219,339; persona] estate, $163,754. Aggregate value of whole property, $383,093.
Property returned by colored taxpayers: number of acres of land, 360; value, $125.00; money, $60.00; household
furniture, $55.00; farm and other animals, $169.00; plantation and mechanical tools, $5.00; value of all other
property, $4.00. Aggregate value of whole property, $424.00.
The tax returns for 1901 show a decrease of $23,379 in the value of all property since 1900.
Population of Towns county by sex and color, according to the census of 1900: white males, 2,341; white females,
2,336; total white, 4,677; colored males, 38; colored females, 33; total colored, 71.
Domestic animals in barns and inclosures, not on farms or ranges, June 1, 1900: 1 dairy cow, 14 horses, 11 mules.
Source: Georgia, Historical and Industrial By Obediah B. Stevens, Robert F.
Wright
Submitted by a Friend of Free Genealogy
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