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Clayton County GAGenWeb is a free genealogical site about the history of the Georgia county. It is a member of GAGenWeb, which is a member of USGenWeb®. We hope you find helpful clues for your research of Clayton County ancestors.

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Co-County Coordinator: YOU? If you have a sincere interest in the genealogy of Clayton County, and if you are willing to help others along their family history journey, but website maintenance doesn't appeal to you, consider becoming a Co-CC. As Co-CC you would reply to email inquiries, contribute content, monitor the website, .... Contact us to give it a try.

County Coordinator: Norma Hass normahass01@gmail.com

State Coordinator: Paula Perkins psgenealogy@gmail.com

Assistant State Coordinator: Rebecca Maloney rebeccamaloney7193@gmail.com

COUNTY FORMATION

Clayton County was formed Nov. 30, 1858, from parts of Fayette and Henry Counties. It was named in honor of Augustine Smith Clayton (1783-1839), a judge, lawyer, and member of the U.S. House of Representatives. The first officers of Clayton County, commissioned Jan. 13, 1859, were: Robert K. Holliday, Clerk of the Superior Court; A. J. Hayes, Clerk Inf. Court; James McConnell, Ord.; William Gunter, Tax Recorder; Jefferson Kirkland, Tax Collector; B. W. Bonner, Surveyor; John K. Landers, Coroner; J. H. Waldrop, Sheriff.

Jonesboro is the County Seat. Originally called Leaksville, it was founded in 1823 and was later renamed to Jonesboro. It was one of the critical stops on the railroad that ran from Macon to Terminus (now Atlanta). This connected the southeast part of the state to the port of call in Savannah, GA. Jonesboro, was named for the popular engineer Colonel Samuel Goode Jones, who was in charge of that early railroad construction and resided in what was then called Leaksville.

The area was home to the Creek Indians, especially parts surrounding the Flint River. It was settled by pioneers in 1821, following the Treaty of Indian Springs, where the Creek Indians ceded land to the state of Georgia.

The railroad played an important part in Clayton's history. It had a link to the Pacific and the rail corridor permitted local farmers to ship their cotton in all directions. And it was this same rail corridor that brought the Battle of Atlanta to its climax during the Civil War. When Union soldiers severed the railroad line at Jonesboro, the Confederates lost their supply line and Atlanta fell into Yankee hands. Clayton County was the site of heavy fighting during the Civil War. the Battle of Jonesborough and the Battle of Lovejoy's Station took place in the area. After the battles of Rough and Ready and Jonesboro, the Confederate armies were forced to evacuate the area. General Sherman then began his "March to the Sea" in late 1864.

Margaret Mitchell, author of "Gone With The Wind," placed Scarlett O’Hara’s beloved Tara at a fictional location in Clayton County. Much of the action of her work is based on historical events which she found on record at the old Clayton County Courthouse in Jonesboro. Parts of the 1939 motion picture were set in Clayton County, including the location of the fictional plantation Tara. Tara Boulevard was named for the plantation; it is the main north–south road through the county, carrying U.S. 41 and lesser-known State Route 3.

Clayton County is one of the core counties of the Atlanta metropolitan area, located south of the City of Atlanta. Most of the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is located in Clayton County.