Clarke County, GA
History
Clarke County, in northeast Georgia, is the state's twenty-sixth county. It was originally inhabited by members of the Cherokee and Creek Indian nations, but the first white settlers arrived very soon after the end of the American Revolution. Later, to entice new settlers to the area, the state offered 1,000 acres per family for a nominal sum. This opportunity drew a significant number of people of Scots-Irish descent from North Carolina and South Carolina.Clarke County was created in 1801 by an act of the Georgia General Assembly on December 5, and named in honor of Elijah Clarke, a general during the American Revolution and member of the state assembly. Created by the state legislature in 1801, Clarke had initially been part of Jackson County.
Watkinsville was the original county seat but official offices were moved to Athens in 1871 causing complaints among some citizens. As a result, Oconee County was carved from Clarke County in 1875, once again making Watkinsville a county seat.