Cherokee County, Georgia

Cherokee County Education, Geography, and History

Cherokee County is a county located in the US state of Georgia. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 214,346.  Cherokee County was created on December 21, 1830 from lands previously held by the Cherokee Indians in the Cherokee Cession of 1831. The county seat is Canton. The county is named in honor of Cherokee Nation, which controlled this part of the state separately until 1831.

Cherokee County is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Etymology - Origin of Cherokee County Name

The county is named in honor of Cherokee Nation, which controlled this part of the state separately until 1831.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Cherokee County History

Cherokee County was formed in 1830 from lands previously held by the Cherokee Indians. Its 6,900 square miles were subsequently divided into 24 other counties.

One interesting historical site is the Crescent Farm, named for the curve in the Etowah River that partially encircles it. A.L. Coggins, original owner of the farm, was a Georgia pioneer in the harness racing industry; the farm became famous for its world-class race horse, Abbedale. The stable, Rock Barn, has never been moved from its original site.

 The county is under the jurisdiction of the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office which is headed by Sheriff Roger Garrison. The Cherokee County Sheriff's office is accredited by CALEA. The major cities within the county are under the jurisdiction of police departments such as Woodstock Police, Canton Police, Holly Springs Police, and Nelson Police departments.

Canton, the county seat, was named after the city in China. Canton's founders attempted to establish silk production; the name, however, is the only thing that survived the venture.

Points of Interest

Lake Allatoona, a 12,010-acre lake, is the center of recreational activities in Cherokee County. The lake was built in 1950 and today provides power for more than 2,000 homes in the area. It is best known for the many recreational opportunities it provides its visitors. With more than 12,000 acres of water surface available, Allatoona is large enough to accommodate a variety of activities.

Notable Citizens

Some of the notable people who have called Cherokee County home include two state governors, Joseph E. Brown and Joseph M. Brown, and two Rhodes Scholars, Dean Rusk and Eugene Booth. Rusk was the Secretary of State under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, and held that office for longer than any other person except Cordell Hull. The world famous golfer Bobby Jones, and singer, writer and pianist, Lee Roy Abernathy, also hail from the county.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 434 square miles (1,120 km²), of which 422 square miles (1,090 km²) is land and 13 square miles (34 km²) (2.9%) is water.

 Cherokee county is located in northwest Georgia. Much of the water is in Lake Allatoona in the southwest. The lake is fed by the Etowah and Little rivers (the county's primary waterways), and other large streams such as Noonday Creek. Much of the northern part of the county begins to rise toward the foothills, and most of it is in the Coosa River watershed. Cherokee is in the Coosa River basin.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• North: Pickens County
• Northeast: Dawson County
• East: Forsyth County
• South: Fulton County
• Southwest: Cobb County
• West: Bartow County
• Northwest: Gordon County

Education

Higher Education

Reinhardt College

Compare More Colleges and Universities

Find more schools to match to your needs.

Start Now