When White County was formed in 1857, Mt. Yonah was selected as the county seat. Although most residents wanted to rename it Sheltonville for William H. Shelton, who sponsored the formation of the new county, Shelton asked that it be named Cleveland for his friend and mentor Benjamin Cleveland, who served six terms as representative, eight terms as senator from Habersham County, and as brigadier-general from 1820 to 1826. The White County Courthouse, built of handmade brick by slave labor, was modeled after Independence Hall in Philadelphia.