How did Harbins in eastern Gwinnett get its name?

A woman and her two young children got lost in Harbins Park and had to be rescued by police.

Credit: Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation

Credit: Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation

A woman and her two young children got lost in Harbins Park and had to be rescued by police.

Ever wonder how Harbins, near Dacula, got its name? Gwinnett County decided to give us a history lesson.

The area is named after John Harbin, who served as a “community provider” to widows and children who had lost the men in their families, according to a post on the county’s 2040 Unified Plan page. Harbin would help these women and children who were saddled with farm chores that would have typically been done by husbands and fathers.

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Harbin became captain of the “Harbin’s Militia District” in 1840; that area would later become known as the Harbins community, what it’s still called today. Harbins is also closely associated with the nearby community of Shady Grove, which was populated by black farmers after the Civil War.

Now, there’s Harbins Park in the same area. The park has ruins of multiple homes, wells and roads that were part of the original community. There’s also more modern features, like a dog park, paved walking trails and equestrian trails.

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