Fannin County was created by an act of the legislature on Jan. 21, 1854, and was named for Col. J. W. Fannin, who was killed in the massacre at Goliad on Mar. 27, 1836. He had been captured with about 350 Georgia Volunteers under his command while fighting for the Republic of Texas in its successful War of Independence with Mexico. The first county site was at Morganton, but it was moved to Blue Ridge on Aug. 13, 1895, by vote of a public election. The greater part of the county, which contains the Noontootly National Game Refuge, lies in the Chatahoochee National Forest.