Murray County, situated in northwest Georgia, is bounded on the east by Fannin and Gilmer Counties, on the south by Gordon, and on the west by Whit-field County. The northern boundary of the county, part of the state line between Tennessee and Georgia, is the 35th parallel of latitude. Once much larger. Murray County now consists of 342 square miles.
Murray has a variety of topographic elevations ranging from 700 feet above sea level in the valleys, to more than 4,000 feet in the mountains. Prominent peaks in the Murray skyline include Fort, Grassy, Cohutta. Bald, and Potato Patch mountains. Mountains occupy about one-third of the eastern part of the county and have long been noted for their beauty.
All surface drainage in the area flows into the Mobile River Basin. The Conasauga and Coosawattee Rivers, the two most important streams in Murray, join to form the Oostanaula near Resaca in Gordon County. Other significant streams are Sumac, Mill, and Holly Creeks, all of which flow westward into the Conasauga—the boundary between Murray and Whitfield.
Many minerals are present in Murray. Gold was mined for a time while marble, iron, lead, silver, and manganese exist in smaller amounts. For many years large quantities of talc {earlier called soapstone) have been mined in the mountains.
Long an agricultural region, Murray fields have yielded countless amounts of corn, cotton, wheat, fruit, grasses, other vegetables, and, in more recent years, soybeans. The land is fertile and provides excellent pasturage for cattle as well as other animals. The lumber business has also thrived in the area for many decades.
Murray's population has shown various increases and declines in the 20th century. The number of residents climbed from 8.623 in 1900 to 9,400 in 1920. Although the population decreased to 9,215 in 1930, it rose almost 2,000 by 1940 (11,137). During the years during and following World War II the number of residents declined and by 1960 the population was 10,447. This change is attributed to agriculture declines and the number of people who left the area for jobs in other places during the war. Between 1960 and 1970 Murray enjoyed a population increase of 24.3 percent (12.986). Since then the population has continued to grow. Thus the labor force and school enrollment have increased steadily.
Murray County has changed tremendously in the last two decades. Many long-time residents have passed away and, with them, much of our heritage. A significant number of people have moved to Murray, and are learning about the area's long and fascinating history. Here then is the written account of "Murray County Heritage."
Murray County Heritage