County Overview
Montgomery County is one of the oldest counties in the state of Georgia. Established in 1793, our tax records date back to 1795. Montgomery County is a great place to live, work and raise a family. Our history is wide and varied, and in many respects is tied directly to the people who live here now. Many of our present-day residents are direct descendants of the founding fathers of the county. Our county is divided into five districts. Our school system directly serves all five districts from Mt. Vernon, the county seat. Brewton Parker College, a four-year institution, is also located in Mt. Vernon. Our map shows the location of each district in the county, and the central location of the county seat, Mt Vernon. The Montgomery County Government consists of a five-member commission. Each County Commissioner is elected county wide for a four-year term. We are located in the Southeastern central section of Georgia, in the heart of the Vidalia Sweet Onion growing region. Many of our county residents are also Onion Farmers.
Montgomery County has a long and interesting past. We are located in Southeast Georgia. Montgomery County was created from Washington County by an Act of the Legislature on December 19th, 1773. We rank 18th in the order of counties created. Originally the area of this county was much larger than it is at the present time, containing Tattnall County, Wheeler Counties and parts of Treutlen, Toombs, Emanuel, and Johnson Counties.
Montgomery County was named for General Richard Montgomery who was mortally wounded at the siege of Quebec during the Revolutionary War. Mount Vernon, the county seat, was named for George Washington’s home on the Potomac River. General Montgomery had given much of his possessions, and even his life in our struggle for independence. The general Assembly of Georgia adapted the name Montgomery. Fifteen other states have counties named for General Richard Montgomery. In addition to counties being named for him, Alabama’s capitol city bears his name. Most of the early settlers of the County were Scotchmen who came from the mountains of North Carolina at the close of the Revolutionary war. Due to unsettled conditions (mostly raiding Indians), It was 20 years after the county was created before any public buildings were built.
Montgomery county is located at coordinates 32 degrees 10 minutes north and 82 degrees 38 minutes west. It is in the upper Coastal plains area of Georgia, and covers approximately 150.400 acres of land at an elevation of 275 feet above sea level. The county boundaries are the Oconee River on south, Treutlen County on the north, and Toombs County on the east.
In 1960 the Population of Montgomery County 6,284 making it the 135th county in the state. The area of the county is 235 square miles, making it 126th in size. It is in the 20th State Senatorial district, and in the 1st congressional district.
