Pickens County was created on December 5, 1853, and named for General Andrew Pickens of Revolutionary fame. Its first settlements sprang up along the Old Federal Road, which followed in general the route of the highway through Tate, Jasper and Talking Rock. Mount Oglethorpe, formerly called Grassy Knob, Burrell Top of Burnt Mountain, and Sharp Top Mountain dominate the skyline in the northeastern part of the county, while Sharp Mountain lies to the southwest. The coming of the railroad in 1883 made possible the development of a large and important marble industry.