Laurens County was one of six new counties created by an act of the General Assembly approved December 10, 1807 (Georgia Laws 1807, page 3). According to that legislation, Laurens County's original boundaries were specified as:
- All that tract or parcel of land herein after pointed out, long and being in the county of Wilkinson, beginning at the mouth of Big Sandy Creek, on the Oconee River, running south sixty degrees west to the Ocmulgee River; thence down the meanders of the same to the upper corner of the fourteenth district on said river; thence north sixty degrees cast to the Oconee River; thence up the same to the beginning.
Colonel John Laurens
Georgia's 34th county was named for Colonel John Laurens of South Carolina. Laurens, who had been aide-de-camp to George Washington, was involved in numerous battles including the siege of Savannah and was killed in battle in 1782.
Pulaski County
On December 13, 1808, the legislature created Pulaski County from Laurens County (Georgia Laws 1808, November to December Session page 52). On December 11, 1858, portions of Laurens County were used to create Johnson County (Georgia Laws 1858, page 32).
County Seat
The December 1807 legislation creating Laurens County made no provision for designating a county seat but provided that courts and public business be conducted at the house of Peter Thomas. It is not clear where Thomas lived, but it may have been at or near a settlement known as Sumterville, which was situated on the confluence of Turkey Creek and the Oconee River about eight miles from what would become Dublin.
Sumterville as County Seat
On December 1, 1809, the General Assembly designated Sumterville as county seat (Georgia Laws 1809, page 10). However, on December 13, 1810, the legislature named the following as commissioners to purchase up to 200 and a half acres at or within two miles of the place known as Sand Bar on the Oconee River for location of the county seat (Georgia Laws 1810, page 95):
- Benjamin Adams
- Jethro Spivey
- John G. Underwood
- John Thomas
Town of Dublin
The commissioners selected land lot 232 in the 1st District site of the new town of Dublin and on December 13, 1811, the legislature formally designated Dublin as county seat. Jonathan Sawyer, an Irish immigrant, had agreed to donate the land for erection of public buildings providing the town was named for Dublin, Ireland the original home of his wife. The General Assembly incorporated Dublin by an act of December 9, 1812 (Georgia Laws 1812, page 94).
