West Point, Georgia was originally known as Franklin starting on December 26, 1831. Franklin started as a trading post on the east bank of the Chattahoochee River. It is believed that the town got its name from Dr. G.W. Hill who went to the state capital to work more on incorporating the town, and he is the one to

West Point, GA opera house.

suggest Franklin as the name. On December 24, 1832, it was decided that Franklin would become West Point. The reason being in Heard County, they had a town known as Franklin and they had made it their county seat. Before the name change the Franklin’s led to much confusion when it came to dealing with the mail. In Clifford Smith’s book History of Troup County explained, it is assumed that West Point was the chosen name because of it being the “most western point of the Chattahoochee River.”

Vacant lot on 8th Street in West Point, former site of Neal-Schafer Drug Store.

When the town was first developed the included land was lot 283 and the fraction 318 in the 5th district. On December 26, 1835, according to Clifford Smith the land was extended to “the present size of the city: that is to include land lots 283, 284, and the southern half and the northwestern quarter of 285, and the fractions 316, 317, and 318 in the 5th district east of the river; the fractions, 57, 58, and 59, in the 16th district west of the river.” In 1838 the West Point Land Company was created. During this time, West Point started to develop to where a toll bridge was built by Horace King. Smith wrote “on February 10, 1854, the town of West Point became known as the City of West Point.

Downtown West Point.

West Point is unique town that sits on the broader of Georgia and Alabama.  It also sits in two counties Troup and Harris County. Though this is pretty hard to know sometimes if you are in Troup or Harris or even if you are in Georgia or Alabama.  For this reason, many people know this area of Georgia and Alabama as the Greater Valley Area. These areas include in Alabama: Lafayette, Lanett, and Valley; and for Georgia it includes West Point. Larry McQuiston of Valley, AL describes his memories of downtown West Point. He explained that as a kid when someone said they are going into town they were talking about going to downtown West Point. The downtown area was the place for people in the Valley to shop and socialize. For this reason, many people of the Greater Valley Area saw the downtown area of West point as a community within itself.