Dade County, Georgia

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History/Timeline

Dade county and the Quarter.

Pre 1800'sThe area today called Dade County was originally the home of Woodlands period American Indians. These Indians built a wall on Pigeon Mountain similar to that near Fort Mountain. ^[1]

1813-14 Chief Wauhatchie was a Cherokee leader who thought of himself as a friend of Andrew Jackson. Soon he fought with Andrew Jackson during the Creek War (1813-1814) and after the Creek War, he and the Native Americams were first removed from their lands, then put into a prison which was not a good prison, and later were sent westward to Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears. ^[1]

1817 Chief Wauhatchie, their leader gave the U.S. government permission to explore and fix the northern boundary of Georgia. Chief Wauhatchie was one of the few Cherokee Indians to return to Georgia to re-purchase the land from a Georgia settler who had won it in the 6th Georgia Land Lottery!! ^[2][1]

1819 Transcontinental Treaty and Andrew Jackson's success ended the 1st Seminole war. Dade was from Virginia and was serving in Florida to enforce the treaty that ended the First Seminole War. The Seminole, led by Chief Micanope and Chief Jumper ambushed Dade's militia group.. Francis Langhorne Dade was killed along with 105 of his 108 men. This massacre led to the Second Seminole War between the United States government and the Seminoles.^[1][3][4][5]

1820-1837 Original settlers won their land in the Georgia land lotteries (1820). After this the county grew slowly after its formation in 1837. ^[2]

Dec 25, 1837 the State of Georgia created Dade County by passing an act of the General Assembly (Ga. Laws 1837, p. 65). Created entirely from Walker County, The boundaries were set to have this description:......

" ... That from and immediately after the passage of this act, the Inferior Court of the county of :Walker, shall be authorized and required to cause to be ran and plainly marked a line as :hereinafter designated, beginning at Lot one, in the ninth District of the fourth section, originally :Cherokee now Walker county, thence a south west direction for its general course, so as to run :as near as possible on the middle on the top of the Look Out Mountain, until it strikes the line of :the State of Alabama, at or near Lot No. one hundred and forty-five (145,) in the eighteenth (18) :district of the fourth section, and all that portion of said county lying west of and north west of :the aforesaid line, shall constitute a new county, to be called Dade."

Georgia named it in honor of U.S. Army Major Francis Langhorne Dade. ^[1]

post 1837 Coal miners were some of the first white settlers after 1837 for the Dade County mine. The Civil War interrupted the mining activity.^[2]

1837 Georgia legislators created the 91st county for Georgia from western Walker County, near the NW tip of Georgia. Dade County shares Lookout Mountain with Alabama on the west. Tennessee is the northern border. The only way into the county was by way of either Alabama or Tennessee until 1939. It was named for Major Francis Langhorne Dade, (killed in the Dade Massacre by Seminole Indians, Dec., 1835. Original settlers won land in the 1820 land lotteries which were held to bring in settlers following the removal of the Cherokee American Indians. Some of the settlers were miners in the coke and coal mines of the Chattanooga, Tennessee area..^[6][2]

1837-1939 For 102 years Dade County existed very isolated from the remainder of Georgia.. Its location in Georgia was northwest county with topography of rugged mountains, no roads.. If a person visited there, they had to travel to it through Alabama or Tennessee to reach Dade County.. For years there were only a sparse population with no increase in population. ^[1]

1838 After the Cherokee Indians (the original citizens of this county) were removed from their land, settlers began to arrive. ^[2]

Dade County map.

Dec 21,1839 after 2 years Georgia General Assembly finally passed another act to specify Salem, Georgia to be the county seat and incorporated Salem. It had been settled in 1830.

1840 Georgia General assembly passed another law (Ga. Laws 1840, p. 36) which changed the name of Salem Georgia, County to Trenton, Georgia as county Seat.. Leaders of Salem, Georgia listened to the businessmen from Trenton, New Jersey who wanted to develop the resources for coal and iron. thus the town requested its name to be changed to Trenton, Georgia in honor or these businessmen.^[1]

late 1850's Dade County of all the northern Georgia counties supported the secession beliefs and effort.. Georgia was being cautious with action on secession. Dade county leaders were irritated earning the rumors the county wanted to secede rom the United States as well as Georgia in 1861.^{[2] [1]}

Feb 1854 - Incorporation of Trenton, Georgia was first called Salem, is the county seat and was incorporated in February 1854. ^[2]

1860 there was a Myth of Dade County secession from the Union and state of Georgia. It did not secede from the Union or Georgia. The citizens may have had these wishes, but the state of Georgia was cautious.. The county seceded with the state in 1861.^{[2] [6]}

Logo.

1860, prior to Civil War Dade County residents wanted to secede from the Union, but Georgia lawmakers were cautious. ^[6]

pre-1861 - Dade County Mines and neighboring counties began mining for coke and coal for foundries of Rome and Etowah, Georgia. John Gordon was a settler from a mine community who later served in a unit in the Civil War. ^[1]

1861 - General George Thomas and William Rosecrans led over 40,000 men through Dade County to Chickamauga. They had to build a road to carry their equipment and munitions.

Rosecrans stayed in Trenton, Georgia when moving from Stevenson, Alabama to the Gordon Mansion.. Thomas emerged from Stevens Gap into McLemore's Cove and marched on to Chickamauga.^[7]

^[8][9] Waymarking Skirmish at McLemores Cove

1861- 64 Civil War over 40,000 soldiers came through this area to reach Chickamauga.. They built a road to transport their equipment and munitions.. Dade County sent its Racoon Roughs men to fight for the Southern Confederacy. During the Battle of Chattanooga, minor skirmishes occurred in Dade County.^[2]

1861-65 Civil War Dade county contributed a company known as the Raccoon Roughs to fight for the South. During the Battle of Chattanooga, some minor battles were fought in Dade County. Rising Fawn, American Native, recalled his grandfather's description of the Union soldiers' campfires causing the valley to appear like daylight.^[1]

Dade Co. Battlefield, 1863

Sept 19-20, 1863 The Battle of Chicamauga was a bloody battle of the Civil War, which occurred in Dade, Catoosa dn Walker Counties. This The Battle of Chicamauga was one of the largest Union defeat with 2nd number of casualties after Gettysburg. During this battle the union Army of the cumberland under Maj Gen. William Rosecrans and the Confederate Aarmy of Tennessee under Gen. Braxton Bragg. The name was taken from its nearness to West Chickamauga Creek which geographically was near the battle in Northwest Georgia. ^[10][1]

Dade County mining stopped during the Civil War, due to the fact that Gen. William T. Sherman destroyed the factories that were using the coke and coal, during Sherman's attacks and march into Atlanta..^[1]

Pre-1860 Northeastern developers brought in other settlers to work in the coke and coal mines.

1865 the mines closed due to the factories which bought the coal, coke were destroyed by the Union forces.. ^[2]

1880s Coke and coal mining began again, with the prison labor Georgia supplied. The remote Dade County was an out of the way place to use this type of labor.aided by prison labor supplied by the state. The peak production for coal was 700 tons/day. The bigger seams played out in 1920. Smaller seams were mined until the coal mining ceased in 1947. ^[1][2]

One notable is buried in Trenton although his grave was not verified or marked until 2008. This was George Washington Harris (1814-1869) a Southern humorist, and author which influenced noted writers such as Mark Twain, William Faulkner, and Flannery O'Connor.^[6]

1926- The Dade County Courthouse was built in Trenton, with Dutch colonial revival style.. The County superior court, district attorney, and state probation offices are here.^[2]

Cloudland Canyon state Park

1939 The geography of mountains and rivers contributed to the isolation of the residents. There was no road connecting Dade County to Georgia until after the formation of Cloudland canyon State Park, in 1939. At this time Georgia purchased property to become Cloudland canyon State Park.  ::Then Georgia started work on Hwy 136 to connect U.S. 41 to the new park the Civilian Conservation Corps built facilities and access roads leading to the park. Cloud land State Park draws many visitors. Dade was "rediscovered" by Georgia in 1939 when the state bought the land that became Cloudland Canyon State Park. ^[1][2][6]

1945 the county passed a resolution to officially rejoin the Union, (80 years after the Civil War) ^[1]

1964 Covenant College began in 1955 in California, then moved to Dade county with a campus at Lookout Mountain, Dade County.Today the college is associated with the Presbyterian Church of America. ^{[1] [6][2]}

1999 when the U.S. Mint released the Georgia State Quarter, it had a design mistake which left the Dade County off the northwestern section of the state. Some people felt this missing area on the design was a reference to the Dade County secession from Georgia.^[6]

map of Dade co. and Georgia.

Other unincorporated communities in the county are Hooker, Morganville, New England, Rising Fawn, and Wildwood..^[2]

2005 There were 900 undergraduates in the Covenant College liberal arts school and a education program in graduate school. This college is associated with the Presbyterian Church of America.^[2]

Economics -Manufacturing employs a majority of citizens, with retail trade, health, social services and construction work. This led to the Dade County Industrial Park, which led to business development increases.^[2]

Attractions of Dade County are Cloudland Canyon State Park, Lookout Mountain, 1788 sites of Indian wars and 1861-65 Civil War battle sites, Rock City, the Hooker and Tuncunhee Indian Mounds. Dade County's limestone geology has formed 164 caves in Dade county to explore. ^[2]

2001 A tornado struck extreme southern Dade County in November 2001 tearing up infrastructure for a mile and a half. According to local officials, eight buildings were damaged or destroyed in the tornado's path near State Road 157. ^[1]

Government Offices

1853 The courthouse at Trenton burned 15 April with a total loss of records.

1863 - Civil War the courthouse was destroyed on Nov 19-21, 1863 with all probate records and marriages.. (two deed books and some Superior Court minutes survived.)

Dade county Courthouse, 1926

1926- The Dade County Courthouse was built in Trenton, with Dutch colonial revival style.. The County superior court, district attorney, and state probation offices are here.

Geography/Geology

Location - northwest corner of Georgia, and the county's own northwest corner is the westernmost point in the state.

Size- total area of 174 square miles (450 km2), of which 174 square miles (450 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) (0.1%) is water.

Geology- limestone geology - formed 164 caves.

Sub-basins -

Middle Tennessee-Chickamauga sub-basin of the Middle Tennessee-Hiwassee the majority of Dade County.

Upper Coosa River sub-basin in ACT River Basin (Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin - Small part of southernmost tip of the county.

Guntersville Lake sub-basin in Middle Tennessee-Elk basin - small part of the westernmost portion of Dade County

Adjacent counties

• Marion County, Tennessee (north/CST Border)

map

• Hamilton County, Tennessee (northeast)
• Walker County (southeast)
• DeKalb County, Alabama (southwest/CST Border)
• Jackson County, Alabama (west/CST Border)

Protected areas

• Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park during the Spanish–American War this Military Park was training area for southern troops (The park's proximity to the major rail hub at Chattanooga and its large tracts of land made it a logical marshalling area for troops).

It was named Camp George H Thomas (union army commander during Civil War battle here. major training center for troops in the southern states. The park was temporarily renamed "Camp George H. Thomas" in honor of the union army commander during the Civil War battle at the site.

• Cloudland Canyon State Park was purchased gradually in the 1930's..

Demographics

In 2000, there were 15,154 people in the county with a population density of 87 people/sq. mi. The racial makeup of the county was 97.51% White, 0.63% Black or African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. 0.90% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. In 2010 there were 16,633 people in the county with a population density of 95.6 people/sq. mi. The median income for a household in the county was $39,760 and the median income for a family was $48,881. Males had a median income of $41,618 versus $26,521 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,168. About 10.7% of families and 15.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.8% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.^[11]

• Dade County is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Water -
Dade County is south of Nickajack Lake on the Tennessee River, which was created and constructed by the Tennessee Valley Authority creating the Nickajack Dam. Atlanta, Georgia wanted water rights in the lake to supplement the Lake Lanier and Lake Altoona water. In 2008 legislators attempted to change the Tennessee /Georgia state line, saying the border is based on a 1818 survey which had placed Georgia north boundary just short to the Tennessee River.. If the boundary had changed it would give Georgia the water rights.. They did not succeed.^[12]

Highways

• I‑24 / SR 409
• I‑59 / SR 406
• US 11 / SR 58
• SR 136
• SR 157
• SR 189
• SR 299
• SR 301

Cities/Communities

• Rising Fawn

• Trenton

• Wildwood

County Resources

• Cloudland Canyon State Park
• Cloudland canyon State Park

• Dade County Coke and Coal mines

Census

1840 --- 1,364 —

1850 --- 2,680 96.5%

1860 --- 3,069 14.5%

1870 --- 3,033 −1.2%

1880 --- 4,702 55.0%

1890 --- 5,707 21.4%

1900 --- 4,578 −19.8%

1910 --- 4,139 −9.6%

1920 --- 3,918 −5.3%

1930 --- 4,146 5.8%

1940 --- 5,894 42.2%

1950 --- 7,364 24.9%

1960 --- 8,666 17.7%

1970 --- 9,910 14.4%

1980 --- 12,318 24.3%

1990 --- 13,147 6.7%

2000 --- 15,154 15.3%

2010 --- 16,633 9.8%

Est. 2016 --- 16,257

Notables

• Forester Sisters
• Georgia Washington Harris (1814-1869) Southern humorist, author and seminal writer is buried in the Brock Cemetery in Trenton. He influenced Mark Twain, William Faulkner, and Flannery O'Connor.
• Norman Blake, old-time country musician
• John B. Gordon, grew up in a coal mining town, later recruit men from the area to serve under him in the Civil War

Cemeteries

• Byrds Chapel Cemetery

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16} http://www.dadecounty-ga.gov/history.cfm
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17} https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/counties-cities-neighborhoods/dade-county
3. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/event/First-Seminole-War
4. ↑ http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/firstseminole.html
5. ↑ https://www.seminolenationmuseum.org/history/seminole-nation/the-seminole-wars/
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6} https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dade_County,_Georgia
7. ↑ https://www.civilwar.org/learn/articles/maneuvers-mclemores-cove
8. ↑ https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/civil_war_series/10/sec3.htm
9. ↑ https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-1-4020-3105-2_14
10. ↑ https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-1-4020-3105-2_14
11. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dade_County,_Georgia
12. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dade_County,_Georgia

• A History of Georgia: From Its First Discovery by Europeans to the Adoption of the Present Constitution in MDCCXCVIII, Vol 1, by William Bacon Stevens January 1, 1847 New York : D. Appleton
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trenton%2C_Georgia
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildwood%2C_Georgia
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rising_Fawn%2C_Georgia