text:
Forsyth County, Georgia

Forsyth County ( or  ) is a county in the Northeast portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. Suburban and exurban in character, Forsyth County lies within the Atlanta Metropolitan Area. The county's only incorporated city and county seat is Cumming. At the 2020 census, the population was 251,283. Forsyth was the fastest-growing county in Georgia and the 15th fastest-growing county in the United States between 2010 and 2019.

Forsyth County's rapid population growth can be attributed to its proximity to high-income employment opportunities in nearby Alpharetta and northern Fulton County, its equidistant location between the big-city amenities of bustling Atlanta and the recreation offerings of the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains, its plentiful supply of large, relatively affordable new-construction homes, and its highly ranked public school system. The influx of high-income professionals and their families has increased the county's median annual household income dramatically in recent years; at $104,687, Forsyth County was the wealthiest in Georgia and the 19th-wealthiest in the United States as of 2018 estimates.

In the 1980s, the county attracted national media attention as the site of large civil rights demonstrations and counter-demonstrations. Organizers hoped to dispel the county's image as a sundown county. During the 1987 Forsyth County protests officials kept peace with police officers and National Guard protecting the event as thousands of marchers protested the segregation in the county.

From 2007 to 2009, the county received national attention because of a severe drought. Water supplies for the Atlanta area and downstream areas of Alabama and Florida were threatened. This followed a more severe drought in 2007 and 2008, and flooding in 2009. Flooding occurred in 2013, and severe drought again in 2016. Georgia, Alabama and Florida have been in a tri-state water dispute since 1990 over apportionment of water flow from Lake Lanier, which forms the eastern border of the county and is regulated by the Army Corps of Engineers as a federal project.

Before European contact
For thousands of years, varying indigenous cultures lived in this area along the Etowah River. Starting near the end of the first millennium, Mound Builders of the Mississippian culture settled in this area; they built earthwork mound structures at nearby Etowah in present-day Bartow County, and large communities along the Etowah River in neighboring Cherokee County. They disappeared about 1500 AD.

Members of the Iroquoian-speaking Cherokee Nation migrated into the area from the North, possibly from the Great Lakes area. They settled in the territory that would become Forsyth County and throughout upper Georgia and Alabama, also having settlements or towns in present-day Tennessee and western North Carolina.

19th century
After the discovery of gold by European Americans in the surrounding area in 1829, numerous settlers moved into the area. They increased the pressure on the state and federal government to have the Cherokee and other Native Americans removed to west of the Mississippi River, in order to extinguish their land claims and make land available for purchase. The Cherokee were forced to relocate during what was called the Trail of Tears.

Forsyth County was named after John Forsyth, Governor of Georgia from 1827 to 1829 and Secretary of State under Presidents Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren. For many years, much of this hill country was farmed by yeomen farmers, who owned few or no slaves.

20th century
The county population of about 10,000 was 90 percent "white" in the early 20th century, and residents still depended on agriculture. Its more than 1,000 blacks included 440 persons classified as mixed race on the census, indicating a continuing history of racial mixing that dated to slavery times.

Lynching and other violence driving non-white people from the county
After two different incidents in September 1912, in which black men were alleged to have assaulted white women, tensions rose in the county.

In the first case, a woman claimed she awoke to find two black men in her bedroom. A black preacher was later assaulted by whites for making disparaging comments about the victim. The sheriff gained support from the governor, who sent more than 20 National Guard troops to keep peace. The suspects were never tried, for lack of evidence. In the second case, a white woman was attacked and raped, allegedly by black men; she later died of her injuries. A lynch mob stormed the Cumming county jail and dragged out one of the suspects, Rob Edwards. They shot him and hung his body in the town square. At trial in early October, two black youths under the age of 18 were quickly convicted by an all-white jury; they were executed by hanging later that month.

Afterward, whites harassed and intimidated blacks in Forsyth and neighboring counties. Within weeks, they forced most of the blacks to leave the region in fear of their lives, losing land and personal property that was never recovered.

"Almost every single one of Forsyth's 1,098 African Americans — prosperous and poor, literate and unlettered — was driven out of the county. It took only a few weeks. Marauding residents wielded guns, sticks of dynamite, bottles of kerosene. Then they stole everything, from farmland to tombstones.

Forsyth County remained white right through the 20th century. A black man or woman couldn't so much as drive through without being run out.... During the 1950s and '60s, there were no 'colored' water fountains in the courthouse or 'whites only' diners in the county seat, Cumming; there was no black population to segregate."

By 1987, the county was "all white". In 1997, African Americans numbered just 39 in a population of 75,739.

Later 20th century
During the 1950s, with the introduction of the poultry industry, the county had steady economic growth but remained largely rural and all white in population. Georgia State Route 400 opened in 1971 and was eventually extended through the county and northward; it stimulated population growth as residential housing was developed in the county and it became a bedroom community for people working in Atlanta, which had expanding work opportunities. The opening of Georgia State Route 400 also spurred industrial growth in the South West portion of the county along the McFarland Parkway corridor starting in the early 1970s.

By 1980, the county population was 27,500, growing to 40,000 in 1987. While some blacks worked in the county in new industries, none lived there. The county gained more than 30 new industries from 1980 and unemployment was low. Such growth resulted in the median income, formerly low, "rising faster than in any other county in Georgia." A small civil rights march by African Americans in the county seat of Cumming in January 1987 was attacked by people throwing rocks, dirt and bottles. A week later another, much larger march took place, with civil rights activists going from Atlanta to Cumming protected by police and the National Guard. Thousands of protesters joined a counter-demonstration. Local people said conditions had been improving for minorities, but whites appeared to be reacting to the march out of fear.

21st century
Forsyth County continued to be developed for subdivisions, industry and related businesses. By 2008 it had been ranked for several years among the top ten fastest-growing counties of the United States. Many new subdivisions have been constructed, several around top-quality golf courses. The county's proximity to Atlanta and the Blue Ridge mountains, and bordering 37000 acre Lake Sidney Lanier, has attracted many new residents. More than 60% of the current population either lived elsewhere in 1987 or had not yet been born.

The growth has put a strain on water supplies, especially during area droughts in the 21st century. Suburban growth has greatly increased water consumption in the area to maintain lawns and gardens, and supply new households. The region had severe droughts in 2007-2008 that threatened downriver water supplies in Alabama and Florida, in addition to Atlanta, in 2013 and in 2016. Bans on outdoor use of water were put in place, and the area has encouraged conversion of toilets and appliances to those that use less water. A severe drought in southern Forsyth County was declared by the end of June 2016. Several county organizations work to plan growth that can sustain the high quality of life in the area.

Racial history
The changing dynamics between white and black citizens after the Civil War resulted in tensions across the southern United States as whites tried to maintain dominance. They used violence to intimidate black voters and regain control of state legislatures, ending Reconstruction. At the turn of the 20th century, white Democrats dominated the Georgia legislature and passed laws increasing barriers to voter registration and voting, effectively disenfranchising most blacks in the state. Unable to vote, they were also excluded from juries. The white legislators passed racial segregation and other Jim Crow laws. Racial tensions increased as rural workers started to move to industrializing cities. Whites rioted against blacks in the Atlanta in 1906, resulting in more than 20 dead.

Racial violence broke out in Forsyth County in September 1912, following allegations of sexual attacks by black men of white women.

Forsyth County had a county population with a minority of ethnic African residents. The 1910 census recorded 10,847 white, 658 black, and 440 mulatto (mixed-race) residents, making the number of black citizens slightly more than 10% (as classified under the binary system of the South that classified all people of any African descent as Negro or black). They tended to work as sharecroppers, with some women working as domestic servants, and struggled with poverty.

In early September 1912 a white woman said she was the victim of an attempted rape by two black men, but they left before she was hurt. On September 7, 1912, police arrested five black men in connection with the assault, including Tony Howell and Isaiah Pirkle. That same afternoon members of numerous area black churches gathered for a barbecue just outside the county seat of Cumming. Preacher Grant Smith was heard to question the alleged victim's account, saying that perhaps she had been caught and had lied about what was actually a consensual relationship with a black man. (The mixed-race population in the county showed that whites and blacks had relationships; most were between white men and black or mixed-race women, which the whites tried to treat as a secret.) Whites horse-whipped Smith outside the courthouse, where he was rescued by police and taken into custody for his safety.

They locked him in the courthouse for safety. Rumors spread on both sides; whites said that the blacks threatened to dynamite the town. White residents gathered a lynch mob of 500 men (when Cumming had only 300 residents in total), with men coming to join from surrounding areas. They talked of lynching the black citizens held at the jail. By 1:30 p.m., the Sheriff deputized 25 men and called the Governor for help, who ordered in 23 National Guardsmen from nearby Gainesville, Georgia.

The next day, September 8, Mae Crow, a 19-year-old white woman, was allegedly attacked in a nearby community while walking to her aunt's house. She was allegedly pulled into the woods and assaulted. According to later testimony, she was allegedly raped by Ernest Knox, a 16-year-old black boy who worked as a hired hand at a neighbor's farm. Knox was said to have told friends about the incident: Oscar Daniel (17), his sister Trussie (Jane) Daniel (21), and her live-in boyfriend Rob Edwards (24), who also went to the scene. They left the girl, thinking she had died and being afraid to get involved. Crow was found the next day by a search party; whites said later that she had regained consciousness briefly and named Knox as her attacker, but no newspaper reported this. A small hand mirror found at the scene was recognized as belonging to Knox; police used it to connect him to the crime and arrested him that morning. Police said he confessed fully. Because of the trouble two days before in Cumming, they took Knox to the jail in Gainesville. Hearing threats of a lynch mob there, officials moved him to a jail in Atlanta.

The following day, Knox's friends were arrested in connection with the Mae Crow assault. Oscar Daniel and Rob Edwards were suspects in rape, and Trussie Daniel was held for not reporting the crime and as an accomplice. Ed Collins, a black neighbor, was picked up and held as a witness. They were detained in the small Cumming jail. The Atlanta Journal reported that Sheriff Reid drove through a mob of 2,000 people to get the suspects to the jail.

Within a few hours on September 9, the white mob increased to 4,000 people, who stormed the jail. Sheriff Reid was not there, having strategically left deputy Mitchell Lummus alone to protect the prisoners. Deputy Lummus hid most of them, but Rob Edwards was shot and killed by the mob while still in his cell. They dragged him out, mutilated him, and dragged his body behind a wagon, before hanging him from a telephone pole at the northwest corner of the Square. The coroner's inquest, held on September 18, 1912, found the cause of death to be a gunshot by an unknown assailant.

Crow died in the hospital two weeks later on September 23, 1912. The cause of death was listed as pneumonia. Knox and Daniel were indicted for rape and murder on September 30. Trussie Daniel and Ed Collins were both charged as accomplices.

All five trials, (including Tony Howell for the Ellen Grice case) were set for October 3 in Cumming, the county seat. The prisoners were escorted by four companies of the state militia by train to the Buford, Georgia station, and walked the remaining 14 mi.

The trial of Tony Howell was postponed due to the lack of evidence. Howell had an alibi, with Isaiah Pirkle as a witness. The case would never go to trial, and was eventually dismissed.

As part of a plea bargain, Trussie Daniel changed her story and agreed to turn state's witness. Charges against her and Collins were dropped, in exchange for her testimony against Knox, her brother Oscar, and Edwards. The all-white jury deliberated 16 minutes and returned a verdict of guilty in Knox's case. Although no confession or other evidence linked Oscar Daniel to the crime, his sister's testimony was fatal. The all-white jury pronounced him guilty that night.

On the following day, October 4, both teenagers were sentenced to death by hanging, scheduled for October 25. State law prohibited public hangings. The scheduled execution was to be viewed only by the victim's family, a minister, and law officers. Gallows were built off the square in Cumming. A fence erected around the gallows was burned down the night before the execution. A crowd estimated at between 5,000 and 8,000 gathered to watch the hanging of the two youths, at a time when the total county population was around 12,000.

In the following months, a small group of men called "Night Riders" terrorized black citizens, threatening them to leave in 24 hours or be killed. Those who resisted were subjected to further harassment, including shots fired into their homes, or livestock killed. Some white residents tried to stop the Night Riders, but were unsuccessful. An estimated 98% of black residents of Forsyth County left. Some property owners were able to sell, likely at a loss. The renters and sharecroppers left to seek safer places. Those who abandoned property, and failed to continue paying property tax, eventually lost it, and whites took it over. Many black properties ended up in white hands without a sale and without a legal transfer of title. The anti-black campaign spread across Northern Georgia, with similar results of whites expelling blacks in many surrounding counties.

In the 1910 Census, more than 1,000 black and mixed-race people were recorded in Forsyth County, with slightly more than 10,000 whites. By the 1920 Census only 30 ethnic African Americans remained in the county.

In the 2000s and 2010s, Forsyth County experienced unprecedented growth partly due to white flight from north Fulton County as a result of the rapid increase of Asians settling in that area which borders the southern part of Forsyth County. For example, the highly rated Northview High School based in north Fulton County, went from 60% white and 30% Asian in 2007 to 50% Asian and 30% white in 2017. Many white parents claimed north Fulton County public schools with a relatively high percentage of Asian students became overwhelmingly academically competitive which negatively impacted their children's mental health and social life.

Since the 1990s, Forsyth County has become more racially and culturally diverse. There are an increasing number of Asian, Hispanic, and African-American families relocating to Forsyth County mainly due to the abundance of high performing and resource-rich public schools in the county.

Marches and demonstrations of the 1980s
More ethnically diverse citizens had begun in recent years to migrate to the county, particularly in the affluent southern portion. However, racial tension continued to be a part of the county's image into the early 1990s. On January 17, 1987, civil rights activists marched in Cumming, and a counter-demonstration was made by a branch of the Ku Klux Klan, most of whom were not residents of the county, as well as others who objected to the march. According to a story published in The New York Times on January 18, four marchers were slightly injured by stones and bottles thrown at them. Eight people from the counter-demonstration, all white, were arrested. The charges included trespassing and carrying concealed weapons.

White Forsyth resident Charles A. Blackburn wanted to have a brotherhood march to celebrate the first annual celebration of national holiday Martin Luther King Jr. Day. He wanted to dispel the racist image of Forsyth County, where he owned and operated a private school, the Blackburn Learning Center. Blackburn cancelled his plans after he received threatening phone calls. Other whites in nearby counties, as well as State Representative Billy McKinney of Atlanta and Hosea Williams, who was on the Atlanta City Council, took up the march plans instead.

The following week, January 24, approximately 20,000 participants marched in Cumming. This occurrence produced no violence, despite the presence of more than 5,000 counter-demonstrators, summoned by the Forsyth County Defense League. The county and state had mustered about 2,000 peace officers and national guardsmen. Forsyth County paid $670,000 for police overtime during the political demonstration. (V. S. Naipaul's interview with Forsyth County Sheriff Wesley Walraven, before the second march, is referred to in his book A Turn in the South.)

The demonstration is thought to have been the largest civil rights demonstration in the U.S. since about 1970. The unexpected turnout of some 5,000 counter-demonstrators, 66 of whom were arrested for "parading without a permit," turned out to be the largest resistance opposed to civil rights since the 1960s. The counter-demonstration was called by the Forsyth County Defense League and the Nationalist Movement, newly organized in Cumming by local plumber Mark Watts.

Marchers came for the second march from all over the country, forming a caravan from Atlanta; National Guard troops were assigned for protection on freeway overpasses along the route. When marchers, including John Lewis, Andrew Young, Julian Bond, Coretta Scott King, Joseph Lowery, Sam Nunn, Benjamin Hooks, Gary Hart and Wyche Fowler arrived, they discovered that most of the Cumming residents had left town for the day. Some had boarded up their windows because they feared violence. Marchers wound slowly through streets lined by hundreds of armed National Guardsmen, many of them black. Forsyth County subsequently charged large fees for parade permits until the practice was overturned in Forsyth County, Georgia v. The Nationalist Movement (505 U.S. 123) in the Supreme Court of the United States on June 19, 1992.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 247 sqmi, of which 224 sqmi is land and 23 sqmi (9.4%) is water.

The eastern two-thirds of Forsyth County are located in the Upper Chattahoochee River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin), while the northwestern third of the county is located in the Etowah River sub-basin of the ACT River Basin (Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin).

Adjacent counties

 * Dawson County - north
 * Hall County - east
 * Gwinnett County - southeast
 * Fulton County - southwest
 * Cherokee County - northwest

National protected areas

 * Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (part)

Major highways

 * US 19.svg U.S. Route 19 (Lee Highway)
 * Georgia 9.svg State Route 9
 * Georgia 20.svg State Route 20
 * Georgia 53.svg State Route 53
 * Georgia 141.svg State Route 141
 * Georgia 306.svg State Route 306
 * Georgia 369.svg State Route 369
 * Georgia 371.svg State Route 371
 * Georgia 400.svg State Route 400

Pedestrians and cycling

 * Big Creek Greenway

2020 census
The 2020 United States Census indicated that the county gained 43% in its population in the preceding decade. This was the largest percentage increase of any county in the state.

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 251,283 people, 81,765 households, and 66,802 families residing in the county.

2010 Census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 175,511 people, 59,433 households, and 47,623 families residing in the county. The population density was 783.5 PD/sqmi. There were 64,052 housing units at an average density of 285.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 85.4% white, 6.2% Asian, 2.6% black or African American, 0.3% American Indian, 3.8% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 9.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 15.7% were German, 14.4% were American, 14.2% were Irish, 12.9% were English, and 5.8% were Italian.

Of the 59,433 households, 46.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.5% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 19.9% were non-families, and 15.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.94 and the average family size was 3.29. The median age was 36.9 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $87,605 and the median income for a family was $96,501. Males had a median income of $72,030 versus $46,310 for females. The per capita income for the county was $35,385. About 4.5% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

Life expectancy
The life expectancy in Forsyth County in 2014 was 81.28 years, up 10.98 percent from 73.24 years in 1980. By comparison, the U.S. national average in 2014 was 78.91 years.

Higher education
In 2012, the University of North Georgia established its Cumming campus.

Private K-12 education

 * Cornerstone Schools
 * Covenant Christian Academy
 * Fideles Christian School
 * Friendship Christian School
 * Horizon Christian Academy
 * Ivy League Montessori School
 * Lakeview Academy
 * McGinnis Woods Country Day School
 * Montessori Academy at Sharon Springs
 * Pinecrest Academy

Public K-12 education
Forsyth County is served by Forsyth County Schools. FCS serves over 51,000 students and is the largest employer in the county with over 8000 full-time employees and substitutes. Out of 180 school districts, FCS is the seventh largest school system in Georgia. FCS is home to 41 schools – twenty-two elementary, eleven middle, seven high schools, and one college and career high school, as well as the Academies for Creative Education (A.C.E) that houses one school, iAchieve Virtual Academy, FCS' 6–12 online school, and two programs, Gateway Academy (the alternative program for middle and high school students) and Forsyth Academy.

Elementary schools: Middle schools: High schools:
 * Big Creek Elementary School
 * Brandywine Elementary School
 * Brookwood Elementary School
 * Chattahoochee Elementary School
 * Chestatee Elementary School
 * Coal Mountain Elementary School
 * Cumming Elementary School
 * Daves Creek Elementary School
 * Haw Creek Elementary School
 * Johns Creek Elementary School
 * Kelly Mill Elementary School
 * Mashburn Elementary School
 * Matt Elementary School
 * Midway Elementary School
 * Poole's Mill Elementary School
 * Sawnee Elementary School
 * Settles Bridge Elementary School
 * Sharon Elementary School
 * Shiloh Point Elementary School
 * Silver City Elementary School
 * Vickery Creek Elementary School
 * Whitlow Elementary School.
 * DeSana Middle School
 * Hendricks Middle School
 * Lakeside Middle School
 * Liberty Middle School
 * Little Mill Middle School
 * North Forsyth Middle School
 * Otwell Middle School
 * Piney Grove Middle School
 * Riverwatch Middle School
 * South Forsyth Middle School
 * Vickery Creek Middle School.
 * Alliance Academy for Innovation
 * Denmark High School
 * East Forsyth High School
 * Forsyth Central High School
 * Lambert High School
 * North Forsyth High School
 * South Forsyth High School
 * West Forsyth High School.

Economy
Among the largest employers in the county are Northside Hospital, Koch Foods, Tyson Foods, Siemens, Scientific Games Corporation, Arris International, Baran Telecom, America BOA, Automation Direct, and L-3 Communications Display Systems.

An indicator that part of the county had reached the status of a mainstream suburban/exurban area and was starting to create new, positive history beyond its racist past, a mixed-use development Halcyon with residential, office, dining and entertainment facilities, opened in the southern part of the county near Alpharetta in summer 2019.

Recreation
Lake Lanier, a 37000 acre lake created and maintained by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in association with Buford Dam, is enjoyed by many residents and non-residents alike. Fishing, boating, tubing, wake boarding, and water skiing are common activities on the lake.

Forsyth County Parks and Recreation Department maintains 25 parks and facilities in the county. Most notable are Sawnee Mountain Preserve, Central Park, Fowler Park, Poole's Mill Covered Bridge and the Big Creek Greenway. The Cumming Fairgrounds host many events throughout the year including a rodeo, The Cumming Country Fair, and a farmers' market. There is also the annual July 4 Steam Engine Parade.

Government and politics
Forsyth County is governed by a five-member board of commissioners, whose members are elected from single-member districts to four-year terms, and a county manager.

David McKee is the current county manager, assuming the post on December 16, 2022.

The city of Cumming is located in district 1, which also extends to the west. District 2 is located in the southern tip of Forsyth County. District 3 is to the southwest of Cumming, between districts 1 and 2. District 4 comprises most of the north of the county and district 5 comprises the east and southeast of the county, including most of the county's shoreline.

The board of commissioners has also established and is assisted by a number of governmental bodies. • Animal Control Board

• Avita Community Partners Board of Directors

• Board of Health

• Board of Voter Registrations and Elections

• Chestatee–Chattahoochee Resource Conservation and Development Council

• Civil Service Board

• Drug Abuse Treatment and Education (DATE) Fund Advisory Committee

• Development Authority of Forsyth County

• Equalization Board I

• Equalization Board II

• Family and Children Services

• Forsyth County Citizen Stakeholders

• Forsyth County E-911 Advisory Board

• Georgia Mountains Regional Commission Council

• Georgia Mountains Workforce Development Board

• Keep Forsyth County Beautiful Board of Directors

• Lanier Joint Development Authority

• Library Board of Trustees

• Metro North Georgia Water Planning District Technical Coordinating Committee

• Metro North Georgia Water Planning District Governing Board

• North Georgia Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council

• Parks and Recreation Board

• Planning Commission

• Public Facilities Authority

• Region One Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) Planning Board

• Social Services Committee

• Tax Assessors Board

• Tree Protection Commission

• Tripartite Committee

• Water and Sewerage Authority

• Zoning Board of Appeals The county is also a member of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia and the National Association of Counties.

County managers

 * Rhonda Poston-O'Connor, 2007–2008
 * Doug Derrer, 2008–2017
 * Eric Johnson (2017-2020)

County commissioners

 * Jack Conway, 2005–2006 (District 3)
 * David Richard, –2008 (District 4)
 * Linda K. Ledbetter, –2008 (District 5)
 * Charles Laughinghouse, 2003–2010 (District 1)
 * Jim Harrell, 2007–2010 (District 3)
 * Patrick B. Bell, 2009–2012 (District 4)
 * Jim Boff, 2009–2016 (District 5)
 * Brian R. Tam, 2005–2016 (District 2)
 * Rick Swope, 2017 (District 2)
 * R.J. "Pete" Amos, 2011–2018 (District 1)
 * Dennis T Brown 2018 - 2020 (District 2)

Other elected officials
Forsyth County had voting patterns similar to most Solid South and Georgia counties prior to 1968 in presidential elections. It only backed Republican Herbert Hoover before then once in 1928 amidst anti-Catholic sentiment towards Al Smith. From 1968 on, the county has swung strongly away from the Democratic Party at the presidential level, only failing to vote Republican in presidential elections in 1968, when segregationist George Wallace appealed to anti-Civil Rights Act sentiment, and in the two elections Georgian Jimmy Carter was on the ballot. In addition, unlike the inner suburban counties of the Atlanta metropolitan area, Forsyth County has continued to vote for Republicans by landslide margins. However, like the rest of Atlanta's suburbs, the county does not lean as heavily Republican as it did in prior decades; in 2020, Joe Biden was the first Democratic presidential nominee to win over 30% of the county's vote since Carter, with the margin being reduced by nearly half since 2012.

City

 * Cumming (County Seat)

Unincorporated communities
With only one officially incorporated city, the majority of Forsyth County citizens live in areas with zip codes assigned to cities in surrounding counties. In addition, there are several unincorporated communities throughout the county.

 * Big Creek
 * Coal Mountain
 * Chestatee
 * Daves Creek
 * Drew
 * Ducktown
 * Heardville
 * Hightower
 * Matt
 * Oscarville
 * Pirkle Woods
 * Silver City

title: Forsyth County, Georgia


text:
Floyd County, Georgia

Floyd County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 98,584. The county seat is Rome.

Floyd County comprises the Rome, Georgia metropolitan statistical area.

History
The county was established on December 3, 1832, by an act of the Georgia General Assembly, and was created from land that was part of Cherokee County at the time. The county is named after United States Congressman John Floyd.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 518 sqmi, of which 510 sqmi are land and 8.6 sqmi (1.7%) are covered by water.

The northern third of Floyd County is located in the Oostanaula River sub-basin of the ACT River Basin (Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin). The eastern third of the county is located in the Etowah River sub-basin of the larger ACT River Basin, while the western third of Floyd County is located in the Upper Coosa River sub-basin of the same ACT River Basin.

Lakes and reservoirs

 * Antioch Lake
 * Lake Conasauga
 * DeSoto Lake
 * Heath Lake
 * Lake Marvin
 * Powers Lake
 * Weiss Lake

Adjacent counties

 * Walker County – north
 * Gordon County – northeast
 * Bartow County – east
 * Polk County – south
 * Cherokee County, Alabama – west (CST)
 * Chattooga County – northwest

National protected area

 * Chattahoochee National Forest (part)

Major highways

 * US 27.svg U.S. Route 27
 * US 411.svg U.S. Route 411
 * Georgia 1.svg State Route 1
 * Georgia 1 Loop.svg State Route 1 Loop
 * Georgia 20.svg State Route 20
 * Georgia 53.svg State Route 53
 * Georgia 100.svg State Route 100
 * Georgia 101.svg State Route 101
 * Georgia 140.svg State Route 140
 * Georgia 156.svg State Route 156
 * Georgia 293.svg State Route 293

Pedestrians and cycling

 * Heritage Trail System
 * Kingfisher Trail
 * Silver Creek Trail
 * Simms Mountain Trail
 * Snow Loop
 * The Goat
 * Thornwood Trail
 * Viking Trail

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 98,584 people, 35,443 households, and 23,561 families residing in the county.

2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, 96,317 people, 35,930 households, and 24,916 families were living in the county. The population density was 188.9 PD/sqmi. The 40,551 housing units had an average density of 79.5 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 76.9% White, 14.2% African American, 1.3% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.3% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 9.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 16.2% were English, 13.3% were American, 12.4% were Irish, and 6.8% were German.

Of the 35,930 households, 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.7% were not families; 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.58, and the average family size was 3.09. The median age was 37.6 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,066, and for a family was $49,310. Males had a median income of $40,269 versus $29,587 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,640. About 13.3% of families and 18.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.5% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States Census, 90,565 people, 34,028 households, and 24,227 were families living in the county. The population density was 176 /mi2. The 36,615 housing units averaged 71 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 81.34% White, 13.31% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.93% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 2.88% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. About 5.50% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 34,028 households, 32.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.60% were married couples living together, 13.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.80% were non-families. 24.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55, and the average family size was 3.02.

In the county, the population was distributed as 24.60% under the age of 18, 10.80% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 22.20% from 45 to 64, and 13.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,615, and for a family was $42,302. Males had a median income of $31,659 versus $23,244 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,808. About 10.80% of families and 14.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.40% of those under age 18 and 13.80% of those age 65 or over.

Government
The county government is housed in the Floyd County Administration Building in Rome, Georgia, the county seat. This was the former US Post Office and Courthouse.

The county has a council-manager form of government, with five county council members elected at-large. Two members are elected as representatives of the city of Rome and must reside there; the other three are elected from the county as residents outside the city limits. The at-large voting tends to reward candidates who can muster majority votes from across the whole county, which requires more money and organization for campaigns. The council hires a professional county manager to manage daily operations.

Colleges and universities

 * Berry College
 * Shorter University
 * Georgia Highlands College
 * Georgia Northwestern Technical College

Primary and secondary schools
Floyd County School District operates schools in most of the county. Its high schools are Armuchee High School, Coosa High School, Model High School, and Pepperell High School.

Rome City School District serves areas in the Rome city limits. Rome High School is its high school.

 * Private schools
 * Unity Christian School
 * Darlington School
 * St. Mary's Catholic School (of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta)
 * Berry College Elementary & Middle School
 * Montessori School of Rome

Law enforcement
The Bob Richards Regional Youth Detention Center, part of the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, is in Rome.

the Floyd County Sheriff's Office employs 162 people. The current Floyd County Jail was built in 1982 and renovated in 1996. It is the largest building owned by the county government, being 256 thousand square feet in area. In 2020, the jail's average daily population was 507 inmates.

Notable people

 * Linda Anderson, according to NPR considered "one of the foremost living memory painters".

Cities

 * Cave Spring
 * Rome

Census-designated places

 * Berry College
 * Lindale
 * Shannon

Unincorporated communities

 * Armuchee
 * Coosa
 * Krannert
 * Livingston
 * Mount Berry
 * Silver Creek

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Floyd County, Georgia


text:
Fayette County, Georgia

Fayette County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 119,194, an increase from 106,567 in 2010. Fayette County was established in 1821. The county seat, Fayetteville, was established in 1823. Much of Fayette County is bordered on the east side by the Flint River.

Fayette County was organized in 1821 after the United States signed a treaty at Indian Springs, Georgia with the Creek people for cession of a large portion of their land. The county and its seat, Fayetteville, were both named in honor of the French aristocrat the Marquis de Lafayette, who aided General George Washington in the American Revolutionary War.

Since the late 20th century, Fayette County has been part of the Greater Atlanta Metropolitan Area. It is located south of Atlanta, which is based in Fulton County. Fayette County is minutes from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. As a suburb of Atlanta, Fayette County has increased rapidly in population and development since the late 20th century, nearly doubling its population since 1990.

History
Fayette County was created on May 15, 1821, from territory ceded to the United States by the Creek people, who had historically inhabited the area. It was named for the Marquis de Lafayette, French hero of the American Revolutionary War.

In the years following World War II, the county developed suburban residential communities, with many workers commuting to Atlanta. Peachtree City was chartered in 1959. It was developed as the only planned community in the county and in the Southeast; it covers 16,000 acres.

The county population has increased rapidly during the late twentieth century with the growth of Atlanta. It has also benefited from a reverse migration of African Americans to the South, as new residents are attracted to jobs and opportunities. Significant growth and development continues.

In 2002 Charles "Chuck" Floyd was appointed to the position of Chief Magistrate Judge of the county. In 2004 and 2008, he was elected to the position in his own right, the first African American ever elected to any office in the county.

Government
Fayette County's local government is led by a board of five county commissioners, known as the governing authority of Fayette County. Since March 2016, four seats are to be filled by election from single-member districts and one at-large from the county.

Voting rights suit and settlement
Until 2013, the county was divided into three "county commission districts." Three of the members of the board of commissioners were required to live inside one of the designated districts. The remaining two commissioners could live anywhere in the county. All members of the county commission were elected "at-large," which meant that each candidate had to attract the majority of votes across the county in order to win. Since 1982, more than 100 cases of such at-large voting systems in Georgia have been replaced by single-member districts.

The five members of the school board were also elected at-large. In the early 21st century, Fayette County was one of only 20 school boards among 180 in the state of Georgia to maintain at-large voting to elect members of these boards. The practical effect was the exclusion of African Americans from these positions. The county has been majority-white and majority-Republican since the late 20th century. Neither Republican nor Democratic African-American candidates had any electoral success.

In 2011 the NAACP and several African-American county residents filed suit against the county and the board for the at-large voting system. In May 2013, the federal district court ordered the county and school board to change their systems of at-large voting, finding that it violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by diluting the voting power of the minority. African Americans make up 20% of the county population but were unable to elect candidates of their choice, as every commission and school board seat required a majority of county voters. The county has a majority-white, majority-Republican population.

Under the federal ruling, five districts were established so that members of both the school board and county commission are elected from single-member districts. This broadened representation on the boards. Voters of each district elect a commissioner living within its boundaries.

In 2014, Democrat Pota E. Coston was elected as the first black county commissioner in the 194-year history of the county. Leonard Presberg was first appointed and then elected in his own right as the first Jewish member of the school board.

The county and school board both appealed the federal district court ruling. In January 2015, the US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta remanded the case to the district court for a bench trial by the federal district judge, ruling that Judge Timothy Batten Sr. had made a technical error in granting summary judgment in the case. It did not overturn his ruling to establish the single-member district system. The bench trial by Judge Batten would give the county an opportunity to present additional evidence to support its case.

After Coston died in office, the Fayette Board of Elections voted to use at-large voting in a special election to replace her. The NAACP returned to court as it opposed using the former system. Judge Batten ruled that the county had to use the single-member district system established by his earlier ruling. In September 2015 Democrat Charles Rousseau was elected from District 5 to succeed Coston, becoming the second African American elected to the county commission. In October 2015 the Fayette Chamber of Commerce and two prominent white leaders urged the county to settle the nearly five-year lawsuit and accept district voting. Judge Batten ordered the two sides into mediation and postponed the bench trial. In January 2016 the Fayette County School Board voted unanimously to settle the lawsuit and accept district voting for election of its members. The County Commission voted to settle by a 3–2 vote.

Together with the NAACP and black county plaintiffs, the county commission agreed in January 2016 to a system of electing four members from single-member districts and the fifth as an at-large member. A law implementing this change was signed by Governor Nathan Deal in March 2016.

Representation
Fayette County has five incorporated municipalities within its borders; Fayetteville, Brooks, Woolsey, Tyrone and Peachtree City. Formerly, Inman was also a municipality, but gave up its charter years ago. In 2015, Fayetteville, a majority-white city, elected its first African-American mayor, Ed Johnson. In 2011, he had been the first African American elected to its city council and only the second African American elected to any office in the history of Fayette County. Fayette is represented in the U.S. House by the 3rd and 13th congressional districts, and in the General Assembly by the 16th and 34th state senate and 63rd, 64th, 71st, 72nd and 73rd state house districts.

Politics
Fayette County has been a Republican stronghold since 1980. In 1980 and 1984, it was the most Republican county in the entire state. However, with the rapid population growth much of the Atlanta metro has experienced in recent years, the percentage of Republican voters has decreased significantly in each of the past three elections. The margin went from Mitt Romney's 31.2 points in 2012, to Donald Trump's 19.1 points in 2016, to 6.8 points in his 2020 reelection bid. In the runoff for the 2022 United States Senate election in Georgia, Raphael Warnock narrowly lost the county in his re-election bid by a margin of 491 votes or 1.0 points.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 199 sqmi, of which 194 sqmi is land and 5.0 sqmi (2.5%) is water.

The Flint River passes through the county and provided the earliest route for transportation and shipping of commodity crops. The entirety of Fayette County is located in the Upper Flint River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin).

Major highways

 * Georgia 54.svg State Route 54
 * Georgia 74.svg State Route 74
 * Georgia 85.svg State Route 85
 * Georgia 92.svg State Route 92
 * Georgia 138.svg State Route 138
 * Georgia 279.svg State Route 279
 * Georgia 314.svg State Route 314

Adjacent counties

 * Fulton County – north
 * Clayton County – east
 * Spalding County – south
 * Coweta County – west

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 119,194 people, 41,253 households, and 33,101 families residing in the county.

2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 106,567 people, 38,167 households, and 30,288 families residing in the county. The population density was 548.3 PD/sqmi. There were 40,793 housing units at an average density of 209.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 71.1% white, 20.1% black or African American, 3.9% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 2.3% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 6.3% of the population. In terms of European ancestry, 15.0% identified as English, 14.0% as German, 13.0% as Irish, and 8.1% simply as American.

Of the 38,167 households, 39.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.7% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 20.6% were non-families, and 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.15. The median age was 42.4 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $82,216 and the median income for a family was $92,976. Males had a median income of $68,381 versus $46,140 for females. The per capita income for the county was $35,076. About 3.4% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 91,263 people, 31,524 households, and 25,975 families residing in the county. The population density was 463 PD/sqmi. There were 32,726 housing units at an average density of 166 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 80.96% White, 12.87% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 2.42% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.76% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. 2.83% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 31,524 households, out of which 43.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.50% were married couples living together, 8.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.60% were non-families. 15.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 29.10% under the age of 18, 6.50% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 27.80% from 45 to 64, and 8.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $71,227, and the median income for a family was $78,853 (these figures had risen to $79,498 and $89,873 respectively as of a 2007 estimate ). Males had a median income of $54,738 versus $33,333 for females. The per capita income for the county was $29,464. About 2.00% of families and 2.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.80% of those under age 18 and 4.60% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Fayette County is served by the Fayette County School System. The governing authority for the school system is known as the Fayette County Board of Education, a board of five elected persons. They hire a superintendent to manage daily operations of the schools.

Since a federal court ruling in 2013, resulting from the federal voting rights lawsuit described above, the five board members are each elected from single-member districts. In January 2016 after mediation, the school board voted unanimously to settle the lawsuit they had earlier appealed along with the county. The board accepted single-member districts for election of board members.

High schools

 * Fayette County High School
 * McIntosh High School
 * Sandy Creek High School
 * Starr's Mill High School
 * Whitewater High School

Alternative schools

 * Fayette County Alternative Education Program

Communities
In 2015, the majority-white city of Fayetteville elected its first African-American mayor, Ed Johnson. Described as a "bridge-builder," Johnson is a retired naval commander and pastor of a black church; he was elected in 2011 as the first black member of the city council.

Cities

 * Fayetteville (county seat)
 * Peachtree City (largest city)

Towns

 * Brooks
 * Tyrone
 * Woolsey

Unincorporated communities

 * Inman
 * Starrs Mill

Notable people

 * Paris Bennett, singer
 * Chris Benoit, WWE wrestler
 * Furman Bisher, longtime late sports columnist, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
 * Robert H. Brooks, former chairman and CEO, Hooter's of America Inc.
 * Zac Brown, Grammy award-winning singer, Zac Brown Band
 * Robert J Burch, children's author
 * Kandi Burruss, singer, reality TV star
 * Kathy Cox, State School Superintendent
 * Creflo Dollar, televangelist
 * Mike Duke, former CEO of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
 * Lee Haney, retired professional bodybuilder and Mr. Olympia titleholder
 * Evander Holyfield, retired professional boxer
 * Tim Hudson, former starting pitcher with the Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants
 * Calvin Johnson, former NFL receiver for the Detroit Lions, Sandy Creek HS and Georgia Tech alum
 * Emmanuel Lewis, actor, Webster
 * Carole Marsh, children's author and founder of Gallopade International
 * Kelley O'Hara, United States Women's Soccer Player, 2011 FIFA World Cup silver medalist, 2012 Olympic gold medalist, 2015 FIFA World Cup gold medalist
 * Paul Orndorff, pro wrestler
 * Ferrol Sams, physician, humorist, storyteller, and best-selling novelist
 * Reed Sorenson, NASCAR driver
 * Christian Taylor, gold medal winner, 2012 Olympic Games (London) men's triple jump
 * Gy Waldron, creator and executive producer, The Dukes of Hazzard
 * John Waller, contemporary Christian singer
 * Gary Anthony Williams, television and film actor

Other reading

 * Charles S. Bullock III and Ronald Keith Gaddie, The Triumph of Voting Rights in the South (University of Oklahoma Press, 2009/2014)
 * Carolyn C. Cary, ed., The History of Fayette County, 1821-1971 (Fayetteville, Ga.: Fayette County Historical Society, 1977).
 * Fayette County Historical Society, The Fayette County Georgia Heritage Book (Waynesville, N.C.: Walsworth, 2003).

title: Fayette County, Georgia


text:
Fannin County, Georgia

Fannin County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,319. It is one of the most rural counties in Georgia due its location in the Appalachian Mountain Range, with about 90% of the population of Fannin County living in unincorporated lands. The county seat and largest city is Blue Ridge. The county was created on January 21, 1854, and is named after James Fannin, a veteran who fought in the Texas Revolution.

History
Prior to European colonization, the area that is now Fannin County was inhabited by the Cherokee people and other Indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Fannin County was founded on January 12, 1854, taken from 396 square miles that were previously part of Gilmer and Union counties. The county is named for Georgia native James W. Fannin, who fought and died during the Texas Revolution.

Although the county was majority pro-secession at the beginning of the Civil War, wartime conditions inspired a notable number of anti-Confederate "Tories" as early as 1862, many of whom re-located to pro-Union areas of Tennessee for the duration. This contributed to the postwar establishment of a countywide Republican Party earlier and more sustained than almost any other county in Georgia.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 392 sqmi, of which 387 sqmi is land and 5.2 sqmi (1.3%) is water. The county is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The Toccoa River, which rises in adjacent Union County, flows northward across Fannin County into Tennessee, where it becomes the Ocoee River. Blue Ridge Lake, created in the 1930s by the completion of Blue Ridge Dam (now operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority), spans a substantial stretch of the river in the northern part of the county.

The vast majority of Fannin County is located in the Ocoee River sub-basin of the Middle Tennessee-Hiwassee basin. A very small northeastern portion of Fannin County is located in the Hiwassee River sub-basin of the same Middle Tennessee-Hiwassee basin. Illustrating that watershed boundaries and county boundaries have little in common, Fannin County's southernmost corner is located in the Etowah River sub-basin in the ACT River Basin (Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin), while two slivers of the county's southwestern area are located in the Coosawattee River sub-basin of the same larger ACT River Basin. Finally, a western portion of the county is located in the Conasauga River sub-basin of the ACT River Basin.

Adjacent counties

 * Cherokee County, North Carolina - northeast
 * Union County - east
 * Dawson County - southeast
 * Lumpkin County - southeast
 * Gilmer County - southwest
 * Murray County - west
 * Polk County, Tennessee - north

National protected area

 * Chattahoochee National Forest (part)

Major highways

 * US 76.svg U.S. Route 76
 * Georgia 2.svg State Route 2
 * Georgia 5.svg State Route 5
 * Georgia 60.svg State Route 60
 * Georgia 60 Spur.svg State Route 60 Spur
 * Georgia 515.svg State Route 515

Secondary highways

 * Old U.S. Highway 76 Also Old S.R. 2
 * Loving Road
 * Old S.R. 2
 * Aska Road
 * Madola Road
 * Lebanon Road
 * Mobile Road
 * Curtis Switch Road
 * Galloway Road
 * Doublehead Gap Road
 * Skeenah Gap Road

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 25,319 people, 10,408 households, and 7,083 families residing in the county.

2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 23,682 people, 10,187 households, and 7,016 families living in the county. The population density was 61.2 PD/sqmi. There were 16,207 housing units at an average density of 41.9 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 97.1% white, 0.4% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.7% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 18.6% were Irish, 13.3% were American, 11.5% were English, and 9.5% were German.

Of the 10,187 households, 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.1% were non-families, and 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.77. The median age was 48.3 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,145 and the median income for a family was $41,422. Males had a median income of $34,875 versus $27,097 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,103. About 12.2% of families and 16.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.0% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 19,798 people, 8,369 households, and 6,008 families living in the county. The population density was 51 /mi2. There were 11,134 housing units at an average density of 29 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 99.9% White, 0.2% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.0% from other races, and 0.0% from two or more races. 0.0% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 8,369 households, out of which 25.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.80% were married couples living together, 8.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 25.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.80.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.90% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 24.90% from 25 to 44, 28.20% from 45 to 64, and 19.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 93.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,612, and the median income for a family was $35,258. Males had a median income of $28,728 versus $21,246 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,269. About 10.20% of families and 12.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.10% of those under age 18 and 14.20% of those age 65 or over.

Cities

 * Blue Ridge
 * McCaysville
 * Morganton

Census-designated places

 * Epworth
 * Mineral Bluff (incorporated until 1995)

Unincorporated communities

 * Hemptown
 * Aska

Politics
Politically, Fannin County is a massive outlier in Georgia. As an entirely white highland county historically devoid of slaves, it is one of the few ancestrally Republican counties in a state that was heavily Democratic nationally until the 1960s and at other levels well into the 1990s. Since the 1870s it has been solidly Republican, displaying voting patterns similar to those of East Tennessee. Fannin was the only county in the Deep South that never voted for Franklin D. Roosevelt; in 1936 it was the only county in Georgia that voted for Alf Landon. Only three Democrats have won an absolute majority in the county since the Civil War: Samuel J. Tilden in 1876, William Jennings Bryan in 1900 and Georgia native Jimmy Carter in 1976 when he carried every county in his home state. Besides Carter, Woodrow Wilson was the only Democrat to win even a plurality of the county's vote in the 20th century. Bill Clinton is the last Democrat to win even 40 percent of the county's vote; he, Carter, Lyndon Johnson and Harry Truman are the only Democrats since FDR to cross that barrier.

The current county government consists of a three-member county commission consisting of a chairman and commissioners representing two posts.

title: Fannin County, Georgia


text:
Evans County, Georgia

Evans County is a county in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,774. The county seat is Claxton. A bill creating the county was passed in the Georgia General Assembly on August 11, 1914, and later, on November 3, 1914, an amendment was ratified by a vote of the people which formally created the county. Evans became part of the Statesboro micropolitan area in 2023, joining Bulloch County.

Evans County is located in an area known as the Magnolia Midlands within the Historic South region. The current Evans County Courthouse was created in 1923 and, in 1940, the people of Evans County elected their first female sheriff. Later, in the 1950s and 1960s, new growth came to the county with the building of Evans Memorial Hospital and the Claxton-Evans County Airport. In 2010, the population was 11,000; however, the 2012 Census Estimate showed a population of 10,689.

The county sits firmly within Georgia's coastal plain region and has predominantly sedimentary rock and red and yellow clays. The Canoochee River is the major body of water flowing through the county.

Manufacturing, educational, health and social services make up much of Evans County's diverse economy. Major employers in the county include Camellia Health and Rehabilitation, Claxton Poultry Company, Georgia Department of Corrections, Pinewood Christian Academy, and Valmont Newmark. The county is ranked 64 out of 71 Tier 1 counties with an 8% sales tax. Businesses in the county are 100% exempt on all classes of certain business inventory from property taxes.

History
On August 11, 1914, the Georgia General Assembly proposed a constitutional amendment to create Evans County from Bulloch and Tattnall counties. Georgia voters ratified the proposed amendment by a vote of 36,689 to 9,789 on November 3, 1914, which marks the official date of Evans County's creation. The county was named in honor of Clement A. Evans. Evans was a state senator from Stewart County, Georgia, a Brigadier General in the Confederate States Army, a Methodist minister, an historian and an author.

The push to create Evans County came about for various reasons, most notably the desire to not have to travel so far to the court house; more office jobs; increase in businesses coming to the area, especially in regard to hotels and eating establishments and a belief that there was a minority in Reidsville, Georgia – the county seat in Tattnall County – which controlled the county. Moreover, the entrance of the Savannah and Western Railroad into Tattnall County created a desire by landowners to have stations on their property; ultimately, these new stations led to the founding of the cities which would become part of Evans County: Bellville, Claxton, Daisy and Hagan.

However, not everyone was for the creation of a new county. Some of the arguments against the creation of a new county included: the idea that the difficulties with distance to the courthouse were being overcome; also, the tax burden would override any benefits from new jobs. Evans County was approved through the constitutional amendment process because of an earlier amendment from 1904 which limited the number of counties to 145. In order to get around this amendment, a new amendment was passed which allowed for the creation of Evans County.

The current Evans County courthouse was completed in 1923. The courthouse is in Claxton and was designed in the neoclassical revival tradition by architect J.J. Baldwin. Prior to the building of the current courthouse, all of the county's business was held in the White Building, a three-story edifice built by Mr. R. King White and later bought by Mrs. Ben Daniel. Mrs. Daniel's husband, Dr. Ben Daniel, used the building as his office.

The first female elected sheriff in Evans County, and in Georgia, was Mrs. Josie Mae Rogers, who was appointed after the death of the late sheriff, her father Jesse C. Durrence on June 24, 1940. Later, she was elected sheriff by the people of the county. Not long after, in July 1940, Camp Stewart – which would eventually become Fort Stewart – was created after the United States government bought up several tracts of land in various counties, including Evans County. In all, it is estimated that approximately 1,500 people were displaced by the creation of the camp.

The late 1950s and the 1960s were a time of growth in Evans County, especially in regards to health care and transportation. Beginning in 1958, Dr. Curtis Gordon Hames began research on the Evans County Heart Study, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health; this study would continue until 1995 and resulted in 560 published papers on heart disease, genetics, cancer and other areas. In 1964, the FAA approved a site for the construction of an airport in the county, just 3 mi northeast of Claxton. On December 7, 1967, after two decades of effort, Evans Memorial Hospital was opened.

In November 1975, B.G. Tippins, a teacher at Claxton High School, worked with 15 students to build a Miller Lil' Rascal, a two-seat sporting biplane. This plane was the only one of its kind built.

From 1980 to 1983 several buildings were placed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the courthouse and three homes.

On October 16, 2006, the Evans County Sheriff's Department was presented with seven bullet-proof vests by the Georgia Fraternal Order of Police.

On June 3, 2008, Evans County commissioners unanimously passed a resolution to mark August 11 as Evans County Day. Since that day there have been annual celebrations of the county's founding including the 2014 centennial celebration.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 187 sqmi, of which 183 sqmi is land and 4.0 sqmi (2.1%) is water. The major body of water is the Canoochee River which flows through Evans County. The Canoochee is a tributary of the Ogeechee River.

There are several ponds in Evans County. They include Cypress Pond; Dyess Pond; Beasley Pond; Bernard Smith Pond; I.W. DeLoach Ponds; Big Beasley Pond DeLoach Pond. Other bodies of water include Tippins Lake; Grice Creek; Billy Fork Creek; Thick Creek; Mill Branch; Barnard Mill; Rocky Branch; Scott Creek; Cedar Creek; and Dry Creek.

The entirety of Evans County is located in the Canoochee River sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin.

Geology and terrain
Geologically, Evans County lies in the coastal plain region of Georgia, an area consisting mostly of sedimentary rocks. The coastal plain is divided from the Piedmont by the Fall Line, which passes through Georgia from Augusta, Georgia in the east, then southwestward to Macon, Georgia, then to Columbus, Georgia and finally westward to Montgomery, Alabama.

Yet, sedimentary rocks are not the only geological features to be found in Evans County. The county is mostly covered by thin sand and red and yellow clay. As in Tattnall County along the Ohoopee River, the sand in Evans County that lies along the Canoochee River is white quartz of a medium to coarse grain. There is exploitable medium-grain sand covering about 50 acres of land along the railroad above Bull Creek. The pure white sand along the Canoochee could be made into bottle glass, but is expensive to recover.

Flora and fauna
Evans County is home to several protected species of flora and fauna. Among the flora in the county are the Georgia plume, Sarracenia flava, Sarracenia minor, beardtongue, Stewartia, loblolly-bay and sweetbay. Others include the purple honeycomb head, large-stem morning-glory, few-flower gay-feather, pond spice, Lobelia boykinii, hummingbird flower, and other plants. Protected animals in the area include the red-cockaded woodpecker, the indigo snake, Bachman's sparrow, the spotted turtle, Say's spiketail and the southern bald eagle, among other animals.

Climate
Evans County is classified as a humid subtropical climate under the Köppen classification and has a mild climate, averaging 49.8 degrees in January and 82.7 degrees in July. The average annual rainfall is 48 inches and the county has a minimum altitude of 65 ft above sea level and a maximum altitude of 228 ft above sea level. The county is 1.4 times below the U.S. average in historical area-adjusted tornado activity. From 1950 to 2004, only 2 injuries have been caused by tornadoes in the county; this occurred on March 29, 1974, when an F1 tornado hit the county, causing between $5,000 and $50,000 in damages.

Adjacent counties

 * Bulloch County – northeast
 * Bryan County – east
 * Liberty County – southeast
 * Tattnall County – southwest
 * Candler County – northwest

Communities

 * Bellville
 * Claxton
 * Daisy
 * Hagan

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 10,774 people, 4,020 households, and 2,747 families residing in the county.

Agriculture and industry
Evans County has a diverse economy, with manufacturing; educational, health and social services; retail trade; and construction providing the greatest employment in manufacturing. The Claxton-Evans County Industrial Park provides the strongest source of manufacturing, with the creation of concrete poles and galvanization of metals. Major employers in Evans County include Evans Memorial Hospital, Camellia Health and Rehabilitation, Claxton Poultry Company, Georgia Department of Corrections, Glenvue Nursing Home, JGI Incorporated Galaxy Food Center, McDonald's Restaurants, Nesmith Chevrolet Company, Pinewood Christian Academy, and Valmont Newmark.

Outside of the cities, agriculture is important with corn and cotton being major crops. Other crops planted and harvested in Evans County include soybeans; wheat and vegetables; and land set aside for orchards. The food industry is the most common industry for Evans Countians to work in.

Local taxes
Evans County has an 8% total sales tax, including 4% state, 1% local option, 1% special purpose, and 1% educational. Evans County is ranked 64 out of 71 Tier 1 counties in the state of Georgia. Claxton and Evans County exempt 100% on all classes of certain business inventory from property taxes.

People
Evans County is populated by many different ethnic groups. Among these groups are Whites; Blacks or African Americans; Native Americans; Asians; Pacific Islanders; and Hispanics or Latinos. Foreign born Evans Countians are predominantly Mexican, followed by Filipinos; Guatemalans; Japanese; Indians; Germans; and Indonesians. The most common ancestries in Evans County include American; English; Irish; German; Scots-Irish; French; and Italian. The combination of these ancestries and ethnicities has forged Evans County's character.

Evans Countians
Evans County has had a number of notable citizens. James Kicklighter is a film director from Bellville, Georgia. Joseph Kennedy was born in Claxton and went on to become the senator for the area and president pro tempore of the Georgia State Senate. Albert Parker and Ira S. Womble Sr. both made Claxton and Evans County famous through their respective companies, The Claxton Bakery and The Georgia Fruitcake Company. Cartha Deke DeLoach, a native Evans Countian, joined the FBI and worked alongside J. Edgar Hoover while Dr. Curtis Gordon Hames did a groundbreaking study on heart disease. Two Evans County natives, Charles Gordon Edwards of Daisy, and William Washington Larsen of Hagan, went on to become United States Representatives.

Customs
Evans County has held an annual rattlesnake roundup the second weekend of March since 1968, with the festival growing every year since then and moving from within Claxton to just outside the city in 2001; this festival has undergone a change and is now called the Claxton Rattlesnake and Wildlife Festival. Another, more recent, annual event is the Cruisin' in the Country Bike Ride, began in 1995 as the Yuletide Ride. The event was changed from December to November the next year and expanded to include a 65 mi route. Soon, the route became a complete century ride.

Other events include the Martin Luther King Day parade, held every January; Christmas in Claxton, an event which occurs on the first Saturday in December and includes arts and crafts, food, and the Parade of Lights; barrel racing at the Richey Arena; and a tractor pull held on the first Saturday of each month at the Longneedle Farm Truck and Tractor Pull. A Chicken Pickin' festival was held September 11, 2010.

Cuisine
Evans County's cuisine includes a variety of different foods ranging from seafood, corn on the cob and chicken and dumplings to Brunswick stew, fried chicken and cornbread. Other well known and loved foods in the county include pecans, peaches and peanuts. However, these are not the only foods enjoyed by Evans Countians. Because of the diversity within the county, the people of Evans County also frequent Mexican and Chinese restaurants.

Architecture
A number of buildings and homes in Evans County are on the National Register of Historic Places. In Claxton, there is the Dr. James W. Daniel House; the Evans County Courthouse; and the Mitchell J. Green Plantation. In Hagan, there is the George W. DeLoach House. And at Camp Oliver there is the Glisson Store (DOE). Other places of interest include the Daisy Post Office and the train depot in Bellville.

Evans County is also home to a number of antebellum houses that were built prior to the formation of the county. Many of these homes were built in the Plantation Plain style and include the A.D. Eason House; the Thomas A. Durrence House; and the Edwards-Strickland House.

Government
The county government is a constitutional body and is granted powers by the Constitution of Georgia. Evans County has a board of commissioners, sheriff, tax commissioner and clerk of court. The original top positions were held by:
 * H. Leonard Brewton—First County Commissioner (1915–1920)
 * T. Walton Rogers—First County Sheriff (January 1, 1915 – February 24, 1920)
 * T.J. Edwards—First County Tax Commissioner (January 1, 1933 – December 25, 1940)
 * R.R. Tippins Sr.—First Clerk of Court (January 1, 1915 – December 31, 1920)

Individuals currently holding Constitutional Offices are:
 * Mac Edwards—Sheriff
 * Julie E. Mincey—Tax Commissioner
 * Kathy P. Hendrix—Clerk of Court
 * Darin McCoy-Judge of the Probate Court

Board of Commissioners: The board of commissioners in Evans County is made up of six members elected by the people and led by a chairman elected by the board. The board of commissioners acts as both the legislative and executive branches of government for the county and is charged with financing county programs and paying the salaries of constitutional officers.

The current members of the Board of Commissioners are:
 * Sheila Holland – District 1
 * Pratt Lockwood – District 2
 * Tony Lewis – District 3
 * L.E. Hewitt – District 4
 * Neal Hammock – District 5
 * Irene Burney – District 6

Tax Commissioner: The tax commissioner receives tax returns, maintains tax records for the county, and collects and pays tax funds to the state and local government.

Clerk of Court: The responsibility of the clerk of the court is to maintain court records and supervise registration of property transactions.

Law enforcement and emergency services
Sheriff: The sheriff maintains the peace in the county through enforcement of the law and provide judicial security and civil services of the court In Evans County, the sheriff is assisted by almost twenty employees

Fire department and EMS: The Evans County fire department is located in Claxton and has a fire chief, four dispatchers, and 21 volunteers. Ambulance services are provided by Evans County EMS. EMS has seven full-time employees and four part-time employees.

Evans County is represented in the Georgia General Assembly by State Senator Jack Hill in Georgia Senatorial District 4 and State Representative Bill Werkheiser. The county is represented in Congress by Rick Allen of Georgia's 12th congressional district.

Media
The Claxton Enterprise is a weekly newspaper located in Claxton, Georgia, United States. It primarily serves Evans County, Georgia. The Enterprise was established in 1912 with its first issue being published on December 4, 1912. The current publisher is Mitchell Peace.

Evans County has one local radio station, simultaneously broadcast on both the AM and FM bands. WCLA (1470 AM and 93.7 FM) offers CBS News each hour, while programming Adult Standards music. WCLA broadcasts Claxton High School and Pinewood Christian Academy football, basketball and baseball. WCLA is the Evans County affiliate for both University of Georgia Bulldog football and basketball, as well as Atlanta Braves baseball. The station observed its 57th birthday on July 30, 2015.

Sports and recreation
Sports in Evans County include the Claxton High School athletic program and the Pinewood Christian Academy athletic program. Both schools programs include football; baseball; basketball; track and field; softball; and tennis. Claxton High School also has a golf program. Claxton's boys' track and field were Georgia High School Association champions in 1983 and the boys' basketball team were champions in 1988.

The county is home to a handful of public areas which are set aside for recreation. The Evans County Public Fishing Area, located in Claxton, is one such area and contains three lakes of 8, 30 and 84 acres and primitive campsites. Families can also picnic at the lake and an outdoor classroom is available for use. Parks include Bacon Ford Park and the Senior Citizens Park in Claxton. Two parks in Hagan are the Maggie Mae Lewis Children's Park and the Bradley Memorial Park.

Another outdoor recreational area is the Evans Heights Golf Club. The course was designed by Don Cottle Jr. in 1970 and has Bermuda grass. In total, the course is 6,514 yards.

Health care

Evans County has several medical facilities, including the Evans County Memorial Hospital; the Jack Strickland Rehabilitation Wellness Center; Northspring Assisted Living; The Griffin House; the Camellia Health and Rehabilitation Center; The Evans County Health Department and Health and Well-Being Consultative Services. There are approximately twelve doctors in the county, two dentists and two pharmacies.

Education
Evans County has both public and private schools.

Public education in most of Evans County is supervised by the Evans County School District for grades K-12, except parts in Fort Stewart. Fort Stewart has the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) as its local school district, for the elementary level. Students at the secondary level on Fort Stewart attend public schools operated by county school districts. The current superintendent of the public school district is Dr. Marty Waters.

All schools have been fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools as well as the Georgia Accrediting Commission. There are currently 1,888 students and 122 teachers, a ratio of 15:1. There are three public schools in Evans County: Claxton Elementary School; Claxton Middle School; and Claxton High School.

Pinewood Christian Academy is a co-educational private school in Bellville. Founded in 1970, the school has approximately 685 students and has a calendar year of 180 days with each school day lasting 7 hours.

Transportation
Transportation in Evans County is overseen by the Georgia Department of Transportation, a part of the executive branch of the state government. The major U.S. highways that run through Evans County are U.S. Route 25; U.S. Route 280; and U.S. Route 301. State highways running through Evans County are State Route 30; State Route 73; State Route 129; State Route 169; and State Route 292. Georgia Central Railway provides transportation for industrial customers in the county.

Air travel in Evans County is provided by the Claxton-Evans County Airport. The site for the airport was approved by the FAA in 1964 and it was activated in 1971; the airport is 3 mi northeast of Claxton, Georgia. It is operated by the city of Claxton. It has a 5000 ft runway, hangars, pilot control lighting, and a Precision Approach Path Indicator. The Claxton-Evans County Airport has an elevation of 112 ft.

Energy use and production
Evans County's electricity generation and consumption are provided through a variety of means. Natural gas is also available in large quantities. Evans Countians consumes 269,420 gallons of water a day out of a plant capacity of 3,720,000 gallons a day. There is an elevated storage capacity of 700,000 gallons. The energy produced and consumed is available through the Claxton-Evans County Industrial Park.

title: Evans County, Georgia


text:
Emanuel County, Georgia

Emanuel County is a county located in the magnolia midlands portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,768. The county seat is Swainsboro.

History
The county was created on December 10, 1812, by an act of the Georgia General Assembly from land originally in parts of Bulloch and Montgomery counties. Emanuel County is named in honor of former Governor of Georgia David Emanuel.

Portions of Johnson (1858), Jenkins (1905), Toombs (1905), Candler (1914), and Treutlen (1918) counties were taken from Emanuel's original borders.

Courthouses
Emanuel County has had seven courthouses in its over 200 years of existence. In the county's early years, the court met at Steven Rich's home. Emanuel County's first courthouse was erected in 1814 and burned in 1841. It wasn't until 1854, the same time that the city of Swainsboro was formally incorporated, that the county was allowed to build a replacement. In a string of bad luck, this new courthouse burned in 1855 and was replaced by another courthouse, which burned in 1857. Emanuel County's fourth courthouse burned in 1919 and was replaced by a three-story brick structure which, characteristically, burned in 1938. The next courthouse, a two-story marble structure, was built in 1940 and was the first courthouse in Emanuel County's history not to be destroyed by fire. However, by the 1990s, the courthouse's cramped and deteriorating condition caused several county offices to vacate the courthouse and move into vacant office space surrounding the courthouse square. The courthouse was demolished in the spring of 2000, leaving only the sheriff's office annex. In the late 1990s, the Emanuel County commissioners purchased the former U.S. Post Office building, which was built in 1936, to serve as an interim courthouse. In 2000, the county commission acquired land adjacent to the old Post Office to build a new courthouse and sheriff's office. Emanuel County's current courthouse, a large, single-story brick structure incorporating the old Post Office building, was completed in 2002, and a city square was built on the former courthouse site with the old sheriff's office renovated to serve as the city's visitors' center as well as the office for Swainsboro-Emanuel County Chamber of Commerce.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 690 sqmi, of which 681 sqmi is land and 9.6 sqmi (1.4%) is water.

The northern portion of Emanuel County, centered on Summertown and defined by a southern border heading from Garfield east-northeast and running north of Modoc, is located in the Upper Ogeechee River sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin. The eastern portion of the county, east of Swainsboro, is located in the Canoochee River sub-basin of the same Ogeechee River basin. The western and southern portions of Emanuel County are located in the Ohoopee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin.

Major highways
U.S. Route 1 Business
 * I-16.svg Interstate 16
 * US 1.svg U.S. Route 1
 * Business plate.svg
 * US 80.svg U.S. Route 80
 * US 221.svg U.S. Route 221
 * Georgia 4.svg State Route 4
 * Georgia 4 Business.svg State Route 4 Business
 * Georgia 15.svg State Route 15
 * Georgia 23.svg State Route 23
 * Georgia 26.svg State Route 26
 * Georgia 46.svg State Route 46
 * Georgia 56.svg State Route 56
 * Georgia 57.svg State Route 57
 * Georgia 78.svg State Route 78
 * Georgia 86.svg State Route 86
 * Georgia 121.svg State Route 121
 * Georgia 171.svg State Route 171
 * Georgia 192.svg State Route 192
 * Georgia 297.svg State Route 297
 * Georgia 404.svg State Route 404 (unsigned designation for I-16)

Adjacent counties

 * Jefferson County - north
 * Jenkins County - northeast
 * Burke County - northeast
 * Candler County - east
 * Tattnall County - southeast
 * Bulloch County - southeast
 * Toombs County - south
 * Laurens County - southwest
 * Johnson County - west
 * Treutlen County - west

Cities

 * Adrian
 * Garfield
 * Nunez
 * Oak Park
 * Stillmore
 * Summertown
 * Swainsboro
 * Twin City

Census-designated places

 * Canoochee
 * Norristown

Unincorporated communities

 * Five Points, Georgia
 * Stevens Crossing, Georgia

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 22,768 people, 8,387 households, and 5,683 families residing in the county.

Politics
Since 1964, the only times the county has failed to back a Republican candidate in a presidential election were when southern Democrats Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton were on the ballot.

title: Emanuel County, Georgia


text:
Elbert County, Georgia

Elbert County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,637. The county seat is Elberton. The county was established on December 10, 1790, and was named for Samuel Elbert.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 374 sqmi, of which 351 sqmi is land and 23 sqmi (6.2%) is water. The county is located in the Piedmont region of the state.

The northern half of Elbert County, north of a line made by following State Route 17 from Bowman southeast to Elberton, and then following State Route 72 east to just before the South Carolina border, and then heading south along the shores of Lake Richard B. Russell & Clarkes Hill to the county's southeastern tip, is located in the Upper Savannah River sub-basin of the larger Savannah River basin. The portion of the county south of this line is located in the Broad River sub-basin of the Savannah River basin.

Major highways

 * Georgia 17.svg State Route 17
 * Georgia 72.svg State Route 72
 * Georgia 77.svg State Route 77
 * Georgia 77 Connector.svg State Route 77 Connector
 * Georgia 79.svg State Route 79
 * Georgia 172.svg State Route 172
 * Georgia 368.svg State Route 368

Adjacent counties

 * Anderson County, South Carolina (northeast)
 * Abbeville County, South Carolina (east)
 * McCormick County, South Carolina (southeast)
 * Lincoln County (southeast)
 * Wilkes County (south)
 * Oglethorpe County (southwest)
 * Madison County (west)
 * Hart County (north)
 * Franklin County (northwest)

Cities

 * Bowman
 * Elberton

Census-designated place

 * Dewy Rose

Unincorporated communities

 * Hard Cash
 * Ruckersville
 * Rice Town

Ghost town

 * Petersburg

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 19,637 people, 7,559 households, and 5,065 families residing in the county.

Judiciary and government
Elbert County is part of the Northern Judicial Circuit of Georgia, which also includes the counties of Hart, Franklin, Madison, and Oglethorpe. Elbert County's governing authority, the Elbert County Board of Commissioners, has five Commissioners elected in districts, a Chairperson elected County-wide, and an appointed County Administrator.

Historical and cultural sites
Historical and cultural sites in Elbert County include the Nancy Hart cabin, the Dan Tucker gravesite, the Stephen Heard Cemetery, the Petersburg Township site, Vans Creek Church, the Elbert County Courthouse, the Elberton Seaboard-Airline Depot, the Rock Gym, the Granite Bowl, the Elberton Granite Museum and Exhibit, the Richard B. Russell Dam, the Elbert Theatre, Richard B. Russell State Park, and Bobby Brown Park. The Georgia Guidestones stood in Elbert County from 1980 until their destruction in 2022.

Notable people

 * Warren Akin Sr., member of the Georgia House of Representatives and Confederate States Congress
 * Milton Alexander, brigadier general during the Black Hawk War
 * William J. Alston, U.S. House of Representatives, Alabama House of Representatives, and Alabama Senate
 * Richard E. Banks, physician and surgeon
 * William Barnett, U.S. House of Representatives
 * William Augustus Bell, academic and president of Miles College
 * Fred Bond Jr., tobacco industry representative and mayor Cary, North Carolina
 * Nathaniel J. Hammond, United States House of Representatives and Georgia Attorney General
 * Mecole Hardman, professional football player
 * Derek Harper, professional basketball player
 * Corra Mae Harris, journalist and war correspondent
 * Sampson Willis Harris, U.S. House of Representatives and Georgia House of Representatives
 * Nancy Hart, rebel heroine of the American Revolutionary War
 * William Henry Heard, clergyman and diplomat
 * R. H. Hunt, architect
 * Mammy Kate, enslaved women
 * Joseph Rucker Lamar, US Supreme Court justice
 * Otis Leavill, R&B singer, songwriter and record company executive
 * Daniel Parker, leader in the Primitive Baptist Church
 * Charles Tait, United States Senator and a United States district judge
 * Horace Tate, educator, activist, scholar, and politician
 * Daniel Tucker, Methodist minister, farmer, and ferryman as well as a captain during the American Revolution
 * Matthias Ward, lawyer and United States Senator from Texas.
 * William J. White, civil rights leader, minister, educator, and journalist
 * Thomas Simpson Woodward, brigadier general in the Georgia militia

title: Elbert County, Georgia


text:
Effingham County, Georgia

Effingham County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 64,769. The seat is Springfield.

Effingham County is included in the Savannah metropolitan area.

In 2008, Effingham County was ranked as the sixth-fastest-growing midsize county in the nation from 2000 to 2007 by the U.S. Census Bureau. The county had a 35.1% growth rate over that period.

History
Effingham was among the original counties of the state of Georgia, created February 5, 1777, during the American Revolution from the colonial parishes of St. Matthew and St. Phillip. Its name honors Lord Effingham, an English champion of colonial rights, who resigned his commission rather than fight against the rebel colonists during the American Revolution. During the war, most of the Loyalists in what is now Effingham County were first generation Scottish immigrants. After the war, notable Georgia patriots including Lyman Hall, Samuel Elbert, Edward Telfair, George Walton and Stephen Heard all made direct appeals to the Loyalists of Effingham County to "stay on" in Georgia, under the new republican form of government. In Effingham County, this effort was successful, and virtually all Loyalists in the county stayed. The town of Springfield was established in 1799, and most likely was named after a plantation.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 483 sqmi, of which 478 sqmi is land and 5.2 sqmi (1.1%) is water.

The entire western edge of Effingham County, from south of Newington to east of Guyton, then south to southwest of Meldrim, is located in the Lower Ogeechee River sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin. The bulk of the rest of the county is located in the Lower Savannah River sub-basin of the Savannah River basin. A narrow rectangular portion of south Effingham County, from south of Pineora through Meldrim, is located in the Ogeechee Coastal sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin.

Adjacent counties

 * Hampton County, South Carolina (north)
 * Jasper County, South Carolina (northeast)
 * Chatham County (southeast)
 * Bryan County (south)
 * Bulloch County (west)
 * Screven County (northwest)

National protected area

 * Savannah National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Cities

 * Guyton
 * Rincon
 * Springfield

Unincorporated communities

 * Clyo
 * Egypt
 * Meldrim

Ghost town

 * Ebenezer

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 64,769 people, 21,172 households, and 15,424 families residing in the county.

Economy
In the early years of the 1900s, agriculture was the mainstay of the county economy. The chief agricultural products were Irish potatoes and sweet potatoes. The county farmers raised so many Irish potatoes in the early 1920s that they were shipped out numerous railroad boxcars, full of potatoes, during the summer months of those years.

Small businesses, such as the Effingham Canning Company and Potato Barrel manufacturing mills, became big businesses. The Effingham Canning Company did not last long. It was established in 1918 at the site of the former Savannah Atlanta Railroad Locomotive Repair Shop in Springfield. This site today would be located across the road from Georgia Highway Department Maintenance Building on Georgia Highway 21, south of Springfield. A later canning company operated in the 1940s at the old elementary school grounds in Springfield.

In the early 21st century, Effingham County has had unprecedented demand for industrial locations. Interest in industrial development has been spurred by the area's high population growth, tremendous growth at the Georgia ports and the ever-growing economy of coastal Georgia. Contributors include the military, aerospace industry and a diversified manufacturing base. The Savannah area is home to Gulfstream Aerospace and Hunter Army Airfield.

The Effingham County Industrial Park has announced several new tenants since 2005. In 2007 it became the site of EFACEC Group, a Portuguese-based transformer manufacturer for their North and Central America operations. The U.S. factory is located in Rincon, Georgia and produces both core and shell technology power transformers. Other businesses include the Flint River Services refrigerated storage, ValuePart distribution center, as well as expansions of several existing industries in the park. The site is ideally located on a four-lane divided highway only 10 mi from Interstate 95 and within 15 mi of the Georgia Ports, the Savannah International Airport and the historic City of Savannah.

The Effingham Industrial Development Authority acquired approximately 4000 acre for development. The acquisitions include a tract of approximately 200 acre adjacent to Interstate 16 and an additional 1550 acre tract on Interstate 16 seven miles from Interstate 95. Both tracts are within 15 mi of the Georgia Ports Authority, and within 10 mi of the Chatham County Mega-Site (formerly known as the DaimlerChrysler site) at the strategic intersection of Interstates 95 and 16.

A potential of 10000000 sqft of light manufacturing and/or Distribution Center/ Warehousing space exists at this site. Another recent acquisition is the former Research Forest Tract. Approximately 2300 acre in size, this will be a "legacy" development to include commercial, executive office, heavy industrial, light industrial, professional service, research and recreational land uses. The site comprises three separate tracts of land six rail miles from the Georgia Ports Authority, with planned access to the Savannah River Parkway, Norfolk Southern mainline rail and CSX mainline rail. The property is being master planned. The development is planned to attract research and development, assembly operations, headquarters and other low-impact operations.

Industry in Effingham County includes paper manufacturing—Georgia Pacific (Savannah River Mill), high-precision turbine blade production—Doncasters, aluminum geodesic dome production—Temcor, concrete pipe manufacturing—Hanson, customized business jet interiors—Edward's Interiors, electrical distribution power transformer production—EFACEC PT, among many others.

Major highways

 * , is the west-to-east interstate highway within the county. It enters Effingham County from Ellabell in Bryan County, and leaves through Bloomington in Chatham. It contains only one interchange within the county (exit 148); Old River Road, which leads to US 80/GA 26-30.
 * , the major north-south highway on the Eastern Seaboard, but only has a short run through eastern Effingham County. The road runs through the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge between the bridge over Knoxboro Creek from Port Wentworth, and the bridge over the Savannah River at the South Carolina County Line and contains no interchanges whatsoever.
 * was the main west-to-east highway through Effingham County, until it was supplanted by I-16.
 * (unsigned designation for I-16)
 * (unsigned designation for I-95)
 * (Savannah River Parkway)
 * (unsigned designation for I-16)
 * (unsigned designation for I-95)
 * (Savannah River Parkway)
 * (unsigned designation for I-16)
 * (unsigned designation for I-95)
 * (Savannah River Parkway)
 * (Savannah River Parkway)

Railroads
Effingham County contains three major railroad lines. Two of them are owned by CSX and the other is owned by Norfolk Southern. The Norfolk Southern Savannah District and CSX Columbia Subdivision runs nearly parallel to one another before crossing the Chatham County Line towards Savannah. A third line (the Charleston Subdivision) runs northeast from Port Wentworth to the South Carolina State Line, and spends even less time in the county than Interstate 95.

Amtrak runs three trains along the two CSX lines, neither of which stop anywhere within the county. The Silver Star (Amtrak train) runs along the Columbia Subdivision. The Palmetto and Silver Meteor trains run along the Charleston Subdivision, which has no stations, and no possible location for a station.

Politics
Effingham County has been a reliably Republican county from 1984 onward. After supporting Dixiecrat Strom Thurmond in 1948, it began voting Republican earlier than most Georgia counties, albeit by very narrow margins. Effingham then voted in line with most other rural Deep South counties from 1964 to 1972. The only Democratic Party candidate to win the county since 1944 was Jimmy Carter, who won it convincingly in his statewide landslide in 1976 and narrowly in 1980.

title: Effingham County, Georgia