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Alpharetta and Milton County can trace their history to the time of the resettlement of the Cherokee Indian Nation in the 1830's. Drawn by the promise of free Indian lands, itinerant settlers moved into the area. These first pioneers were soon followed by permanent farmers and merchants who were the fortunate winners of the land lotteries of the early 1840's. The first permanent landmark in the area was the New Prospect Campground located next to a natural spring just north of the present "downtown" section of Alpharetta. This village, made up of tents, a log school, and arbor became a trading post where Indians and white settlers exchanged their goods. The surrounding countryside provided excellent farming land, especially for cotton. 1858 was the year Alpharetta can date as its birth as a town. On December 11 of that year, the town formerly known as Milton, was legally chartered, became the county seat, and was renamed Alpharetta, from the Greek words "alpha" meaning first, and "retta" meaning town. The original town charter provided that the City could pass a tax on every grocery store, retailing liquor store, hallway and billiard table of not more than $25.00 per year. Another provision was the right to levy a tax of $25.00 on every show that may be exhibited within the city. The first report of the City Trustees showed a balance of $1.302.00 for fiscal year 1859. A courthouse and jail were soon constructed for the sum of $2400. This building served as a landmark for the city limits because, according to the charter, the limits were to extend in a one-half mile radius from the Courthouse. By the time of the Civil War, Alpharetta had grown to a fair sized town with three hotels, several mercantile shops, numerous churches and a school. For the most part, the area was populated with small family farms that did not use slaves. In 1863, an epidemic of smallpox spread through the town. Sixteen cases of the disease were recorded in two families alone. Guards were hired to keep people from leaving their quarantine and risk spreading the sickness further. Many of the early records are incomplete because as the left flank of the Union army passed through Milton County, the original Courthouse was burned, although it was never established whether it was burned by the Union Troops or by retreating Confederate soldiers. One enterprising citizen, Dr. O. P. Skeleton, salvaged many of the court documents and carried them to a hiding place in Jackson County then promptly billed the City $30.00 for "services rendered". The City would eventually pay $60.00 to get them back.As the Civil War drew to a close, Alpharetta, along with the rest of the South, suffered a period of economic hardship, although Milton County faired better than many others. Since the area was made up of mostly small farms and merchants, the collapse of the "plantation" economy had nowhere near the impact of other communities. In the passing decades, growth in Milton County was steady, but never spectacular. The area was hampered by the lack of a railroad, around which most growth in those times was centered. The nearest railroad dead-ended at the river in Roswell. It is ironic that in those times a railroad was so important, but today the absence of a noisy and dangerous railroad track is considered desirable for community development. When the depression of the early 1930's devastated the nation's economy, Milton County found itself near bankruptcy. To save the area from disaster, it was determined that a merger of Milton County with Fulton County would be to everyone's advantage. It was because of this merger that roads began to be paved. Until that time, the only paved roads in the area were State Highway 19 (now Highway 9) and 120 (now Old Milton Parkway). Today, Alpharetta is one of the fastest growing communities in the South. Its environment is considered ideal for raising families and living a quality lifestyle. Chronology
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This page is full of information for you if you are thinking about relocating to Alpharetta Georgia,moving to another area of Alpharetta moving up to a bigger home, or just need to find out about an event or where a park is located in Alpharetta.
