Founded in 1854. Named in honor of James Walker Fannin, a war hero murdered on March 27, 1836. During the battle of Coleto in the War for Texas Independence he surrendered the 400 man regiment he commanded to General Jose Urrea, who had surrounded him. Under orders from commanding officer Antonio Lopez de Santa, Fannin was executed by Urrea along with virtually all his men.

Rivers provided much of the early transportation to settlers. To the west, the mighty Tennessee River had early settlers near Lookout Mountain. In Fannin County, the Toccoa (Ocoee in Tennessee) River was home to the first white settlers of the county, between Blue Ridge and McCaysville in an area known as Galloway. Here, early settlers could supplement what they grew with fish taken from the nearby river.