NewtownNewtown would seem to be one of the newer communities in the area, but it is probably one of the older communities in the area. Centered at the intersection of Haynes Bridge Road and Old Alabama Road, Newtown was also a thriving center. It contained several stores, seems to have had a school for many years, and had a very active “justice of the peace” office. The community was headed largely by the Nesbitt family, and the Nesbitts were often the Justices.
Court in the County seat of Alpharetta was held only one week in March and one week in August, leaving most of the cases to be decided locally by the Justices of the Peace. Justices were elected well before the judges of the Superior Court were elected. There was no requirement that the Justices know the law nor were they required to know how to read. Many Justices served merely because they were older and well respected by the community. In communities like Birmingham, simple log structures served the requirements of the justice, but some Justices had elaborate structures. The back of the Turner store in Ocee held an office where the Justice presided. Newtown had a fine frame structure early in its history for the Justice.
The only record for most of the Justices were the people for whose weddings they presided. Yet, most justices had to deal with issues like “Mr. Haynes’ dog got into my hen house and killed several chickens,” or “ Ms. Gibson’s cow got into my corn field and destroyed about an acre of my crop.” Although not often requiring the wisdom of Solomon, the Justice had to know how to make a fair decision with which everyone could live. If the Justice could not handle the case, or someone was dissatisfied with the decision, they could appeal to the Court in Alpharetta. Mr. Nesbitt was known as a very good Justice, and served for many years, and his decisions were rarely appealed. Unlike other justices in Milton County, the justices of Newtown could actually try felonies.
Much of the rest of the infrastructure was based on the proximity to the Chattahoochee River. Nesbitt’s Ferry, Jones’ Ferry replaced by Jones’ Bridge were the main ways to cross the river. Jones Bridge Road was along the top of a ridge between Big Creek and the headwaters of Johns Creek, and therefore, the bridge was very high over the Jones Bridge Shoals and rapids. Well before the depression, somewhere around 1910, a debate arose between Gwinnett and Milton County over who should repair the bridge. No solution was found, and the bridge went into disrepair.
The possible derivation of the name is an open issue. Several individuals and families of Cherokee descent were born and raised in the Newtown area well into the twentieth century. Traditionally, Cherokee and Muskogee villages would travel and relocate, leaving the name for the older village with the new village taking the name of “Newtown.” Echota, for example, was a traditional peace town in what is now Tennessee. When the tribe was forced to cede this area to the United States, they created a “New” Echota in northwest Georgia. New Echota was often referred to as simply “New Town” with the older village being referred to as “Old Town Echota.”
Along the Chattahoochee, there were several Indian villages. We have discussed several; Warsaw and Roger’s settlement near Shakerag being the two biggest. One other, just north of the present boundary between North Fulton and Forsyth Counties, was Sawnee’s Old Town. There is no reference for any “Newtown” except the community east of Alpharetta. Childhood memories of Indian mounds in the area, the long tradition of Cherokee ancestors for the local families, and the presence of Long Indian Creek all lend support to the theory that Newtown was an Indian village for half-blood Cherokees.
The churches of Newtown were Mt. Pisgah Methodist Church and Pleasant Hill Baptist Church. Both have old and strong traditions in the area.
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