1839 "He was founder of the village which bears his name. 1939
A man of great energy, industry and perseverance; of rigid
Integrity, truth and justice. He early earned and long enjoyed the esteem and confidence of his fellow men."
Roswell King, son of Sarah Fitch and Timothy King, was born at Windsor, Connecticut on May 3, 1765. He moved to Darien, Georgia, in 1788 and became a leader in the religious, civic and business life of the community. In the early 1820's the Bank of Darien having large holders in the gold fields of northern Georgia and North Carolina sent Roswell King into these fields to attend to its interests. It was on this trip that he crossed the Chattahoochee River near the mouth of Vickery - now Big - Creek, and then he visualized for the first time the colony that was to bear his name. Being impressed by the water power Vickery Creek afforded, the healthful climate, the abundance of natural resources and the general beauty of the section he decided to make it his home.
A short time later he, accompanied by his son Barrington, made another trip from the Low Country to this unsettled area of the Cherokee country. Barrington King was more was more enthusiast than his father over the potentialities of the section destined to be the site of Roswell. With
this encouragement, Roswell King came again, about 1830, to this the land of his desire and by 1835 he had acquired sufficient lands for his needs and construction was begun on a cotton mill. By March 4, 1835, the mill was completed and became the main business interest of the community.
A few weeks later Barrington King, with his family, arrived and the son began to take responsibilities of the father. The Kings missed their accustomed community life and to enlarge the colony offered building sites to friends and relatives on condition that they come and build permanent homes. The offer was accepted and by 1839 a colony of six families existed. The colonists then completed the building of a Presbyterian church, an academy and their permanent homes. These buildings exemplified the truest expression of the classic architecture of that period and with the exception of the academy remain to this day.
Thus a vision became a reality and the community founded was called Roswell, in honor of the man who first envisioned the possibilities of the site and who was the most beloved citizen of the community until his death, February 15, 1844.
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