B BABCOCK, Miller County. An old community BAGGS CREEK, Lumpkin County. An extreme located in the southern section of the county. First upper tributary of the Chestatee River, in the incorporated as the town of PONDTOWN December northeast section of the county. Supposedly named 14, 1901 and then named for its founders, the for a Cherokee Indian family called Bagg who lived Babcock brothers - E. V., Fred R. and Oscar H. along the stream until 1819. The town lost its charter July 1, 1995. BAHIA DE GUALQUINI, Glynn County. The BACK RIVER, Savannah. Descriptive name for Spanish name of SAINT SIMONS SOUND (q.v.), the channel of the Savannah River, flowing in back which translates, "Bay of Gualquini" (see Gualquini). of Hutchinson's Island, on the South Carolina side. Early records show that this designation was used BAILEY'S MILL, Camden County. An early about the time of General James Edward Ogle- settlement which was located on the Satilla River thorpe's arrival. The channel on the near side is two miles southeast of Burntfort. John S. Bailey named Front River. owned a general store and a sawmill here. BAINBRIDGE, CS Decatur County. Incorporated as a town December 22, 1829. In 1765, John Burgess operated an Indian trading post in this vicinity. Brinkley said it was originally called FORT HUGHES (q.v.). The present city was founded December 19, 1823, and was named for William Bainbridge (1774-1833), who once commanded the celebrated frigate U.S. Constitution, nicknamed "Old Ironsides" (see also Gascoigne's Bluff). BAINBRIDGE COLLEGE here is part of the BACON COUNTY. Created July 27, 1914 with University System of Georgia. 293 square miles taken from Appling, Pierce and Ware counties. The county seat is Alma (q.v.). The BAIRDSTOWN, Oglethorpe County. A community county was named for Augustus Octavius Bacon located on the Greene County line which was settled (1839-1914), who was born in Bryan County, but in 1825. It was originally called HURRICANE made Macon his home. He was speaker in the BRANCH, and later changed to honor a Mr. Baird Georgia House of Representatives, later became who lived here. U.S. Senator from Georgia, and served as president pro tempore of the Senate after the death of Vice- President James S. Sherman. He bequeathed a 117- acre tract to the city of Macon named BACONS- FIELD PARK in honor of his two sons. The park was returned to the heirs in January 1970 as the result of a U.S. Supreme Court decision concerned with the stipulation in the will of Senator Bacon that the park was for white people only. BACONTON, Mitchell County. Incorporated August 6, 1903. This town was founded by and named for Major Robert J. Bacon (1830-1907), BAKER COUNTY. Created December 12, 1825 lawyer and planter who came here from LaGrange, with 355 square miles taken from Early County. Troup County in 1858, and purchased land to take Named for Colonel John Baker (d.1792), affluent up farming. He was a graduate of the University farmer, soldier of the American Revolution, and of Georgia, Athens at its 50th anniversary Indian fighter. He represented Liberty County in commencement in 1851. His home was known as the Georgia House of Representatives. The county "Liberty Hall." seat is Newton (q.v.). The court house was destroyed by floods in 1925 and 1929. BAD CREEK, Rabun County. The name is quite descriptive of this stream flowing in a rugged area BAKER'S FERRY, Elbert County. This ferry in the lower part of the county. Nearby is Worse crossed the Broad River southwest of Elberton, Creek which runs parallel to it, and both flow into and was named for L.H. Baker, its owner and the Chattooga River. operator. Georgia Place-Names 13 Barber's Creek BALD MOUNTAIN, Murray County. With an in south Murray County, which is included in elevation is 4,010 feet, it is located 12 miles Georgia Militia District No. 1807, known as the northeast of Chatsworth. The name "Bald" is used BALL GROUND DISTRICT. to designate a peak without trees at its summit. BALL PLAY CREEK, Lumpkin County. This BALD MOUNTAIN PARK, Towns County. stream enters the Chestatee River three miles east Located two miles south of Hiawassee near LITTLE of Dahlonega, and is named after the Cherokee BALD MOUNTAIN (4,450 feet elevation), and Indians' once popular game, the ball-play. A recent almost one mile north of BRASSTOWN BALD state map of Lumpkin County erroneously shows (q.v.). The site of the park was previously called this stream labeled PECKS MILL CREEK, after FODDER CREEK (q.v.). a mill located thereupon. BALL RIDGE CREEK, Forsyth County. Flows BANKHEAD HIGHWAY. U.S. Highway 78 into Lake Lanier near Cumming. The name is between Atlanta, Georgia and Birmingham, apparently a variant of the name BALDRIDGE Alabama. Believed named for William Brockman CREEK found on earlier maps. Goff believed the Bankhead (1874-1940) of Alabama, who served name "...came from a prominent Cherokee family in the U.S. Congress (1917-1940). which bore that English name and which probably lived on the stream." BANKS BRIDGE, O.H., Jasper County. Spans Murder Creek on Georgia route 83. Named March BALDWIN, Habersham County. Incorporated 4, 1964 for Mr. O. H. Banks, bank president and December 17, 1896, the town now extends into mayor of Shady Dale. Banks County. Named for Joseph A. Baldwin, an official of the Atlanta-Charlotte Airline Railroad. BANKS COUNTY. Created December 11, 1858 BALDWIN COUNTY. An original county, created with 231 square miles taken from Franklin and May 11, 1803 and June 26, 1806 following Creek Habersham counties. It was named for a noted cessions of June 16, 1802 and November 14, 1805. surgeon, Dr. Richard E. Banks (1784-1850), who It now comprises an area of 257 square miles, and took up practice in Ruckersville, Elbert County, was named in honor of Abraham Baldwin (1754- then moved to Gainesville, Hall County in 1832. 1807) a native of Connecticut who moved to The county seat is Homer (q.v.). Savannah in 1784 and there began to practice law. He was a signer from Georgia of the Federal BANKSVILLE, Jackson County. This rural Constitution in 1787, was a state legislator, and community was located about nine miles southeast one of the founders of the University at Athens. of Homer when the site was in Banks County. The county seat is Milledgeville (q.v.). The court Named for Dr. Richard Banks (see Banks County). house was destroyed by fire in 1861. BANNING, Carroll County. An early post office. BALDWIN STATE PARK, Baldwin County. See Bowenville. A 700-acre park located west of Milledgeville, opened in 1975. BARBER, Colquitt County. A former community located five miles northeast of Moultrie. Named BALL GROUND, Cherokee County. This name for Moultrie banker and industrialist, William H. is a survival of Indian days, when the site of the Barber. present town was used by the Cherokee Indians for their national pastime, the ball-play. The name BARBER'S CREEK, Barrow and Oconee counties. BALL GROUND was also applied to a crossroads Rises just east of Russell and flows southeasterly Barbour Island 14 Georgia Place-Names to McNutt Creek just before that stream enters the was settled in the 1830's by William Folsom. The Middle Oconee River above Watkinsville. Named South Georgia Railroad was built through here in for the early settler family of Robert Barber. Named 1897 when the present name was adopted, which for this stream was the early settlement here of is for one of the owners of the Barney-Smith Car BARBERS CREEK, which is now Statham (q.v.). Company of Ohio (railroad equipment suppliers). The post office was transferred here from Foster BARBOUR ISLAND, McIntosh County. Lies (q.v.) in 1897. across the Wahoo River from South Newport. It is thought to have been named for John Barber, BARNSLEY GARDENS, Bartow County. This who first settled here in 1740 with General estate is located midway between Cartersville and Oglethorpe's permission. Records of 1757 list the Rome, six miles from Kingston. It was built just place as BARBER'S ISLAND. BARBOUR ISLAND prior to the Civil War on 10,000 acres purchased RIVER drains into Sapelo Sound and forms the by Sir Godfrey Barnsley (1805?-1873), scion of west boundary of Barbour Island. British nobility, who was the wealthiest man of Savannah. These once beautiful gardens fell into BAREFOOT (or BEARFOOT), Towns County. neglect until purchased in 1988 and restored by A little spot located where the old Hiawassee Trail Prince Hubertus Fugger and Princess Alexandra crossed the present U.S. 16 in the eastern section of Bavaria Germany. of the county. The name either signifies "bear track" or a place where residents had to go without shoes. BARRETTSVILLE, Dawson County. This community was located seven miles south of BARKCAMP (Militia) DISTRICT, Burke County. Dawsonville on the Etowah River. It is believed This district contains one of the early communities to have been named for the first postmaster, J.M. of Georgia. Its main settlement at BARKCAMP Barrett. CROSSROADS is located six miles above Midville, and was one of the earliest post offices in the state. BARRIMACKE, Camden County. Located at the The original community of BARKCAMP is believed northeast tip of Cumberland Island. This early to have been three miles southeast of the present community of about twenty-four families was settled crossroads, on the east side of BARKCAMP CREEK in 1740, but they deserted the place shortly (a tributary of Mill Creek). This earlier site was afterward. The derivation of the name is unknown.