After the turbulent 1830's, the next decade must have seemed extremely tame to Murray Countians. Information about this era is sketchy, primarily from census records, deeds, and old minute books. Residents evidently saw the need to get this new county off to a good start following the Bishop era, although the man was around until about 1853.
Absalom Holcomb was selected to be Murray's first census taker in 1840. He covered five large districts which included what is now Whitfield, Catoosa, and Murray Counties. Three schools were established early in this decade: Sandy Springs and Clear Springs (in Whitfield) Academies both in 1840 and Sharon Academy in 1841. Trustees of the latter school were James Edmondson. Eppy W. Morris. Dennis Carroll, Robert McCamy, and Charles Lewis. In 1842 a "Poor School" Fund provided education for 190 males and 176 females.
Much of the county's activity centered around Spring Place. There James Edmondson, Latch & Ellis, Aaron Springfield, Andrew Holder, Hale & Murphy, and John H. Hawkins all applied for liquor licenses during the I840's. Wacaser's Tavern was located near the courthouse square in 1841. Edward Edwards (1842), William L. Phillips (1840). Uriah Duncan (1840), A.V. Hargrave (1841), and Willis Mote (1842) also applied for licenses. Edmondson owned a hotel. Ed Gault operated a lanyard and brickyard between the town branch and the Vann House. Thomas Seay and the Dwights were also prominent area residents along with James Morris, an extensive land owner, merchant, builder, "real estate" agent, financier, and benefactor of schools and churches. (The Morris family later moved to Dalton where Morris Street was named in their honor.) Mr. Morns also owned a lanyard which he sold to A.N. Hargrove in 1843. Hargrove ran the business at least until 1846.
In 1843 newly selected Judge of the Superior Courts of the Cherokee Circuit, on. George D. Anderson, died at his lodgings in Spring Place during the March term. He was a native of South Carolina but was a resident of Marietta at the time of his death. Judge Anderson was a highly respected man and had risen rapidly in Georgia government, having been elected to the Legislature at the age of 35 and appointed Judge in the next session. He was 37 at the time of his death. According to The Bench and Bar of Georgia Judge Anerson, the son of John and Nancy Anderson of Anderson District, South Carolina, had held a variety of positions before becoming judge. The same book also includes this account of the Judge's death:
On the morning of his decease. Judge Anderson arose as usual and opened his door that a servant might light a fire. He was for half an hour lefl alone, but at that time he was found expiring on the floor - . . His pulse had ceased to beat and he was perfectly insensible. It was an awful and sudden visitation of Providence, cutting him off in the midst of his usefulness and at the post of duty , . . Judge Anderson seemed to have died without the slightest struggle. His features were as placid and composed as if he had gently fallen asleep. From Spring Place the body was transported to Marietta to receive the last duties of his bereaved wife and little ones and his numerous friends . . .
Members of the bar in the Cherokee circuit wore crepe on their left arms for 30 days "as a slight tribute to his memory."
Legal matters were of major concern to Murray Countians in the 1840'| Court was first held in the old Moravian mission building. In 1839 the Grand Jury recommended that "a courthouse and a jail the size of the one at Cass be constructed. Henry Steed built it and it was located in the center of town. An old minute book records that on August 3, 1842 James Morris was paid $1,000 as the "first installment on courthouse." Apparently, Mr. Morris financed the building, but another reference, in 1853, is to "8% interest to be ' paid on money for a courthouse." Financing must have been a major problem because earlier county officials had sought to rent two jury rooms "in the west end of the courthouse ... to the highest bidder" (1849-51). In 1859 three chairs were purchased for the building at a cost of 60¢ each and three years later the building was recovered at a cost of $1,010. The old mission-courthouse was dismantled after 1867.
Finances also created difficulties in the building of a jail. Mose Winters built the first jail on town lot 20 in 1835. This jail burned soon after because in 1837^ prisoners were sent to Cassville. An 1845 act of the Georgia legislature authorized a "tax of 25% for building a jail." The 1839 effort had apparently failed, but this one was successful. In July, 1849 plans to "build a house for the jailer,) James Buchanan, on the jail lot in Spring Place, 36'x 18'with a portico and two chimneys, 10'9" high, good well-burnt brick, with floor well-layed, with ceiling overhead in a workmanlike manner." According to county historian, Charles H. Shriner the second jail burned and this house was then used as the jail. "The! jail had two rooms, one for criminals and one for debtors.. . The debtor's room was better furnished and the debtor could take his own bedding ..."
Murray's population increased during the 1840's as lots which had not be-claimed in the 1832 Lottery were sold. Many lots in Murray were purchase! by land speculators who then re-sold the acreage to people who were willing ti, move to this last Georgia frontier. (See Appendix B for Lottery records.) Historian Eulalie M. Lewis wrote that "freight and passenger train service was available over the W&A Railroad as far north as Dublin (now Resaca) in June, 1846. Any travelers or immigrants who came north into Murray County at that time could avail them selves of this new and faster means of transportation. They could then continue their journey by wagon or on horseback from this point. ..
Many pioneers did move into Murray from other parts of Georgia. Another large group moved south into Murray from East and Middle Tennessee. South Carolina, and Western North Carolina. One early Murray settler was Dawson A. Walker who later ran against James Milton Smith for governor of Georgia in 1872, Unfortunately, Walker, by this time a county judge and a Republican, lost to the incumbent 104,252 votes to 45.812. Other pioneer settlers were C.B. Tucker. Arthur Gilbert, Thomas Hames (all in the 1830's), John Bryant, James McEntire, John Rollins, Jacob Holland, the Peeples family, John Otis (who had been a guard for the removal), the Bateses, George Cleveland (who had known Joe Vann), and Maynard W. Harris who had joined a company to remove the Indians but returned to Murray in 1844 to purchase 200 acres of land.
George White's Statistics of the State of Georgia gives considerable information about Murray County in the 1840's. The population was 6,678 in 1845— 6,160 whites and 518 blacks. Taxes in 1848 totaled $2,199.65. Post offices in the county were Spring Place, Coosawattee, Dalton, Holly Creek, Red Clay, Sugar Valley, Tunnel Hill, Resaca, and Turnersville. According to White, Spring Place had "the usual county buildings, two hotels, one academy, four stores, three groceries, one saddler, one carriage maker, two blacksmiths, two lanyards, three lawyers, and two physicians (Anderson and Underwood). Population: 250." The author also felt that "religion and morality are on the advance. Thel religious sects are Missionary and Anti-Missionary Baptists, Cumberland Presby-1 terians, Methodists, Presbyterians, Roman Catholics, and Uni versa lists." Some! 322 children received education through the "poor fund." White added that "the amusements are dancing, racing, cock-fighting, gander-pulling, and bear fights!" He also praised the numerous fine springs, the acres of beautiful forests, and the abundance of fruits, minerals, and crops. The county boasted fourteen saw mills, twenty grist mills, and three "merchant mills." The roads were only fair and due to a "changeable climate," the residents suffered "considerably from sickness."
Murray County Heritage