Forsyth County's rich cultural diversity is a result of several hundred years of Indian occupation and white settler migrations that is rich in legend and recorded fact.

Before the 1800s, the Forsyth County land masses were a part of the vast Cherokee Indian Nation that stretched westward to the Mississippi River. The Cherokee were an educationally advanced tribe, with a distinct spoken and written language of their own.

All of this soon changed when the gold was found in nearby Lumpkin and Cherokee counties, sparking the interest of settlers and government officials who had long wanted the lands for their own. They began planning away to claim the property for themselves.

The 1803 Land Act that the federal government passed permitted the distribution of all new acquired lands through a lottery system, setting up the system for the disposal of the lands owned by the Indian Nation. Some Cherokee families left voluntarily when the government offered to compensate them for the property. The majority of the remaining Cherokee Nation was forcefully removed from Georgia by federal agents in 1832.

That same year, the Indian lands were distributed to settlers through land lotteries and Forsyth County was established.

The county was named to honor John Forsyth who had served as the Attorney General of Georgia in 1808, in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, as U.S. Minister to Spain, and had just finished a term as governor of Georgia. Two years later he began his service as Secretary of State under presidents Jackson and Van Buren. Forsyth never set foot within the county's borders.

The little town of Cumming was incorporated two years later, and was named for William Cumming of Augusta, a distinguished lawyer. Soon, the 40-acre land lot that would become the city was laid out in smaller square city lots that were sold for family residences and stores.

Settlers migrated from the Carolinas and Virginia into Forsyth County. New schools, churches and post offices sprang up around the county and the area soon became well known for its production of high-quality tobacco and wagons. Forestry became a thriving industry. Forsyth County became home to sawmills, gristmills, distilleries and factories for jugs and clothing.

After the Civil War, the county was left with little means of providing household goods, food or work equipment. Daily necessities were bartered and slowly their standard of living was revived to a higher standard.

Forsyth County's growth has been greatly affected by several factors that brought new settlers. The county's first wave of newcomers came when the north Georgia region became known for the poultry industry. Wilson Foods, began here and is now thriving as Tyson Foods with over 1,200 employees today. Chicken houses began to spring up around the county.

With the creation of Buford Dam and Lake Lanier Forsyth County's population grew. The population went from 15,000 in 1980 to 44,000 in 1990 and is now over 110,000 in 2003. As the metro area becomes more congested, people seek out Forsyth County from the storm of city noise, traffic and pollution. In 2001 The U.S. Census Bureau declared Forsyth County as the fastest-growing county in Georgia and the second-fastest in the United States.

Forsyth County was created December 3, 1832. The Eastern and Southern Boundaries were the centerline of the Chattahoochee River. For History Before 1832 From Georgia Laws 1832       Wilson Lumpkin 1831-1835  was Governor. An ACT to add parts of Habersham and Hall to the county of Cherokee, and to divide said county of Cherokee into 10 counties and to provide for the organization of the same. Section 22. And be it further enacted that the First, Second, Third and Fourteenth Districts of the County of Cherokee, shall form and become one county to be called Forsyth. The land in Forsyth County was given away in the 1832 Land Lottery of Cherokee County.  For information about who could draw land see Land Lots  All the lots in Forsyth County were 40 acres which is 1/4 mile by 1/4 mile. The land was obtained from the Cherokee Indians by treaty. Although the land was distributed, all the Cherokees had not removed (some never did)  and the new property owners either sold to those occupying it or dispossessed them of it. For the persons who drew  see pages 80 thru 119 in Garland Bagly's History of Forsyth County 1832 - 1932 Volume 1. Many of the land lottery winners sold their land sight unseen. Others were levied on and the property sold to pay judgments against them.

The First Election was to be held "the first Monday in March next  (3/4/1833) at the place where William Hammons now lives". Mr.  (Hubert) Francis always wondered where William Hammons (Hammond)  lived in 1833. If anyone finds out let me know. Many of you that knew Mr. Francis , know how much work he did on researching old locations. We spent hours discussing where something or somebody was at that time. If the name is familiar, you'll find him credited with the research for the 1st Chapter of Don Shadburn's Pioneer History of Forsyth County. Mr. Francis was from Sandy Springs, but he had a lake house off of Shady Grove Road near Young Deer Park.  The First County Officers were: 1833 Clerk of the Superior Court Oliver Strickland Clerk of the Inferior Court John Blaylock Surveyor Thomas Burford Coroner  Alston B. Welborn Sheriff  John Jolly Tax Receiver William Humphrey Tax Collector  Lewis Sams Oliver Strickland had been the Clerk of Superior for Cherokee County and Deed Book A of Forsyth contains many pages which were assignments of persons lottery draws (Like selling your lottery ticket).

Many of the first families to arrive are shown on the 1834 State Census certified Apr 1, 1834 by Wm. W. Vaughan. Robert Davis located this census in the Telamon Cuyler Collection at the University of Georgia and submitted a typed copy to the NWGa Quarterly I believe it was.   Garland Bagley went to Athens and brought back a photocopy of the original handwritten booklet for me to transcribe for our Census Book. It also appears in Pioneer History and History Volume 1 .   Wm. W. Vaughan who certified it was the second surveyor of the County. He appears in a family history in Gwinnett County Families.

Also, in 1834 they laid out the Town of Cumming.     I spent hours and days going through the vaults of the Clerk of Superior Court reading old deeds for references to town lott or lotts. A Receipt Docket of the Inferior Court Justices is located in the Probate Judges Office, where they recorded the first sales. At this time period there was also the platted Town of Shady Grove, located where Shakerag is shown today. (This reference from Forsyth County deeds.)

In 1835, they took a census of Cherokees in Forsyth County. The Census is called Census of Cherokees East of the Mississipi and appears on Federal Microfilm - Microcopy No: T496 Roll No. 1 Forsyth County appears on pages 46 and 47 of the original book.   They were listed as being on the Chattahoochee River, Vickory;s Creek, Settingdown Creek and Etower River (Etowah).    28 households 162 Cherokees 231 slaves 13 whites connected by marriage.