The Adel-Cook County Chamber of Commerce welcomes you to beautiful Southern Georgia! Our quaint communities have all of the classic charm that newcomers associate with small South Georgia towns, but with big town ideas and none of the hassle.
Adel, Cecil, Sparks, and Lenox are all great places to work and live. Cook County is considered by many to be a wonderful place to raise a family, start a business, enjoy nature, or just sit back and relax.
Adel and Cook County: Growing to Serve You!
Of the 159 counties in Georgia today, Cook County was the 153rd to be formed. By an act of the Georgia legislature in 1918, Cook County was created entirely from territory within Berrien County. Cook County was named for General Philip Cook, who fought in the Seminole and Civil Wars and later became a congressman. He also served as Secretary of State. The Cook County Courthouse houses offices and a court room as part of the Alapaha Judicial Circuit.
Cook County lies just 40 miles north of the Florida line, halfway between Atlanta, Georgia and Orlando, Florida. It is located in the center of the southernmost portion of the state, equidistant from the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Gulf of Mexico to the west.
Adel, the county seat and Georgia's Official City of Daylilies, was incorporated in 1889. The citys name was derived from the center letters from the word PhilADELphia. Its former name was Puddleville because of the puddles of water that stood in the streets after big rains. Of course, this was before the streets were paved and a modern drainage system was installed.
Cecil is located six miles south of Adel on U.S. 41 and I-75. It was incorporated on August 11, 1914, although the township was laid out in 1891. Cecils original main street, Old Coffee Road, is now a historic landmark. One of the first roads cut through the Wiregrass Territory, it served the early settlers traveling to and through this area.
Lenox is located on US 41 in northern Cook County. It was incorporated in 1902. The city derived its name from the lean-ox many early settlers used for plowing and pulling oxcarts. The annual Lean-Ox Festival is held in November of each year in celebration of the town's history. The 2016 Lean-Ox Festival is slated for November 18th & 19th.
Sparks is located one mile north of Adel on U.S. 41 and I-75. Named in honor of President Sparks of the Georgia Southern and Florida Railroad, it is now a part of the Norfolk-Southern Railway System and was incorporated on December 26, 1888. Sparks is home to the Cook County Work Force Development Center which is a campus of Wiregrass Georgia Technical College.
Cook County is the birthplace of Eugene Patterson, recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing. He was affiliated with the Atlanta Constitution, Associated Press, Georgia Trend Magazine and Florida Trend and the author of several books.
The first, last and only military engagement of any consequence fought in what is present-day Cook County took place in 1836. The Battle of Brushy Creek was to be the end of the Creek and Cherokee Indian inhabitation in the immediate area. A historical marker designates the vicinity of the battle.
The single largest event to take place in Adel each year is the Adel Daylily Festival, held in early summer when the daylilies are in bloom. Adel has been officially designated the City of Daylilies by the Georgia House of Representatives. In honor of this designation, the Annual Adel Daylily Festival is held the 2nd Saturday in May on historic Burwell Avenue in downtown Adel. With over 5,000 attendees, the festival welcomes close to 100 vendors selling a large variety of live daylilies, homemade arts & crafts, specialty food products, and more. In addition, the entertainment lineup offers a large selection of talent including live music and dance. There is also a Kids Zone full of activities for children of all ages. The Daylily 5K is also held the morning of the festival and attracts runners from across South Georgia and beyond!
Adel-Cook County is an entrepreneur-friendly community. We have taken steps outlined as necessary by the State of Georgia to become an area for small businesses to flourish. We are also a Certified Georgia Work Ready Community which means our workforce has been evaluated and tested to be ready to work when business and industry plan relocations to our area.
Education is important in Cook County. High School graduation rates are up and our schools are among the newest in the State of Georgia.
We are also proud of the Carolyn Harris Performing Arts Center which is a 550 seat theatre rivaling those found in much larger cities.
The South Georgia Motorsports Park is located in Cecil near I-75. This beautiful facility features oval and straight track racing on selected weekends.
Don't miss Reed-Bingham State Park. It features a beautiful lake for boating and water skiing and a natural habitat for the American Bald Eagle and Georgia's State Reptile, the Gopher Tortoise. A bridge connects Cook and Colquitt Counties on the southern end of the lake.
If you are in the area, we encourage you to stop in and visit for awhile. We have a beautifully renovated downtown area in Adel thanks to the City and to the Downtown Development Authority. We have over 3,000 acres of industrial parks ready for your expansion or relocation. The Cook County Economic Development Commission stands ready to assist new business in any way.
It has been said that Cook County has the three Ls: Leadership, Location and Land. These are but three of the tools Cook County uses to ensure we are growing to serve you.
For more information, contact:
Adel-Cook County Chamber of Commerce
100 South Hutchinson Avenue
Adel, GA 31620
heather.green@adelcookchamber.org
(229) 896-2281