Baker County, Georgia

Baker County Education, Geography, and History

Baker County is a county in the state of Georgia. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 3,451. The county was created December 12, 1825 from the eastern portion of Early County by an act of the Georgia General Assembly. The county seat is Newton.  The county is named for Colonel John Baker, a hero of the American Revolutionary War.

Baker County is included in the Albany, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The Baker County Courthouse (Georgia) is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Three other properties in Newton are also listed on the register: Notchaway Baptist Church and Cemetery, Pine Bloom Plantation, and Tarver Plantation.

Etymology - Origin of Baker County Name

Baker county is named for Colonel John Baker, a Puritan and noted patriot of the Revolutionary War.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Baker County History

Georgia's 61st county was named for Colonel John Baker, a Puritan and noted patriot of the Revolutionary War. Baker County was created from Early County in 1825.

The Baker County Courthouse has been damaged by floods three times, once in 1925, once in 1929, and most recently in 1994.

Newton, the county seat, was named for Sergeant John Newton of South Carolina, a soldier in the Revolutionary War.

The last battle of the Creek Indian War of 1836 was fought in Baker County at Chickasawhatchee Swamp near Red Bluff. Indian villages were first recorded in the Baker County area by Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto in 1540.

Points of Interest

Primarily an agricultural community, Baker County produces peanuts, cotton, canola, poultry, and beef.

Baker County is home to several plantations, ranging in size from 5,000 to 28,000 acres. The largest is Ichauway Plantation, once owned by Coca-Cola magnate Robert Woodruff. The plantation now houses the Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center, one of the largest outdoor research centers in the world. Scientists study local vegetation, water systems, and wildlife, including 32 species of endangered plants and animals found on the plantation.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 349 square miles (900 km²), of which 342 square miles (890 km²) is land and 7.2 square miles (19 km²) (2.1%) is water.

 The eastern half of Baker County is located in the Lower Flint River sub-basin of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin. The western half of the county is located in the Ichawaynochaway Creek sub-basin.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Northeast: Dougherty County
• Southeast: Mitchell County
• South: Decatur County
• Southwest: Miller County
• West: Early County
• Northwest: Calhoun County

Education

Baker County School System operates public schools

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