History of Jefferson County, Georgia

Jefferson County was created in 1796 from Burke County and Warren County Georgia. The county seat is Louisville, and the first permanent capital. It was also the first site where the government buildings were owned by the state. Savannah had served as the capital from Georgia's colonial period. For a short time Augusta was temporarily the capital city, while a new town Louisville, was being built in what was then the frontier. This new town would become the capital by an act of the General Assembly passed 26 January 1786.

On the 12th of January 1796 was the marked date of the first session of the General Assembly in Louisville. It was begun and held at the town of Louisville in the County of Burke. Jefferson County was created.  Jefferson County was home to many Scotch-Irish in which they founded Queensboro before the Capital era days.

The General Assembly in 1766 had passed an act to encourage settlers to come into the province and granted 1,800 pounds sterling for this purpose. George Galphin and John Rae had advertisements appearing in the newspapers in Ireland during 1766 telling about this wonderful new country and the township which would be established. Galphin would send a ship for the settlers. By 1768 no Irish had arrived to live on the land reserved for them. They had refused to leave their native soil until their passage was paid and land laid out free of expense to them.

Thus was the beginning of the township Queensboro as nearly 100 immigrants arrived in Savannah in December 1768 aboard the ship "Prince George." Another 200 came in 1771. Jefferson County is rich in history with many families migrating on to the west and south of it. Many of the Jefferson County families asked for passports to the Alabama area and finding new land populated the west.

The Jefferson County Historical Society was formed in 1995, their address is:  Post Office Box 491, Louisville,GA 30434-0491, with meetings being held at the public library.