This marker is located a stone's throw from the county courthouse and gives some context as to the…read moreorigin of the county and how it came to be. It has the same text on both sides. It reads, "This County, created by Act of the Legislature December 5, 1811, is named for James Madison, Virginia Democrat, fourth President of the United States, 1809-'17. The site for Danielsville was given by Gen. Allen Daniel of Revolutionary fame. In this town was born Dr. Crawford W. Long who first used ether in a surgical operation (1842). Among the first County Officers were: Sheriff Nathan Williford, Clerk of Superior Court James Long, Clerk of Inferior Court Samuel Williford, Tax Receiver Britton Sanders Jr., Tax Collector James Ware Jr., Coroner William Hodge and Surveyor Edward Ware Jr." In the early 19th century, the region was deeply influenced by the rise of cotton as a dominant crop. The fertile Piedmont soil and proximity to trade routes made Madison County part of Georgia's expanding cotton belt, with small yeoman farms gradually giving way to larger plantations. This agricultural boom helped shape the county's economy and social structure well into the Civil War era. Though railroads didn't run directly through the county, nearby lines helped connect its farms to broader markets. Danielsville remained a modest civic center, and the county's early schools and churches played key roles in community life, especially in African American neighborhoods during and after Reconstruction. The boll weevil infestation in the early 20th century forced a shift from cotton to poultry, dairy, and timber, leading to more diversified and cooperative farming. Madison County's quiet civic contributions and preservation efforts reflect a legacy of resilience, modesty, and deep-rooted community pride. This is marker number 097-1 and it was erected in 1954 by the Georgia Historical Commission. [Review 1374 of 2025 - 858 in Georgia - 24926 overall]

A pleasant experience to view a historical marker in the South that is only tangentially about…read moreCivil War. This one points out the first time that an important medical procedure was done and that's a good thing. The marker is located near the county courthouse and points the way to the birthsite of the famous doctor. The marker has the same text on both sides. It reads, "Dr. Crawford W. Long who first used ether as an anesthetic, in a surgical operation at Jefferson, Ga., March 30, 1842, was born in a house that stands about 1 block from here. Dr. Long, born Nov. 1, 1815, was barely 27 when he performed the famous operation on James Venable to remove a neck tumor. He attended Franklin College (U. of Ga.) obtaining his M.A. at 19. He roomed with "Little Alec" Stephens, future Vice President of the Confederacy. He received his M.D. at University of Pennsylvania in 1839 and moved to Jefferson in 1841. He died June 16, 1878 and is buried in Athens." Dr. Crawford Long studied briefly at Transylvania College in Kentucky before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania, where he was exposed to cutting-edge surgical techniques of the time. He was inspired to experiment with ether after observing its recreational use during student gatherings, where participants seemed impervious to pain. Long didn't publish his findings until 1849, several years after his first ether-assisted surgery, which led to disputes over who first discovered anesthesia. This is marker number 097-2 and it was erected in 1955 by the Georgia Historical Commission. [Review 1375 of 2025 - 859 in Georgia - 24927 overall]

Along US Highway 441 (which goes from Miami Florida, across all of Georgia and into eastern…read moreTennessee), this marker points out some of the Colonial History of the area. It's at an otherwise unassuming intersection so there is room to pull over to read the marker. It has the same text on both sides, reading "The boundary between the State of Georgia and the Cherokee Nation established by the Treaty of Augusta, May 31, 1783, ran along here. The line ran "from the top of Currahee mountain to the head, or source, of the most southern branch of the Oconee river, including all waters of the same. This boundary line was re-affirmed by the Treaty of Hopewell, Nov. 28, 1785. It was originally marked by a line of felled trees at least twenty feet wide, which became a sort of No Man's Land." The marker was erected in 1953 by the 1953 by Georgia Historical Commission and is marker number 006-1. The immediate area around it is overgrown but you can still read it here. [Review 21130 overall - 701 in Georgia - 93 of 2024.]

There's a surprising selection for a small town. The magazine collection could be better though.read more

My husband and I got lost on our way to visit a friend that lived way out in the mountains and so…read morewe stopped in to get some directions and were greeted by the two sweetest ladies! They helped us find our way and even sold us a map to help us out!

While walking the campus of the University of Georgia, I spotted this marker in front of a rather…read moreimpressive looking building. It provides some modern history - remember, this is still the South - and a pleasant ending to the story. The marker reads, "On Jan. 6, 1961, Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter became the first two African American students to enroll at the University of Georgia when they walked past the historic Arch and into this building to register for classes. On this day, January 9, 2001, as part of the 40th Anniversary celebration of the desegregation of the University, we salute the courage and fortitude displayed by these students and their families in paving the way for others to follow." The building itself is hard to miss, a fusion of two antebellum structures built in 1831 and 1860 that are in a Beaux-Arts design with a grand Corinthian portico that was added in 1905. They were originally the Ivy Building and a separate library that was once a Presbyterian church. The new united structure contains the Office of the Registrar, Student Financial Aid, and the Institute for African American Studies. The marker was erected in 2001 by the University of Georgia. If you're here, know that you're following the footsteps of thousands before you. [Review 1382 of 2025 - 864 in Georgia - 24934 overall]

The Hart County historical marker honors the county's founding and its namesake, Revolutionary War…read moreheroine Nancy Hart. It depicts quite the story. The same text on both sides. It reads, "Hart County was created by the Legislature on Dec. 7, 1853 out of portions of Franklin and Elbert counties. It is the only county in Georgia named for a woman - Nancy Hart. "Nancy Hart and her husband, Benjamin Hart, obtained a 400 acre grant 25 miles S.E. from Hartwell in Colonial days and erected a log cabin home. During the Revolutionary War six Tories forced their way into the Hart home and demanded that Nancy cook a meal for them. She started cooking an old turkey, meanwhile sending her daughter to the spring to blow a conch shell for help. Detected slipping the third Tory rifle through a crack in the wall, Nancy killed one of the Tories and wounded another. Hart and several neighbors, coming to her rescue, wanted to shoot the five surviving Tories but Nancy insisted that they be hanged, and they were. Tradition has it that Nancy Hart served as a spy for Gen. Elijah Clarke, sometimes disguised as a man. The Indians respectfully called Nancy Hart "War Woman," giving that name to a creek adjacent to her cabin, which is memorialized in a State Park on State Highway Route 17. "Hart County's first officers elected in Feb, 1854 were Inferior Court Justices Henry F. Chandler, Micajah Carter, Clayton S. Webb, Daniel M. Johnson, James V. Richardson; Interior Court Clerk Frederic C. Stephenson, Ordinary James T. Jones, Superior Court Clerk Burrell Mitchell, Sheriff William Myers, Tax Receiver W.C. Davis, Tax Collector Richard Shirley, Surveyor John A. Cameron, Coroner Richmond Skelton and Treasurer Samuel White." This is marker number 073-4 and it was erected in 1955 by the Georgia Historical Commission. [Review 1374 of 2025 - 857 in Georgia - 24926 overall]

Located in front of what's now a factory office building, this marker points out what used to be an…read moreimportant Native American trading ground. Thee is limited parking here - I was able to briefly park across the road and no one said anything. The marker has the same text on both sides. It reads, "This was Ah-Yeh-Li A-Lo-Hee, the Center of the World, to the Cherokee Indians. To this assembly ground, from which trails radiate in many directions, they came to hold their councils, to dance and worship which were to them related functions, and to barter their hides, furs and blankets for the trade goods of the white men from Augusta and other settlements. At one time there was a move to establish here the Hart County seat. This site was also a noted roost in the days when the now extinct passenger pigeons migrated here in the autumn in such numbers that "their weight broke the tree limbs."" It is marker number 073-3 and it was erected in 1954 by the Georgia Historical Commission. [Review 215 of 2025 - 785 in Georgia - 23779 overall]