From the Forsyth County Chamber
Forsyth County History
rich cultural diversity is a result of several hundred years of
Indian occupation and white settler migrations that is rich in
legend and recorded fact.
Before the 1800s, the Forsyth
County land masses were a part of the vast Cherokee Indian
Nation that stretched westward to the Mississippi River. The
Cherokee were an educationally advanced tribe, with a distinct
spoken and written language of their own.
All of this soon
changed when the gold was found in nearby Lumpkin and Cherokee
counties, sparking the interest of settlers and government
officials who had long wanted the lands for their own. They
began planning away to claim the property for themselves.
The 1803 Land Act
that the federal government passed permitted the distribution of
all new acquired lands through a lottery system, setting up the
system for the disposal of the lands owned by the Indian Nation.
Some Cherokee families left voluntarily when the government
offered to compensate them for the property. The majority of the
remaining Cherokee Nation was forcefully removed from Georgia by
federal agents in 1832.
That same year, the
Indian lands were distributed to settlers through land lotteries
and Forsyth County was established.
The county was named
to honor John Forsyth who had served as the Attorney General of
Georgia in 1808, in the U.S. House of Representatives and
Senate, as U.S. Minister to Spain, and had just finished a term
as governor of Georgia. Two years later he began his service as
Secretary of State under presidents Jackson and Van Buren.
Forsyth never set foot within the county's borders.
The little town of
Cumming was incorporated two years later, and was named for
William Cumming of Augusta, a distinguished lawyer. Soon, the
40-acre land lot that would become the city was laid out in
smaller square city lots that were sold for family residences
from the Carolinas and Virginia into Forsyth County. New
schools, churches and post offices sprang up around the county
and the area soon became well known for its production of
high-quality tobacco and wagons. Forestry became a thriving
industry. Forsyth County became home to sawmills, gristmills,
distilleries and factories for jugs and clothing.
After the Civil War,
the county was left with little means of providing household
goods, food or work equipment. Daily necessities were bartered
and slowly their standard of living was revived to a higher
Forsyth County's growth has been
greatly affected by several factors that brought new settlers.
The county's first wave of newcomers came when the north Georgia
region became known for the poultry industry. Wilson Foods,
began here and is now thriving as Tyson Foods with over 1,200
employees today. Chicken houses began to spring up around the
With the creation of
Buford Dam and Lake Lanier Forsyth County's population grew. The
population went from 15,000 in 1980 to 44,000 in 1990 and is now
over 110,000 in 2003. As the metro area becomes more congested,
people seek out Forsyth County from the storm of city noise,
traffic and pollution. In 2001 The U.S. Census Bureau declared
Forsyth County as the fastest-growing county in Georgia and the
second-fastest in the United States.
Historic Mansell House & Gardens
Alpharetta Historical Society
1835 Old Milton Parkway
Tours available Monday and Friday
10:00 am - 4:00 pm, and by appointment
Milton Log Cabin
Located on Milton High School
Tours available Friday only by appointment
Free Admission * 770-475-HOME
Horse & Buggy Rides at Crabapple Corner
Enjoy visiting the wonderful shops
at Crabapple Corner, dining at The Broadwell House Restaurant and then
taking a fun horse and buggy ride around Crabapple. Rides are available
free of charge Friday and Saturday evenings, 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm and
Sunday, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm.
Andretti Speed Lab
11000 Alpharetta Highway Roswell, Georgia
fax 770.992.6066 climbing wall
Every square inch of the $4.5 million Andretti Speed Lab was designed to
pump group events full of adrenaline. There’s indoor racing, a four
story climbing wall, a million bucks worth of interactive simulators,
eight Brunswick Billiards tables, Fuddruckers, zip lines, a ropes
course, the SkyBox Sports Bar, over a hundred televisions, and three
kitchen sinks. We have multiple meeting rooms including a 10,000 square
foot conference room with all the latest multi-media gadgetry.
Alpharetta Recreation and Parks
678-297-6100 Alpharetta's award-winning public parks include Wills
Park with 110 acres offering a 50-meter Olympic size swimming pool (open
Memorial Day to Labor Day), 10 baseball fields, a 9-hole Frisbee golf
course, full-size gymnasium, 6 lighted tennis courts, three picnic
pavilions, walking trails, and two large playgrounds including Wacky
World, a unique playground that kids just rave about. Webb Bridge Park
features a 70-acre park with walking paths, non-paved trails, a
playground called "The Webb Zone," two soccer fields (regulation size),
four baseball fields and four lighted tennis courts. North Park, a
scenic 82-acre park, offers eight lighted tennis courts, playground,
picnic pavilion, four adult baseball fields, two youth football fields
with field house, one soccer field, and three women's softball fields.
For more detailed park information see the
Sports Facilities Guide.