Telfair County Facts

Click HERE to see full size D.O.T. County Map      Telfair County was created from Wilkinson County by an act of the General Assembly approved Dec. 10, 1807. Georgia's 35th county was named for former governor and congressman Edward Telfair (1735-1807). In 1812, the legislature transferred the portion of Telfair County between the Oconee and Little Ocmulgee rivers to Montgomery County. In 1819 and 1825, the legislature transferred respectively land lots 1 and 6 in Appling County to Telfair County. These transfers gave Telfair a substantial area of land south of the Ocmulgee River. However, in 1854, the legislature transferred this area to newly created Coffee County. The last loss of land came in 1870, when areas of northern Telfair County were used to form Dodge County. However in 1872 and 1875, areas of Dodge County were transferred back to Telfair County. The last boundary adjustment came in 1877, when the lands of Bradley Harralson (land lots 265, 266, 272, and 273 in the 10th district) in Montgomery County were shifted Telfair County. The date of completion of Telfair County's first courthouse is not clear. In an act of Dec. 14, 1815, the legislature incorporated Jacksonville and directed the new town commissioners to assemble "at the court-house in said town". However, in Dec. 1816, the legislature authorized Telfair County's inferior court to levy a special tax for building a courthouse and jail. In Dec. 1818, additional legislation was enacted authorizing the inferior court to levy a special tax and to continue it from year to year until a courthouse and jail were completed. So unless the first courthouse was built on borrowed money, it seems probable that it was not completed until around 1820. Little is known about the fate of Telfair County's first courthouse and how many other courthouses were built during the following half century. A wooden, two-story courthouse was built in Jacksonville around 1860. In 1871, the county seat moved from Jacksonville to McRae. In an act of Aug. 27, 1872, the legislature authorized Telfair County officials to borrow the necessary funds "and apply the proceeds to the completion of the new court-house now being erected in said county". The new courthouse -- a large, two-story brick structure -- was completed in 1873. This building, however, burned in the early 1930s. It was replaced by Telfair County's current courthouse, which was completed in 1934.    Cities and Towns Includes the cities of Helena, Lumber City, McRae, Milan and Scotland. See Extended History for More information. Telfair County, Georgia History Books at Amazon.com. The Official County Website is located at ?

There are free downloadable and printable forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms, U.K. Census Extraction Forms, Research Calendar, Ancestral Chart, Research Extract, Correspondence Record , Family Group Sheet , Source Summary Form.

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Telfair County Court Records

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

PLEASE READ!! 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.

   Telfair County Clerk of Superior Court has Court Records from 1810 and Land Records from 1809 and is located at 128 E. Oak St., Ste. 2, McRae, GA 31055; Phone: (229) 868-6525, Fax: (229) 868-7956 . 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.

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.

   Telfair County Clerk of Probate Court has Marriage Records from 1810 , Probate Records from 1831 and is located at 128 E. Oak Street, Suite 1, McRae, GA 31055-1604; 229-868-6038/F 868-7620. 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.

There are a few online databases for Court, Land and Probate Records which include: Georgia Marriages, 1699-1944; Georgia Marriages to 1850; and Georgia Marriages, 1851-1900, Index to Georgia Wills, Land Grants to Georgia Revolutionary War Veterans, You may also search the 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.

Click Here to Search Georgia Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records! - Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

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

• Telfair County, Georgia Court Books at Amazon.com
• Georgia Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.
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Telfair County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Georgia

Click Here to Search Georgia Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.

Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. Signed. Sealed. Delivered. Often in as few as three business days!

   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:

• 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. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE
• Marriage Certificates: Centralized State records since June 9, 1952. Certified copies of marriage documents up to 1966 are issued at State office. Contact the Telfair County Probate office for marriages in Telfair 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.

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. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE

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

• Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE
• 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
• Telfair County, Georgia Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
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Telfair County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records

Click Here to Search Georgia Voter Lists & Census Records! - Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable.

  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 Telfair County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Telfair County Census Records by clicking the link below:

• Telfair County, Georgia Census Books at Amazon.com
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Telfair County Maps & Atlases

   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 Telfair County Maps. Email us with websites containing Telfair County Maps by clicking the link below:

• Telfair County, Georgia Map Books at Amazon.com
• University of Georgia Rare Map Collection
• University of Alabama Historic Map Archive

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Telfair County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Georgia

Click Here to Search Georgia Military Records! - Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

   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 Telfair County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Telfair County Military Records by clicking the link below:

• Telfair 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.
• View, Print Copy & Save 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
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Telfair 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:

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.

There is a online tax database for Georgia Tax Index, 1789-99 an index of tax records held by the state government from 1789-99.

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

• Telfair County, Georgia Tax Books at Amazon.com
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Telfair 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 Telfair County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Telfair County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

• Central Georgia Genealogial Society, Post Office Box 2024, Warner Robins, GA 31099
• Wiregrass Genealogical Society,45 25th Ave., Eastman, GA 31023
• Ocmulgee Regional Library System, PO Box 4369, 505 2nd Ave, Eastman, Georgia, 31023; 478-374-4711
• Local Georgia Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
• 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]
• Georgia Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
• Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.

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Telfair County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Georgia

Click Here to Search Georgia Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. 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 Telfair County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Telfair 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 Telfair County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Telfair County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

• Telfair County, Georgia Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
• Telfair 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.
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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Click Here to Search Georgia Family Tree Records! - 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 Telfair County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Telfair County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

• Telfair 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: [ Telfair 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.
• Meet your ancestors. Learn their stories. Start your FREE family tree.
• Georgia Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
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Extended History

   County Seat: The 1807 act creating Telfair County provided that courts and county business initially be conducted at the house of Jesse Bird. On Dec. 22, 1808, the legislature provided that effective immediately, county elections and other business would be held at the home of John Patterson (actually Peterson). An act of Dec. 8, 1810 repealed the 1808 act and authorized the justices of the inferior court to pick any site for a county seat, so long as it was in the 8th land district and on the Ocmulgee River. The act further directed that elections and other county business be conducted at the residence of Mark Pregon (actually Pridgen) in the 8th district until a courthouse could be built.

An act of Dec. 13, 1811 directed that the Telfair County courthouse and other public buildings be built on land lot 79 in the 8th district on the Ocmulgee River on land purchased from Jesse Wiggins, Jr. The justices of the inferior court were authorized to contract for the building of a courthouse and jail. Until a courthouse was completed, the legislation provided that court sessions, elections, and other county business take place in the house of Jesse Wiggins or such other place in land lot 79 as the inferior court should determine.

Still, nothing happened -- so in an act of Dec. 7, 1812, the legislature provided that the inferior court purchase between 50 and 202 acres of land for erecting a courthouse and other public buildings. The act directed that the site be within two miles of the center of the county and on or near the Ocmulgee River. [At that time, the Ocmulgee River flowed through the middle of Telfair County.] Until the courthouse was built, courts and elections were to be held at the house of Mark Pridgen.

Despite the acts of 1810, 1811, and 1812, Telfair County still did not have a courthouse or county seat. In Nov. 1813, the legislature passed a new act authorizing the inferior court to build a courthouse and jail on land lot 340 in the 8th district. The legislation further provided that as soon as a courthouse was built on lot 340, that site would become the permanent county seat of Telfair County.

For whatever reason, the inferior court failed to implement the 1810, 1811, 1812, or 1813 acts, so in 1814 state lawmakers passed another act confirming land lot 340 as the site for building a courthouse. However, rather than wait for completion of a courthouse, this act declared that land lot 340 henceforth was Telfair County's permanent county seat. Subsequently, the land lot was surveyed and subdivided. One lot was reserved for a courthouse and jail, with the other lots to be sold for settlement of a new town. On Nov. 25,1815, the General Assembly provided that Telfair County's new seat of government be named Jacksonville. In an act of Dec. 14, 1815, the legislature incorporated Jacksonville and directed the new town commissioners to assemble "at the court-house in said town". As for the town's name, the legislation specifically noted that "the name of Jacksonville is here intended to perpetuate the name and memory of the late hero of New Orleans." That hero, of course, was Gen. Andrew Jackson, who on Dec. 8, 1815 had defeated British forces at the Battle of New Orleans.

After the southern half of Telfair County was transferred to newly created Coffee County in 1854, the county seat of Jacksonville no longer was in the center of the county. In fact, it was now just a few miles north of Telfair County's new southern boundary -- the Ocmulgee River. As a result, many Telfair County residents began calling for removal of the county seat to a more central location. In an act of March 3, 1856, the legislature authorized the inferior court to call an election on removing the county seat. The act further provided that if a majority of voters approved removal, the inferior court was to purchase at least twenty acres as near the center of the county as possible and lay out a new county seat, which was to be named Ridgley . It is not clear whether the inferior court ever called a referendum-- but if an election actually was held, supporters of removal lost. The outbreak of the Civil War brought a temporary end to efforts to move Telfair's county seat.

After the Civil War, the Macon & Brunswick Railroad was built through eastern Telfair County, bypassing Jacksonville by twenty miles. This fact, plus Jacksonville's location near the southern boundary of the county, led to renewed agitation for removal of the county seat to a more central location In Oct.1870, the General Assembly passed legislation calling for an election on designating a new county seat and allowing Telfair County officials to levy a special tax for erecting of a suitable courthouse and jail.

The Oct. 1870 legislation did not authorize a referendum on whether or not to move the county seat. Rather it provided for election of five commissioners "whose duty it shall be to select a suitable site on the Macon & Brunswick Railroad, as near the center of said county as practicable, for the capital or county-site of said county of Telfair." The election took place on Dec. 20, 21, and 22 of 1870. It is not known how long the commissioners deliberated on selecting a new county seat -- but presumably they made their decision during the final week of 1870 or in early 1871.

The site selected as Telfair County's new county seat was the railroad station of McRae on the Macon & Brunswick Railroad. Before the Civil War, the McRaes and several other groups of Scottish Presbyterians from the Carolinas had emigrated to this area. Around 1870, track for the Macon & Brunswick was laid through the plantation of Daniel McRae. A railroad station was built here and named for the McRae clan. A town quickly sprung up, and the legislature incorporated McRae as a town on March 3, 1874. According to that act, McRae's city limits included everything within one-half mile of the courthouse.

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