This issue presents an overview of Georgia’s early land history and the processes that shaped the territory that would become Berrien County. It begins with the vast western land claims of pre-1795 Georgia and the infamous 1795 Yazoo land fraud, where millions of acres were illegally sold to land companies before the act was repealed under Senator James Jackson. The article then traces how federal intervention and the 1802 cession of western lands led to the formation of Alabama and Mississippi.

A substantial portion focuses on the Creek War of 1813–1814 and subsequent Treaty of Fort Jackson, which forced the Creek Nation to cede millions of acres. These lands became available for settlement through Georgia’s land lottery system—beginning in 1805 and expanding through lotteries in 1807, 1820, 1821, 1827, and 1832. Maps included in the issue illustrate the shifting boundaries of Creek, Cherokee, and Seminole territories, as well as the early county structures of the region.

The newsletter explains the lottery process, the requirements for “fortunate drawers,” and the common practice of selling awarded lots to incoming settlers. It describes the later Indian Removal era, lingering conflicts such as the Battle of Brushy Creek in 1836, and the eventual sale of unclaimed land lots in the 1840s. The issue highlights Berrien County’s early land buyers, including William Gaskins, who amassed more than 10,000 acres. It concludes with a discussion of how timber, turpentine, cotton, and tobacco shaped the county’s landscape from the late 19th century into the 20th century.

Subject(names): Ferguson, Angus; Gaskins, William; Jackson, Andrew; Jackson, James; King, Hugh M.; Mathews, George; McDonald, Angus; Patterson, Alexander; Shaw, Bryan