Troup County, Georgia

Troup County Education, Geography, and History

Troup County is a county located in the state of Georgia. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 67,044. Troup County was created on June 8, 1825.   The county seat is LaGrange. The county is named in honor of George M. Troup (1780-1856), the Governor of Georgia (1823-1827) and a U.S. Senator.

Troup County comprises the LaGrange, GA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA Combined Statistical Area.

Etymology - Origin of Troup County Name

The county was named for Governor George M. Troup, "The Hercules of State Rights," and an ardent advocate of "Indian Removal" despite being a cousin of Chief William McIntosh.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Troup County History

Troup County was the 70th county organized; it was a landlot county acquired from the Creek Indians in 1826. The county was named for Governor George M. Troup, "The Hercules of State Rights," and an ardent advocate of "Indian Removal" despite being a cousin of Chief William McIntosh.

The county seat, LaGrange, is named for the ancestral home of Revolutionary War hero Marquis de LaFayette. LaFayette Fountain, a replica of the LaFayette statue in LePuy, France, also salutes the Marquis de LaFayette. It stands on the courthouse square in LaGrange.

During the Civil War, the women of LaGrange formed a military company to protect the town from Union soldiers. They named themselves the Nancy Harts to honor Georgia's Revolutionary War heroine. Union troops led, coincidentally by Colonel Oscar H. LaGrange, marched into town on April 18, 1865. The women promptly surrendered after they convinced Col. LaGrange not to destroy the town.

Points of Interest

West Point Lake is located in Troup County. It is a 26,900 acre reservoir on the Chattahoochee River built by the US Corps of Engineers for $155 million.

A National Historic Landmark of note is Bellevue, the Benjamin Harvey Hill House, built from 1853-1855. It is a significant example of the "domesticated temple" form of the Greek Revival style.

Some other tourist attractions include the Callaway Memorial Tower, built in 1929 to honor textile magnate Fuller E. Callaway, Sr. and the Chattahooche-Flint Heritage Highway, a scenic highway that runs through Coweta, Troup, and Meriwether counties.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 446 square miles (1,160 km²), of which 414 square miles (1,070 km²) is land and 32 square miles (83 km²) (7.2%) is water.

Troup county is located in west Georgia. The county is located in the Middle Chattahoochee River-Lake Harding sub-basin.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Northeast: Coweta County
• East: Meriwether County
• Southeast: Harris County
• Southwest: Chambers County, Ala.
• Northwest: Randolph County, Ala.; Heard County

Education

Higher Education

LaGrange College and the West Georgia Technical College

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