Bartow County
Bartow County was established in 1832 as Cass County. The name was changed to Bartow on December 6, 1861. Bartow County is one of the larger counties in Georgia in terms of area, encompassing 471 square miles. Bartow County is located approximately 44 miles northwest of Atlanta and is included in the Metro Atlanta Service Area (MSA) as well as the Northwest Georgia Regional Development Area (RDA).
Average rainfall for Bartow County is approximately 52.59 inches per year. This ranges from a low of approximately 2.90 inches in October to a high of approximately 6.17 inches in March (in a typical year). Average annual temperature ranges from a low of 52.2º F in January to a high of 90.9º F in July. This means that Bartow County is blessed with warm summers and moderate winters (often with little or no snow).
Broad valleys and relatively steep ridges are found in Bartow County’s topography with elevations ranging from a low of approximately 600 feet (on the Floyd/Bartow County border) to an approximate high elevation of 2,400 feet. Bartow County is in the Coosa River Basin. Prominent geographic features include Allatoona Lake, Red Top Mountain, Pine Log Mountain and the Etowah River.
Bartow County is steeped in tradition and history. Native American settlements were prominent in Bartow County. The County was a actually the center of settlement for both the Creek and Cherokee tribes when Europeans moved into this section of Georgia and many Cherokees began their march along the “Trail of Tears” from residences in Bartow County. Mound-building Mississippian Indians lived in Bartow County. Later Creek and Cherokee settled in the area, . The Etowah Indian Mounds State Park adjacent to the Etowah River is a classic example of a settlement area of these prehistoric Native Americans.
Bartow County was the site of many engagements between Union and Confederate forces during the Civil War The “Great Locomotive Chase” was a major Civil War event occurring along Bartow’s rail lines. Also, a major engagement between Union General Sherman’s troops and confederate forces was fought at Allatoona Pass near the Cobb County boundary. Bartow County has made a transition from being an agrarian to an industrial based economy and from a rural to a suburban society during recent years.