Decatur County, GA

Decatur County was created in 1823 from portions of Early County. The county was named in honor of Commodore Stephen Decatur who defeated the Barbary Coast pirates at Tripoli in 1815. Bainbridge, the county seat, was named for Commodore William Bainbridge, commander of the U.S. Constitution, "Old Ironsides."

The Decatur County area was the site of several battles between Indians and early settlers. In the early 1700s, both the Spanish and English fought with Creek Indians. In 1818, General Andrew Jackson led troops from Tennessee, Kentucky, and Georgia to victory over the Seminole Indians.

Decatur County is divided by the Flint River, which flows to meet the Chattahoochee. Together they form the Apalachicola River which flows to the Gulf of Mexico. At the junction of the two rivers, the Jim Woodruff Dam forms Lake Seminole. A system of locks at the dam allows barge traffic to travel between the inland port at Bainbridge and the Gulf of Mexico.

The limestone aquifer underlying Decatur County is broken in many places, encouraging the formation of caves and lime sinks — one at Curry's Mill is almost 700 feet wide and reaches a depth of 102 feet.

Decatur County is the nation's leader in the production of Fuller's Earth, a type of clay with varied chemical uses. Once used for bleaching petroleum and cleaning grease out of wool, Fuller's Earth is currently used as cat litter and as an additive to insecticides and cements.

Lake Seminole is widely regarded as one of the nation's best lakes for large mouth bass fishing. In addition, local anglers fish for striped and white bass, catfish, crappy, and bream. Also, Lake Seminole is popular among area duck hunters.

Decatur County is the home to several annual festivals. During the first week in May, the Riverside Artsfest celebrates a specific state's culture, history, food, and music. The Town of Climax plays host to the annual Swine Time each November. This lighthearted event recognizes the contribution of pork products to the region's economy. Other annual events are the Dogwood Festival in Attapulgus the last Saturday in March and the Decatur County Fall Festival and Fair in October in Bainbridge.