Pearson, the county seat of Atkinson County, was incorporated December 27, 1890 in what was then Coffee County. The city was named in honor of Benjah Pearson who served in the Indian War of 1838.

The Minnie F. Corbitt Memorial Museum was established in 1955 as the first residence built in Pearson (circa 1873). It is dedicated to the memory of south Georgia pioneers and their way of life.