On Feb. 12, 1825, a group of Creek Indians led by William McIntosh signed the Treaty of Indian Springs, in which they ceded all of their remaining lands in present-day Georgia. Subsequently, in an act of June 9, 1825, the General Assembly provided that the land ceded by the treaty be divided into five sections, surveyed into districts and land lots, and distributed by land lottery. [See map of sections] On Dec. 14, 1826, the legislature redesignated the five land sections as the counties of Lee, Muscogee, Troup, Coweta, and Carroll and provided for their organization. Despite the fact that the five counties were not named until Dec. 14, 1826, the date their respective boundaries were established -- June 9, 1825 -- is generally accepted as the date of their creation.

In 1827, a portion of Muscogee County was used to create Harris County.

Effective Jan. 1, 1971, Muscogee County and the city of Columbus consolidated into a single government. By terms of that legislation, the small municipality of Bibb City was excluded from the consolidation. In 2001, however, the General Assembly repealed the charter of Bibb City, leaving Columbus-Muscogee County as a single consolidated government.

Census

Pop. 

2000

 186,291

1990

179,278

1980

 170,108

1970

167,377

1960

158,623

1950

118,028

1940

75,494

1930

57,558

1920

44,195

1910

36,227

1900

29,836

1890

27,761

1880

19,322

1870

16,663

1860

16,584

1850

18,578

1840

11,699

1830

3,508

1820

1810

1800

1790