History
Of the 159 counties in Georgia today, Cook County was the 153rd to be formed. By an act of the Georgia legislature in 1918, Cook County was created entirely from territory within neighboring Berrien County. Cook County was named for General Philip Cook, who fought in the Seminole and Civil Wars and later became a Congressman. He also served as Secretary of State. The Cook County Courthouse houses offices and a courtroom as part of the Alapaha Judicial Circuit.
Cook County lies just 40 miles north of the Florida line, halfway between Atlanta and Orlando. It is located in the center of the southernmost portion of the state, equidistant from the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Gulf of Mexico to the west.
Adel, the county seat and Georgia’s Official City of Daylilies, was incorporated in 1889. The city’s name was derived from the center letters in the word PilADELphia. Its former name was Puddleville because of the puddles of water that stood in the streets after big rains. Of course, this was before the streets were paved and a modern drainage system was installed.
Cecil is located six miles south of Adel on U.S. 41 and I- 75. It was incorporated on Aug. 11, 1914, although the township was laid out in 1891. Cecil’s original main street, Old Coffee Road, is now a historic landmark. One of the first roads cut through the Wiregrass Territory, Coffee Road served the early settlers traveling from Savannah to the Gulf of Mexico.
Lenox is located on U.S. 41 in northern Cook County. It was incorporated in 1902. The city derived its name from the lean oxen many early settlers used for plowing and pulling oxcarts. The annual Lean-Ox Festival is held the third weekend in November of each year in celebration of the town’s history.
Sparks is located one mile north of Adel on U.S. 41 and I- 75. Named in honor of President Sparks of the Georgia Southern and Florida Railroad, it is now a part of the NorfolkSouthern Railway System and was incorporated on Dec. 26, 1888. Sparks is home to the Cook County Work Force Development Center, a campus of Wiregrass Georgia Technical College.
Things To Do And See
The single largest event to take place in Adel each year is the Adel Daylily Festival, held in early summer when the daylilies are in bloom. Adel has been officially designated the City of Daylilies by the Georgia House of Representatives. The annual Adel Daylily Festival is held the third weekend in May every year in downtown Adel.
The Carolyn Harris Performing Arts Center is a 550- seat theatre and home to the Cook County Council for the Arts, which presents outstanding local, regional, and national productions.
South Georgia Motorsports Park is located in Cecil near I- 75. This beautiful facility features drag racing, truck and tractor pulls, live entertainment, and other events on selected weekends throughout the year.
Horse Creek Winery, located in Sparks along both Georgia Grown Trail 37 and Georgia Grown Trail 41, features award-winning wines, a gift shop, restaurant, and a beautiful wedding venue.
Reed Bingham State Park features a 300-acre lake for boating and fishing and a natural habitat for the American Bald Eagle and Georgia’s State Reptile, the Gopher Tortoise. A bridge connects Cook and Colquitt Counties on the southern end of the lake.
Business And Industry
Education is important in Cook County. High schoolgraduation rates are well above the state average, and our schools are modern and well-maintained. CTAE, Career Based Learning, and other specialized programs produce graduates ready to work or advance their skills through post-secondary opportunities such as Valdosta State University and Wiregrass Georgia Technical College.
Adel and Cook County are entrepreneurfriendly communities. We have taken steps recommended by the Georgia Department of Economic Development to become an area for business and industry to flourish. We are also a Certified Georgia Work Ready Community, which means our workforce has been evaluated and tested to be ready to work when business and industry expand into our area.
South Georgia Megasite: Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development (GRAD)
Cook County is home to the South Georgia Megasite, featuring a 3,000-acre industrial park ready for a company’s expansion or relocation. The South Georgia Megasite is sized to suit any industrial application, and connected for global speed through infrastructure that includes I-75 and Norfolk Southern Rail access. And with 350 acres certified Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development (and adjoining acreage ready for development), this megasite is all systems go today.
The Cook County Economic Development Commission stands ready to assist new business and industry in any way.
High-capacity, low-cost utilities
The City of Adel has water capacity of more than 9 million gallons of water daily, and affordable, publicly provided electricity. Commercial users of large loads (900 kw or larger) may choose between three electrical providers: City of Adel (Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia); Georgia Power, a major regional utility; and Colquitt EMC, a not-for-profit, member-owned Georgia electric cooperative.
Did you know?
• The cost of living in the Cook County area is just 81 percent of the national average.
• JM Eagle operates the largest PVC manufacturing facility in the nation in Adel, Ga.
• Superior standards, learning-intensive curricula, and the finest professional educators have resulted in a Cook High School graduation rate 9 percent above the state average, and the top score out of 17 school systems in the region on the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI).
EDITOR’S NOTE – The preceding information is provided courtesy of the Adel-Cook County Chamber of Commerce, Adel-Cook County Tourism Authority, and Cook County Economic Development Commission.
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