Hazlehurst, the county seat of Jeff Davis County, was incorporated as a town August 22, 1891. The city was named in honor of Colonel George H. Hazlehurst, a civil engineer who surveyed the Macon & Brunswick Railroad. The Hazlehurst Jeff Davis Museum houses the Hazlehurst historic society collections and genealogy library.

The county courthouse, constructed in 1907, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Hazlehurst hosts the annual Cotton Harvest Festival, with arts and crafts, food and live entertainment.