Jones County - Georgia

County Courthhouse

County Seat: Gray
Incorporated:  December 10, 1807
Population: 23,639
Total Area: 393.8 Square miles
Website: www.jonescounty.org

Jones County, the 30th county formed in Georgia, was created in 1807. Originally part of Baldwin County, it was named for James Jones, an early Georgia Congressman and a member of the State Constitutional Convention of 1798.

Clinton, established in 1809, was a center for New England settlers whose influence is reflected in the architecture of the town. The houses stand close to the streets which fan out from a central square. At one time, this was the fourth largest city in the state. Clinton was one of 187 inactive municipalities to lose its charter in 1995, as a result of a 1993 Act of the General Assembly.

The town of Gray was originally known as James in honor of the man whose land it was on, James H. Blount. It was changed to Gray to honor James Madison Gray, a major financier of the Confederacy.

The Ocmulgee River, the restored Jarrell Plantation, and the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge are located in the county. Jarrell Plantation is a State Historic Site within the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge.

There are several festivals in Jones County including Old Clinton War Days, Sheep to Shawl Day, and Family Farm Day.