| County: | Treutlen County |
| State: | Georgia |
| Founded Date: | November 5 |
| Seat Wl: | Soperton |
| Largest City Wl: | Soperton |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 202 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 199 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 3.0 |
| Area Percentage: | 1.5% |
| Census Yr: | 2020 |
| Pop: | 6406 |
| Density Sq Mi: | 32 |
| Time Zone: | Eastern |
| District: | 12th |
| Ex Image: | TREUTLEN COUNTY COURTHOUSE.jpg |
| Ex Image Cap: | Treutlen County Courthouse in Soperton |
Treutlen County is a county located in the east central and Magnolia midlands portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,406.[1] The county seat is Soperton.[2] Treutlen County is host to the Million Pines Arts and Crafts Festival which takes place during the first weekend in November.
Before colonization, the area was home to the Muscogee. Following the American Revolution, the location's wiregrass (Aristida stricta) attracted settlers, and a timber industry began to develop around the area's longleaf pine forests, supporting occupations from cabinetmaking and milling to turpentine and other naval stores production.
The area's landscape made it difficult to build roads, resulting in a sparse population until after the Civil War when railroads arrived. In 1902, the Macon, Dublin and Savannah Railroad completed its extension from Macon to Vidalia and constructed a railroad depot near Lothair. The newly-incorporated town of Soperton quickly outgrew Lothair due to the new rail link.
An official process to create Treutlen County was spearheaded by Neil L. Gillis, known as the "father of Treutlen County" due to his efforts. The state constitutional amendment to create Treutlen County was proposed by the Georgia General Assembly on August21, 1917, and ratified November5, 1918, officially making it Georgia's 154th county.[3] The county is made up of former sections of Emanuel and Montgomery counties, and is named for John A. Treutlen,[4] Georgia's first state governor following adoption of the state Constitution of 1777. By this time, as Soperton had become larger than Lothair, it was the clear choice for county seat.[3]
During the 1920s, a local cotton farmer named James Fowler planted over 7million pine trees across 10,000 acres of land. Fowler worked together with scientist Charles Herty, who developed a process to use pine pulp to create paper.[3]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (1.5%) is water.[5] Approximately 90% of the county is forested.[6]
The western portion of Treutlen County, west of Soperton, is located in the Lower Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The eastern portion of the county is located in the Ohoopee River sub-basin of the larger Altamaha River basin.[7]
| White (non-Hispanic) | 4,065 | 63.46% | |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 1,999 | 31.21% | |
| Native American | 19 | 0.3% | |
| Asian | 7 | 0.11% | |
| Other/Mixed | 146 | 2.28% | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 170 | 2.65% |