Bartow County, Georgia

Bartow County Education, Geography, and History

Bartow County is a county located in the state of Georgia. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 100,157. Bartow County was created on December 3, 1832 from a portion of Cherokee County. The county seat is Cartersville. The county is named in honor of General Francis S. Bartow (1816 - 1861), Confederate political leader, and the first Confederate general killed in the American Civil War.

Bartow County is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area. It has a sole commissioner government, and is the largest county with a sole commissioner.

Etymology - Origin of Bartow County Name

The county was named in honor of General Francis S. Bartow (1816 - 1861), Confederate political leader, and the first Confederate general killed in the American Civil War.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Bartow County History

When Bartow County was established in 1832 from Cherokee County, it was named "Cass County" after Lewis Cass, Secretary of War under President Andrew Jackson. The name was of Michigan. Nearly 30 years later, General Cass's abolitionist views became an embarrassment to the Confederate populace, and the county's name was changed to honor General Francis S. Bartow, the first Confederate General to die in the Civil War.

Cassville, the original county seat that was burned by Union Forces in 1864, was the site of the first Georgia Supreme Court decision in 1846.

Points of Interest

Red Top Mountain State Park, Bartow Carver Park, and Allatoona Lake occupy a large portion of southeast Bartow County. The lake's wildlife management area serves as a public hunting area. Other local attractions include the Etowah Indian Mounds, Euharlee Historic Area, Roselawn, Barnsley Gardens, and the Weinman Mineral Museum.

The county provides a habitat for one endangered plant, the Jeffersonia Diphylla (Twin Leaf), and three endangered animals: the Indian Bat, the Red Cockaded Woodpecker, and the Southern Bald Eagle.

Notable Citizens

Several notable people have hailed from Bartow County. These include Rebecca Latimer Felton who at the age of 87 became the first woman US senator. She was appointed to fulfill an unfinished term. Sam P. Jones was a nationally known evangelist in the late 1880s. Bill Arp was a famous philosopher and humorist during the Civil War era. Corra Harris, was the author of several books including A Circuit Rider's Life, based on her life as a traveling minister's wife.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 470 square miles (1,200 km²), of which 460 square miles (1,200 km²) is land and 11 square miles (28 km²) (2.2%) is water.

 Bartow county is located in northwest Georgia.  The county is in the Coosa River basin.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• North: Gordon County
• Northeast: Pickens County
• East: Cherokee County
• Southeast: Cobb County
• South: Paulding County
• Southwest: Polk County
• West: Floyd County
  

Education

Compare More Colleges and Universities

Find more schools to match to your needs.

Start Now