The day passed largely unnoticed, but Chattooga County celebrated a “birthday” yesterday.  The county was formed by an act of the Georgia General Assembly and was officially constituted on December 28, 1838.

Before town names like “Summerville” and “Trion” were associated with the area we know today as Chattooga County, there were the Cherokee settlements of Broomtown and Rivertown.  After the removal of the Cherokees from Northwest Georgia during the infamous “Trail of Tears”, white settlers began to populate the area.

By the time of the Civil War, Chattooga County was known for its agricultural production.  Interestingly, Chattooga was largely a pro-Union County at the outbreak of the War Between the States.  Both of Chattooga County’s representatives to the secession convention that ultimately voted to pull out of the Union, voted against secession.  With the oncoming war, regiments of Confederate Soldiers were conscripted to serve in the Southern army.  When Union General Sherman arrived in Chattooga County he noticed the natural beauty of the county from atop Taylor’s Ridge.  Sherman said, “The area is a good fertile valley suitable for agriculture.”  Sherman telegraphed President Lincoln from Chattooga County to outline his famous “March to the Sea” that ended the Civil War.

On the occasion of its 182nd birthday, Chattooga County is still a rural county with much of its economic output coming from agriculture.  While the majority of the county’s population is no longer employed in the agricultural sector, the county continues to produce poultry, beef cattle and row crops.  Manufacturing now employs the largest number of Chattooga County residents.  The two largest manufacturers in the county are Mohawk Industries and Mount Vernon Mills.