Formed from old Colonial parishes: St. Mary and St Thomas. Camden, one of eight original counties of Georgia created by the State Constitution of 1777. County named for Charles Pratt, Earl of Camden, Chief Justice and Lord Chancellor England. Camden County gave territory to Wayne in 1808 and 1812, and to Charlton in 1854. St. Marys was temporary County Site until Jefferson (Jeffersonton) was named as first permanent county site by an Act of Nov. 29, 1800. Jefferson seat of government sixty-nine years (1801-1871). Election held Jan. 3, 1871, authorized county seat be removed from Jefferson to St. Marys. St. Marys county seat for fifty-two years (1871-1923). Act of Aug. 11, 1923 authorized removal of county seat from St. Marys to Woodbine. Present courthouse here erected 1928.
Some of the first and early settlers of the county were: Talmadge Hall, James Woodland, Thomas Stafford, David & Hugh Brown, John King, John Hardee, Henry Osborne, Jacob Weed, John Webb, Abner Williams, Charles & John Floyd, Nathan Atkinson, Isaac & Richard Lang, Joseph Hull, William Berrie, Thomas Miller, John Bailey, Sr., and nephew, John Bailey, and Lewis DuFour.
First County officers were: Alexander Semple, Clerk of Court; Wilson Williams, Sheriff; John Crawford, Coroner; Nathaniel Ashley, Tax Col.; Robert Brown, Register of Probates.
A number of the early settlers of this county came from Acadia, San Domingo, Minorca, and Spanish East Florida.
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This marker is part of the Georgia Historical Marker Program, administered by the Georgia Historical Society. Marker texts and locations come from the Society's own marker database.