Native Americans, including the Mississippian culture mound builders and later the Cherokee, were the original inhabitants in what is now Toccoa and the surrounding area.

Indian agent Col.
George Chicken was one of the first people to mention Toccoa in his journal from 1725.
The first residents of European descent were a small number of American Revolutionary War veterans led by Col.
William H. Wofford who moved to the area when the war ended.
The area was referred to as Wofford's Tract, or Wofford's Settlement.
Col.
Wofford is buried near Toccoa Falls.
His son, William T. Wofford, was born near Toccoa (then part of Habersham County), and was an officer during the Mexican–American War and a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.

The Georgia Land Lottery of 1820 spurred the migration of Scots-Irish from North Carolina and the Georgia coast.
The Georgia Gold Rush, starting in 1828, and the 1838 removal of the Cherokee on the infamous "Trail of Tears" further changed settlement patterns in the area.

Toccoa means "beautiful" in the Cherokee language, and is derived from the Cherokee term for "where the Catawbas lived."
 The city was established in 1873 around an area formerly called Dry Pond, named for a pond that was waterless most of the time.
Three investors - Dr. O.M. Doyle of Oconee County, South Carolina, B.Y. Sage of Atlanta, and Thomas Alexander of Atlanta - anticipated the construction of a new railroad through Dry Pond.
They purchased 1,765 acres; had it surveyed into lots; publicized a May 27, 1873, lot sale; and brought potential buyers to the village on excursion trains.
The City of Toccoa was officially chartered in 1874 and the names of downtown streets reflect the visionary trio; Sage, Doyle, and Alexander Streets still crisscross downtown Toccoa today.

According to historical accounts, the Johns House, a Victorian cottage near Prather Bridge Road, was built in 1898.
Nearby, on a hill overlooking the valley of the upper Tugalo River, is Riverside, a Greek revival antebellum home that was built in 1850 by James D. Prather with slave labor and timber from his plantation.
The Prather family cemetery is at the right of the house, about fifteen yards from the porch.
During the Civil War, General Robert Toombs, a close friend of Prather, used the house as a refuge from northern troops.
The soldiers pursued him to Riverside, where he was able to hide in a double closet and escape capture.
The first Prather's Bridge was a swinging bridge built in 1804 by James Jeremiah Prather.
Until then, travelers crossed the Tugalo River at fords and later by ferries.
The first bridge was washed away during a freshet (an overflow caused by heavy rain).
A more substantial bridge was built in 1850, but was burned in 1863 during the Civil War to keep the enemy from crossing.
James Jeremiah and his son, James Devereaux, rebuilt the bridge in 1868.
This bridge was also washed away in 1918, and was rebuilt in 1920 by James D. Prather.
It was afterwards replaced by a concrete bridge, but was kept as a landmark until burned by vandals in 1978.

The Georgia General Assembly created Stephens County in 1905, and Toccoa was established as the county seat.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt visited Toccoa on March 23, 1938.
Roosevelt's train made a brief stop in Toccoa, where he made remarks from the rear platform of the presidential train before moving on to Gainesville to deliver a major speech, then on to Warm Springs for a vacation.

Camp Toccoa, a World War II paratrooper training base, was located nearby.
It was the first training base for the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the Army's 101st Airborne Division, whose Easy Company was subject of the non-fiction book and subsequent HBO miniseries Band of Brothers.

Traveler's Rest, a pre-Civil War, 19th Century inn, known locally as Jarrett Manor, is located outside of Toccoa, near Lake Hartwell.

Toccoa Falls is located on the campus of Toccoa Falls College.
The short 100-yard path to the base of the 186-foot (57 m) high natural waterfall is handicap acces
Native Americans, including the Mississippian culture mound builders and later the Cherokee, were the original inhabitants in what is now Toccoa and the surrounding area. 
Indian agent Col. George Chicken was one of the first people to mention Toccoa in his journal from 1725. The first residents of European descent were a small number of American Revolutionary War veterans led by Col. William H. Wofford who moved to the area when the war ended. The area was referred to as Wofford's Tract, or Wofford's Settlement. Col. Wofford is buried near Toccoa Falls. His son, William T. Wofford, was born near Toccoa (then part of Habersham County), and was an officer during the Mexican–American War and a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.
The Georgia Land Lottery of 1820 spurred the migration of Scots-Irish from North Carolina and the Georgia coast. The Georgia Gold Rush, starting in 1828, and the 1838 removal of the Cherokee on the infamous "Trail of Tears" further changed settlement patterns in the area.
Toccoa means "beautiful" in the Cherokee language, and is derived from the Cherokee term for "where the Catawbas lived."  The city was established in 1873 around an area formerly called Dry Pond, named for a pond that was waterless most of the time. Three investors - Dr. O.M. Doyle of Oconee County, South Carolina, B.Y. Sage of Atlanta, and Thomas Alexander of Atlanta - anticipated the construction of a new railroad through Dry Pond. They purchased 1,765 acres; had it surveyed into lots; publicized a May 27, 1873, lot sale; and brought potential buyers to the village on excursion trains. The City of Toccoa was officially chartered in 1874 and the names of downtown streets reflect the visionary trio; Sage, Doyle, and Alexander Streets still crisscross downtown Toccoa today.
According to historical accounts, the Johns House, a Victorian cottage near Prather Bridge Road, was built in 1898. Nearby, on a hill overlooking the valley of the upper Tugalo River, is Riverside, a Greek revival antebellum home that was built in 1850 by James D. Prather with slave labor and timber from his plantation. The Prather family cemetery is at the right of the house, about fifteen yards from the porch. During the Civil War, General Robert Toombs, a close friend of Prather, used the house as a refuge from northern troops. The soldiers pursued him to Riverside, where he was able to hide in a double closet and escape capture. The first Prather's Bridge was a swinging bridge built in 1804 by James Jeremiah Prather. Until then, travelers crossed the Tugalo River at fords and later by ferries. The first bridge was washed away during a freshet (an overflow caused by heavy rain). A more substantial bridge was built in 1850, but was burned in 1863 during the Civil War to keep the enemy from crossing. James Jeremiah and his son, James Devereaux, rebuilt the bridge in 1868. This bridge was also washed away in 1918, and was rebuilt in 1920 by James D. Prather. It was afterwards replaced by a concrete bridge, but was kept as a landmark until burned by vandals in 1978.
The Georgia General Assembly created Stephens County in 1905, and Toccoa was established as the county seat.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt visited Toccoa on March 23, 1938. Roosevelt's train made a brief stop in Toccoa, where he made remarks from the rear platform of the presidential train before moving on to Gainesville to deliver a major speech, then on to Warm Springs for a vacation.
Camp Toccoa, a World War II paratrooper training base, was located nearby. It was the first training base for the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the Army's 101st Airborne Division, whose Easy Company was subject of the non-fiction book and subsequent HBO miniseries Band of Brothers.
Traveler's Rest, a pre-Civil War, 19th Century inn, known locally as Jarrett Manor, is located outside of Toccoa, near Lake Hartwell.
Toccoa Falls is located on the campus of Toccoa Falls College. The short 100-yard path to the base of the 186-foot (57 m) high natural waterfall is handicap acces
Toccoa, Georgia