History :

Monticello was designated county seat of Randolph County on December 10, 1808. Randolph County was renamed Jasper County on December 12, 1812 in honor of a Revolutionary War hero, Sergeant William Jasper. This county was part of Baldwin County until 1807. Prior to 1805, all of the Baldwin County area was Creek Indian hunting ground. The County Commissioners bought land that is now Monticello from Issac Weldon who had drawn it in the land lottery of 1807. The sight was selected because of its hill top setting and an abundance of spring water. The early settlers chose to name the town Monticello in honor of President Thomas Jefferson's Virginia estate. The city used a grid iron plan and laid out in a circle with a one and one-half mile diameter centered on the middle of the Courthouse square, resulting in approximately 1,200 acres within the city limits.

Cotton was king in Monticello before the Civil War. Jasper County was one of the three largest producers in the state. When the railroad came through in 1887, manufacturing and warehouse buildings were constructed along the line to meet growing commercial demands. By 1820, Jasper County was fifth in the state in the manufacturing industry. In the early 1900's Jasper County was part of the "Peach Boom". While agriculture has always played an important role in the economy, many of the original farms were sold to the U.S. Government and now make up much of the Oconee National Forest. New industries moved to this area during the post World War II Economic boom, many related to the timber industry.