Historic Sites in Houston County

The history of Houston County

Houston County was created on May 15, 1821, as one of five large counties the legislature formed from land the Muscogee (Creek) ceded that year; later divisions gave portions of its territory to Bibb, Crawford, Pulaski, Macon and Peach counties. It is named for John Houstoun, a member of the Continental Congress and governor of Georgia, and although the spelling changed over time, residents still pronounce the name 'HOW-ston.' Perry, the county seat, was originally known as Wattsville and was incorporated in 1824. Settlers who came through the 1821 land lottery grew corn, wheat and vegetables, and the nearby Ocmulgee River carried cotton to market. Peaches became a major crop in the late nineteenth century, and by 1889 Houston was the largest peach-growing county in the United States. A cement plant opened at Clinchfield in 1924 to use local limestone and kaolin, and yellow pine supported a thriving lumber trade. World War II transformed the county. Construction of an Army air depot began in 1941 near the whistle-stop of Wellston, which was renamed Warner Robins in honor of Brig. Gen. Augustine Warner Robins and incorporated in 1943. Robins Air Force Base remains central to the regional economy, and its Museum of Aviation opened in 1984. U.S. Senator Sam Nunn is among the county's notable figures.

Sources: georgiaencyclopedia.orggeorgiaencyclopedia.orgen.wikipedia.org