Bacon County, in southeast Georgia, was named for U.S. senator Augustus Octavius Bacon, who served four terms and was president pro tempore of the Senate in 1912. The 285-square-mile county was created from portions of Appling, Pierce, and Ware counties in 1914. Because Bacon was the 151st county, an amendment was needed to override a previous limit of 145 counties set by Georgia voters in 1904. The area, part of the wiregrass region, was first settled by Creek Indians and then by pioneer families from the Carolinas who sought more affordable land.

Dobbs, Chris. "Bernadette Smith." New Georgia Encyclopedia, last modified Jul 19, 2017. https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/bernadette-smith/ Dobbs, C. (2017). Bernadette Smith. In New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved Jul 19, 2017, from https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/bernadette-smith/ Dobbs, Chris. "Bernadette Smith." New Georgia Encyclopedia, 08 March 2017, https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/bernadette-smith/. ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qLHOq56imZWjsLqvy6innpyZlnuwvsZomKusmZi5pr%2BOmqmtq12Ywq3A1KucaJqVp7uisMStq55lo6K2tbSO

Berry Benson, a longtime citizen of Augusta, was a Civil War veteran, cotton broker, accountant, and writer. He served as the model for the anonymous soldier standing atop the Confederate Monument in Augusta, erected in 1878 on Broad Street. Courtesy of Edward J. Cashin The New Georgia Encyclopedia does not hold the copyright for this media resource and can neither grant nor deny permission to republish or reproduce the image online or in print.

With forty-four career wins by 2003 and the 1988 Winston Cup championship, Bill Elliott is one of the most  successful and popular drivers in the history of NASCAR Winston Cup racing. Bill Elliott was born on October 8, 1955, in Dawsonville. Growing up in a family passionate about stock car racing and in a community steeped in the wild and woolly traditions of moonshine running and stock car racing, Elliott developed an early interest in fast cars.

Birds, more than any other vertebrate (an animal with a backbone), dominate Georgia’s landscapes. The state’s diversity of habitats and physical features, from the northern mountains to the swamps and coastal islands, provides habitats for approximately 347 species of birds that live in Georgia at some point during their lifetimes. Between 90 and 110 species breed and nest in south Georgia. This number increases in north Georgia to almost 130 nesting birds.