History

Habersham County was created in 1818 from Indian treaty lands. Georgia's 43rd county was named for Major Joseph Habersham, who fought in the Revolutionary War, was Mayor of Savannah, served in Congress and was President George Washington's Postmaster General.

A Civil War iron works in the county produced guns and cannons for the Confederacy. Most of Habersham County was spared from pillage after Confederate troops turned back Union Calvary in a skirmish near Currahee Mountain.

Points of Interest

Habersham's mountains, lakes and rivers make it a nature lover's paradise. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the county is crossed by parts of the Chattahoochee National Forest, and the Tallulah and Tugaloo Rivers. Part of Tallulah Gorge, considered to be the Grand Canyon of the South, is located in Habersham County. Previously diverted underground for hydroelectric purposes by the Georgia Power Company, the Tallulah River is once again flowing through the gorge over a series of breathtaking waterfalls.

Notable Citizens

Several famous individuals have roots in Habersham County. Johnny Mize, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, was born in Demorest. Robert Toombs was a U.S. Senator from 1848 to 1852 and lost the bid for president of the Confederacy to Jefferson Davis by one vote.

Higher Education

North Georgia Tech and Piedmont College.

Annual Events

Annual events in Habersham County include the Mountain Laurel Festival held in Clarkesville every May. Clarkesville also hosts the Chattahoochee Mountain Fair each September. Cornelia hosts the Big Red Apple Festival during October.

Soque River

Everything Elvis Museum, Cornelia