History

Jenkins County, the 138th county formed in Georgia, was created in 1905 from territory then belonging to the counties of Bulloch, Burke, Emanuel and Screven. The county was named for Governor Charles J. Jenkins. It was originally proposed that the county be called Dixie.

The Jones House, near Millen, was built as a stage coach stop in 1762. A century later, General Sherman's troops looted and set it afire on their march to the sea. Learning that the mistress of the house refused to leave her sickbed, the same troops extinguished the flames.

The Millen Big Buckhead Church, constructed in 1830, is one of the oldest structures in Georgia.

The City of Millen was originally called Seventy-Nine or Old 79 because of its distance from Savannah.

Points of Interest

Magnolia Springs State Park is in Jenkins County. This 948-acre park is named for the crystal clear spring that puts out nine million gallons of clear, cold (64 degree) water every day.

Within the county is the site of Fort Lawton, a 42-acre stockade. This was the largest camp ever built by the Confederacy to receive prisoners-of-war. Built in 1864, it was later burnt down.

Historic Millen Depot, Millen

Magnolia Spring State Park