 County
Profile
Incorporated: February 25, 1856
Population: 16,235
Total Area: 452.5 Square miles
Cities and Towns
• Nashville (County Seat)
• Alapaha
• Bannockburn
• Enigma
• Glory
• Ray City
• Weber
Berrien County was created in 1856 from Coffee, Irwin, and
Lowndes counties. The county was named for John McPherson
Berrien, a U.S. Senator and Andrew Jackson's Attorney General.
Berrien County had one of the state's earliest post roads, the
Coffee Road. It was opened in 1823 to channel settlers' crops to
Florida.
Nashville was named for General Francis Nash of North
Carolina, a distinguished soldier of the Revolutionary War.
Alapaha, named by Cherokee Indians who once lived there, means
"smiling sunshine" or "laughing water".
The county is predominantly agricultural and is known as the
"Bell Pepper Capital of the World".
The old jail and the Berrien County Courthouse, both in
Nashville, are listed on the National Register of Historic
Places.
The Paradise Public Fishing Area is a 1,060-acre state-owned
recreation/wildlife area. Fishing, picnicking, hiking,
bird-watching, and primitive camping are available around its 76
lakes and ponds.
There are several animals on the Federal Endangered Species list
found in Berrien County. These include the Peregrine Falcon, the
Southern Bald Eagle, and the Florida Panther. |
