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Other Information:
Calhoun County's first courthouse was built in Morgan shortly
after the county was created in 1854. That structure burned in
1888, and a new courthouse was built on the site -- but it too
burned in 1920. What served as courthouse for the next 15 years
is not clear, but the county's present courthouse was constructed
in 1935. The courthouse was renovated 1972.
County Courthouse Historical
Marker: Click
here
County History:
Calhoun County was created on Feb. 20, 1854 by an act of the
General Assembly (Ga. Laws 1853-54, p. 284). Created from Baker
and Early counties, Calhoun County's original boundaries as specified
in the act were:
Beginning at a point where the North and South parallel line
between lots of land numbers 393 and 334, in the 4th district
of Early County, intersects with the county line between Randolph
and Early, and Randolph and Baker, and thence east on said line
until it intersects with the most westwardly main run of the
Chickassawhatchie Creek, and thence South on said run and creek
(though not including Grimmett's causeway,) until the point where
said creek intersects the east and west district line, dividing
the third from the seventh district of Baker, and the fourth
from the sixth district of Early, and thence westwardly on said
line until it intersects with the main branch or run of Spring
Creek, thence up said main run to the north and south line, dividing
lots of land numbers 348 and 359, in the 4th district of Early,
and thence north along said line until it intersects with said
county line between Randolph and Early . . . .
Georgia's 112th county was named for South Carolina U.S. Sen.
John
C. Calhoun (1782-1850), a noted advocate of states' rights.
County Seat:
The act creating Calhoun County directed the justices of the
county's new inferior court to select a "central and convenient
place" as the county seat. However, until a site was selected and
a courthouse erected, the inferior court was empowered to make temporary
arrangements for the transaction of county business. A public debate
followed on the location of the county seat, with the towns of Concord
and Whitney the principal contenders. The controversy finally was
resolved when it was agreed to have a site exactly half way between
the two towns. Here, a town was laid out and named Morgan. The origin
of the town's name is debated but may have been to honor either Hiram
Morgan (one of the town's first five commissioners) or Revolutionary
War general Daniel Morgan. On Mar. 5, 1856, the legislature incorporated
Morgan as a town (Ga. Laws 1855-56, p. 381).
In 1923, voters of Calhoun County petitioned for a referendum
to move the county seat from Morgan to Arlington. In a 975-456
vote, county residents approved the change, and on July 27, 1923,
the General Assembly formally designated Arlington the new county
seat of Calhoun County (Ga. Laws 1923, p. 217). However, the
majority of ounty residents soon became uphappy with the new county
seat and in 1929 petitioned for a referendum to return the county
seat to Morgan. In the election, 1033 voters favored Morgan, 496
chose Arlington, and 5 voters preferred Edison. Consequently, on
Aug. 6, 1929, the legislature designated Morgan once again county
seat (Ga. Laws 1929, p. 550).
Maps
Size of County (Total
Area): 283.6 square miles
County Rank in Total
Area: 108st out of 159
Population:
Calhoun County
City of Morgan
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