Alpharetta's History

According to the city of Alpharetta, "The history of Alpharetta dates back to the 1830s when settlers and pioneers traveled to the area seeking the promise of community in land ownership, raising families, and fertile farmland. From its humble beginnings as a trading post, the community found prosperity, and the City of Alpharetta was established on December 11, 1858; later becoming the seat of government for Milton County.

Alpharetta has known its challenges, from the 1863 smallpox epidemic to the ravages of the Civil War, but has always found a way to persevere and even thrive.  In 1932, with the Great Depression ravaging the nation, Milton County was in a dire financial situation and merged with Fulton County to ensure the continuation of services and future prosperity.

 Alpharetta remained a small, largely agrarian community through the early 1980s, but shortly thereafter the city blossomed into one of the most prosperous communities in the United States.  The community that had a population of only 3,000 in 1980 today is home to more than 65,000 residents and sees its population swell to more than 100,000 each workday.  Alpharetta is now Georgia’s 12th most populous city, boasts some of the best schools in the United States, and is known far and wide as the Technology City of the South due to the large number of tech-focused companies that call Alpharetta home.

 Yet, while the community now has the trappings and success of a metropolitan city, Alpharetta remains known for its sense of community; an ideal environment for raising families, making friends, and enjoying a quality of life that is second to none."

Milton's History

According to Milton's historical society, "In 2006, the residents voted to create the City of Milton out of unincorporated northwest Fulton County. The following decade was marked by continued growth and prosperity for the citizens of Milton. At the same time, the city has retained its historic rural character, which represents a coveted and attractive balance between small-town life and the convenience of nearby urban areas."