On Feb. 12, 1825, a group of Creek Indians led by William McIntosh signed the Treaty of Indian Springs, in which they ceded all of their remaining lands in present-day Georgia. Subsequently, in an act of June 9, 1825, the General Assembly provided that the land ceded by the treaty be divided into five sections, surveyed into districts and land lots, and distributed by land lottery (Ga. Laws 1825 Extra. Session., p. 3). [See map of sections] On Dec. 14, 1826, the legislature redesignated the five land sections as the counties of Lee, Muscogee, Troup, Coweta, and Carroll and provided for their organization (Ga. Laws 1826, p. 57). [See map of five counties] Additionally, the act provided that part of southern DeKalb County was transferred to Coweta County. [Click here to see legal description of Coweta County's original boundaries.]

Despite the fact that the five counties were not named until Dec. 14, 1826, the date their respective boundaries were established -- June 9, 1825 -- is generally accepted as the date of their creation. Because the five counties were provided for in the same act, their order of creation is based on the order they were mentioned in the act -- Lee, Muscogee, Troup, Coweta, and Carroll. Thus, Lee was Georgia's 61st county, while Coweta was the 64th county.

Coweta County was named for the Coweta Indians, a group of Creek Indians that lived in and around Coweta, one of the largest and most important towns of the Lower Creek Indians. The Lower Creeks had two capital towns. Located near the western banks of the Chattahoochee River across from present-day Fort Benning (in what today in Russell County, Alabama), Coweta was the "red" capital -- which meant that all discussions of war or conflict took place here. Across the river in Georgia was Cusseta, the "white" capital reserved for non-hostile matters, such as peaceful negotiations with whites.

Portions of Coweta County were used to create Campbell County (1828) and Heard County (1830).

Historical Maps

 

1826

 

1830

 

1834

 

1839

 

1846

 

1855

 

1863

 

1864

 

1865

 

1874

 

1883

 

1885

 

1885b

 

1895

 

1899

 

1904

 

1910

 

1915

 

1952

 

1955

 

1970a

 

1999

 

2001a

 

2001b

Go to Historical Atlas of Georgia Counties

Go to Coweta County Courthouse page