Our part of Gwinnett County has always had its own unique identity versus the part of the county centralized around the county seat of Lawrenceville. Buford, for many years, dominated the commerce and politics of the western part of the county. Up until the mid-1900s, two Sheriffs operated in Gwinnett County until it was declared unconstitutional by the Georgia Supreme Court. The Sheriff for western Gwinnett County was based in Buford, and it was not uncommon for him to be active in the Sugar Hill area on moonshine raids and other criminal activities requiring special knowledge and attention.
It was a common feeling among locals, being geographically far away from the county seat, that the communities that included Sugar Hill, Suwanee and Buford could better take care of themselves. This independent streak was a common thread, and it was no more apparent than in 1905 when citizens in the Sugar Hill (Militia) District began the conversation about seceding from Gwinnett County.
At the turn of the 20th Century, Gwinnett County was a lot different than it is today. Despite being predominantly agricultural, Buford was thriving with industry. It became a boom town, in large part, because of the Bona Allen family and the opening of a train depot in the late 1800s…