Telfair County, Georgia

Telfair County, Georgia
Telfair County Courthouse in McRae-Helena
Location in the U.S. state of Georgia
Georgia's location in the U.S.
Founded	December 10, 1807
Named for	Edward Telfair
Seat	McRae-Helena
Largest city	McRae-Helena
Area
• Total	444 sq mi (1,150 km2)
• Land	437 sq mi (1,132 km2)
• Water	6.7 sq mi (17 km2), 1.5%
Population
• (2010)	16,500
• Density	38/sq mi (15/km²)
Congressional district	8th
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website	telfaircounty.georgia.gov

Telfair County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 16,500. The largest city and county seat is McRae-Helena.

Archaeologists associated with Atlanta's Fernbank Museum of Natural History have been excavating a 2,000-acre (8.1 km²) plot near McRae-Helena, approximately a mile away from the Ocmulgee River. They have found evidence of a Spanish settlement dating to the first half of the 16th century. The archaeologists suspect that the artifacts originated from a settlement founded by Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón in 1526.

Additional research suggested that the site was one visited by the de Soto Expedition of 1541. They recovered Murano glass beads, made in Venice and brought by the Spanish for trading with Native Americans; pottery fragments, and iron weapons. Some of the beads bear a chevron pattern. This is believed to be a hallmark of the de Soto expedition, due to the limited period in which such beads were produced. Excavations have also produced six metal objects, including three iron tools and a silver pendant. The site is further west than scholars had earlier believed that the de Soto expedition had traveled, based on documentation from his expedition.

Telfair County was established on December 10, 1807. Development of the county largely took place after Indian Removal of historic tribes who had occupied the area for thousands of years. It is named for Edward Telfair, the sixteenth governor of Georgia and a member of the Continental Congress.