Bleckley

Formed July 30, 1912 (145^th county)

Bleckley County (12,585), Cochran (5,027)

The dark red/brown brick courthouse was built in 1914.  United States Highway 23 is 2^nd Street in front of the courthouse at Cherry Avenue.  Sayre and Baldwin were the building architects for this Neo-Classical Revival structure.  The facility features a tower with a working clock and columns.  An eternal flame and veteran memorials are on the grounds.  Georgia Supreme Court Judge Logan Edwin Bleckley was the county’s namesake when created on July 30, 1912 from Pulaski County as the 145^th county.  The county seat was named for Railroad Officer Arthur E. Cochran.  Cochran has been the only county seat.  The county center is 2 miles Northeast of Cochran. 

Bleckley County government consists of a manager, a sheriff, an administrator, a coroner, a clerk, and a tax commissioner (executive).  It has 1 Commissioner (legislative.)  Fifteen Superior Court Judges serve Bleckley, Baldwin, Ben Hill, Candler, Crisp, Dodge, Dooly, Emanuel, Greene, Hancock, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Laurens, Montgomery, Morgan, Pulaski, Putnam, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen, Twiggs, Washington, Wheeler, Wilcox, and Wilkinson counties and three County Judges, court clerk, and county attorney serve Bleckley County (judicial.) The county is in central Georgia between Columbus, Georgia, west, and Savannah, Georgia, east.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Wilkinson, Laurens, Dodge, Pulaski, Houston, and Twiggs counties. 

The area of the county is 217 square miles.  The county is 132 of 159 in the state.  It ranks 111 out of 159 in population in the state.  It has a density of 58.0 persons per square mile making it 86 out of 159 in the state.  Bleckley County has 40.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 23 crosses north to south through the county, Twiggs County to Dodge County.  The county is shaped like a hook.  Cochran is in the southwest quarter of the county.  Cochran is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 39.9% of the county population.