Rabun County, Georgia

Rabun County is a located in the  of. As of the, the  is 15,050. The 2005 Census Estimate shows a population of 16,087. The is. With an average annual rainfall of over 70 inches, Rabun County has the title of the rainiest county in Georgia and one of the rainiest counties east of the.

History
As early as, explorers came to the area now known as Rabun County. In the 1700s, the population of in the area was so heavy in the area that this portion of the  were sometimes called the "Cherokee Mountains." The early explorers and divided the Cherokee people into three divisions depending on location and dialect, the Lower, Middle, and Over-the-Hill. There were at least four Cherokee settlements in what would later become Rabun County. A Middle settlement called Stikayi (Stiyaki, Sticoa, Stekoa) was located on Stekoa Creek, probably southeast of the present-day Clayton. An Over-the-Hill settlement called Tallulah was located on the upper portion of the. There were also two Cherokee settlements of unknown division, Chicherohe (Chechero), which was destroyed during the, located along Warwoman Creek, east of Clayton, and Eastertoy (Eastatowth, Estatowee) which was located near the present-day.

Despite the prominence of the Cherokee, there is evidence that other were in the region before them. A mound similar to others across North Georgia (including the famous ) is located about one mile east of  and is likely a remnant of an earlier  Native American culture known as the. The mound location is listed on the as the.

Explorer and naturalist was one of the early visitors to Rabun County. According to his journal entries for, , Bartram crossed the into Georgia near its  with Warwoman Creek. He later went through a junction of Cherokee trails called Dividings (which would later become Clayton), and then traveled north to an area called Passover (which would later became ). During his visit to the area, he also climbed. His travels in Rabun County are memorialized today by the Georgia portion of the hiking trail known as the.

and his family were among the first documented in the area in  as a result of a land grant for his service in the American Revolution. The settlers were initially tolerated, but tensions increased as displaced Cherokees moved in from other areas. Eventually, the white settlers were viewed as invaders who did not respect nature and killed the game and, as a result, raids between the clashing cultures became commonplace. For the most part, the hostilities ended a few years before the Cherokee ceded the land to Georgia in.

The passed an act to create the county in,  becoming Georgia’s forty-seventh county. The northern border of the county was established as 35°N, which is the boundary between Georgia and. The county is named for, who served as the 11th of Georgia from his election in  until his death in. In, the Georgia General Assembly transferred a portion of to Rabun County. In, the legislature redefined the Rabun-Habersham county line. In, the legislature used portions of Rabun and Counties to create.

During the, Rabun County was one of only five Georgia counties that did not from the Union. Although the county was largely untouched by the Civil War, the area did border on anarchy during that time. Despite its failure to secede from the Union, Rabun County did field two regiments for the Confederate cause: Rabun 24th Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Company E, Rabun Gap Riflemen; and Rabun 52nd Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Company F, Beauregard Braves.

In, the on a north/south track through the county. One of the most popular stops along the railway was. The Railway was in operation for more than 60 years and was featured in the, ''.

Starting in the 1920s, many of the improvements in the county can be attributed to the establishment, growth and expansion of the in the county. One of the key figures in the establishment and growth of the Chattahoochee National Forest was, Georgia's first. Among other things, Ranger Nick was responsible for arranging for telephone lines to be run from to the  community in the eastern part of the county.

Law and government
The county is governed by a five member Board of Commissioners.

Geography
According to the, the county has a total area of 976 (377 ). 961 km² (371 sq mi) of it is land and 15 km² (6 sq mi) of it (1.58%) is water. Approximately, 60% of the land is in National Forests and State Parks, approximately 20% is held by and the rest is in private hands. With 148,684 s (601.7 km²) of the Chattahoochee National Forest located within its boundaries, Rabun County hosts the largest portion of the Chattahoochee National Forest of any of the 18 counties with land included in the Forest.

Geographic features
The county's three major lakes were created in the early 20th century by for hydroelectric power generation. The three lakes today provide recreation as well as power generation: covers 11.23 km² (2775 acres or 4.33 sq mi) and has 100 km (62 mi) of shoreline,  covers 3.38 km² (835 acres) and has 40 km (25 mi) of shoreline, and  covers 0.97 km² (240 acres) and has 21 km (13 mi) of shoreline. The county also boasts a large number of, including the  and its , the  and Charlies Creek.

The runs through the county, roughly from southwest to northeast also representing a portion of the. The county's eastern border with is formed by the, the largest  of the  and then  (which forms the rest of the border of the two states). The other half is in the of the, which flows northward from Clayton. The high along the divide gives Rabun County the most  of any in. This also gives it mild weather throughout the warmer months of the year, leading to the county's slogan, Where Spring Spends the Summer.

Mountains
Mountains dominate the topogrpahy of Rabun County. The provides Rabun County with the second and third highest peaks in Georgia:  at 4,696 feet and  at 4,620 feet. The county has eight peaks that are higher than 4,000 feet and over 60 peaks that are between 3,000 and 4,000 feet.
 * *For more information, see: 



Waterfalls
Rabun County has a number of picturesque, many of which are easily reached by relatively short trails. Among the favorites of visitors to the county are, and.

Hiking Trails
The county has numerous hiking trails. Most notably, a portion of the winds through the county and the county is home to a 37 mile portion of the.

Major highways

 * [[Image:US 76.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:US 23.svg|20px]][[Image:US 441.svg|25px]] and
 * [[Image:Georgia 28.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:Georgia 246.svg|25px]]

and run together, following a north-south route through the county, and  runs east-west. begins at and connects to. runs for an extremely short distance in the northeastern tip, between the.

Adjacent counties

 * - north
 * - northeast
 * - east
 * - south
 * - west
 * - northwest

Endangered and Threatened Species
Rabun County is home to several and  as reported by the US Fish & Wildlife Service and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.


 * *See also: 



Animals

 * The (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a threatened species in the US, but is considered to be an endangered species in Georgia.
 * The (Clemmys muhlenbergii) is considered to be a threatened species in both the US and Georgia.
 * Three fish found in the County still have their status pending on the US endangered species list, but are protected in Georgia: the Fatlips minnow (endangered in Georgia), the Highscale shiner (threatened in Georgia) and the Olive darter (threatened in Georgia).

Plants
There are 15 plants that are protected in Rabun County, including two that are on the Federal endangered species list: (Trillium persistens),  (Gymnoderma lineare) and  (Helonias bullata).

Economy
As of early 2006, the county's two largest employers are textile manufacturers: Rabun Apparel, with over 900 jobs, and National Textiles, with 410. In March 2006, Fruit of the Loom announced it would close the Rabun Apparel plant and lay off all 930 employees. National Textiles has also announced layoffs, but so far, those have only targeted plants in North Carolina and Tennessee.

Demographics
As of the of 2000, there were 15,050 people, 6,279 households, and 4,351 families residing in the county. The was 16/km² (41/sq mi). There were 10,210 housing units at an average density of 11/km² (28/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 94.88%, 0.79% or , 0.43% , 0.38% , 0.03% , 2.63% from , and 0.86% from two or more races. 4.54% of the population were or  of any race.

There were 6,279 households out of which 26.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.40% were living together, 8.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.70% were non-families. 26.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.82.

In the county the population was spread out with 21.80% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 25.30% from 25 to 44, 27.70% from 45 to 64, and 18.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 97.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,899, and the median income for a family was $39,992. Males had a median income of $28,105 versus $21,164 for females. The for the county was $20,608. About 8.10% of families and 11.10% of the population were below the, including 11.00% of those under age 18 and 13.00% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

 * . Incorporated:, ; Population 2,019; Total Area: 3.09 square miles.
 * . Incorporated 1906; Population: 198; Total Area 1.55 square miles.
 * Incorporated: 1907; Population: 829; Total Area: 1.8 square miles.
 * . Incorporated: 1978; Population: 221; Total Area: 3.03 square miles.
 * . Incorporated: unknown; Population: 164; Total Area: 8.56 square miles.
 * . Incorporated: 1904; Population: 316; Total Area: .5 square miles.

In Fiction
, is one of the battlegrounds where humans fight the alien invaders in 's  series of books.

Sources (History)

 * History on claytoncityhall.com
 * Archives of Rabun County on Roadside Georgia
 * Georgia Place Names by Kenneth K. Krakow
 * Cherokee Indian Tribe on Access Genealogy – Indian Tribal Records
 * History of Chattahoohee National Forest