Oglethorpe County was originally part of a large tract of land surrendered by Creek and Cherokee Native Americans to the Colony of Georgia in the treaty of 1773.

The county itself was founded on December 19, 1793, and is named for Georgia's founder, General James Oglethorpe.

He was seized by a White mob taken to the scene of the crime, his body riddled with bullets and burned at the stake.

[5] Saulters, who was fired from ACCPD, was involved in a controversial use of deadly force with his vehicle, striking a fleeing misdemeanor suspect[6] while attempting to apprehend him in Athens, GA. Protestors were upset that Oglethorpe County Sheriff, David Gabriel, defended the hire and the use of force by the former ACCPD officer.

[7] In April of 2021, Oglethorpe County Sheriff's Deputy Michael Davis was arrested and charged by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for two counts of aggravated assault.

[13] In August of 2024, YouTuber DG Hamblin, produced interviews with a former Oglethorpe County Sheriff's Deputy about his experiences as a police officer.

Historic Districts and Heritage Research, Antique Stores in Historic Lexington, Agriculture and Agritourism as well as Oglethorpe Fresh Produce In 2016, the Oglethorpe County Recreation Department was named both the District 7 and State Agency of the Year for populations under 20,000 through the Georgia Recreation and Park Association.