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Please add profiles of those who were born, lived or died in Dawson County, Georgia.
Official Website
History
Dawson County was created on December 3, 1857, from Gilmer and Lumpkin Counties.[3] It is named for William Crosby Dawson, a U.S. Senator from Georgia.
The 1860s brought war and hardships to the people of Dawson County. Many men of Dawson County answered the call and went to fight in the Civil War. Several Confederate units were raised in Dawson County, including:
- 21st Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Company E Concord Rangers
- 22nd Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Company I, Dawson County Independents 38th Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Company I (Wright's Legion), Dawson *Farmers 38th Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Company L (Wright's Legion) 52nd Regiment, Georgia Volunteer Infantry, Company I
- The 1st Georgia Infantry *Battalion (Union), Companies B and C also was raised there.
The county is known in its long involvement in auto racing, which was established in the 20th century; many of the original NASCAR racers came from this area. Local racing skills are said to have been developed by men who ran moonshine down Highway 9, also known as Thunder Road, to Atlanta. Celebrations of Dawson County's history and of its "likker" involvement occur every October with the Moonshine Festival.
Locals have referred to Dawson County as the Moonshine Capital of the World. This title is claimed by many other areas, but is fiercely defended by residents of this area. They took advantage of its relative isolation and the ability to move so much moonshine to the larger cities, especially Atlanta, during the Prohibition era.
Adjacent Counties
- Cherokee County
- Fannin County
- Lumpkin County
- Hall County
- Forsyth County
- Pickens County
- Gilmer County
Cities & Communities
- Afton
- Big Canoe
- Dawsonville (County Seat)
- Junoville
- Paradise Valley Resort
Links
Chattahoochee National Forest (part)
