Banks County was created by act of Dec. 11, 1858, from Franklin and Habersham Counties. It was named for Dr. Richard Banks (1784-1850), whose reputation as a physician and surgeon extended over north Ga. and S.C. Especially noted for treating Indians for smallpox, he practiced medicine in Gainesville from 1832 until his death. The first officers of Banks County, commissioned March 19, 1859, were William P. Richards, sheriff; James Anderson, clerk of superior court; William H. Means, clerk of inferior court; Archibald McDonald, coroner; Pierce C. Key, surveyor; Fountain G. Moss, ordinary; Thomas Ausburn, tax collector; and Elijah Owens, tax receiver.