Irwin County, Georgia

Irwin County, Georgia
Irwin County Courthouse, Ocilla
Location in the U.S. state of Georgia
Georgia's location in the U.S.
Founded	December 15, 1818
Seat	Ocilla
Largest city	Ocilla
Area
• Total	363 sq mi (940 km2)
• Land	354 sq mi (917 km2)
• Water	8.4 sq mi (22 km2), 2.3%
Population
• (2010)	9,538
• Density	27/sq mi (10/km²)
Congressional district	8th
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website	www.ocillachamber.net

Irwin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 9,538. The county seat is Ocilla. The county was created on December 15, 1818. It was named for Governor Jared Irwin.

In the last years of the American Civil War, Irwin County gained the nickname of the Republic of Irwin due to the Unionism of many of its residents. The location where Jefferson Davis was captured [1] is located in Irwin County near Irwinville.

The territories of Appling, Irwin, and Early counties were land newly ceded in 1814 and 1818. These counties were created by a legislative act on December 15, 1818. All or portions of Irwin's five adjacent counties were created from Irwin county along with all of Cook, Colquitt, Lanier, Lowndes, counties and portions of Atkinson, Brooks, Echols, Wilcox, and Worth counties. Irwin was divided into 16 districts of 20 miles and 10 chains square with lots of 70 chains square containing 490 acres according to the Act of 1818. In 1820 each lot was priced at $18, but by 1831 the price was down to $5 per lot.

At the time of the 1820 census, when it included much of central south Georgia, Irwin County had a white population of 372 whites and 39 slaves. In 1825, It Lowndes County was formed out of the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 15th, and 16th land districts in what was then the southern half of the county. In 1830, the county had 1,066 whites, 109 slaves, and 5 free people of color. In 1840, Irwin Count had 1,772 whites and 266 slaves. In 1850. Irwin County had 2,874 whites, 459 slaves, and 1 free person of color. In 1853, Worth County was formed out of part of Irwin County. In 1854, Coffee County was also formed from Irwin. In 1860, Irwin County had 1,453 whites and 246 slaves. It was one of a few counties in Georgia outside of mountainous northern Georgia with slaves accounting for a small percentage of its population.