Follow
Please add profiles of those who were born, lived or died in Jones County, Georgia.
Official Website
The county was created on December 10, 1807 and named after U.S. Representative James Jones.
Before the American Civil War a few factories sprang up in the county including a cotton gin factory at Griswoldville in the southern portion of the county and a woolen factory at Wallace. Griswoldville was founded by Samuel Griswold in the 1850s. During the Civil War, the cotton gin factory was reformatted so it could produce pistols and other weapons for the Confederate Army. In addition, Griswoldville was located on the railway linking Macon to Savannah. Thus it became a prime target in 1864 as the Union Army moved through Georgia. On November 20, 1864, the town and the factories in it were burned as part of Sherman's March to the Sea. Days later the Battle of Griswoldville took place in the area. The town of Griswoldville was not rebuilt.
Many other areas in Jones County were damaged by the Union Army during that time period. The Jarrell Plantation State Historic Site in Jones County showcases one of the few and well-preserved antebellum plantations in Georgia.
Adjacent Counties
Communities
- Blountsville
- Bradley
- Clinton
- Fortville
- Gray (County Seat)
- Haddock
- Round Oak
- Wayside
Links
Oconee National Forest (part)
Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge (part)
National Register of Historic Places
1860 Slave Census Schedules & 1870 Surname Matches
