History Orchards Gilmer County links Gilmer County events A little Southwest of Georgia Established in 1832. As a lieutenant in the Georgia Militia, Gilmer personally supervised the construction of Standing Peachtree, perhaps the most famous of the frontier forts in Georgia. Characterized by a beautiful valley stretching between and among the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia, people are surprised that Gilmer County ranks among the earliest settled spots in Georgia and probably the Southeast. In 1566 the Spaniard Moyano visited the area a number of times in an attempt to establish Catholic missions, none successful.
References exist to a number of colonial roads running through the area of Gilmer County.
Ellijay, Gilmer County's seat lies where the Ellijay and Cartecay Rivers form the Coosawattee. From this point the Coosawattee begins a rapid descent to Carter's Lake. The derivation of Ellijay has been lost, but there are many possibilities. Most favored by the citizens of the town, not for historical but poetic reasons is that it comes from the Cherokee Elatsi-yi or place of green earth. Numerous early references to the town exist.