In the Treaty of Washington signed Feb. 27, 1819, the Cherokees ceded a large area of extreme northeast Georgia. In an act of Dec. 21, 1819, the General Assembly used this cession to create Rabun County, as well as transfer some of the land to Hall and Habersham counties (Ga. Laws 1819, p. 23). [Note: In the official compiliation of 1819 session laws , the act's approval date is listed as Dec. 16, 1819 . However, the enrolled copy of the act in the Georgia State Archives indicates that the act was approved on Dec. 21.]

According to the act creating Rabun County:

"That all that part of the [ceded] territory aforesaid, which lies in the fork of the Chatahoochee and Chestatee rivers, and south-west of a line beginning on the Chatahoochee river, where the line dividing the counties of Hall and Habersham corners on the same, and running thence a due west course, until the same strikes the Chestatee river, be added to and become part of Hall county, and that the same be laid out into three districts, as nearly equal as practicable; and that all of the said territory which lies north-east of the before cited line, and north-west of the Chatahoochee and Blair's line, until the same strikes the top of the Blue Ridge, be, and the same is hereby added to, and become part of Habersham county, which shall be laid out into six districts, as nearly equal as practicable; and all the balance of the said territory shall form one county, to be called and known by the name of Rabun, and be laid off into five districts, as nearly equal as practicable."

In an act of Dec. 21, 1819, the legislature organized Rabun County and provided for election of county officials (Ga. Laws 1819, p. 112).

In 1828, the legislature transferred a portion of Habersham County to Rabun County (Ga. 1828, p. 58). According to that legislation:

". . . so much of the county of Hahersham, as lies north and east of a line, beginning near the upper end of the Falls, on Talloola river, at the corner of fraction, number one hundred and eighty three, in the thirteenth district of said county of Habersham, thence the ridge a north west direction, dividing the waters of said river Talloola, and the waters of Panther creek, Deep creek, and Leuque creek, until said dividing ridge intersects, or strikes what is called Blairs line, thence on said Blairs line, until the same strikes Wild Cat creek, the line dividing Rabun from Habersham county, the same being a part of the thirteenth district of Habersham county, be added to, and become a part of the county of Rabun."

In 1838, the legislature redefined the Rabun-Habersham county line (Ga. Laws 1838, p. 80). In 1856, the legislature used portions of Rabun and Union counties to create Towns County (Ga. Laws 1856, p. 121).

Georgia's 47th county was named for Gov. William Rabun (1771-1819), who had died in office two months earlier.

Historical Maps

 

 

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© Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia

Go to Historical Atlas of Georgia Counties

Go to Rabun County Courthouse page