TODAYS SMALL TOWN AMERICA CITY IS.... MOULTRIE, GEORGIA The city was named after Gen. William Moultrie, the Revolutionary War hero after whom Fort Moultrie was named following the successful defense of Charleston, South Carolina, against the British under Peter Parker, an anniversary subsequently celebrated as Carolina Day. Colquitt County became the 115th county in Georgia by an act of the Legislature on February 25, 1856. It was named after Walter Terry Colquitt, a minister, statesman and lawyer who was a military leader in the mid-1860s. In 1879, a charter was adopted and 50 acres in the center of the county was declared the county seat. During the American Civil War, Colquitt County raised several companies of Confederate troops, particularly Company H, 50th Georgia Volunteer Infantry. Founders of naval stores started harvesting the timbers in the late 1890s. They set up turpentine stills and built tram roads, allowing for the railroad to come into the territory. The Boston & Albany line, which later became the Georgia Northern Railway, was the first through town, bringing with it growth and prosperity for the county. Practically every train brought new residents interested in supplying naval stores or working in the sawmills. By 1900, through the work of businessmen, bankers and speculators, the county was becoming a farmers paradise. Land was cleared and development companies began dividing the forested area into farm tracts. Experienced farmers from north Georgia and the Carolinas were invited to come and develop the land. The countys agriculture industry thrives today.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 16:56:31 +0000
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