Wayne County History and Information

Wayne County was created on May 11, 1803, by an act of the General Assembly. Formed from land ceded to Georgia the previous year by the Creek Indians in the Treaty of Fort Wilkinson. Georgia's 27th county was named for American Revolutionary War hero General "Mad" Anthony Wayne. The new county was located in a region of the state known as the Pine Barrens (so-called because the land was barren of most large plants except pine trees), and the lack of fertile soil attracted few settlers. Wayne County was not organized until two years after its creation, and settlement of the county proceeded slowly. For example, an 1822 map of Georgia showed only two named settlements in the county -- Tuckersville and an abandoned Fort James on the Altamaha River.

In 1920, part of Wayne County was used to create Brantley County.

Although Wayne County was created in 1803, it was not until 1829 that a site was selected for the county seat. Where superior and inferior courts met for the county's first 26 years of existence is not known. In fact, it appears that Wayne County did not have a permanent courthouse until one was built in 1860. According to Jordan and Puster, the county's first courthouse was a small wooden structure built in the woods nine miles northwest of Waynesville.

Cities and Towns Includes the cities of Jesup, Odum and Screven. See Extended History for More information. The Official County Website is located at http://www.co.wayne.ga.us/

• Search Historical Newspapers from Georgia (1752 - 1997) - Quickly find names and keywords in over 125 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and other items published in more than 500,000 issues of over 2,500 historical U.S. newspapers. New content added monthly!
• Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.
• Stories, Memories & Histories - Stories and histories compiled by others researching a person or area can be an amazing source of information about your ancestors. Not only do they generally contain dates and places of vital events like birth, marriage, and death, but they often relate stories and memories that help you really get to know the character of your ancestors.
• Wayne County, Georgia History Books at Amazon.com.

Wayne County Court Records

See Also Georgia Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.

Wayne County Clerk of Superior Court has Court Records from 1809 and Land Records from 1809 and is located at 262 W. Walnut St., P.O. Box 918(31598), Jesup, GA 31546; Phone: (912) 427-5930, Fax: (912) 427-5939. The Superior Court, Georgia's general jurisdiction trial court, has exclusive constitutional authority over felony cases, cases regarding title to land and equity, declaratory judgments, habeas corpus, mandamus, adoptions, name changes, divorces, child custody, and child support enforcement. The clerk is responsible for recording deeds and maintaining the chain of title to all property in the county.

Wayne County Clerk of Probate Court has Marriage Records from 1809 , Probate Records from 1809 and is located at P.O. Box 1093, Jesup, GA 31598-1093; 912-427-5940 / FAX 427-5944. The jurisdiction of Probate Court are all legal proceedings that deal with Wills, Estates, Guardianships of minor children, Involuntary Committals Hearings, Filing of Wills for saf, Issuance of Marriage License, ect... The office of the probate judge is the county office where the most significant genealogical records are created and maintained in Georgia.

Below is a list of online resources for Wayne County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Wayne County Court Records by clicking the link below:

• Wayne County, Georgia Court Books at Amazon.com
• Land Lotteries - Lands were given to Georgia citizens by lotteries from in 1805, 1807, 1820, 1821, 1827, 1832, 1832 (Gold), 1833. Where Georgians sold lots won in these lotteries, researchers will find that deeds may be valuable sources of genealogical information. Those deeds should have been recorded in the counties where the land was located, but in some cases references may be found in the counties where the owner resided. Land transaction between private individuals are recorded with the clerk of superior court in the appropriate county.
• Georgia Marriages, 1699-1944
• Georgia Marriages to 1850
• Georgia Marriages, 1851-1900
• Index to Georgia Wills
• Land Grants to Georgia Revolutionary War Veterans
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which does not cover Georgia but does cover surrounding states. Many pioneers and settelers bought land from the government instead of individuals.
• Court, Land, Wills & Financial - Court records are an often overlooked, yet very valuable tool for finding information to assist you in your research. Land records, such as deeds, allow you to tie an ancestor to a specific place at a point in time. Other court records like those dealing with finances and estates often list related family members or give interesting details like the total value of property owned by your ancestors to add interest to your family history.
• Immigration & Emigration - As our ancestors moved from one country to another, details about their lives were recorded on passenger lists and government documents. Immigration and emigration records can help you learn where your ancestors originally came from, where they went, when they left, who they traveled with, and more.

Wayne County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Georgia

Wayne County Health Department has Birth and Death Records since January 1919 and is located at P.O. Box A, 240 Peachtree Street, Jesup, Georgia 31598-0212; (912) 427-2042. You may go to any county health department in the State of Georgia to obtain a certificates can be issued while you wait. Contact Clerk of Superior Court For County Divorce Records (See Wayne County Court Records for Address and Phone number) in the county where divorce was granted, and Contact Probate Judge For County Marriage Records (See Wayne County Court Records for Address and Phone number) in county where license was issued

Georgia State Vital Records, Center for Health Statistics Office is located at State Dept of Human Resources, 2600 Skyland Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30319-3640 (404) 679-4730 info, (877) 572-6343; Fax: (404) 524-4278. They have the following records:

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• Birth & Death Certificates: Birth records are available from 1919 to the present. For earlier records in Atlanta or Savannah or other cities or counties, write to the Vital Records Office (see above) in county where event occurred. Fees are listed below. You can download an application online for Birth Certificates. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE.
• Death Certificates: Certified copies of death records are available from 1919 to the present. Death certificates are available to the general public. For earlier records in Atlanta or Savannah or other cities or counties, write to the Vital Records Office (see above) in county where event occurred. Fees are listed below. You can download an application online for Death Certificates. Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE
• Marriage Certificates: Centralized State records since June 9, 1952. Certified copies of marriage documents up to 1966 are issued at State office. Contact the Wayne County Probate office for marriages in Wayne County occurring before June 9, 1952, and all other counties will be forwarded to appropriate Probate Judge in county where license was issued.The state office does no record marriage license or applications after July 1, 1997.
• Ordering Vital Records Online- You can also order Order Electronically Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.

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The fee to search for a birth, Marriage or Death certificate is $10.00, which includes one certified copy of the certificate or a "Certificate of Failure to Find." For each additional copy of the certificate ordered at the same time, the fee is $5.00. Make certified checks and money orders should be made payable to "Vital Records, GA. DHR". Credit Cards may be uses by using VitalChek services. Please do not send cash or checks. Fees are non refundable. Additional fees are required for expedited service. Mail all Applications to:Vital Records, 2600 Skyland Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30319-3640. You can download an application online for Birth Certificates or Death Certificates.

Below is a list of online resources for Wayne County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Wayne County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

• VitalChek Express Certificate Service - Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. VitalChek is the fast and convenient way to order certified government-issued vital records online. They make it easy for you to purchase the documents to which you are legally entitled. Beware of other online services that do not have relationships directly with the agencies that store your vital records. VitalChek's order process usually takes less than 10 minutes --And you can select express courier service for even faster delivery when time is running out.
• Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
• Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Georgia newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
• Birth, Marriage & Death - Vital records (births, deaths, marriages, and divorces) mark the milestones of our lives and are the foundation of family history research. Vital records, usually kept by a civic authority, can give you a more complete picture of your ancestor, help you distinguish between two people with the same name, and help you find links to a new generation.
• Search Historical Newspapers (1690 - 1980) - Quickly find names and keywords in over 125 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and other items published in more than 500,000 issues of over 2,500 historical U.S. newspapers. New content added monthly
• Georgia Death Certificates, 1919-1927 - Georga Death Certificates and Images from 1919 through 1927. The collection also includes a number of certificates predating 1919, mostly from 1917 and 1918. Free from the Georgia State Archives
• Georgia Marriages, 1699-1944: This database contains marriage information from selected areas of Georgia from 1699-1944.
• Georgia Marriages to 1850: This database of Georgia marriages to 1850 contains over 165,000 names. Each entry includes groom, bride, marriage date, county, and state. Every name is indexed so you can search for one name, or two names that are linked.
• Georgia Marriages, 1851-1900: This collection of records contains marriage data from several Georgia counties between 1851 and 1900.
• Georgia Deaths, 1919-98: This database is an index of more than 2.7 million deaths recorded by the state of Georgia from 1919 to 1998
• Wayne County, Georgia Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
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Wayne County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Georgia

Federal Population Schedules that exist for Georgia are 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. The 1820 census is the earliest enumeration of Georgia's population to have survived, making it necessary to substitute other lists for the missing censuses. Land lottery, military and tax lists, and other records, are available as census substitutes and supplements for the 1820 and earlier censuses.

The first three census schedules for Georgia (1790, 1800 & 1810) are missing. A total of seventeen volumes of 1790-1820 censuses were lost by the federal government, evidently before 1895, and the cause is unknown. Tax lists for various years for a few of the counties have been published.. These can be used as a substitution for the first three census schedules. Additionally, Wills, deeds, tax digests, court minutes, voter lists, and newspapers can be searched to locate ancestors during this period The 1820 schedules for Franklin, Rabun, and Twiggs Counties are missing.

Georgia conducted state censuses for various years from 1787 to 1866. Only a relatively few of these returns survive, and they are only lists of heads of households with some minor statistical information. The returns prior to 1852 have been published in various sources. Later census returns, when they survive, are almost all on microfilm at the Georgia Department of Archives and History . The Georgia Census, 1790-1890 contains the following indexes: 1790 Tax Substitute Index; 1792-1819 Tax Lists Index; 1800 Oglethorpe County Territorial Census Index; 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860 & 1870 Federal Census Index; 1840 Pensioners List; 1838 & 1845 State Census Index; ,1860 Slave Schedule; 1890 Veterans Schedule.

There are many other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in the state of Georgia. There are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880.

Below is a list of online resources for Wayne County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Wayne County Census Records by clicking the link below:

• Wayne County, Georgia Census Books at Amazon.com
• Census & Voter Lists - A census is an official list of the people in a particular area at a given time, while voter lists show those who were registered to vote in a certain area. The valuable information found on census records helps you to understand your family in their time and place. Voter Lists serve as a confirmation of residence in between the years that the census was taken.

Wayne County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Maps are an invaluable part of family history research, especially if you live far from where your ancestor lived. Because political boundaries often changed, historic maps are critical in helping you discover the precise location of your ancestor's hometown, what land they owned, who their neighbors were, and more.

Georgia Antique Maps & Atlases has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Georgia and other states.

You can view rotating animated maps for Georgia showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps

You can view rotating animated maps for Georgia showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps. The Georgia Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here

Below is a list of online resources for Wayne County Maps. Email us with websites containing Wayne County Maps by clicking the link below:

• Wayne County, Georgia Map Books at Amazon.com
• University of Georgia Rare Map Collection
• University of Alabama Historic Map Archive
• Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers - Maps are an invaluable part of family history research, especially if you live far from where your ancestor lived. Because political boundaries often changed, historic maps are critical in helping you discover the precise location of your ancestor's hometown, what land they owned, who their neighbors were, and more.

Wayne County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Georgia

The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.

Below is a list of online resources for Wayne County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Wayne County Military Records by clicking the link below:

• Wayne County, Georgia Military Books at Amazon.com
• Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 from the State of Georgia (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
• Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
• Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files from the State of Georgia (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804.
• Southern Claims Commission from the State of Georgia (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
• Original Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of Georgia (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
• Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Georgia (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Compiled service records of Confederate soldiers from Georgia units, labeled with each soldier's name, rank, and unit, with links to revealing documents about each soldier
• Case Files of Applications from Former Confederates for Presidential Pardons ("Amnesty Papers"), 1865-67 from the State of Georgia (The National Archives): NARA M1003. View, Print Copy & Save Original Applications for pardon submitted to President Andrew Johnson, 1865-67, by former Confederates excluded from earlier amnesty proclamations.
• Military - The men and women called to serve their country in military duty are a source of pride to their families and to their nation. Now, with databases containing more than 16 million names and thousands of government records available to search, researching your veteran ancestors has become easier than ever before.

Wayne County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

None of Georgia's colonial tax records have survived. Surviving Georgia tax records begin on a county basis in the late 1780s. By 1783 Georgia tax laws provided for taxing land according to its quality and quantity, and male polls were white males over twenty-one. Other taxes were imposed on town lots, slaves, and free persons of color, buildings and improvements, merchandise, lawyers, and doctors. The poll tax on all adult males made Georgia tax digests good census substitutes and supplements.

The Georgia Department of Archives and History has other tax digests for 1789–1817 which are not included in the above publication. A complete set of originals for the years 1872 to the present is at the Georgia Department of Archives and History . Some earlier digests are on microfilm at the Georgia Archives and the FHL.

List of Tax Acts of Georgia from 1780-1817

Jul. 31, 1783 Feb. 21, 1785 Feb. 13, 1786 Feb. 10, 1787 Feb. 1, 1788 Dec. 29, 1789 Dec. 22, 1791 Dec. 20, 1792

Dec. 19, 1793 Dec. 29, 1794 Feb. 22, 1796 Feb. 11, 1797 Feb. 2, 1798 Feb. 13, 1799 Dec. 4, 1799 Dec. 1, 1800

Dec. 10, 1802 Dec. 10, 1803 Dec. 12, 1804 Dec. 4, 1805 June 26, 1806 Dec. 8, 1806 Dec. 10, 1807 Dec. 22, 1808

Dec. 10, 1812 Dec. 6, 1813 Nov. 22, 1814 Dec. 16, 1815 Dec. 19, 1816 Dec. 19, 1817

Legislative Activity for Taxes: 1817-1850

• 1818-1839: The acts during these years are all based on the tax act of 1817. These tax acts continually revive preceding acts, often with amendments. Many simple tax questions can be answered by a glance at the 1817 law. Complex or refined questions may require consulting the specific act for the year in question and then backward through a chain of revived acts.
• 1840: This act revives the Tax Act of 1804, with amendments. This was probably an attempt at simplification. The stated intention was to make this act permanent.
• 1842: This act increased the taxes of 1840 by 25%.
• 1843-50: The final years of the first half of the nineteenth century the Georgia Legislature re-enacted the 1840 act, which itself was a revival of the 1804 act. The 1847 act did require that taxes be paid in the county in which the land was held in jurisdiction. Previously, the tax had been paid in the county of residence.

Below is a list of online resources for Wayne County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Wayne County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

• Wayne County, Georgia Tax Books at Amazon.com
• Georgia Tax Index, 1789-99 - Online tax database for an index of tax records held by the state government from 1789-99.

Wayne County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Georgia Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Wayne County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Wayne County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

• Search for Local Georgia Researchers or Earn Money by becoming a Local Georgia Researcher!
• Wayne County Historical Society; 125 NE Broad St ; Jesup , GA 31546-4370 ; (912) 427-3991
• Georgia Department of Archives and History, 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260;
  For history, genealogy, or other research: Reference Services Tel: (678) 364-3710 , [EMAIL]
• Georgia Historical Society, 501 Whitaker Str, Savannah, GA 31401; 912-651-2125
• Georgia Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 54574, Atlanta, Georgia 30308-0575, [EMAIL]
• Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
• Directories & Member Lists - Directories and member lists are typically compilations of information about people who belonged to various associations and groups or lived within city boundaries. They can be thought of as the predecessors to the modern-day phone book and usually list names, addresses, and sometimes the occupations of your ancestors.

Wayne County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Georgia

Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Wayne County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Wayne County Tombstone Transcription Project.

The Georgia Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches and cemeteries free for viewing or download here.

Early denominations present in Georgia in fewer numbers include Baptist, Methodist, Lutherans, Catholics, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and Congregationalists. While their respective repositories house historical records, the Georgia Department of Archives and History has a good collection of church records on microfilm. Consult the holdings of other major genealogical libraries with southern collections for additional sources, including the FHL.

There is a online Cemetery database for the book 30,638 Burials in Georgia an list of 30,638 burials in the state of Georgia was copied over a 35-year period from headstones and markers in 600 cemeteries located in nearly 100 Georgia counties

Below is a list of online resources for Wayne County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Wayne County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

• Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Georgia obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Georgia newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Georgia.
• Search Obituaries from Georgia Newspapers at ObitsArchive.com - it is the largest and most comprehensive collection of newspaper obituaries and death notices in the United States. Each obituary or death notice is indexed by the name of the deceased person, to make searching easier and more precise. In addition, the text of each obituary or death notice is searchable, making it easy to find just what you're looking for using a place of residence, occupation, names of family members, or other personal information.
• Wayne County, Georgia Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
• Wayne County, Georgia Church Books at Amazon.com
• Georgia Baptist Historical Collection, Eugene W. Stetson Memorial Library, Mercer University, Macon, Georgia 31207;
• United Methodist Museum, P.O. Box 408, St. Simons Island, Georgia 31522
• Savannah and Diocesan Archives, 302 East Liberty St, P.O. Box 8789, Savannah, GA 31402.
• Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers throughout the world.
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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Wayne County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Wayne County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

• Search for Local Georgia Researchers or Earn Money by becoming a Local Georgia Researcher!
• Wayne County, Georgia Family Books at Amazon.com
• Search 60 Years Of Everton Data : For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
• Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
• Sites on USGenweb: [ Wayne County ] [ Georgia ] [ Main Page ]
• [GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
• Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
• Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
• The Georgia Family Group Sheet Project
• Family Trees - Ancestry has thousands of family trees shared by other members. They can help you identify how ancestors are related and give you clues about birth, marriage, and death information. Family trees are an excellent resource for filling in gaps in your research or even to simply know where to begin.
• Pictures - One of the more exciting discoveries in doing family history research is finding a photograph of your ancestors or their residence. Finding historic postcard photos and drawings of towns and important events throughout history can also give you a visual look into your ancestors lives.
• Reference Materials & Finding Aids - Reference materials, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other how-to books, can be tremendously helpful in finding and interpreting historical documents. Many of these books can help you learn where to look for more information and how to use what you've already found to uncover more clues.
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Extended History

 

County Seat: A good deal of uncertainty clouds the story of Wayne County's seat of government for the first 50 years of the county's existence. Tuckersville reportedly served as the first county seat, and several different maps from the 1820s show Tuckersville as the most prominent town in Wayne County. One 1835 map of Georgia shows a new town -- Waynesville -- as the county seat. However, as late as 1838, most maps of Georgia showed Tuckersville as county seat. An 1851 map shows Waynesville as county seat, with Tuckersville omitted from the map. However, a map the following year included Waynesville but still showed Tuckersville as county seat. Maps of 1861 and 1862 clearly show Waynesville as county seat and as a depot on the Brunswick & Pensacola Railroad. A Georgia map of 1871 shows a new county seat -- Jesup -- located at the intersection of the Macon & Brunswick Railroad and the Savannah, Florida & Western Railroad.

Turning from maps to the legal story, in 1806, three years after Wayne County was created, the legislature passed an act naming commissioners to select a county seat. Apparently, the commissioners had difficulty living up to their responsibility, for in 1808, the legislature passed an act naming a new group of commissioners and directing that county courts and elections be held at the house of Capt. William Clements until a county seat was selected. In 1823, legislators named a new group of commissioners to select a county seat, which "shall be as near the centre of said county as convenience will permit, on the north side of the river Great Satilla. . . ." The next year, however, the legislature enacted new legislation directing that court sessions and elections for Wayne County be held "at the house of Wiley Robertson in the county of Wayne until suitable buildings are erected at the county site." In 1825, the legislature acted again, this time directing that the Wayne County courthouse "shall be located where the court-house stood near the Buffalo. . . " [This may be a reference to the Little Buffalo Swamp, which today is situated on the Wayne-Brantley boundary about 12 miles north of Waynesville; Buffalo Swamp in western Glynn County near the Wayne County line; or Buffalo Creek in southern Brantley County.]

Apparently, the commissioners named by the legislature in 1823 had decided to build the courthouse at a site near Wiley Robertson's home. For whatever reason, the legislature stepped in Dec. 1826 and passed an act directing the commissioners "to sell and dispose of the lumber and site which were got for the new courthouse at Wiley Robson's. . . ."

In Dec. 1829, the legislature provided that as of the first Monday in January 1830, "the site for the court house and public buildings for the county of Wayne, shall be established and made permanent on a four acre lot of land, given to the said county by William Clemants, Esq. for the purpose of establishing said court house and public buildings thereon, on the south side of said Clemants' mill branch, near where the court house road crosses the said branch about one mile from the Village of Waynesville, and about four miles from Ammons' ferry on Great Satilla River."

In 1832, Wayne County residents upset over the location of the county seat petitioned the legislature to take action. This time, lawmakers passed legislation directing Wayne County voters to elect commissioners for choosing a county seat. If it was possible to move the county seat, the commissioners were directed to determine where the center of the Wayne County was.

Finally in 1843, the General Assembly designated Waynesville as county seat. However, many Wayne County residents felt Waynesville was too far south, so they continued to call for a more centrally located location. In 1847, the legislature provided for election of commissioners to select a new county seat. The election was to take place in May 1848, with voting in the 134th district to take place "at the old court-house near the residence of James Rawlinson." The newly elected commissioners were to meet "at the residence of William Flowers, near the old ford of the Buffalo, and proceed to select and fix upon a place in the vicinity of the residence of the said Wm. Flowers as near the centre of the county as the public convenience will admit."

Apparently, this election of commissioners was never held, for in Feb. 1854 the General Assembly provided for the election of two commissioners from each militia district in Wayne County in April 1854. These commissioners were directed to select a site for erection of a courthouse. Then, on the first Saturday in May 1854, the commissioners would to meet at the house of "James Raulerson" and put construction of the courthouse out for bid.

In March 1856, the legislature passed an act that gave residents of Wayne County a voice in determining their county seat. A county-wide election would take place in April 1856. Voters would be given a ballot that indicated "Removal" or "No Removal." If they wanted Waynesville to continue as county seat they would vote against removal. However, if they wanted the county seat moved, they would vote for removal and then indicate what place they wanted it moved to.

According to the legislation calling for the referendum, Wayne County inferior court judges were directed to immediately take steps to purchase land and erect a courthouse and other public buildings. However, lack of funding caused a delay. So, in 1857, the General Assembly authorized Wayne County's inferior court to levy a special tax for two years to fund construction of the new courthouse. According to Jordan and Poster, a courthouse was finally built in the woods miles miles northwest of Waynesville in 1860.

After the Civil War, t. The new Macon & Brunswick Railroad crossed the Atlantic & Gulf Railroad at a point in the northern section of Wayne County. Here a train station serving two different railroads was built. A town quickly sprung up around the station and was named Jesup, in honor of U.S. Army Gen. Thomas Jesup (1788-1860), who gained fame during the Creek Indian War of 1836. By 1870, the legislature had incorporated the new town.

Jesup's growth led to a renewed call for designation of a new county seat. In Feb. 1873, the General Assembly called for a new election to determine the issue in March 1873. From the language of the Sec. II of the act, it appears that neither Jesup nor Waynesville were then serving as county seat:

Sec. II. That the voters voting at said election shall vote "no removal," or if in favor of removal shall designate by their ballots in the manner following, to-wit: "Removal, Jesup," "Removal. Waynesville," "Removal, Screven," their choice of the location of the new county site.

In the election, voters finally solved the long controversy by choosing Jesup as the permanent county seat for Wayne County.