METRO GUIDE 2018: Terrell County

DAWSON — Named for William Terrell, a state senator, congressman and founder of the agriculture chair position at the University of Georgia, Terrell County is largely rural.

Dawson, the county’s seat — along with the smaller communities of Sasser, Parrot and Bronwood — make up Terrell County. At 338 square miles, it has 2.26 square miles of water area and is bordered by Dougherty, Lee, Randolph, Sumter, Webster and Calhoun counties. It was carved from portions of Randolph and Lee counties through an act of the General Assembly in 1856.

According to a 2014 estimate, Terrell County is home to 9,045 residents — 210 fewer than reflected in the census of 2010. Population density is roughly 28 people per square mile. Nearly 66 percent of Terrell’s residents age 25 or over are reported to have obtained a high school diploma, with 8.7 percent holding a bachelor’s degree or higher. The average household size is 2.66 people.

Median household income in the county was $32,628 in 2014. During the same period, median residence value was $78,800.

What is now Terrell County was the scene of a famous Creek Indian uprising, the Battle of Echouanotchaway Swamp, coming after the burning of Richmond in 1836.

For information on the county’s leadership, go to terrellcountygeorgia.com.

Dawson

A famous Spanish peanut market, Dawson was incorporated in December 1875. Its namesake, William C. Dawson, was a lawyer and soldier from Georgia who served in the U.S. Senate in 1849.

After Atlanta was captured and burned in the Civil War, Georgia Gov. Joseph E. Brown established a refugee camp in Dawson for 300 women and children who had fled the city.

For more information, visit cityofdawsonga.org.

Bronwood

Resting near Terrell County’s border with Sumter County, the Bronwood community is located off State Highway 118. The town, which was originally called Brown’s Station, was incorporated in 1883.

Parrott

Parrott is Terrell County’s northernmost municipality, located nine miles from Dawson. It is named for its founder, John Lawson Parrott.

According to census data, in 2010 the town’s population was 156. More information can be found at parrottga.com.

Sasser

Incorporated in 1890, Sasser is Terrell County’s southeasternmost community. The town was named for one of its pioneering residents, Abraham Sasser.