The city's origin dates back to the 1830s, when Roswell King decided that Vickery Creek would be the ideal location for a couple of cotton mills. He founded the city of Roswell in 1839, gave it his name and took advantage of the power of local waterways to turn the area into a nerve center for the southern textile market. The history of Roswell dates back to the Trail of Tears. The city of Roswell, like much of North Georgia, was once part of the Cherokee Nation.
With the discovery of gold on Cherokee land in 1829, Georgia rapidly expanded its control over the territory, and most of the land was drawn in land lotteries in which the Indians themselves were excluded. In 1838, all the remaining Cherokees were expelled from the state. The Indians traveled west along a path that would become known as the Trail of Tears. The search for gold was the last driving force behind the expulsion of the Cherokees. In 1830, during a trip to North Georgia, Roswell King passed through the area of what is now Roswell and saw the great potential to build a cotton mill along Vickery Creek.
In 1829, Roswell King, a successful businessman, landowner and slaver from Darien, Georgia, traveled on horseback to the beautiful mountainous region of North Georgia to investigate the prospects for gold mining. Today, the Roswell Mill area is home to Roswell's main square, a hub for numerous shops and attractions, such as historic trails, museums, memorials and riverboat trips. Roswell MillsRoswell King oversaw the construction of the Roswell cotton mill, which was completed in 1839. Because Roswell residents wanted local government to be established, they submitted a municipal statute to the Georgia General Assembly. for incorporation.
In the mid-1830s, King rebuilt a mill that would soon become the largest in North Georgia: Roswell Mill. James Stephens Bulloch, business partner of Roswell King, moved to the Roswell area after the construction of the factory and in 1839 he ordered the construction of a Greek Renaissance-style mansion, called Bulloch Hall, not far from the factory.
