Gwinnett County was created by act of legislature on December 15, 1818 and named for Button Gwinnett (1735-1777), one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. The first government was convened at Elisha Winn's home (the Winn House). Land for the new county came from Jackson (formerly Franklin) County and from the Indian Cession of 1818. In the east, the land was given out as Headrights. The majority of the county was divided into three districts(5, 6, 7) and distributed through the 1820 Land Lottery in lots of 250 acres each.

War
Gwinnett sent three representatives; James P. Simmons, Richard D. Winn, and Thomas J. P. Hudson to the secession convention in Milledgeville. All three voted against secession (Gwinnett had a relatively low ratio of 1 slave to every 4 whites). During the war, Gwinnett raised 12 companies of infantry, five troops(companies) of cavalry, and one artillery battery. In late October 1864, Gwinnett saw raids and skirmishes in Trickum's Crossroads, Yellow River, Rockbridge, Lawrenceville, Jug Tavern, Rosebud. In 1941, T.A. Barker, the last surviving veteran in Gwinnett, died.

Fire
The greatest loss to us was the fire of September 10^th, 1871 which destroyed much of the county's records.

The Railroad
Railroads first came through in 1871 creating both towns and commerce. Known as the Atlanta and Richmond Air Line Railway (1870-1876) then the Atlanta and Charlotte Air Line Railway (1877-1894) then the Southern Railroad (1894-1990) and currently the Norfolk Southern Railway. A second railroad came through central Gwinnett in 1891 with the Georgia, Carolina, and Northern Railway (1886- 1901). This line merged with the Seaboard Airline Railway (CSX since 1986) and operated the Loganville and Lawrenceville Railroad which ran between the two cities from 1898-1932. From 1879-1931 the Southern Railroad operated a passenger service between Atlanta and Toccoa, Georgia called the Airline Belle.

Roads
In the 1840s, a stagecoach line ran from the depot at Stone Mountain to Gainesville by way of Lawrenceville. Departing 7:00 a.m. and arriving 5:00 p.m. three days/week. Return trips the other three days.

The first road paved in Gwinnett in 1924 was one of the oldest; the Lawrenceville-Decatur road(US 29/GA 8) and by WW II there were 96 miles of paved highways in the county: Dekalb-Barrow(US 29/GA 8), Norcross-Buford(US 23/GA 13), Stone Mountain-Loganville(US 78/GA 10), Lawrenceville-Cumming(GA 20/Hwy 20), Norcross-Cumming(GA 141/Medlock Bridge rd), and Lawrenceville-Duluth(GA 120). Unpaved highways included parts of: Lawrenceville-Snellville(GA 124), Norcross-Cumming(GA 141), Hog Mountain-Barrow(GA 124), Buford-Cumming(GA 20), Lawrenceville-Loganville(GA 20), and Grayson-Snellville(GA 84). Besides these state-maintained roads, the county maintained another 1400 miles.

*1904 - Appears on a 1904 list of cities
*1920 - Appears on a 1920 Seaboard Air Line RR map

Auburn/Carl
Lost to Barrow County in 1914.

Berkely Lake
Incorporated in 1956, Berkely Lake is the newest and smallest city in Gwinnett. Located between Norcross and Duluth, this city was formed to provide services to the community around the man-made Lake Berkely.

Berkshire
Post Office 1850-1893.

Bermuda
West of Rockbridge and Anniston roads. Post Office 1893-1903. (1904, 1920)

Braden
Lawrenceville Hwy near Harmony Grove Church Rd. Possibly a station on the Seaboard Air Line known as Caldwell Station. (1920)

Buford


Buzzard's Roost
Lawrenceville Hwy near Paden Drive.

Cains
Post Office 1838-1901. Lost to Barrow County in 1914. Brasleton Hwy(124) and Mt Moriah Rd. (1920 map shows it well inside Gwinnett)

Caleb
South of Snellville near Lenora Church and Centerville-Rosebud Roads. Post Office 1892-1903. (1904 - Lawrenceville P.O.)

Centerville
Located south of Snellville around the intersection of Hwy 124 and Centerville-Rosebud Rd. At one time it was called "Sneezer". Post Office 1879-1903. (1904 - Lawrenceville P.O.)

Chinquapin Grove
See Dacula

Choice's Store
Rockbridge and Lawrenceville Hwy. Post Office as early as 1824 and appears on the Sherman's Atlanta Campaign map.

Craig
A stop three miles SW of Lawrenceville on the Seaboard RR. (1904 - Lawrenceville P.O., 1920)

Cruse
Along the Southern RR between Norcross and the nearest stop Duluth. (1920)

Dacula
Incorporated since 1905, Dacula started near the town of Chinquapin Grove (where Dacula Elementary now stands). Built on the Seaboard Airline Railway, Dacula's station operated until the 1950s. The town was originally named Hoke or Hokeville but this was short-lived and the first Postmaster created the name Dacula from an odd combination of letters from Decatur and Atlanta. The Chinquapin Grove Post Office operated from 1850-1879 and as Dacula since 1893.

Dillard's Crossroads
Renamed Carl in 1906.

Duluth
Originally named Howell's Cross Roads for Evan Howell who ran a cotton gin on the Chattahoochee, it was renamed in 1871 to Duluth after the city in Minnesota when the railroad was built. Post Office since 1871.

Fence
At Fence Road and Auburn Road. (1904 - Auburn P.O.)

Five Forks
Where Dogwood, River, and Oak roads meet Five Forks-Trickum Road.

Ghent
Shown on the map in the area of Lilburn-Stone Mtn Rd and Old Tucker Rd. (1920)

Gloster
Located near Bethesda Methodist Church, it was a station on the Seaboard Railroad and named for a company official. A Post Office operated here from 1893 to 1946. (1904)

Goddess
Five Forks-Trickum Rd and Killian Hill? School there in 1904. (1920)

Grapevine
Around Braselton Hwy(124) and Mineral Springs Rd west of Cains. (1920)

Grayson
Founded in 1879 as "Trip" was, in 1907, officially changed to Grayson.

Harbins
Post Office 1893-1901.

Hog Mountain
One of the oldest communities in Gwinnett. Fort Daniel was built here during the War of 1812 to protect the frontier from indians. The road constructed from here to Fort Standing Peachtree on the Chattahoochee followed the ridge line and is still known as Peachtree Road. Stagecoaches stopped here on the way from Monticello to Gainesville and Stone Mountain to Gainesville.

Howell's Crossing/Crossroads
See Duluth.

Huff
Near Lawrenceville-Suwanee Rd and McKendree Church Rd. (1920)

Hush
On the 1920 map near Collins Hill Park?. (1920)

Lawrenceville
The county seat was established in 1820 and named for Capt. James Lawrence (1781-1813), a naval commander during the War of 1812. The four streets that form the square around the courthouse are named for naval hero Commodore Perry, explorer Zebulon Pike; soldier of the War of 1812, George Croghan; and congressman Augustin Clayton.

Lilburn
Begun as a stop on the Seaboard Airline in 1890, the area called McDaniel was renamed Lilburn in honor of the general superintendent of the railroad, Lilburn Trigg Myers and incorporated in 1910. Post Office since 1893.

Luxomni
Meaning "light for all", Luxomni was a stop on the Seaboard Airline just north of Lilburn near the current intersection of Luxomni Rd and Killian Hill Rd. Post Office since 1893. (1904)

Meadow
Duluth Hwy(120) near Bunten Rd.

Mountain Park (Trickum)
Where Rockbridge Road crosses the Old Stone Mountain Road (now Five Forks-Trickum Rd). Also known as Possum Corner in the mid-20th century for the nearby Possum Lake (now Lake Lucerne). Trickum was the scene of a cavalry raid in 1864. It also has the Imperial Chinese Garden - the best Chinese restaurant in Gwinnett county.

Norcross
Was formed as city in 1870 with the coming of the Southern Railroad. Quite a number of baseball players have come from Norcross. Post Office since 1871.

Oakland
Old Norcross Rd (Norcross-Lawrenceville Rd) and Oakland Rd.

Old Field
Old Peachtree Rd and Lawrenceville-Suwanee Rd.

Orient
North of Snellville around the Oak Road and Highpoint Road intersection. (1920)

Pinkneyville
One of the oldest communities and militia districts in the county, Pinkneyville was centered around the crossroads of the old Peachtree Road and Medlock Road. Near this site was an inn and stagecoach stop. With the coming of the railroad in 1870, commerce moved to the new town of Norcross and Pinckneyville slowly faded away.

Pittman
A stop on the Southern RR between Norcross and Duluth. (1904 - Norcross P.O.)

Possum Corner
See Mountain Park.

Rabbit Hill
Old Peachtree Rd and Hurricane Shoals Rd. NW of Dacula.

Rest Haven
Incorporated in 1938, Rest Haven is the smallest town in Gwinnett with a population of about 150.

Rosebud
Located at the intersection of Centerville and Rosebud roads. Post Office 1897-1905? (1904 - Loganville P.O.)

Rockbridge
Post Office 1839-1865. Thomas McGuire was Postmaster so it was likely in the vicinity of Yellow River and Rockbridge/Hwy124.

Shadow Brook
A stop on the Southern RR between Suwanee and Sugar Hill. (1920)

Sneezer
See Centerville

Snellville
A city since 1923, Snellville was originally known as New London by 1879 and Snellville since 1885 when the Post Office opened. (1904 - Lawrenceville P.O.)

Sugar Hill
Incorporated in 1939 for 1¼ miles on either side of the Southern Railroad tracks and the same distance south of Buford.

Suwanee
Another railroad town dating back to 1871. The community was formed near an older indian village known as Suwannee Old Town and has had a Post Office since 1838. Incorporated as a city in 1949.

Sweetwater
On Pleasant Hill Road near Lawrenceville Hwy. Inferior Court minutes reference a bridge over the creek in 1822 (Hwy 29 near Ronald Reagan Pkwy). Post Office 1839-1903.

Trickum
See Mountain Park

Trip
See Grayson

Warsaw
Post Office established 1832 but later moved across the river to Forsyth County in the area of State Bridge and Medlock Bridge roads. Stagecoaches stopped here on the way to New Echota.

Webbville
Old Snellville Hwy and Webb Gin House Road. (1920)

Winn
Three miles SW of Lawrenceville on US29. (1904 - Lawrenceville P.O.)

Winn's Spur
A stop on the Seaboard Air Line just west of Craig. (1920)

Yellow River
Post Office 1846-1903. Building still stands on Five Forks-Trickum Road.