Little Known Facts about Twiggs County

Jeffersonville, the county seat town of Twiggs Co. was originally established as Rain's Store on Sept.3, 1828 and was not changed officially changed to Jeffersonville until 1849. The village got its name from the Jefferson family, who lived in the community.

From the History of Twiggs County by Jones and Faulk, p.46.

This from Creek Indian Claims in "The Georgia Genealogist", p. 47 by Mary B. Warren:

"Darling Johnson swore that sometime in Octiber 1811 he then lived on the frontiers of this state in Twigs County, and was at the Court House in Twigs County in Greenbery Thomas's store when three Creek Indians came in the store. They was caled at that time of the friendly tribe. One was an old man who called himself Captain Tim who spoke English--on hearing my name he asked and was told by Mr. Thomas that I was a son of Martin Johnson He told us he wanted to see our father for he said his people had done him a great injustice many years agoe"

Summarizing the remainder of Mrs. Warren's article, "Here the old Indian described how his people had killed two of Johnson's children, robbed his home stold his cattle, etc., but that he had come to make peace. and monetary restitution. Mr. Johnson was off on a journey, so Captain Tim was not able to see him." (if he ever did) - BVC.

Editor's Note : This atrocity seemed to have taken place in Wilkes County about 1788. For a complete record, I suggest you consult the source given above or the Indian Depredations which are at the Georgia State Archives. I used the original spelling as Mrs. Warren did. I never heard of this store in Twiggs County and very little else of events in Twiggs County or the area to later become Twiggs at this early date.

Did you know James Walker Fannin, hero of the War for Texas Independence, who was murdered by order of Antonio López de Santa Anna on March 27, 1836 at Goliad, TX, was born near Marion, Twiggs County, GA at the home of his maternal grandparents? (for more information, please "click" on "James Walker Fannin."

1850 Census of Twiggs County, Georgia - Ephraim Liles, white male, age 95, born in South Carolina, Occupation: Revolutionary (Do the math - he was 21 in 1776!) In the same household, Margaret Liles, age 78, born in South Carolina. Also in household, Robert Green, age 19, born in Georgia.

1880 Census of Twiggs County, Georgia - Johnny McRae, black male, age 90, born in Africa.

Ambrose Baber moved to Georgia from Virginia as a young doctor in search of a warmer climate. He had settled in the Twiggs County community of Marion when he was asked to help develop a new town nearby on the banks of the Ocmulgee River. Macon's founding fathers were quick to seek his advice on the location and layout. He was described as a "learned physician and eminently enterprising citizen." Baber not only shaped early Macon with his planning and vision, he moved here to practice medicine and became the town's first doctor. Among his many contributions were the recommendation that land be set aside for the formation of Central City Park and establishing the city's first Masonic order. He was a founding father of Christ Episcopal Church and helped build the city's first courthouse and bank. He used his own book collection in an attempt to begin the first library. He was elected to the Georgia Legislature several times and died in 1846 at the age of 53. - From the Macon Telegraph, Sunday, November 22, 1998

Did you know that the first white male child born in Twiggs County was Matthew Bowden? See B. W. Jones' History of Stone Creek Baptist Church, page 9. One Matthew Bowden joined this church in 1838.

"One former Scuffle name in what is now Twiggs County had a interesting turn: in 1806 when the area was first being surveyed, the district surveyor dubbed the present Richland Creek, Scuffle Creek. His reason for this choice is purely a matter of conjecture. Perhaps he had to scuffle hard in running his lines along and across the stream; or perhaps he was not impressed by the potential of the area and simply tagged the stream with the term Scuffle to indicate his personal evaluation of the locality. But be that as it may, the later citizens apparently did not like the implications of the name and switched it to Richland Creek. The last expression is a plain antonym of a poor mouthing name." Placenames of Georgia, Essays of John H. Goff, edited by Francis Lee Utley and Marion R. Hemperley, University of Georgia Press, 1975, page 412.