History

Miller County was created in 1856 from parts of Baker and Early counties. It was named after Judge Andrew J. Miller, who served as a commander of the Oglethorpe Infantry, served in the legislature for more than 20 years, and several times as president of the Senate. Miller is best remembered for introducing a bill to give property rights to married women.

The county seat is Colquitt. It is the only incorporated municipality within the county, and was named for U.S. Senator Walter Colquitt, who was previously a clergyman, attorney and judge.

Points of Interest

Colquitt is home to "Swamp Gravy", Georgia's official folk life play with performances in the Spring and Fall. Each performance is a crowd pleasing blend of comedy, drama and music, steeped in a Southern storytelling tradition. Swamp Gravy's home is a renovated cotton warehouse known as Cotton Hall.

The entire town square in Colquitt is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Also listed on the registry is the Tarrer Inn, built in 1861, currently in use as a bed and breakfast.

Notable Citizens

Peter Toth, an Hungarian-born sculptor, spent several years of his life traveling across America carving memorial gift monuments, one in each state, dedicated to the Native Americans. The only such monument in Georgia is in Colquitt. The 23-foot Red Oak tree is hewn into the head of an Indian brave.

Annual Events

Some of the festivals in Miller County include Storytelling Festival held in the Fall and the Annual Mayhaw Festival which attracts almost 20,000 visitors. Colquitt is known as the "Mayhaw Capital of the World." A Mayhaw is a small, red berry often used for jams and jellies and found only in the Southwest Georgia area.

Murals in Downtown Colquit

Tarrer Inn, Colquitt