Haralson County Georgia History File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by E. Robertson lrober@plantationcable.net Table of Contents page: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/haralson.htm Georgia Table of Contents: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm Haralson County, Georgia, is located 50 miles West of Atlanta via Interstate 20 on the Alabama border.  The County was formed in 1856 from Carroll and Polk Counties and was named for Hugh Anderson Haralson. He was born near Penfield, Ga., November 13, 1805. Served as a member of Georgia State House of Representatives, 1831; member of Georgia State Senate, 1837; U.S. Representative from Georgia, 1843- 51.  He died on September 25, 1854. Interment at Hill View Cemetery, LaGrange, Ga.   Polk County was formed in 1851 from Paulding County. If you do research in this area of Georgia, it is suggested that you visit all of the CARROLL, POLK AND PAULDING GAGenWeb sites for information. The County seat is Buchanan, which prior to 1857 was called Pierceville.  (See HISTORICAL MARKER GHM071-1 below).  Other cities or towns in Haralson County include Felton, Draketown, Tallapoosa [f/k/a Possum Snout], Bremen, West Bremen, Waco [f/k/a Dean or Wacoville], West Crossing, Hooper, Popular Springs, Steadman  and Dugdown. Primarily a farming community, the county had a wine making industry which contained a large Hungarian colony. (See HISTORICAL MARKER GHM071-3 below). Wine making was a good industry through prohibition.   During the 1880's the state's largest wooden structure was built in Tallapoosa.  This was the Lithia Springs Hotel with 175 rooms. The region was promoted nationally for its healthy climate and financial opportunities resulting in migration of people from many states and other countries. Other industries of the time was a glass factory, gold mining, copper mining as well as farming. LOCATED AT THE HARALSON COUNTY COURTHOUSE, BUCHANAN GHM 071-1 Old Courthouse, US27 and GA 120, Buchanan HARALSON COUNTY....This County, created by Act of the Legislature Jan.26,1856,is named for Gen. Hugh A. Haralson. Member of Congress and Chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs during the Mexican War. The County Site is named for James Buchanan, last Democratic President before the War.  Among the first County Officers were:  Sheriff John K. Holcombe, Clerk of Superior Court Van A. Brewster. Clerk of Inferior Court Jesse M. Jeans.  Tax Receiver Hiram Ray. Tax Collector Alfred H. Green.  Ordinary George H. Hamilton. Surveyor William D. F. Mann and Coroner John McClung. 071-1 GEORGIA HISTORIC MARKER 1954 LOCATED AT FREEMAN ST., TALLAPOOSA GHM 071-3, US78 at Freeman Street, Tallapoosa....HISTORIC TALLAPOOSA Tallapoosa was a place of great ceremonial importance to the Indians.  Here in 1826 settlers discovered "Charles Town", an Indian village named for one of their great warriors.  Several Indian trails intersected here and the Choctaw, Creek and Cherokee tribes frequently assembled here in a grove of "Seven Chestnuts" to trade or to make war.  A local farmer, William Owens, found gold here in 1842.  and some 100,000 pennyweights were mined. Tallapoosa achieved internation renown in 1890 when Gen. Benjamin F. Butler of Massachusetts and other notables including two United States Treasurers....A. U. Wyman and James W. Hyatt--organized the Georgia-Alabama investment and Development Co., to build a new city along the tracks of the Georgia Pacific Railroad, which had been built in 1882.  The new city of Tallapoosa attracted some 15,000 investors, 3000 new inhabitants and a billion dollars in capitalization.  It was a city "built as if by magic,"  Henry W. Grady said: "One which challenged the attention and admiration of the world. HUNGARIAN COLONY GHM 071-3 US 78, .3 MI. WEST OF WACO JUST WEST OF WACO SCHOOL ROAD. In 1888, three winemaking communities were founded here on some 2000 acres.  A local land developer, Ralph L. Spencer, invited some 200 Hungarian wine-making families to settle this region. They named their largest community BUDAPEST, in honor of the capital of Hungary.  The village of TOKAJ recalled the famous wine-making region of Hungary, and     NYITRA was named after an ancient fort in the northern region of their homeland.  Homes, streets, shops, a school, a Catholic church, a cemetery and other municipal facilites were built.  The wine industry flourished in this climate. In 1908 the passage of the Prohibition Act in Georgia spelled their doom. The residents were forced back to the Pennsylvania mines. The rectory still stands on a hill, a fine tribute to the master masons who erected it.  The pioneer Hungarians who became a part of the Georgia soil lie in the little fenced cemetery over the hill, many graves still marked with names which sound foreight to these parts.  By ancient tradition the inhibitants lie with their heads toward the East and their beloved homeland.    (insert picture of marker and picture of cemetery entrance) SANDTOWN TRAIL UDC JUNCTION OF GA 120 AND GA 100, TALLAPOOSA "This road was orginally the Sandtown Trail traveled by several tribes of Creek Indians.  It connected Sandtown on the Chattahoochee River near Atlanta, Ga. with another Sandtown in Tallapoosa Co., Ala. Later became Old Ala. Road over which early white settlers traveled.  Itg was at one time a stagecoach route through this section." A. D. McBride Chapter, U.D.C. 1970 SEVEN CHESTNUTS UDC BOWDEN AND CHESTNUT STREETS, TALLAPOOSA. "On this site under seven chestnut trees the Creek Indians held their council meetings." A. D. McBride Chapter, U.D.C. 1970 ======================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for FREE access. ==============