Wheeler County, the 146th county formed in Georgia, was created in 1912 from part of Montgomery County. The county was named for General Joseph Wheeler, who served in the Confederate Calvary and later as a U.S. Army officer in the Spanish-American War.

Wheeler County has two locations listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Wheeler County Courthouse, built in 1915, is a large brick structure featuring columns across the entrance and marble corridors. The Woodland Plantation, constructed in 1870, is a 19-room private residence featuring imported Italian black marble fireplaces, a multi-gabled roof, and ornate mahogany molding.