Interesting Facts about Cumming, Georgia

Cumming, Georgia was founded in 1833 and first chartered in 1845. The town was first surveyed in 1833. It is located forty miles north of Atlanta. State Route 400 leads north from Atlanta into Forsyth county. The land for Cumming was part of the 1832 Cherokee land lottery. The Cherokee territory stretched across what is now Bartow, Cherokee, Cobb, Floyd, Forsyth, Gilmer, Lumpkin, Murray, Paulding and Union counties. This land by a lottery system was distributed to Georgia families. The land was mainly used for agriculture.

The name comes from an officer from the War of 1812. His name was Col. William Cummingand he was born July 27, 1788. Wm Cumming was a distinguished Georgian who graduated from Princeton (at that time was the College of New Jersey at Princeton). He studied law at Gould's Law School, Litchfield, Conn.

The Federal Road (Highway 369) runs through Forsyth county. This road connected the borders of Georgia with Nashville and Knoxville. This Federal road was used to remove the Creek and Cherokee Indians to Oklahoma. The road started in Athens, Georgia and continued through Jackson, and Hall Counties. The Federal Road Marker located at Highway 9 and Highway 369 says, "The highway coming from the right is the Old Federal Road, northwest Georgia's first vehicular way and the earliest postal route of this area. It began on the southeastern boundary of the Cherokees in the direction of Athens, linking Georgia and Tennessee across the Indian Country. Rights to open the thoroughfare were granted informally by the Cherokees in 1803 and confirmed in the 1805 Treaty of Tellico, Tennessee. 'Daniels,' an early stand and stage stop, on the old trace stood here."

William T. Sherman did not burn or visit Cumming during the Civil War "March to the Sea".

Cumming has had the same mayor since 1970. His name is Henry Ford Gravitt. He is a native to Cumming and was born January 2, 1942.

Junior Samples (born Alvin Samples, Jr. April 10, 1926 to November 13, 1983) from "Hee Haw" was Cumming's most famous personalities. His most famous part was when he played a country use car salesman with the phone number of 1-800-BR5-49. Samples died of a heart attack when he was 57 in 1983. He is buried at Sawnee View Gardens.

American Idol singer from the first season, RJ Heltonlived in Cumming.

Oprah Winfreyhosted her show in Cumming in 1987 which she she discussed racial issues. Hosea Williams and US Senator Gary Hart participated in a civil rights demonstration at that time.

Forbes Magazine, recent study of the 2006 census America's Richest Counties, showed Forsyth County number 13 in the nation for median annual income. The median annual income is $83,682. No other Georgia county was counted on the Forbes List. Fairfax County, Va. ranked number 1.