McDUFFIE COUNTY, GA - HISTORY   Thomson

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McDuffie was formed in 1870  from land taken from
Columbia and Warren  Counties. This was done  to
help the Local population by placing a Courthouse
closer than the one in Appling (Columbia County)
which was quite a ride from most places in the
county  and not near any railway  lines.

Appling today is much as it was then, a CourtHouse,
Post office and a few buildings along the roadside
not really a Town there . Thomson on the other hand
was a  fast growing town with a Rail Connection  to
Augusta so it made sense to locate a CourtHouse
here.

Did you Know Thomson actually got its name from a
bribe? There were two  possible  routes for the
rail line from Augusta  in the 1830's one  through
the Town of Wrightsboro and the other Through a
Swampy area  near the Usery Plantation.

Well the Folks in Wrightsboro were opposed to the
train coming through so the folks living near the
Plantation made an offer to the  Railroad man picked
to choose the route.

If he picked their  Village.. they would name it
after Him.. the tracks came  and Thomson was Born.
With no Rail connection the Town of Wrightsboro withered and died away while the  Village of Thomson became a local shipping center.