Dawson County, Georgia: History
Dawson County was created on December 3, 1857, from Gilmer and Lumpkin Counties. It is named for William Crosby Dawson, a U.S. Senator from Georgia.
The 1860s brought war and hardships to the people of Dawson County. Many men of Dawson County answered the call and went to fight in the Civil War. Several Confederate units were raised in Dawson County, including:
21st Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Company E Concord Rangers
22nd Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Company I, Dawson County Independents
38th Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Company I (Wright's Legion), Dawson Farmers
38th Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Company L (Wright's Legion)
52nd Regiment, Georgia Volunteer Infantry, Company I
The 1st Georgia Infantry Battalion (Union), Companies B and C also was raised there.
Dawson County is known for its long involvement in auto racing, which was established in the 20th century; many of the original NASCAR racers came from this area, and Dawsonville is now one of a few areas considered to be the "birthplace of stock car racing". Local racing skills are said to have been developed by men who ran moonshine down Georgia State Route 9, also known as Thunder Road, to Atlanta. The celebration of Dawson County's history and its involvement in bootlegging moonshine during the Prohibition era now occurs every October, dubbed the Moonshine Festival.
Locals have referred to Dawson County as the "Moonshine Capital of the World". This title is claimed by many other cities and communities, but is fiercely defended by residents of the area. Allegedly, bootleggers took advantage of the county's relative isolation and the ability to move so much moonshine to the larger cities, especially Atlanta, during the United States Prohibition era. Duff Floyd worked for many years as an ATF agent busting moonshine operations in Dawson County, as well as in nearby Gilmer County.