History

Columbia County, the 12th county formed in Georgia, was created in 1790. Originally part of Richmond County, Columbia County was named for Christopher Columbus.

Although Appling is the county seat and was chartered in 1816, the city was one of 187 inactive municipalities which lost their charters in 1995 as a result of a 1993 Act of the General Assembly. There is some controversy over whether or not Appling ever was incorporated.

Points of Interest

With 1,200 miles of shoreline, Clarks Hill Lake is the largest man-made lake east of the Mississippi and is partially located in Columbia County. The lake, which is also known as Thurmond Lake, was created in 1946 when the Army Corps of Engineers built the Clarks Hill Dam on the Savannah River.

The Augusta Canal Heritage Area, which is partially in Columbia County, has been recently designated a historical waterway by the U.S. Congress and designated as a Regionally Important Resource (RIR).

Columbia County's high schools consistently rank among the top high schools in the state and the nation.

Notable Citizens

Oliver Norvell Hardy of "Laurel and Hardy" fame hailed from Columbia County. Among other notable persons from the county were: Basil Neal, who was honored for fighting heroically against the Indians and the British before, during, and after the Revolutionary War; William Few and Abraham Baldwin, who were two of Georgia's six appointees to the 1787 Constitutional Convention.

Annual Events

New Horizon Art Festival held in October and the Fourth of July Spectacular Celebration.

Harlem Library

Grovetown Museum, Grovetown