Lumpkin County was created in 1832 from parts of Cherokee, Habersham, and Hall counties from Cherokee Indian lands.
Discovery of gold led to removal of the Native Americans from North Georgia on the tragic “Trail of Tears”. Lumpkin County was named for Wilson Lumpkin, a member of both houses of Congress and governor of Georgia. The county seat and only incorporated community is Dahlonega. The name is derived from an Indian word, “Taulonica,” that means “yellow gold.”
Constructed in 1838, the Lumpkin County Courthouse is the oldest public building in north Georgia. When gold was discovered in the area around 1828, Dahlonega became the site of America’s first major gold rush. Diggers extracted approximately $33 million gold before abandoning the mines. A U.S. mint operated in Dahlonega from 1836 until 1861. The Gold Museum provides exhibits on the history of the hills and the Gold Rush of 1828.
The county offers canoeing, hunting, fishing, camping, hiking on the Appalachian Trail, and panning for gold.
Annual festivals in the county include the Wildflower Festival of the Arts, the World Championship Gold Panning Competition, Gold Rush Days, and the Bear on the Square Mountain Festival.
