Kemis Massey, County Coordinator Ed Gordon, State Coordinator
Vivian Safford , Regional Assistant
Welcome to the CLAYTON COUNTY GAGen Web Project Page. My name is Kemis Massey and I am the county coordinator for this site. In order for the site to be truly helpful to all it needs to contain a both history of the county and it's families. So, PLEASE share your family and county history with others. This site doesn't belong to me, it belongs to us. Help me make it the best site we can.
If anyone has books on Clayton County and are willing to help others find their Clayton
County Roots, please let me know. I'd like to set up a page with those willing to help. Like
many of you I do not live in Clayton County and I know it's hard for me to do research there
- I can't be alone.
Come back and visit as I will be adding things to the site.
Suggestions are WELCOME!! If you have something you would like to see on this site, please
let me know.
POST YOUR MATERIALS
Clayton County Messages
POST your Query "View Message Type" - choose bible, marriage, obit, etc. While you are there, click "Add Board to Favorites" - then next time, you can select "My Favorites" and easily go between Boards. Send me an email
Kemis Massey, if you need help.
Clayton County Mailing List
To subscribe send an e-mail to
[email protected].
In subject line type SUBSCRIBE
Would you like to share your materials? But aren't sure where to go. Visit
Clayton County Archives to see what
others shared. Let us know if you find a relative. Don't forget that you can also share
things to archives.
Bibles
Bibliography
Bios
Cemeteries
Mortality Schedule - 1880
Church Histories
Military Rosters
You could have a distant cousin is looking for you. How are they going to find you without your clues? Did you know that all of the GAGenWeb Project sites are maintained by volunteers? These sites are a labor of love. You can express your labor of love by submitting a birth record, obit, census info, or any other things that you may have your Clayton County Families.
In 1990 the population was 182,052 by 2000 it had jumped to 236,517. The Land Area of Clayton
County is 143 square miles. The County Seat is Jonesboro, GA.
Clayton County was formed from parts of Fayette and Henry Counties on November 30 1858. It was the
125th county created in Georgia and named for Augustine Smith Clayton (1783-1839) (See above).
Before the official formation of Clayton, the area was home to the Creek Indians especially
parts surrounding the Flint River.
Leaksville was founded in 1823 and was later renamed to Jonesboro and was one of the critical
stops on the railroad that ran from Macon to Terminus (Terminus was later named Atlanta) -
this connected the southeast part of the state to the port of call in Savannah, GA. Jonesboro,
was named for the popular engineer Colonel Samuel Goode Jones, who was in charge of that early
railroad construction and resided in what was then called Leaksville.
For the first time in history, Clayton had a link to the Pacific and the rail corridor permitted
local farmers to ship their cotton in all directions. And it was this same rail corridor that
brought the Battle of Atlanta to its climax during the Civil War. When Union soldiers severed
the railroad line at Jonesboro, the Confederates lost their supply line and Atlanta fell into
Yankee hands. Clayton County was the site of heavy fighting during the Civil War. After the
battles of Rough and Ready and Jonesboro, the Confederate armies were forced to vacuate the
area. General Sherman then began his "March to the Sea" in late 1864.
Margaret Mitchell, author of "Gone With The Wind," placed Scarlett O’Hara’s
beloved Tara at a fictional location in Clayton County. Much of the action of her work is based
on historical events which she found on record at the old Clayton County Courthouse in Jonesboro.
Herb Bridges is the leading "authority" on GWTW and has the worlds largest collection
of GWTW memorabilia. He has authored 5 books in re GWTW - the last one is entitled "The
Three-Day Premiere in Atlanta".
The railroad has played an important part in Clayton's history, it was the convenient railroad
that made Clayton County an early commuter community in the 20th century with Atlanta businessmen leaving their country estates each morning and returning in the evening on the train affectionately referred to as "The Dummy" for some long-obscured reason. (See newsclip below).
Clayton today has turned into a bubbling metropolis that has emerged as a natural setting for
commerce, industry, business and people due to its location and the availability of resources
and transportation services. Clayton is one of the faster growing counties in Georgia. Clayton
County is also home of the Hartsfield International
Airport in Atlanta.
In regards to the Dummy Line here is a snip from the Middle GA Argus Newspaper:
Among the many other enterprises that we have recently spoken about in these columns,
we would like urge it upon our people to push the Indian Springs Dummy Line to completion this year.
There is no doubt of its paying handsomely. In conversation with quite a number of Florida tourists,
from time to time, we learn that many of them would stay over here rather than go farther South,
if we had the facilities to accommodate them. In connection with the dummy line a fine modern hotel
should be erected. In winter it would be filled with people from the north who wish to escape the
rigors of that climate, while during summer the people from the sultry Southern cities would be
more than glad to come to our healthful, cooling breezes, where they could everyday take a ride
to the ever flowing fountain of health, Indian Springs. Let no one think of Jackson stopping in
her progress. The day will come when all these enterprises we have recently been mentioning,
together with the Indian Springs Dummy Line and one or two hundred thousand dollar hotels will
ornament our lovely little city. The Argus will be here to see them. Middle GA Argus � Week
of February 5, 1889
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on these pages are furnished for the free use of those engaged
researching their family origins. Any commercial use, or, other
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