The Wofford Trail.
A Writer In the Atlanta Journal Tells How Name Originated.

Editor Journal: In your last Sunday’s paper in stating the route of the scouts through Georgia you mentioned the old trails and among them the old Wofford trail.  It might interest a large number of your readers to know how in all probability the old trail bears the name of “Wofford.”

Some time in the first half of the 17th century there came from the north of England a family of Woffords, and settled 12 miles north of Washington city and later migrated to upper South Carolina and settled in Spartanburg county.  There were five grown brothers and from this family descended all the Woffords in the south.  William Wofford was likely the most distinguished among them.  He established the first known iron works in the state on Lawson’s Fork river, and perhaps the first in the south.  His works were burned down by Bloody Bill Cunningham, a notorious Tory leader.  He then moved to Turkey Cove, in North Carolina, eight miles north of Marion City.  He there built a fort for himself and neighbors, the site of which was plainly visible a few years ago.  During the revolution he was a colonel and was with Clarke in several engagements and expeditions to and from the colonies of Georgia and South Carolina.  In one of these, so history informs us, he was so well pleased with a section of country through which passed that he determined to settle there when the war was over.  And when the war was over he moved to Georgia and settled near Toccoa Falls, where he died at the age of 95 years, and could read and write without the use of glasses up to the time of his death.  From this distinguished patriot have descended many Woffords in Georgia and other states, and being the only one of the family who traversed this section of the country in Georgia, the balance remaining in South Carolina for awhile.  He too was well acquainted with the most direct route between Georgia and Washington City.  Hence it is that portion called “Woffords Trail” takes its name from him, as there was no other Wofford at that time known in that region of the country.

J. W. Wofford

The above is from the Atlanta Journal.

William Wofford was the great grandfather of the late General William T. Wofford, Judge John W. Wofford, Col. A. P. Wofford and of Mr. James C. Wofford, of this city.