On December 10, 1790, the Georgia General Assembly created Elbert County from a portion of Wilkes County, making Elberton the seat of its new government. The Superior Court of Elbert County had jurisdiction over all criminal matters, civil cases involving title to land, appeals from Inferior Court decisions, divorces, grand juries, and registration of land deeds. The first manuscript volume of Elbert County Superior Court minutes begins December 31, 1790, and continues through October 16, 1800. Michael Ports' transcription of those records features a complete name index with over 8,000 entries and identifies each person who figured in the business of the Superior Court during its first decade of existence, many of whom were pioneering figures in the county's history.