In 1807, Telfair County was the 35th county formed in Georgia. It was named after Governor Edward Telfair and primarily settled by Scottish Presbyterians from the Carolinas.
The mild climate throughout the year affords unlimited opportunities for recreation. Telfair’s creeks and rivers provide bountiful fishing and water activities. Hunters delight in the dove, quail, wild turkey, deer, and small game.
The county and state rural roads provides a pleasant mixture of gently rolling hills dotted with our number one natural product - pine trees and other country side views. In the summer the sweet fragrance of honeysuckle adds to a delightful evening ride.
Telfair CountyBoard of Commissioners 91 Telfair Avenue * Suite A McRae, Georgia 31055 Phone (229) 868-5688
Telfair County Landfill
98 Landfill Lane
McRae, GA 31055
Phone (229) 833-4620
Telfair County Tax Commissioner
91 Telfair Ave., Suite G
McRae, GA 31055
Phone (229) 868-6545
Telfair County Tax Appraiser
16 S. Second Ave.
McRae, GA 31055
Phone: (229) 868-2896
Telfair County Chief Registrar Telfair County Commissioner Building 91 Telfair Ave McRae, GA 31055-1604 Telephone: (229) 868-2023 Fax: (229) 868-2266
City of Jacksonville P.O. Box 7 Jacksonville, Georgia 31544 Phone (229) 833-6901
Jacksonville, Georgia is named for General Andrew Jackson and was the first county seat of government for Telfair County.
Between 1807 and 1812, court was held in various homes. In 1812 a courthouse was erected on the site of the present Methodist Church. In 1871 the county seat moved to McRae.
Jacksonville was an important part of the Blackshear Trail which followed the Altamaha and Ocmulgee Rivers from Darien to Fort Hawkins. It was also the center of a large and wealthy plantation economy. Jacksonville was a landing for freight and passenger traffic on the river some years before and after the War between the States.
The southern part of the City is bordered by the Ocmulgee River.
City of Lumber City
City of Lumber City P.O. Box 489 33 Main Street Lumber City, Georgia 31549 Phone (912) 363-4942 * Fax: (912) 363-8029
Lumber City, GA was incorporated on September 3, 1889.
In the 1800’s, Lumber City was a thriving town due to the tremendous amount of lumber and other products being shipped by steamboats to Brunswick and Darien, GA down the Ocmulgee River. Also, steamboats on the Ocmulgee River made connections with Southern Railroad in Lumber City.
It was once known as the “Artesian City” due to the numerous artesian wells.
Lumber City is also home of the historic train trestle. This historical structure can be seen from US Hwy 341, just south of Lumber City, as you are crossing the Ocmulgee River. It is not clear as to the date of the construction of this Lumber City landmark but it could have been as early as 1910. This once was a rotating bridge.
In the 1800’s and until the early 1900’s steamboats traveled the Ocmulgee River. The trestle was operated from the shed on top of the structure from where the operator could see activity along the river and the rail tracts. The bridge no longer rotates but is still used on a daily basis for rail traffic.
City of McRae-Helena
City of McRae-Helena
(County Seat)
25 S. First Avenue McRae, Georgia 31055 Phone (229) 868-6051 mcrae-helena.org
The City of McRae became the county seat in 1871 and was incorporated on March 3, 1874. It was named after Daniel Murphy McRae, a Scottish-man, who is known for aiding in Telfair’s county seat being moved from Jacksonville to McRae.
The City of Helena was incorporated on January 1, 1890. It was known as a small friendly town.
On January 1, 2015, McRae and Helena made history as the first city-to-city merger in decades.
The two sister cities known as the City of McRae and the City of Helena, is now known as the City of McRae-Helena. The city’s new name dates to the time when the local school system was known as McRae-Helena Schools. By consolidating, the two cities will be able to provide better services for their citizens.
McRae-Helena is also known as a crossroad city due to the fact that five major highways cross in the city: 441, 341, 319, 280, 23.
McRae-Helena also has a replica of the Statue of Liberty that is one -twelfth the size of the original.
City of Milan
City of Milan
P.O. Box 87
2 Mt. Zion St.
Milan, Georgia 31030 Phone (229) 362-4290
With the coming of the Seaboard Railroad in the early 1800’s came the beginning of Milan, GA. A train depot was constructed in 1899 and name the Milan Depot by the wife of an executive of the railroad after she returned from a visit to Europe. This depot is still standing and has recently been refurbished.
Railroad transportation made it easy for farmers to ship their products to seaport cities. At one time, Milan had three cotton gins, sawmills and turpentine stills.
Part of the city is located in Telfair County and part in Dodge County. Milan is a serene and peaceful community surrounded by rich farmlands.
City of Scotland
City of Scotland Main Street Scotland, Georgia 31083 Phone (229) 868-2315
Scotland was originally named McVille after the Civil War and was populated mostly by Scottish Presbyterians. McVille was chartered on September 23, 1881 and land was settled by land owned by Barnabus Livingston.
On August 9, 1911, it was chartered as Scotland, GA.
Gum Swamp or as some know it, Little Ocmulgee River, follows the outer edge of Scotland where, at one time, thousands of logs were rafted down to Darien, GA. It was also one of the chief cotton markets of this territory.