Dodge County - Georgia

County Courthhouse

County Seat: Eastman
Incorporated: October 26, 1870
Population: 19,171
Total Area: 500.6 Square miles

Dodge County was created in 1870 from parts of Montgomery, Pulaski, and Telfair counties. Georgia's 134th county was named for William E. Dodge, a New York businessman who owned large tracts of forest land in Georgia. Dodge helped persuade Congress to remove taxation from timber and built the first county courthouse in 1908 as a gift. The current courthouse was recently renovated by the county.

Eastman, the largest city and the county seat, was named for W. P. Eastman, a friend of Dodge.

Eastman is the home of the original Stuckey Candy Plant and is referred to as the "Candy Capital of Georgia." The Eastman House includes a museum of history for Dodge county and Eastman. The home was built in 1872 by William P. Eastman.

One of the major special events in Dodge County is the "A Dickens of a Christmas", held annually the second weekend in December. Another festival is the Spring Lake Bluegrass Festival/Old Timers Fiddlers' Reunion held in Rhine.