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PREPARING YOUR FAMILY FOR PANDEMIC FLU  (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

Bartow County, which was established in 1832 as Cass County and whose name was changed to Bartow on December 6, 1861, is a body corporate and politic organized and existing under the Constitution and Laws of the State of Georgia. Bartow County is one of the larger counties in the State in terms of area, encompassing some 471 square miles. Bartow County is located approximately 45 miles northwest of the City Limits of Atlanta and is included in the Metro Atlanta Service Area (MSA) as well as the Northwest Georgia Regional Development Area (RDA).

In terms of climate and geography, Bartow County exhibits excellent physiographic characteristics. Average rainfall for the County is approximately 52.59 inches per year. This ranges from a seasonal low of 2.90 inches in October to a seasonal high of 6.17 inches in March (given typical rainfall events). 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).

Relatively steep ridges and broad valleys characterize Bartow County’s topography with elevations ranging from a low of approximately 600 feet (where the Etowah River leaves Bartow and enters Floyd County) to an approximate high elevation of some 2,400 feet. Bartow County is entirely within the Coosa River Basin, but lies in a complex geologic area where the Blue Ridge, Talladega and Northern Piedmont geologic provinces converge, consisting of igneous substrate rock formations, while the Ridge and Valley Province is comprised of sedimentary rock formations. The conjunction of all these geologic provinces has resulted in a mineral-rich area. Prominent geographic features include Allatoona Lake, Red Top Mountain, Pine Log Mountain and the Etowah River.

Bartow County is steeped in history and tradition. The historical record spans both prehistoric and the written historic time periods. There is a rich historic record of Native American settlement in Bartow County. Indeed, the County was a 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. Prior to Creek and Cherokee settlement in the area, Mound-building Mississippian Indians lived in Bartow County. The Etowah Indian Mounds State Park adjacent to the Etowah River is a classic example of a settlement area of these prehistoric Native Americans.

During the Civil War, Bartow County was the site of numerous engagements between Union and Confederate forces. The “Great Locomotive Chase” was a major Civil War event occurring along Bartow’s rail lines. Additionally, a major engagement between Union General Sherman’s troops and confederate forces was fought at Allatoona Pass near the Cobb County boundary. During the Twentieth Century, Bartow County’s history has been a story of transition from an agrarian to an industrial based economy and from a rural to a suburban society.