History

Spalding County was formed in 1851 from parts of Fayette, Henry and Pike counties. The 96th county created in the state was named after Thomas Spalding, the first Georgian known to have successfully harvested cotton and sugar cane.

Griffin was named for General L. Griffin, the first president of the Monroe Railroad. This railroad later became the Central of Georgia.

Points of Interest

A walking tour organized by the Griffin Historical and Preservation Society covers 38 properties in and around the Griffin Commercial Historic District. Examples of the places listed on the National Register include the Lewis-Mills House (1850s), the Hill-Kurtz House (1860) and Middle Georgia Medical College (1859).

Notable Citizens

Among famous people from Spalding County include Doc Holliday, who was born in Griffin; Wyomia Tyus, Olympic track & field gold medalist in 1964 and 1968; Tapley Bennet, Jr., an Ambassador to the United Nations; and a variety of professional athletes: Jessie Tuggle and Alton Montgomery of the Atlanta Falcons, Willie Gault of the Los Angeles (now Oakland) Raiders, and Randy Baldwin of the Carolina Panthers.

Higher Education

Spalding County is home to Griffin Technical College and the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Griffin Campus.

Annual Events

Annual Great Griffin Mayfling Arts and Crafts Festival held in City Park

Downtown Griffin

Pecan orchard