Clay
was named for the famous statesman Henry Clay. The population for Clay in
2002 was approximately 3,300. The
county seat is Ft. Gaines. The cities and towns are Ft. Gaines and
Bluffton. Bluffton has a population of a little over 115 people in 2002, and
Ft. Gaines
has around 1100. Ft. Gaines is one of the oldest surviving towns in the
state, and the only frontier fort in
Georgia that has survived as an incorporated municipality. You can read a
history narrative
of Ft. Gaines, take a guided
tour and get a
close look at the
Frontier Village of original buildings from the 1800s. Elizabeth
Stuart Dill who was captured and held hostage by Indians after the War of 1812,
is one of the county's interesting historical figures. Forced to accompany the
Indians on their raids, she was able to gather a lot of paper money that the
Indians had deemed useless and save it by pinning it to her petticoats. When
rescued, she returned with her loot to Fort Gaines and built the Dill House,
which is now a Bed and Breakfast.
Walter
F. George, a notable Clay County resident, rose from tenant farmer beginnings to
serve in the U.S. Senate from 1923 to 1956. President Eisenhower also appointed
George to be his personal ambassador to NATO.
Among the beautiful items in Clay County -- Lake George.
I have included as much as I can in the above, I would love it if someone could
take pictures (digital) or otherwise and send to me for placement on this site.
I will provide credit for the photos. I would love some holiday scenes of
the parade and main streets, city hall, etc. along with any scenery, in other
words, I want to build a beautiful gallery of photos for Clay County.
Email me: ltlbit@mindspring.com
.
Historical Markers ▫ Bethel
Baptist Church ▫ Cemetery List
More data coming soon for this site. If you have
contributions, please let us know. Credits will be given.
