People of One Fire Collections – Page 3 of 6

Native American History of Oconee County, Georgia

Oconee County is located in northeastern Georgia. Its county seat is Watkinsville. It is named after the Oconee River, which was named after the Okonee branch of the Creek Indians. To the north of Oconee is Clarke County. It is bounded on the east by Oglethorpe County. Walton County forms its western boundary, while Greene defines its southeastern boundary and Morgan County adjoins Oconee on the south. Geology and Hydrology The entire county is in Georgia’s Piedmont, which was originally an ancient mountain range that has been leveled through the eons. This region is underlain by igneous and metamorphic rocks. … Read more

Native American History of Newton County, Georgia

Newton County located in northern Georgia and is part of the Atlanta Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA.) Its name honors Sgt. John Newton, a hero of the American Revolution. The county seat is Covington. Newton County is bordered on the north by Walton County. Morgan County adjoins it on the east while Jasper County adjoins it on the Southeast. Butts County is located to the south. Henry County forms the southwestern border, while Rockdale County forms the northwest border. Geology and hydrology Newton County was located in the Piedmont geological region, which is characterized by underlying rock strata of igneous … Read more

Native American History of Muscogee County, Georgia

Muscogee County is located in west central Georgia and is part of the Columbus, GA Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was named after the Muscogee branch of the Creek Indians. Muscogee-speaking towns took a leading role in the formation of the People of One Fire or Creek Confederacy during the late 1600s and early 1700s. However, the word “Muscogee” did not appear on British and American maps until the late 1700s. Muscogee is the English version of the Native American word Mvskoke (Ma(hs-ko–ke-) which means Medicinal Herb People in the Creek language. Several references state that the word is of … Read more

Native American History of Monroe County, Georgia

Monroe County is located in central Georgia and is part of the Macon, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA.) It is named after President James Monroe of Virginia (April 28, 1758 – July 4, 1831.) Its county seat is Forsyth. Monroe County for several years became tourist destination after the popular movie, “Fried Green Tomatoes,” was filmed at the village of Juliette in 1991. Monroe County is bounded on the north by Butts County and the northeast by Jasper County. Jones County is located to the east, while Bibb County forms its southeastern boundary. Crawford County forms a section of its … Read more

Native American History of Milton County, Georgia

Milton County was located in northern Georgia. As part now of Fulton County, all of old Milton County is part of the Atlanta Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA.) Its county seat was Alpharetta prior to the annexation of Milton and Campbell Counties by Fulton County in 1932. In 1932 Milton County (on the north) and Campbell County (on the south,) merged with Fulton County. Cobb County ceded the City of Roswell and a section of land along Wileo Creek to Fulton, in order to make the original section of Milton contiguous with Milton. The Native American histories of Campbell, Fulton … Read more

Native American History of Lumpkin County, Georgia

Lumpkin County located in northern Georgia. It is part of the Atlanta Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA.) Its county seat is Dahlonega. It is named after Wilson Lumpkin, a U.S. Congressman and governor of Georgia in the early 1800s. He was state Indian commissioner when the Creeks ceded tracts of land that eventually became much of the Atlanta Metropolitan Area and Cherokees ceded a tract of land that included the future territory of Lumpkin County. The original name of Atlanta was Marthasville, taken from the first name of Wilson Lumpkin’s daughter. Lumpkin County is best known for its historic association … Read more

Native American History of Liberty County, Florida

Liberty County is in a region of Florida with a rich Native American heritage. Due to the sandy soil and periodic floods on the Apalachicola River, most mounds built by its original inhabitants have disappeared. However, several known village sites remain intact. Most are near the banks of the Apalachicola River and therefore, partially protected from development by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. The inhabitants of Liberty County when the region was first entered by Europeans were the Apalachicola. They were Muskogeans, and early members of the Creek Confederacy, but originally spoke an entirely different language than Muskogee. … Read more

Native American History of Lee County, Alabama

Although most Alabamans today probably assume that the Creek Indians are an ancient, indigenous ethnic group, that once occupied all or most of their state, the Creek Tribe, in fact, is a political entity that is not much older than Alabama itself. The ethnic label “Creek” does not even appear on maps until 1745. Until after the American Revolution, maps described locations of specifically named ethnic groups within the geographical regions denote as “Creek.” The word “Muscogee” – which nowadays is considered synonymous with “Creek” – does not appear on any maps until late in the 18th Century. Location and … Read more

Native American History of Laurens County, Georgia

Laurens County is in one of several regions of Georgia that contained advanced indigenous cultures that have received only cursory attention from the archaeology profession. Future discoveries along the Lower Oconee River may radically change the understanding of the Southeast’s Pre-European history. Although this large county is composed of lands ceded by the Muskogee-Creek Confederacy to the United States in the late 1700s and early 1800s, true Muskogee-Creeks probably did not enter the region until the mid-to-late 18th century. Even then, occupation was shared with other ethnic groups, who became political allies of the Muskogees in order to survive multiple … Read more

Native American History of Jones County, Georgia

Jones County is located in central Georgia and is part of the Macon, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA.) It is named after U. S. Rep. James Jones of Georgia (c. 1769-1801.) Its county seat is Gray. Congressman Jones was born in Maryland, but moved to Georgia with his uncle. He was a member of the Georgia General Assembly from 1796 to1798. In 1798 he was elected as a Federalist to the Sixth U. S. Congress. He served from March 4, 1799 to January 11, 1801. He died in office on January 11, 1801, in Washington, D.C and is buried in … Read more

Native American History of Jasper County, Georgia

Jasper County is located in central Georgia and is part of the Atlanta Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA.) It is named after Sergeant William Jasper, a German-American hero of the American Revolution, who was killed in action during the siege of Savannah in 1779. Its county seat is Monticello. Johann Wilhelm Gasper (1750-1779) arrived in Philadelphia in 1767. There a British official changed his name to William Jasper. After working as an indentured servant for a few years, he moved to South Carolina. He joined the South Carolina militia in order to earn enough money to bring his Pennsylvania girlfriend … Read more

Native American History of Jackson County, Florida

Native American History of Jackson County, FL through 1800 AD Jackson County is located in northwestern Florida. Its northern boundary is the Alabama line. Its eastern boundary is the Chattahoochee River and the southwestern tip of Georgia. To the west is Holmes County, FL and the south, is Calhoun County, FL. The Chipola River flows through the center of the county and flows southward into Washington County. Much of Jackson County is in its drainage basin. The Ecofina River begins in the southwestern corner of the county and also flows southward into Washington County. The Gulf Coastal Plain stretching from … Read more

Native American History of Houston County, Georgia

Houston County is located in central Georgia and is part of the Macon, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA.) It is named after American Revolutionary leader, John Houstoun (1744 –1796). The spelling of the county’s name was changed to its current form after his death. However, it is pronounced House-ton, not like the Texas city of the same name. Its county seat is Perry. John Houstoun was born in St. George’s parish near present-day Waynesboro. His father was a baronet (minor nobility) from Scotland and a successful planter. Houstoun was appointed to the Governor’s Council by Royal Governor James Wright, but … Read more

Native American History of Houston County, Alabama

Houston County is located in the southeast corner of Alabama, immediately west of the Chattahoochee River and the State of Georgia. The southern boundary of the county is the Florida state line. It is named after a governor of Alabama, William Smith Houston. The county seat is Dothan. To the north is Henry County, AL. On the east boundary is Early County, GA and to the Southeast is Seminole County, GA. Jackson County, FL adjoins Houston County, AL to the south. To the northwest is Dale County, AL and to the west is Geneva County, AL. Geology and Hydrology The … Read more

Native American History of Holmes County, Florida

Holmes County is located in northwestern Florida. It is named after a Creek mikko (chief) named Holmes, who settled in the region, but was killed by Andrew Jackson’s army in 1818. Its northern boundary is the Geneva County, AL line. Its eastern boundary is Jackson County, FL. To the west is Holmes County, FL and the south, is Calhoun County, FL. Its southern boundary is Washington County, FL, while its western boundary is Walton County Florida. Its county seat is Bonafay. The Choctawhatchee River flows through the center of Holmes County and flows southward into Washington County. Much of Holmes … Read more

Native American History of Henry County, Georgia

Henry County is located in central Georgia and is part of the Atlanta Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA.) It is named after Patrick Henry (1736–1799) – ardent patriot and twice governor of Virginia. Its county seat is McDonough. Henry is bounded on the north by Rockdale and DeKalb Counties. On the east Newton County forms its boundary. Clayton County forms its western boundary. Newton County forms its eastern boundary. Butts County is located to the southeast of Henry, while Spalding County is located to the southwest. Geology and hydrology Henry County is drained by tributaries of the Ocmulgee River. Most … Read more

Native American History of Henry County, Alabama

Henry County is located in the southeast corner of Alabama, immediately west of the Chattahoochee River and the State of Georgia. It is named after the Governor of Virginia during the American Revolution, Patrick Henry. The county seat is Abbeville. To the north is Barbour County, AL. On the northeast boundary is Clay County, GA and to the Southeast is Early County, GA. Henry County adjoins Houston County, AL to the south and Dale County, AL to the west. Geology and Hydrology The entire county is in Alabama’s Gulf Coastal Plain. The county’s terrain is characterized by low rolling clay … Read more

Native American History of Haralson County, Georgia

Haralson County is located in west central Georgia and is part of the Atlanta Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA.) It was named after Hugh Anderson Haralson, who was a planter, lawyer and United States Congressman from Lagrange, Georgia. The county seat is Buchanan. Haralson County is bounded on the north by Polk County, GA and on the northeast by Paulding County, GA. On the south it adjoins Carroll County, GA. On the west, it is bordered by Cleburne County, Alabama. Geology and hydrology Haralson County is located in the Piedmont geological region, which is characterized by underlying rock strata of … Read more

Native American History of Hall County, Georgia

Hall County located in northern Georgia. It is part of the Gainesville, GA Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA.) Its county seat is Gainesville. It is named after Lyman Hall, one of Georgia’s three signers of the Declaration of Independence. Gainesville was known as the Poultry Capital of the World in the 1950s through the1970s. It was here in the 1930s that Jesse Jewell pioneered the modern vertically integrated poultry industry, making chicken an inexpensive meat, affordable to most families. Until that time, chicken was a food item often reserved for Sunday dinner. In the late 1950s the Jesse Jewell Company … Read more

Native American History of Habersham County, Georgia

Habersham County is located in the northeastern tip of Georgia. The Blue Ridge Mountain Range runs along its northwestern corner. The Chattahoochee River flows through the length of the county. All the famous poem by Sydney Lanier, “The Song of the Chattahoochee” opens with the phrase, “Out of the hills of Habersham, down through the valleys of Hall,” the river actually begins at Unicoi Gap, just north of Helen, GA in White County. Habersham also contains much of Tallulah Gorge, a 1000+ feet deep canyon formed in the Brevard Fault by the Tallulah River. Although most popular literature describes the … Read more