Meriwether County’s history dates back before recorded times when the Indians used its paths for trading routes, the springs as a source of healing and it wilderness as a source of beauty to behold. Many books have been written about our history, culture and opportunities that have been discovered here. We will include highlights here. If you would like to add some information or want more information about Meriwether County, please send your inquiries. All questions will be answered.
Meriwether, David, a Representative from Georgia; born at Clover Field, near Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Va., April 10, 1755; completed preparatory studies; during the Revolutionary War was a lieutenant and served in New Jersey, and afterward with Virginia troops at the last siege of Savannah, Ga.; settled in Wilkes County, Ga., in 1785; commissioned brigadier general of State militia September 21, 1797; member of the State house of representatives and served as speaker 1797-1800; elected as a Republican to the Seventh Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Benjamin Taliaferro; reelected to the Eighth and Ninth Congresses and served from December 6, 1802, to March 3, 1807; was not a candidate for reelection and retired to his plantation near Athens, Ga.; appointed a commissioner to the Creek Indians in 1804 and repeatedly reappointed to treat with other tribes; died near Athens, Ga., November 16, 1822; interment in the private burial ground on his plantation.
Meriwether County’s Original Boundaries
(From an Act of Dec. 24, 1827)
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That so much of the original county of Troup as is contained in the following boundaries, to wit: beginning at the south east corner of lot number ninety-six, in the third district of Troup, running east to the south east corner of lot number eighty-six, in the third district of Troup, thence a straight line to the south east corner of lot number one hundred and ten, in the second district of Troup, thence east to the south east corner of lot number forty-six, in the first district of Troup, thence a straight line to the north east corner of lot number one hundred and thirty-eight, in first district of Troup, thence north to Flint river, and up said river to the original line between the counties of Coweta and Troup, thence west with said line to the north east corner of lot number five, in the eleventh district of Troup, thence south to the beginning, shall form one other county to be called Meriwether, (in memory of General David Meriwether.)
Source: Ga. Laws 1827, p. 65.
View Historical Maps of Meriwether County
The Southern Railway Depot in Warm Springs, Georgia provided a routine stop for travelers at the turn of the twentieth century. Townspeople were always interested in who was arriving and departing this isolated spot in western central Georgia. On occasion, someone famous might pass through in route to Atlanta or Columbus that would draw attention to the depot. On October 3rd, 1924, amidst little fanfare, a former politician, who contracted polio, was carried off the train. He would soon elevate the depot into the annals of history. The local newspaper recorded the event as follows: “Col. Franklin Roosevelt and family, of New York, have arrived here to spend the winter, and hope to be benefited by taking the baths at the pool.” Over the next twenty-one years, the future Governor and President would arrive and depart from the old depot amidst hundreds of well wishers seeking to get a glimpse of their hero. In 1945, President Roosevelt left his Little White House and arrived at the depot one last time. Surrounded by thousands of soldiers and citizens alike, he was carried aboard the train for his final departure from Warm Springs, Georgia. Reports state that the railroad tracks were lined with people from Warm Springs to Washington. While he changed the landscape of the nation, the depot remained as it had. During the 1950s, the depot was demolished as Warm Springs Village returned to its former sleepy state. Yet over the decades, hundreds of thousands of visitors made a pilgrimage to see FDR’s Little White House and the therapy pools made famous by him. They also wanted to see where Roosevelt arrived in Warm Springs and with the depot gone, and the Southern Railway having closed its lines, only a memorial stone marked the now famous site. Then in 2001, after years of planning, the depot was rebuilt and re-opened as the new FDR/Warm Springs Welcome Center. Today it serves as the central point for visitors wishing to get information about Warm Springs Village, Meriwether County and the surrounding areas. Sunlight streams through the large windows showing off it’s beaded, wooden walls and ceiling, along with hardwood floors that have been meticulously re-established to their original glory. Many choose to relax on the “Loading Dock” enjoying a Coke and a rocking chair at a place where the past and the present come together.
