Gainesville, the county seat of Hall County, was incorporated on November 30, 1821. It was named for Virginia-born General Edmund Pendleton Gaines, a hero of the War of 1812. Mule Camp Springs was the city’s original name.

Gainesville’s Lake Lanier, with a 540-mile shoreline, is a favorite recreational site with golf courses, a water park, horseback trails, campgrounds and overnight accommodations. Other places of interest in Gainesville include the Elachee Nature Science, the Georgia Mountain Museum and Brenau Center. The Mule Camp Festival is a popular annual event that takes place in October.