Historic River Valley Counties of Georgia: The Almond/Almand/Allmond Family

The Almond/Almand/Allmond family has Muscogee and Harris County connections. I also have a tiny connection to the Almond family. My grandparents Clements and Ethel McDaniel Reese were married in Judge Almond’s home on December 15, 1925. I knew that the home at the end of Almond Road belonged to Judge Almond but didn’t know his full name. From my research last week I discovered that Thomas Daniel Fortson had arrived in Columbus in the late 1830’s with his married sister Elizabeth and her husband Isaac Almond. Isaac Almond’s father Thomas Almond (Revolutionary War soldier), from Spotsylvania, Virginia, settled in Elbert County in the late 1700’s. Elbert County was established in 1790 from parts of Wilkes County. General George Matthews had established a community of pioneers from Virginia and the Carolinas and named their town Petersburg. Petersburg, the original settlement in the county, was the 3^rd largest town in Georgia (Petersburg is now completely covered by the Clark Hill Reservoir).

Isaac married Elizabeth Fortson in Elbert County on December 20, 1821. They joined the Dove’s Creek Baptist Church where Isaac served as clerk. After moving into the rural part of Columbus, Isaac and Sarah eventually settled in Harris County, GA. They are listed as new members of Antioch Baptist Church shortly after the church was organized in 1839. (The first pages of Antioch’s book of minutes are missing, the first preserved page is dated September 11, 1839. It states that Brother Jacob White David was moderator and Jacob Brizell was clerk. The recognized new members listed was James Wallstone, Issac Almond and Sister Hamilton.)

Isaac and Elizabeth had five children: Angie, Jesse, Mary, Georgia and Annie. Jesse Fortson Almond married Emily Hightower on October 23, 1848 in Harris County, Ga. Before 1860, Jesse and Elizabeth moved back into Muscogee County. Their son, Eugene Hightower Almond (also spelled Allmond) was born on July 15, 1855. He married Mary Mildred Burt on December 22, 1881. Eugene Allmond became a judge in Muscogee County in the Nances district (Fortson, GA). The Allmonds joined the Pierce Chapel Methodist Church, where my Smith and Reese ancestors attended. His wife died on February 4, 1928 and Judge Allmond died on September 17, 1929. They are buried in the Pierce Chapel Methodist Church cemetery. Fortson Road and the Fortson community was named after the Fortson family and Almond Road was named after the Almond family.

Findagrave.com

The Official History of Elbert County, 1790-1935, John H. McIntosh, 1940.

History of Harris County, Louise Calhoun Barfield, 1828-1961, 1961.