From the time it was founded in 1818, until after World War II, Gwinnett County, Georgia was much like the vast majority of counties in the state: rural, engaged primarily in farming, and not much affected by the outside world.

After 1950, Gwinnett's proximity to Atlanta changed all that -- because of the automobile, the interstate highway system, and Atlanta developing into the Southeast's key airport. As the growth of Atlanta spread outside Fulton and DeKalb County, Gwinnett, with its open spaces, relatively cheap land and good access, began to grow...quickly. From 32,250 sparsely-settled people in 1950, all of a sudden Gwinnett was big -- really big -- the fastest growing large county in the nation. By 2000, it had a population of 588,448, and by 2008, it had topped 800,000.

Gwinnett: A Little Above Atlanta speaks to the county's early history but essentially is an explanation of what happened during times of Gwinnett's tremendous growth and change. The book also chronicles the individuals and institutions that were part of the growth, bringing new strengths, new ideas, new challenges, and new approaches to the county.