Town of Talking Rock

The Town of Talking Rock was created on December 5, 1853, and named for General Andrew Pickens of Revolutionary War fame. The first settlements sprang up along the Old Federal Road which generally followed 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; to the southwest is Sharp Mountain.

The coming of the railroad in 1883 made possible development of a large and important marble industry.