text:
Manchester, Georgia

Manchester is a town in Meriwether and Talbot counties in the U.S. state of Georgia, although primarily in Meriwether. The population was 3,584 at the 2020 census, down from 4,230 in 2010. It is the most populous community in Meriwether County. CSX Transportation runs a railroad yard in Manchester.

History
Manchester was founded in 1907, when the Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic Railway was extended northward to that point; it was merged into the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1946. From Manchester the railroad diverged, with one line going to Atlanta and another to Birmingham. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Manchester as a city in 1909. The city was named after Manchester, in England.

In 2019, CSX Transportation demolished the historic Manchester Yard Office in order to make way for a new, larger, yard facilities building.

Geography
Manchester is in west central Georgia, in southern Meriwether County, with a small portion extending south into Talbot County. The ridge of Pine Mountain runs along the southern edge of the city, rising 300 ft above the city to an elevation of 1180 ft above sea level. Georgia State Route 85 is the main highway through the city, leading southwest 39 mi to Columbus and north 10 mi to Woodbury. Georgia 85 meets Georgia 190 in the southern part of the city, which leads west 16 mi along the crest of Pine Mountain to U.S. Route 27 south of the town of Pine Mountain. Georgia 85 meets Georgia 41 in the center of Manchester, which leads southeast 6 mi to Woodland and northwest 5 mi to Warm Springs.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Manchester has a total area of 8.0 sqmi, of which 0.04 sqmi, or 0.45%, are water. Pigeon Creek runs along the northern border of the city and flows east to the Flint River.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,584 people, 1,494 households, and 1,056 families residing in the city.

Notable people

 * David "Swagg R'Celious" Harris, A Grammy and Emmy award winning and four time Grammy nominated producer and songwriter.The first person and first person of color to achieve these accolades from the city.
 * Bill Mathis, former Clemson and Super Bowl-winning New York Jets football player
 * Stuart Woods, novelist. Manchester, dubbed Delano, was the setting for his first best-seller, Chiefs, and most of his subsequent books have a character who comes from the city.

title: Manchester, Georgia


text:
Warm Springs, Georgia

Warm Springs is a city in Meriwether County, Georgia, United States. The population was 465 at the 2020 census.

History
Warm Springs, originally named "Bullochville" (after the Bulloch family, which began after Stephen Bullock moved to Meriwether County in 1806 from Edgecombe County, North Carolina), first came to prominence in the 19th century as a spa town, because of its mineral springs which flow constantly at nearly 90 F. Residents of Georgia, particularly Savannah, began spending vacations at Bullochville in the late 18th century as a way to escape yellow fever, finding the number of warm springs in the vicinity of Bullochville very attractive. In the late 19th century traveling to the warm springs was a way to escape the city (in this case Atlanta) for a short while. Traveling by railroad to Durand, visitors would then go to Bullochville, 6 mi away. One of the places benefiting from this was the Meriwether Inn. Once the automobile became popular in the early 20th century, tourists began going elsewhere, leading to the decline of the inn.

In 1921, Franklin Roosevelt contracted a paralytic illness, diagnosed at the time as poliomyelitis (later thought in a 2003 peer-reviewed retrospective study to be Guillain–Barré syndrome ). He tried to regain strength in his legs by bathing and exercising in the warm water. His first time in Warm Springs was October 1924. He went to a resort in the town whose attraction was a permanent 88 F natural spring. He was a constant visitor for two decades, and renamed the town from Bullochville to Warm Springs.

Roosevelt had a cottage built in 1932 that became famous as the Little White House, where he vacationed while president, because of his illness. He died there in 1945, and the home is now a public museum.

The town is still home to the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation (Roosevelt's former polio hospital), which remains a world-renowned comprehensive rehabilitation center including a physical rehabilitation hospital and vocational rehabilitation unit. Economist Thomas M. Humphrey was one of the children treated for polio at the institute during the 1940s. The springs are not available for public use as a bath/spa resort, but they are used by the Roosevelt Institute for therapeutic purposes.

Geography
Warm Springs is located in southern Meriwether County at 32.88861°N, -84.68°W (32.888689, −84.680089). It is bordered to the south by Talbot County and to the west by F. D. Roosevelt State Park, including the Little White House. Pine Mountain rises to an elevation of 1340 ft south of the city, about 400 ft higher than the city center.

U.S. Route 27 Alternate passes through the center of Warm Springs, leading north 10 mi to Greenville, the Meriwether county seat, and southwest 39 mi to Columbus. Georgia State Route 41 leads southeast 4 mi to Manchester, the largest city in Meriwether County, while State Route 85 leads northeast 9 mi to Woodbury.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Warm Springs has a total area of 1.5 sqmi, of which 0.03 sqmi, or 2.21%, are water. Warm Springs Branch and Cold Branch drain the area around the city center, both flowing north to Cane Creek, an east-flowing tributary of the Flint River. The southern, rural part of the city on Pine Mountain drains east to Pigeon Creek, another tributary of the Flint.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 485 people, 172 households, and 107 families residing in the city. The population density was 409.7 PD/sqmi. There were 208 housing units at an average density of 175.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 67.22% White, 31.75% African American, and 1.03% from two or more races.

There were 172 households, out of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.3% were married couples living together, 25.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were non-families. 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.2% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 28.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 62.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 57.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $21,547, and the median income for a family was $29,950. Males had a median income of $24,422 versus $13,110 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,872. About 14.7% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.7% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

 * After graduating from John H. Francis Polytechnic High School, Cosmopolitan editor Helen Gurley Brown and her family moved to Warm Springs.
 * George W. Jenkins, founder of Publix, was born in Warm Springs.
 * Philanthropist George Foster Peabody retired in Warm Springs.
 * Cpl. Maoma L. Ridings was from Warm Springs. She was a WAC stationed at Camp Atterbury, and was murdered August 28, 1943, in Room 729 of the Claypool Hotel in Downtown Indianapolis. Her murder was never solved, and made national news because she had once been a nurse to President Roosevelt on his visits to Warm Springs.
 * US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt lived in the Little White House in Warm Springs while he was not in Washington or at his residence in Hyde Park, New York. He also died there.

Relevant literature

 * Harmon, Martin. 2014 The Warm Springs Story: Legacy and Legend. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press.

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

title: Warm Springs, Georgia


text:
Woodbury, Georgia

Woodbury is a city in Meriwether County, Georgia, United States. The population was 908 at the 2020 census.

History
The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Woodbury in 1913. The community most likely was named after Levi Woodbury (1789–1851), American justice on the United States Supreme Court.

Geography
Woodbury is located in southeastern Meriwether County at 32.98056°N, -84.58111°W (32.980588, -84.580979). Georgia State Routes 18, 74, 85, and 109 pass through the city. Route 18 leads northwest 8 mi to Greenville, the county seat, and northeast 19 mi to Zebulon. Route 74 goes east out of Woodbury with Route 18 but leads southeast 19 mi to Thomaston; to the north Route 74 leads 8 mi to Gay. Route 85 goes north to Gay with Route 74 but also leads south 10 mi to Manchester. Route 85 Alternate runs through the north side of Woodbury and leads southwest 9 mi to Warm Springs. Route 109 follows Route 18 both northwest and east out of Woodbury but leads east 28 mi to Barnesville.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Woodbury has a total area of 2.1 sqmi, of which 0.03 sqmi, or 1.43%, are water. The Flint River passes 3 mi east of the city, and Pine Mountain rises three miles to the south.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 908 people, 456 households, and 260 families residing in the city.

In popular culture

 * Woodbury is featured prominently in The Walking Dead comic book franchise as a fortified survivor settlement run by a leader called The Governor during a zombie apocalypse. In the television series of the same name, the Woodbury scenes were filmed in Senoia, 25 mi to the north.
 * Woodbury is the primary setting of The Walking Dead novel series which follows the lives of the residents both before and after Woodbury's appearance in the comic book series. The novels focus on the town's reign under the Governor, the aftermath, and the residents' fight against various enemies, including the undead, doomsday cultists, and a militia that attacks to abduct the town's children for experimentation on finding a cure to the zombie virus.
 * Woodbury also appears in The Walking Dead: Destinies video game which adapts part of the TV series season 3 storyline regarding the town.

title: Woodbury, Georgia


text:
Colquitt, Georgia

Colquitt is a city and the county seat of Miller County, in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. The population was 2,001 at the 2020 census. Colquitt has been the county seat of Miller County since Miller County was incorporated by the Georgia Legislature in 1856. The city formally incorporated on December 19, 1860, and is Miller County's only incorporated municipality. Colquitt is named for U.S. Congressman and Senator Walter Terry Colquitt.

The Colquitt Town Square Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

Geography
Colquitt is located in the center of Miller County at 31.17306°N, -84.72861°W (31.173090, -84.728512).

The city is located along U.S. Route 27, Georgia State Route 45, and Georgia State Route 91 in southwestern Georgia. U.S. 27 runs northwest-southeast through the center of town as Crawford Street, leading northwest 21 mi to Blakely and southeast 22 mi to Bainbridge. GA-45 runs north-south through the city concurrent with U.S. 27 and GA-91, and leads north 9 mi to Damascus and southwest 14 mi to Iron City. GA-91 also runs north-south through the city as well, and leads northeast 28 mi to Newton and southwest 14 mi to Donalsonville.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.3 sqmi, of which 0.04 sqmi, or 0.48%, are water.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,001 people, 854 households, and 520 families residing in the city.

Education
Colquitt is part of the Miller County School District. It is served by:

 * Miller County Elementary School
 * Miller County Middle School
 * Miller County High School

Public Library
Colquitt is home to the Miller County - James W. Merritt, Jr. Memorial Library. The library serves the citizens of Miller County with a collection of print and audiovisual materials. The library is located at 259 E. Main Street in Colquitt.

Notable people

 * Peter Zack Geer, Lieutenant Governor of Georgia from 1963–1967
 * Charles Grant, NFL football player
 * Brandon Miller, National Football League player with the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks
 * Keyon Nash, professional football player with the Oakland Raiders, as well as the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe, and the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts
 * Gordie Richardson, Major League Baseball player with the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets
 * Zula Brown Toole, first woman to found a newspaper in Georgia, the Miller County Liberal in 1897

title: Colquitt, Georgia


text:
Baconton, Georgia

Baconton is a city in Mitchell County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 856, down from 915 in 2010.

It has been suggested that Baconton be twinned with the town Egginton, in South Derbyshire, England, UK. This could bring a splendid relationship between the two towns, which could result in breakfast visits to each other's towns, for the mutual benefit of the town officials.

History
Baconton was incorporated in 1903. The community was named after Major Robert James Bacon, an original owner of the town site.

Geography
Baconton is located in northern Mitchell County at 31.37611°N, -84.16139°W (31.376002, -84.161468). U.S. Route 19 runs along the eastern border of the city, leading south 10 mi to Camilla, the county seat, and north 16 mi to Albany.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Baconton has a total area of 2.0 sqmi, all land. The Flint River passes 1 mi to the west of the city.

Soils of Baconton are mostly well drained or somewhat excessively drained. They have grayish brown loamy sand topsoils overlying yellowish brown or red sandy clay loam subsoils. All belong to the Ultisol soil order. Where agricultural or urban development have not occurred, these soils support mixed forests dominated by pines and oaks.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 856 people, 335 households, and 288 families residing in the city.

Education
The Mitchell County School District serves Baconton students, as well as Camilla students.
 * Public Schools
 * North Mitchell County Elementary School
 * Charter Schools
 * Baconton Community Charter Schools

title: Baconton, Georgia


text:
Camilla, Georgia

Camilla is a city in Mitchell County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 5,187, down from 5,360 in 2010.

History
The city was incorporated in 1858. The name "Camilla" was chosen in honor of the granddaughter of Henry Mitchell, a Revolutionary War general for whom Mitchell County was named.

Camilla and Mitchell County were originally Creek country, surrendered to the United States in the 1814 Treaty of Fort Jackson. Georgia divided the land ceded by Native Americans into lots to be given away in land lotteries. The lottery of 1820 awarded lands covering much of the southwest section of the state (applying only to land south of the future Lee County line and extending west to the Chattahoochee River and east to settled counties in east Georgia), including the area later known as Mitchell County. Despite having access to free land, few people moved to the region. Citizens hesitated to improve land, according to an early twentieth-century history the region "which God Almighty had left in an unfinished condition." It took approximately forty years (1820–1857) for the area to obtain its necessary legal population to become a separate county, after which Camilla became the county seat.

In the early 2000s, the city was hit by two disastrous sets of tornadoes, both occurring in the dark hours of the early morning and both going through roughly the same area. The first outbreak was on February 14, 2000; the second was on March 20, 2003.

Camilla massacre
Camilla became the site of a racially-motivated political white-on-black riot on Saturday, September 19, 1868. Determined to promote political and social reform with an organized rally, 150 –300 freedmen, along with Republican political candidates, marched toward the town's courthouse square for the rally. The local sheriff and "citizens committee" in the majority-white town warned the black and white activists of the impending violence and demanded that they forfeit their guns, even though carrying weapons was customary at the time. The marchers refused to give up their guns and continued to the courthouse square, where a group of local whites, quickly deputized by the sheriff, fired upon them. This assault forced the Republicans and freedmen to retreat as locals gave chase into the swamps, killing an estimated nine to fifteen of the black rally participants while wounding forty others. "Whites proceeded through the countryside over the next two weeks, beating and warning Negroes that they would be killed if they tried to vote in the coming election." The Camilla massacre was the culmination of smaller acts of violence committed by white inhabitants that had plagued southwest Georgia since the end of the Civil War. (pp. 1–2)

Beating of Marion King
On July 23, 1962, a group of civil rights activists tried to visit fellow demonstrators from Albany, Georgia, who had been jailed in Camilla. While the rally took place, Marion King, wife of Albany Movement's vice president Slater King, was beaten to the ground and kicked by Camilla police guards until she was unconscious. Mrs. King was pregnant at the time and had her young children with her. She suffered a miscarriage after the ordeal. The 2012 song "Camilla" from the eponymous album by Caroline Herring pays a tribute to Mrs. King's memory.

Geography
Camilla is located in central Mitchell County at 31.23028°N, -84.20917°W (31.230243, −84.209102). U.S. Route 19 is the main highway through the city, passing east of the downtown. US 19 leads north 27 mi to Albany and southeast 32 mi to Thomasville. State Routes 37 and 112 pass through the center of Camilla as Broad Street. Route 37 leads east 27 mi to Moultrie and northwest 10 mi to Newton, while Route 112 leads northeast 32 mi to Sylvester and south 26 mi to Cairo. State Route 97 leads southwest from Camilla 35 mi to Bainbridge.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.6 sqmi, of which 0.01 sqmi, or 0.20%, are water.

Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Camilla has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. Camilla has a relatively wet climate with high precipitation year-round, as typical of the eastern United States. Its southerly latitude in Georgia causes a greater tropical influence resulting in very mild winters in comparison with Atlanta for example.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,187 people, 1,926 households, and 1,325 families residing in the city.

Mitchell County School District
The Mitchell County School District holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of one elementary school that’s in Baconton GA, a middle school, a high school ,and one charter school. The district has 176 full-time teachers and over 2,855 students. The Mitchell County Head Start Center opened in 2001. District schools include:
 * South Mitchell County Elementary School
 * North Mitchell County Elementary School
 * Mitchell County Middle School
 * Mitchell County High School

Charter school

 * Baconton Community Charter School

Private education

 * Westwood Schools

Higher education
Andersonville Theological Seminary has its headquarters based in Camilla. The distance education seminary is accredited through the Association of Independent Christian College and Seminaries. The seminary's headquarters consists of two administrative buildings.

Law and government
The legislative authority of the government of the City of Camilla is vested in the six-member Council. Council members serve for terms of four years and until their respective successors are elected and qualified. Three members are elected from and by the voters of Council District No. 1, and three members are elected from and by the voters of Council District No. 2.

 * Mayor:
 * Mayor Kelvin Owens (term expires December 31, 2023)

 * Council members:
 * W.D. Palmer, III (District 2; term expires December 31, 2025)
 * Raymond Dewayne Burley (District 1; term expires December 31, 2025)
 * Corey Morgan (District 1; term expires December 31, 2023)
 * Steve Collins (District 2; term expires December 31, 2023)
 * Venterra Pollard (District 1; term expires December 31, 2025)
 * Laura Beth Tucker (District 2; term expires December 31, 2025)

Transportation

 * U.S. Highway 19 is the major travel route through the city, connecting Camilla to Albany in the north and Thomasville to the south
 * Georgia State Route 112 connects Cairo to the south and Sylvester to the northeast
 * Georgia State Route 37 connects Moultrie to the east

Notable people

 * Kathryn Stripling Byer (1944-2017), poet and teacher; North Carolina Poet Laureate 2005–2009
 * Oscar Branch Colquitt (1861–1940), former governor of Texas
 * Danny Copeland (born 1966), NFL defensive back; Super Bowl winner with Washington Redskins
 * Tiger Flowers (1895–1927), first Black middleweight boxing champion of the world
 * James Griffin (born 1961), ex-NFL safety with Detroit Lions
 * Krysta Harden, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
 * Jumaine Jones (born 1979), professional basketball forward for Bnei HaSharon of Israel
 * Fred Nixon (born 1958), ex-NFL player with Green Bay Packers
 * Orson Swindle (born 1937), US Marine Corps colonel and former POW with John McCain in Vietnam

title: Camilla, Georgia


text:
Meigs, Georgia

Meigs is a city in Thomas County, Georgia, United States, with a small portion extending north into Mitchell County. The population was 928 at the 2020 census, down from 1,035 in 2010.

History
The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Meigs as a town in 1889. The city is named after William Allen Meigs (1862–1913), a successful turpentine dealer for the town.

Geography
Meigs is located in northwestern Thomas County at 31.07278°N, -84.09111°W (31.072664, -84.090988). A small portion of Mitchell County within 4000 ft of the center of town is also within the city limits.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.6 sqmi, of which 1.6 sqmi are land and 0.04 sqmi, or 2.75%, are water.

U.S. Route 19 passes just east of the city limits, leading southeast 19 mi to Thomasville, the Thomas county seat, and northwest 5 mi to Pelham. Georgia State Route 111 passes through the center of Meigs on Marshall Street and Depot Street; it leads northeast 20 mi to Moultrie and southwest 16 mi to Cairo.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 928 people, 394 households, and 235 families residing in the city.

title: Meigs, Georgia


text:
Pelham, Georgia

Pelham is a city in Mitchell County, Georgia, United States. The population was 3,507 at the 2020 census, down from 3,898 in 2010. Pelham is well known for its agriculture, with vast farming of cotton and pecans in the area.

History
Pelham was incorporated in 1881 and named in honor of Confederate officer John Pelham, who was born to a family of slave owners in northeastern Alabama in 1838.

Geography
Pelham is in southeastern Mitchell County at 31.12667°N, -84.15278°W (31.126629, -84.152703), sitting at the crossroads of US 19 and State Route 93. U.S. 19 passes through the east side of the city and leads northwest 8 mi to Camilla, the county seat, and southeast 25 mi to Thomasville. State Route 93 passes through the center of town, leading northeast 14 mi to Sale City and south 19 mi to Cairo, while State Route 65 leads west from Pelham 14 mi to Hopeful.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Pelham has a total area of 4.1 sqmi, all of it recorded as land.

Pelham has a humid subtropical climate, characterized by humid summers and mild winters. It receives an average of 52 in of rain per year. The average number of days with any measurable precipitation is 90. Pelham has on average 233 sunny days per year. The July high is around 93 F, while the January low is 39 F.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,507 people, 1,325 households, and 857 families residing in the city.

Education
The Pelham City School District holds pre-school to grade 12, and consists of one elementary school, a middle school and a high school. The district has 101 full-time teachers and over 1,627 students.

 * Pelham Elementary School
 * Pelham City Middle School
 * Pelham High School

Notable people

 * Donnie Cochran, former commander of the Blue Angels Precision Air team and first black member
 * Don Griffin, two-time Super Bowl winner with San Francisco 49'ers

title: Pelham, Georgia


text:
Sale City, Georgia

Sale City is a town in Mitchell County, Georgia, United States. The population was 354 at the 2020 census.

History
A post office called Sale City was established in 1904. The community was named after founder T.D. Sale. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Sale City as a town in 1910.

Geography
Sale City is located in eastern Mitchell County at 31.26306°N, -84.02222°W (31.262970, -84.022182). Georgia State Route 93 passes through the town center, leading southwest 14 mi to Pelham and northwest 15 mi to Baconton. State Route 270 leads northeast 8 mi to Doerun, while Camilla, the Mitchell county seat, is 12 mi to the west.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Sale City has a total area of 1.8 sqmi, of which 0.002 sqmi, or 0.10%, are water.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 354 people, 173 households, and 124 families residing in the city.

title: Sale City, Georgia


text:
Culloden, Georgia

Culloden is a city in Monroe County, Georgia, United States. The population was 200 in the 2020 census. It is part of the Macon metropolitan statistical area.

History
The first settlement at Culloden was made ca. 1739. The community was named after William Culloden, a local merchant. A post office called Culloden has been in operation since 1825. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the place in 1887 as the "City of Culloden", with municipal corporate limits extending in a one-mile radius from the central town well.

Geography
Culloden is located in the southwestern part of Monroe County at 32.86306°N, -84.09361°W (32.863155, -84.093621).

The city is located along U.S. Route 341 and Georgia State Route 74. U.S. 341 runs from north to south just east of the city, leading north 15 mi to Barnesville and south 12 mi to Roberta. GA-74 runs from west to east to the north of the city, leading east 32 mi to Macon and west 17 mi to Thomaston.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Culloden has a total area of 0.8 sqmi, of which 0.02 sqmi, or 2.14%, are water. The city sits on the Eastern Continental Divide, separating waters that flow southwest to the Gulf of Mexico from those that flow southeast to the Atlantic Ocean. Water on the west side of the city flows into tributaries of Auchumpkee Creek, which leads southwest to the Flint River, part of the Apalachicola River watershed, while water to the east flows to tributaries of Echeconnee Creek, which runs southeast to the Ocmulgee River, part of the Altamaha River watershed.

Notable person

 * Alfred Blalock, surgeon who developed the Blalock–Taussig shunt to relieve the cyanosis of Tetralogy of Fallot, leading to the modern era of cardiac surgery.

title: Culloden, Georgia


text:
Forsyth, Georgia

Forsyth is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,384 at the 2020 census, up from 3,788 in 2010. Forsyth is part of the Macon metropolitan statistical area.

The Forsyth Commercial Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a tourist attraction. It includes the Monroe County Courthouse and Courthouse Square as well as the surrounding area, including several examples of 19th-century architecture. Forsyth is also home to the Confederate Cemetery, Tift College, and Rum Creek Wildlife Management Area.

History
Forsyth was established in 1823. That same year, the seat of Monroe County was transferred to Forsyth from Johnstonville. Forsyth was named for John Forsyth, governor of Georgia from 1827 to 1829 and Secretary of State under presidents Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren.

Geography
Forsyth is located in central Monroe County at 33.03511°N, -83.93808°W. The city is located along Interstate 75 and U.S. Route 41 northwest of Macon. I-75 runs southeast to northwest through the eastern part of town, with access from exits 185 through 188. The interstate leads southeast 23 mi to downtown Macon and northwest 61 mi to Atlanta. US 41 runs through the downtown area from east to west, leading southeast to Macon and west 13 mi to Barnesville. Other highways that run through the city include Georgia State Routes 18, 42, and 83.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Forsyth has a total area of 9.0 sqmi, of which 0.004 sqmi, or 0.04%, are water. The city sits atop a ridge which drains southwest to tributaries of Tobesofkee Creek and northeast to tributaries of Rum Creek; both creeks are southeast-flowing tributaries of the Ocmulgee River.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,384 people, 1,687 households, and 883 families residing in the city.

Government
The Georgia Department of Corrections has moved into the former Tift College site in 2010. Burruss Correctional Training Center is located in Forsyth next to the Georgia Public Safety Training Center.

Forsyth's first African American mayor, John Howard, served from 2011 to 2015. City Councilman Eric Wilson became mayor in 2015.

Monroe County School District
The Monroe County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of three elementary schools, two middle schools, and a high school. The district has 225 full-time teachers and over 3,872 students.

 * Samuel E. Hubbard Elementary School
 * Katherine B. Sutton Elementary School
 * T.G. Scott Elementary School
 * Banks Stephens Middle School
 * William M. Hubbard Middle School
 * Mary Persons High School

Higher education

 * Tift College was located in Forsyth.

Notable people

 * Harold G. Clarke, jurist and legislator
 * 7 Little Johnstons, reality TV personality family
 * Eugene Talmadge, 67th governor of Georgia 1933–1937, 1941-1943

title: Forsyth, Georgia


text:
Ailey, Georgia

Ailey is a city in Montgomery County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 519, up from 432 in 2010.

History
A post office called Ailey was established in 1891. The town incorporated in 1893.

Geography
Ailey is located in western Montgomery County at 32.18722°N, -82.56889°W (32.187181, -82.568932). It is bordered to the west by Mount Vernon, the county seat. U.S. Route 280 passes through Ailey, leading west through Mount Vernon 23 mi to McRae–Helena and east 10 mi to Vidalia.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Ailey has a total area of 2.2 sqmi, of which 0.02 sqmi, or 0.92%, are water. The city is drained by tributaries of the Oconee River.

Demographics
In 2020, the city had a resident population of 519.

Notable people

 * Hugh Peterson, lawyer
 * Sugar Ray Robinson, boxer

title: Ailey, Georgia


text:
Alston, Georgia

Alston is a town in Montgomery County, Georgia, United States, with a population of 178 at the 2020 census.

History
The community was named after Alex Alston, a pioneer citizen. A post office has been in operation at Alston since 1910. Alston incorporated in 1910.

Alston was the location of the murder of resident Isaiah Nixon, who was shot in his front yard in front of his wife and six children on September 8, 1948, after voting in the Georgia Democratic primary.

Geography
Alston is located in southeastern Montgomery County at 32.08041°N, -82.47846°W. Its eastern border is the Toombs County line.

Georgia State Route 135 runs through the town, leading north 10 mi to Higgston and southwest 3.5 mi to Uvalda. Mount Vernon, the Montgomery county seat, is 10 mi to the northwest via Mount Vernon Alston Road.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Alston has a total area of 2.9 sqmi, of which 0.03 sqmi, or 0.87%, are water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 159 people, 63 households, and 44 families residing in the town. By 2020, its population grew to 178.

title: Alston, Georgia


text:
Higgston, Georgia

Higgston is a town in Montgomery County, Georgia, United States. The population was 314 at the 2020 census.

History
The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the place as the Town of Higgston in 1903. The community was named after James Higgs, proprietors of several local mills.

Geography
Higgston is located in northeastern Montgomery County at 32.21722°N, -82.46722°W (32.217330, -82.467332). U.S. Route 280 passes through the south side of town, leading west 8 mi to Mount Vernon, the county seat, and east 3 mi to Vidalia. State Routes 15 and 29 pass through the center of Higgston together as James Street and lead northwest 13 mi to Soperton, while State Route 135 leads south from US 280 13 miles to Uvalda.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Higgston has a total area of 3.2 sqmi, of which 0.01 sqmi, or 0.32%, are water. Rocky Creek passes through the east side of town, flowing southeast to the Ohoopee River in Tattnall County.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 316 people, 134 households, and 84 families residing in the town. By 2020, its population was 314.

Notable people

 * J. Ollie Edmunds, fourth president of Stetson University

title: Higgston, Georgia


text:
Mount Vernon, Georgia

Mount Vernon is a city in, and the county seat of, Montgomery County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,900 at the 2020 census, down from 2,451 in 2010. It is home to Brewton–Parker College.

History
Mount Vernon was founded in 1797. It became the county seat in 1813, replacing the plantation of Arthur Lott. It was incorporated as a town in 1872 and as a city in 1960. The city is named after Mount Vernon, the estate of George Washington.

Geography
Mount Vernon is located on the west side of Montgomery County at 32.18139°N, -82.59389°W (32.181403, -82.593759). It sits on high ground 1 mi east of the Oconee River, which forms the Wheeler County line. It is bordered to the east by Ailey.

U.S. Routes 221 and 280 intersect just north of the center of town. US 221 leads north 14 mi to Soperton and south 25 mi to Hazlehurst, while US 280 leads east 11 mi to Vidalia and west 21 mi to McRae–Helena.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Mount Vernon has a total area of 4.2 sqmi, of which 0.03 sqmi, or 0.76%, are water.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,990 people, 841 households, and 554 families residing in the city.

College
Brewton–Parker College is a private, Christian, coeducational college whose main campus is located in Mount Vernon.

Primary and secondary education
The Montgomery County School District holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of one elementary school, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 83 full-time teachers and over 1,294 students.
 * Montgomery County High School
 * Montgomery County Middle School
 * Montgomery County Elementary School

Montgomery County High School didn't have an integrated prom until 2010. The school received national attention in the New York Times for unofficially sponsoring separate, segregated proms for white and black students. It is one of 178 school districts in the United States with an open, active desegregation order.

Media

 * WYUM, 101.7 FM Radio

Transportation

 * Highways

Notable people

 * John Britton, third baseman in the Negro leagues and the Japanese Pacific League
 * Theodore Johnson, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
 * Roquan Smith, linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens

title: Mount Vernon, Georgia


text:
Tarrytown, Georgia

Tarrytown is a town in Montgomery County, Georgia, United States. The population was 66 at the 2020 census, down from 87 in 2010.

History
A post office was established at Tarrytown in 1902. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Tarrytown as a town in 1912.

Geography
Tarrytown is located in northern Montgomery County at 32°19'9" North, 82°33'34" West (32.319181, -82.559323). The Treutlen County line passes just north of the town limits.

Georgia State Routes 15 and 29 pass through the center of town together, leading northwest 4.5 mi to Soperton and southeast 9 mi to Higgston. Mount Vernon, the Montgomery county seat, is 10 mi to the south via local roads.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Tarrytown has a total area of 0.9 sqmi, of which 0.008 sqmi, or 0.92%, are water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 100 people, 40 households, and 26 families residing in the town. By 2020, its population declined to 66.

title: Tarrytown, Georgia


text:
Uvalda, Georgia

Uvalda is a city in Montgomery County, Georgia, United States. The population was 439 at the 2020 census, down from 598 in 2010.

History
The community derives its name from Juan de Ugalde, a Texas pioneer. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Uvalda as a town in 1910.

Geography
Uvalda is located in southern Montgomery County at 32.03778°N, -82.50889°W (32.037903, -82.508789). U.S. Route 221 passes through the center of town, leading north-northwest 11 mi to Mount Vernon, the county seat, and south-southwest 13 mi to Hazlehurst. Georgia State Route 56 follows US 221 out of Uvalda to the northwest but also leads east 25 mi to Reidsville. State Route 135 leads south to Hazlehurst with US 221 and north-northeast 13 mi to Higgston.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Uvalda has a total area of 1.9 sqmi, of which 0.01 sqmi, or 0.68%, are water. Milligan Creek flows through the city just east of its center, leading southeast to the Altamaha River.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 530 people, 201 households, and 147 families residing in the city. By 2020, its population declined to 439.

Notable people

 * Wally Moses, Major League Baseball outfielder

title: Uvalda, Georgia


text:
Vidalia, Georgia

Vidalia ( vye-DAYL-yə,  ) is a city located primarily in Toombs County, Georgia, United States. The city also extends very slightly into Montgomery County. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 10,785.

Vidalia is the principal city of the Vidalia Micropolitan Statistical Area, a micropolitan area that covers Montgomery and Toombs counties, and had a combined population of 35,640 at the 2020 census.

Description and history
The town was incorporated on January 1, 1890. It is the largest city in Toombs County, but it is not the county seat. The original name for the town was "Jenkins Station", after a local landowner, Warren T. Jenkins. Although several origins for the town's modern name have been suggested, it was most likely given by a daughter of Samuel Hawkins, the president of the Savannah, Americus and Montgomery Railroad (later the S.A.M shortline), though which of his four daughters suggested the name, or how she came to it, is not known.

Like many towns in the region, Vidalia grew up around a rail yard that served farmers in the area who grew such crops as pecans and tobacco. The area's famous onions were not an important crop until much later.

From 1952 to 1956, Vidalia was home to the Vidalia Indians, a Class D minor league baseball affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. Vidalia played in the Georgia State League and won the 1953 League Championship.

In the 1950s, Piggly Wiggly grocery stores opened a distribution center in Vidalia, bringing with it a large influx of jobs as well as railroad business. At that time, Vidalia served as an interchange junction between the Seaboard Air Line Railroad and the Georgia and Florida. For this, a large seven-track yard was constructed, as well as a sizable engine servicing facility and interchange yard. The latter, smaller interchange yard is still in use to some degree by the Georgia Central Railway, while the larger yard was removed sometime in the 1970s. Dot Foods currently occupies most of the old Piggly Wiggly distribution center, with smaller companies leasing space.

Geography
Vidalia is located in northwestern Toombs County at 32.21528°N, -82.41°W (32.215305, -82.410086). The westernmost part of the city is in northeastern Montgomery County.

The city is located along U.S. Route 280, which runs east–west through the center of town. U.S. 280 leads east 6 mi to Lyons, the Toombs county seat, and southwest 12 mi to Mount Vernon, the Montgomery county seat. Other highways that run through the city include Georgia State Routes 15, 130, 292, and 297.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Vidalia has a total area of 18.3 sqmi, of which 17.9 sqmi are land and 0.4 sqmi, or 2.03%, are water. The city is drained to the south by Rocky Creek and to the north by Swift Creek; both are part of the Ohoopee River watershed.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 10,785 people, 4,042 households, and 2,499 families residing in the city.

Economy
Vidalia has a mixed economy, but its largest industry is agriculture. Since 1931, Granex onions grown in and near Vidalia have been licensed and sold internationally as Vidalia onions. In 1986, the Vidalia Onion Trademark Act granted a state trademark and protection on the onions of the Vidalia and Toombs County area. The 1989 Federal Marketing Order #955 of the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service gave the growers and handlers the legal rights to establish the Vidalia Onion Committee, and it granted U.S. federal protection of the onion's name and production.

Onions
Vidalia is best known for its "sweet" onions. The Vidalia onion was first produced about 1931 when a farmer named Mose Coleman discovered that the onions he produced were sweeter than other onions. Other farmers started growing the same crop, and in the 1940s the Vidalia onion became an item sold to tourists.

Vidalia onion growers have protected their brand, and today all onions labelled Vidalia must be grown in one of thirteen different counties in Georgia or in specific portions of seven other counties. Because of their taste and reputation, they are able to command an increased price in the marketplace.

In 1990, the Vidalia onion was named as the official vegetable of the state of Georgia.

Annual cultural events
Each spring Vidalia holds a world-famous Vidalia Onion Festival. The event lasts for five days and draws in many tourists with its wide variety of activities.

Museums and other points of interest
The Altama Gallery is a museum of history and art located inside the restored Brazell House.

The Vidalia Onion Museum provides guests with an interactive, historical experience. The 1300 sqft space is filled with an array of education exhibits that highlight the sweet onion's economic, cultural and culinary significance. Located at 100 Vidalia Sweet Onion Drive.

Public schools
Vidalia Public Schools are part of the Vidalia City School District. The school district holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 144 full-time teachers and over 2,408 students.
 * J.D. Dickerson Primary School
 * Sally Dailey Meadows Elementary School
 * J.R. Trippe Middle School
 * Vidalia Comprehensive High School
 * Edward D Phillips Special Education Center.

Private

 * The Paul Anderson Youth Home offers faith-based accredited preparatory education and substance abuse treatment to at-risk youth.
 * Vidalia Heritage Academy provides development of character and academic excellence from a Christian perspective in a Christian environment for Preschool, Elementary School, and Middle/High School youth.

Notable people

 * Paul Anderson, Olympic weightlifter and strongman; founder of Paul Anderson Youth Home in Vidalia
 * Mel Blount, former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back, five-time Pro Bowler and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee; born in Vidalia
 * Paul Claxton, professional golfer; born in Vidalia
 * Don Harris, NBC News correspondent killed during Jonestown Massacre; born in Vidalia
 * Carl Simpson, football player; born in Vidalia
 * Fred Stokes, defensive end who played ten seasons in National Football League; born in Vidalia

title: Vidalia, Georgia


text:
Bostwick, Georgia

Bostwick is a city in Morgan County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 378.

History
Bostwick was incorporated by the Georgia General Assembly in 1902. The community was named in honor of John Bostwick, a founding resident.

Geography
Bostwick is located in northern Morgan County at 33.73722°N, -83.515°W (33.737220, -83.514957). Georgia State Route 83 passes through the town, leading south 10 mi to Madison, the county seat, and northwest 13 mi to Monroe.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.9 sqmi, of which 0.02 sqmi, or 0.51%, is water. Bostwick is drained to the north by Bucks Creek, a tributary of Jacks Creek, and to the south by Beaverdam Creek, a tributary of Big Sandy Creek. The entire town is part of the Apalachee River watershed, flowing to the Oconee River.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 322 people, 125 households, and 88 families residing in the town. The population density was 104.6 PD/sqmi. There were 135 housing units at an average density of 43.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 81.37% White and 18.63% African American. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.31% of the population.

There were 125 households, out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.0% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.2% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $39,464, and the median income for a family was $56,667. Males had a median income of $30,000 versus $28,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,005. About 5.7% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 16.3% of those age 65 or over.

title: Bostwick, Georgia


text:
Buckhead, Morgan County, Georgia

Buckhead is a town in Morgan County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town had a population of 194.

History
The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Buckhead as a town in 1908. According to tradition, Buckhead was named from a pioneer incident when hunters shot a deer and publicly mounted the buck's head onto a tree.

Geography
Buckhead is located in southeastern Morgan County at 33.56806°N, -83.3625°W (33.568012, -83.362443). It is 7 mi east-southeast of Madison, the county seat. Interstate 20 passes 1 mi south of the town, with access from Exit 121 (Seven Islands Road). Via I-20, Buckhead is 65 mi east of Atlanta and 85 mi west of Augusta.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Buckhead has a total area of 0.8 sqmi, of which 0.008 sqmi, or 0.99%, are water. The town is drained to the north by tributaries of the Apalachee River and to the south by tributaries of Sugar Creek, both of which flow southeast to the Oconee River.

Demographics
At the 2000 census there were 205 people, 68 households, and 55 families in the town. The population density was 257.5 PD/sqmi. There were 81 housing units at an average density of 101.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 65.37% White, 29.27% African American, 5.37% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.93%.

Of the 68 households 41.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.6% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.1% were non-families. 14.7% of households were one person and 5.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.01 and the average family size was 3.36.

The age distribution was 32.7% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 109.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.

The median household income was $35,208 and the median family income was $36,458. Males had a median income of $30,179 versus $19,432 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,253. About 18.4% of families and 22.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.1% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those sixty five or over.

title: Buckhead, Morgan County, Georgia


text:
Madison, Georgia

Madison is a city in Morgan County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke-Sandy Springs Combined Statistical Area. The population was 4,447 at the 2020 census, up from 3,979 in 2010. The city is the county seat of Morgan County and the site of the Morgan County Courthouse.

The Madison Historic District is one of the largest in the state. Many of the nearly 100 antebellum homes have been carefully restored. Bonar Hall is one of the first of the grand-style Federal homes built in Madison during the town's cotton-boom heyday from 1840 to 1860.

Budget Travel magazine voted Madison as one of the world's 16 most picturesque villages.

Madison is featured on Georgia's Antebellum Trail, and is designated as one of the state's Historic Heartland cities.

Early 19th century
On December 12, 1809, the town, named for 4th United States president, James Madison, was incorporated. Madison was described in an early 19th-century issue of White's Statistics of Georgia as "the most cultured and aristocratic town on the stagecoach route from Charleston to New Orleans." An 1849 edition of White's Statistics stated, "In point of intelligence, refinement, and hospitality, this town acknowledges no superior."

While many believe that William Tecumseh Sherman spared the town because it was too beautiful to burn during his March to the Sea, the truth is that Madison was home to pro-Union Congressman (later Senator) Joshua Hill. Hill had ties with General Sherman's brother in the House of Representatives, so his sparing the town was more political than appreciation of its beauty.

Jim Crow era
In 1895 Madison was reported to have an oil mill with a capital of $35,000, a soap factory, a fertilizer factory, four steam ginneries, a mammoth compress, two carriage factories, a furniture factory, a grist and flouringmill, a bottling works, a distillery with a capacity of 120 gallons a day, an ice factory with a capital of $10,500, a canning factory with a capital of $10,000, a bank with a capital of $75,000, surplus $12,000, and a number of small industries operated by individual enterprise. One of the carriage factories was owned and operated by prominent African-American businessman and entrepreneur H. R. Goldwire.

Against the backdrop of this Jim Crow-era prosperity, white Madisonians participated in at least three documented lynchings of African Americans. In February 1890, after a rushed trial involving knife-wielding jurors, Brown Washington, a 15-year-old, was found guilty of the murder of a 9-year-old local white girl. After the verdict, though the sheriff with the governor's approval called up the Madison Home Guard to protect Washington, "only three militiamen and none of the officers" responded to the order. Washington was thus easily taken from jail by a posse of ten men organized by a "leading local businessman". Described as "among the best citizens", they promptly handed him over to a mob of over 300 people waiting outside the courthouse. From there, he was taken to a telegraph pole behind a local residence, allowed a prayer, then strung up and shot, his body mutilated by more than 100 bullets. Afterwards, in the patriarchal exhibition-style common of southern lynchings, a sign was posted on the telegraph pole: "Our women and children will be protected." His body was not taken down until noon the next day.

According to Brundage's account of the lynching of Brown Washington in Lynching in the New South: Georgia and Virginia, 1880-1930:

"The open participation of men 'of all ages and standing in life,' the carefully organized public meeting that planned the mob's course of action, the obvious complicity of the militia, and the ritualized execution of Washington all highlight the degree to which the lynching was sanctioned by the community at large. Shared attitudes toward women, sexuality, and black criminality, combined with local bonds of community and family, focused the fears and rage of whites on Washington and guaranteed mass involvement in his execution."

In the aftermath, though local and state authorities vowed to thoroughly investigate the lynching as well as the Madison Home Guard's dereliction of duty, just a week later a grand jury was advised by a judge of the superior court of Madison that any investigation would be a waste of time. In addition, the state body charged with investigating the home guard's non-response reported that their absence had been satisfactorily explained and no tribunal would be convened to investigate the matter."

Although the local Madisonian newspaper failed to report on the 1890 extra-judicial murder of Mr. Washington, an even earlier first lynching by Madisonians of a man they similarly pulled out of the old stone county jail appears in the contemporary accounts from the Atlanta Constitution.

In 1919, ten years after the erection of a Confederate memorial one block from the newly built Morgan County courthouse, another lynching occurred in the dark of night a few days before Thanksgiving. This time, citizens skipped the show-trials altogether, opting to travel to the home of Mr. Wallace Baynes in what one paper of the day called an "arresting party", though no charges against Mr. Baynes were stipulated in the news account. Baynes shot at the party, striking Mr. Frank F. Ozburn of Madison in the head, killing him instantly. In response, the mob outside his home grew to 40-50 men. Despite the arrival of Madison Sheriff C.S. Baldwin, Mr. Baynes was pulled from his home by a rope and shot near the Little River. Afterwards, the sheriff present at the lynching said he could not identify any of the men who came for Mr. Baynes, despite the fact that they arrived in cars and lit up Mr. Baynes' home with the headlights of their vehicles. In an editorial that argued that mobs in the South were no worse than mobs in the North yet condemned future lynchings, the local Madisonian claimed: "There is not now and perhaps will never be, any friction between the races here."

The Confederate monument erected in 1909 by the Morgan County Daughters of the Confederacy one block from the courthouse where Mr. Baynes was not afforded a trial was inscribed in part: "NO NATION ROSE/SO WHITE AND FAIR, NONE FELL SO PURE OF CRIME." In the 1950s, the monument was moved to Hill Park, a Madison city property donated by Bell Hill Knight, daughter of Joshua Hill, the aforementioned pro-Union senator who before the Civil War resigned his position rather than support secession. Mrs. Knight, whose husband Captain Gazaway Knight was Commander of the Panola Guards, a Confederate brigade that was organized in Madison, was a staunch member of the Morgan County Daughters of the Confederacy.

Present day
Madison has one of the largest historic districts in the state of Georgia, with visitors coming to see the antebellum architecture of the homes. Allie Carroll Hart was instrumental in establishing Madison's historical prestige.

According to the Madison Historic Preservation Commission, "The Madison Historic District is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is Madison's foremost tourist attraction. Preservation of the district and of each property within its boundary provides for the protection of Madison's unique historic character and quality environment. Madison's preservation efforts reflect a nationwide movement to preserve a 'sense of place' amid generic modern development." The Historic Preservation Commission, appointed by Mayor and Council, is charged with protecting the historic character of the district through review of proposed exterior changes.

Geography
Madison is located in central Morgan County at 33.58806°N, -83.4725°W (33.588038, -83.472368). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.9 sqmi, of which 0.07 sqmi, or 0.82%, are water.

Madison is situated at an elevation of 691 ft on a ridge which traverses Morgan County from the northeast to the southwest. In Madison, the south side of the ridge drains to tributaries of Sugar Creek, which flows southeast to the Oconee River, while the north side drains via Mill Branch to Hard Labor Creek, an east-flowing tributary of the Apalachee River, which continues to the Oconee. The southwest part of the city drains to Little Indian Creek, a tributary of the Little River, which flows to the Oconee north of Milledgeville.

Interstate 20, U.S. Route 129, U.S. Route 441, and U.S. Route 278 pass through Madison. I-20 serves the city from exits 113 and 114, leading east 90 mi to Augusta and west 57 mi to Atlanta. U.S. 278 runs through the center of the city, leading east 19 mi to Greensboro and west 24 mi to Covington. U.S. 129/441 run through the city together, leading north 29 mi to Athens and south 22 mi to Eatonton.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,447 people, 1,625 households, and 1,121 families residing in the city.

Culture and parks
Madison is home to a handful of art galleries and museums. The Madison-Morgan Cultural Center (MMCC) provides a regional focus for performing and visual arts, plus permanent exhibits including a historical exhibit of Georgia's Piedmont region. The center occupies an elegantly restored 1895 Romanesque Revival building and is located in the heart of Madison's nationally registered historic district. Athens band R.E.M. recorded an MTV Unplugged session at the center in 1991, where they played "Losing My Religion" with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

The Morgan County African American Museum is located in Madison.

Heritage Hall is maintained by the Morgan County Historical Society and has been restored for its architectural and historical significance. The original portion of Heritage Hall was built in 1811, and it received its Greek Revival façade around 1830. The house was a private residence until 1977.

The Madison Artists' Guild has more than 150 members and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to education and the encouragement of artistic endeavors in its members and the community through planned programs and regular gatherings.

There are five parks in the city limits. Wellington, Gilbert, Lambert, and Hill Park are designated for active play, whereas Town Park is designed for events and public gatherings.

Crime
According to a 2017 crime report produced by the city's planning and development director, property crime rates in Madison are double and triple of nearby Social Circle and Watkinsville, respectively. Violent crime remained steady at a rate of 10 incidents out of a population of 4,034, a rate comparable with Social Circle and Watkinsville. In addition, property crime had decreased in 2016 to a six-year low. The online analytical platform Niche rates Madison's crime a "C" based on violent and property crime rates.

Education
The Morgan County School District is a charter school system that covers pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of a primary school, an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school. In 2023 the district has 230 full-time teachers and over 3,200 students. The High School graduation rate is 92%, which is greater than the Georgia average of 85%. Overall rankings for the Morgan County School District versus other school districts in Georgia include:

 * Highest overall rank (Top 20%)
 * Highest math proficiency (Top 10%)
 * Highest reading/language arts proficiency (Top 20%)

More detailed statistics for individual schools include:

 * Morgan County Elementary School Students have an average math proficiency score of 50% (versus the Georgia public elementary school average of 37%), and reading proficiency score of 46% (versus the 40% statewide average).
 * Morgan County Middle School Students have an average math proficiency score of 44% (versus the Georgia public middle school average of 33%), and reading proficiency score of 49% (versus the 41% statewide average).
 * Morgan County High School 39% students are proficient in math (versus the Georgia public high school average of 24%), and reading proficiency matches the 32% statewide average.

In popular culture

 * Parts of the 2017 film American Made starring Tom Cruise were shot in the Morgan County Courthouse.
 * Parts of the opening credits scene from the 1992 film My Cousin Vinny were filmed in Madison.
 * Significant parts of the 2015 film Goosebumps, starring Jack Black, were filmed in Madison and at the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center.
 * In Harry Turtledove's final Southern Victory novel Volume 11: In at the Death, Madison was the site of an important climax to the long-running series.
 * I'll Fly Away (1991–93), an NBC television series starring Sam Waterston as a southern lawyer at the dawn of the civil rights movement, was shot largely in Madison.
 * The historic mansion Bonar Hall served as President Franklin D. Roosevelt's hospital in HBO's 2005 film Warm Springs.
 * The 2000 film Road Trip was filmed in Madison.
 * The 1978 film The Great Bank Hoax starring Ned Beatty, Richard Basehart and Charlene Dallas was filmed in Madison.
 * Portions of the TV series October Road were filmed in Madison.
 * Portions of the TV series The Originals, were filmed in Madison. The show was a spin-off of The Vampire Diaries.
 * Hissy Fit, a novel by Mary Kay Andrews, is set in Madison.
 * The main character of the webcomic Check, Please!, Eric "Bitty" Bittle, is noted as being from Madison.
 * Athens band R.E.M. recorded an MTV Unplugged session at the Madison Morgan Cultural Center in 1991, where they played "Losing My Religion" with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

Notable people

 * Benny Andrews, nationally recognized as an artist, teacher, author, activist, and advocate of the arts, grew up in rural Morgan County.
 * George Andrews (1911–1996) was a self-taught artist commonly referred to as the "Dot Man". He fathered ten children, including painter Benny Andrews and novelist Raymond Andrews.
 * Raymond Andrews (June 6, 1934 – November 25, 1991), African-American novelist, grew up in rural Morgan County.
 * Tookie Brown (born November 22, 1995), professional basketball player
 * George Gordon Crawford (August 24, 1869 – March 20, 1936), industrialist, was born in Madison.
 * B. J. Elder (born September 4, 1982), former Georgia Tech and professional basketball player
 * Monday Floyd, carpenter and Georgia Assemblyman who was harassed, threatened, and attacked by the Ku Klux Klan until he fled to Atlanta
 * Oliver "Ollie" Hardy (born Norvell Hardy) (January 18, 1892 – August 7, 1957), comic actor famous as one half of Laurel and Hardy, lived in Madison as a child where his mother owned a hotel called the Hardy House. The Madison-Morgan Cultural Center is a preserved Romanesque Revival schoolhouse housing the room where Oliver Hardy attended first grade.
 * Albert T. Harris, World War II naval hero, was born in Madison.
 * Allie Carroll Hart (1913–2003), director of the Georgia Department of Archives and History, 1964 to 1982
 * Bill Hartman (William Coleman "Bill" Hartman, Jr., March 17, 1915 – March 16, 2006), Washington Redskins running back, started playing American football in Madison.
 * Joshua Hill (January 10, 1812 – March 6, 1891), U.S. senator who lived in Madison. During the Civil War, General William Tecumseh Sherman, a friend of Hill, did not burn Madison on his "March to the Sea".
 * Eugenius Aristides Nisbet began his practice of law in Madison Georgia, before later being elected as one of the three initial justices of the Supreme Court of Georgia in 1845.
 * Brooks Pennington Jr., businessman, philanthropist and politician, operated his father's seed store on Main Street.
 * Seaborn Reese (November 28, 1846 – March 1, 1907), politician, jurist and lawyer, was born in Madison. Reese filled the seat for Georgia in the United States House of Representatives during the 47th United States Congress. He was reelected to the 48th and 49th Congresses, serving from December 4, 1882, until March 3, 1887.
 * Mark Schlabach, sports journalist, New York Times best-selling author and columnist and reporter for ESPN.com, lives in Madison.
 * William Tappan Thompson, humorist and writer who co-founded the Savannah Morning News newspaper in the 1850s, lived in Madison in the 1840s and worked on the city's first newspaper, The Southern Miscellany.
 * Jesse Triplett, lead guitarist with Collective Soul, was born in Madison and attended the Morgan County School System.
 * Philip Lee Williams (born January 30, 1950), novelist, poet, and essayist, grew up in Madison.

title: Madison, Georgia


text:
Rutledge, Georgia

Rutledge is a city in Morgan County, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1871, the city had a population of 871 at the 2020 census, up from 781 in 2010.

History
Rutledge had its start in the 1840s when the railroad was extended to that point. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Rutledge as a town in 1871.

Geography
Rutledge is located in western Morgan County at 33.62583°N, -83.61083°W (33.625723, -83.610899). U.S. Route 278 passes through the south side of the city, leading east 9 mi to Madison, the county seat, and west 15 mi to Covington. Interstate 20 passes 2 mi south of Rutledge, with access from Exit 105 (Newborn Road).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.3 sqmi, of which 0.04 sqmi, or 1.05%, are water. The south side of the city is drained by Rice Creek, a tributary of Big Indian Creek, which flows southeast to the Little River. The north side of the city drains to Hard Labor Creek, which flows east to the Apalachee River. The entire city is part of the Oconee River watershed. Rutledge is the nearest town to Hard Labor Creek State Park, 2 mi north of the city center.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 707 people, 260 households, and 197 families residing in the city. The population density was 215.9 PD/sqmi. There were 280 housing units at an average density of 85.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 60.40% White, 38.33% African American, 0.85% Asian, and 0.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.71% of the population.

There were 260 households, out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.4% were married couples living together, 21.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.4% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 79.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,156, and the median income for a family was $38,875. Males had a median income of $37,750 versus $22,813 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,732. About 9.9% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.6% of those under age 18 and 0.9% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Rutledge is a part of the Covington movie industry.

title: Rutledge, Georgia


text:
Chatsworth, Georgia

Chatsworth is a city in and the county seat of Murray County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Dalton, Georgia, Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its population was 4,874 at the 2020 census, up from 4,299 in 2010. The city is the site of the coldest recorded temperature in Georgia, -17 F on January 27, 1940.

According to a popular legend, the town received its name after a road sign with the word "Chatsworth" fell off a passing freight train nearby. Someone put the sign on a post, and the name stuck.

History
Chatsworth was founded in 1905 as a depot on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. It was incorporated as a town in 1906 and as a city in 1923. In 1915, the seat of Murray County transferred to Chatsworth from Spring Place which ws once the county seat.

Geography
Chatsworth is located in central Murray County at 34.77222°N, -84.77889°W (34.772336, -84.778977), in northwestern Georgia. It sits at an elevation of 750 ft on the west side of the valley of Holly Creek, with 2840 ft Fort Mountain and 2780 ft Cohutta Mountain rising over the valley to the east.

U.S. Routes 76 and 411 pass through the center of town on Third Avenue. US 76 leads 13 mi west to Dalton and southeast 25 mi to Ellijay, while US 411 leads south 24 mi to Fairmount and north 31 mi to Benton, Tennessee. Georgia State Routes 2 and 52 run together out of Chatsworth to the east, climbing into the Cohutta Mountains and passing through Fort Mountain State Park 7 mi east of the city center.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Chatsworth has a total area of 5.1 sqmi, of which 0.01 sqmi, or 0.18%, are water. Holly Creek, which runs along the eastern edge of the city, is a south- and west-flowing tributary of the Conasauga River, part of the Oostanaula/Coosa/Alabama River watershed.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,874 people, 1,670 households, and 1,117 families residing in the city.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 4,299 people, 1,587 households, and 1,071 families residing in the city. The population density was 749.5 PD/sqmi. There were 1,546 housing units at an average density of 328.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 99.1% White, 0.5% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0% from other races, and 0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0% of the population.

Murray County School District
The Murray County School District holds preschool to grade twelve, and consists of six elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools, and once had an academy school which became another high school. The district has 451 full-time teachers and over 7,350 students.

Healthcare
AdventHealth Murray purchased Murray Medical Center on December 15th 2020. Advent Health Murray is the only hospital in the Chatsworth/Murray County area.

Notable people

 * C. K. Fauver, former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Louisville Colonels
 * Ladd McConkey, wide receiver for the Los Angeles Chargers
 * Jody Ridley, NASCAR driver
 * James L. Terry, US Army Lieutenant General
 * Robert L. Vining Jr., former senior United States district judge
 * Billy Napier, head football coach for the University of Florida Gators

title: Chatsworth, Georgia


text:
Eton, Georgia

Eton is a town in Murray County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Dalton, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 824 at the 2020 census, down from 910 in 2010.

History
A post office called Eton has been in operation since 1906. The community's name most likely is a transfer from Eton College, in England.

Geography
Eton is located north of the center of Murray County at 34.8225°N, -84.76194°W (34.822554, -84.761826). U.S. Route 411 passes through the center of town, leading south 4 mi to Chatsworth, the county seat, and north 21 mi to Ocoee, Tennessee. Georgia State Route 286 leads west from Eton 7 mi to Dawnville.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Eton has a total area of 1.3 sqmi, all land. Mill Creek runs through the southern part of the town, flowing west toward the Conasauga River. 1030 ft Camp Ground Mountain rises above the town to the south.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 319 people, 123 households, and 93 families residing in the town. The population density was 762.1 PD/sqmi. There were 131 housing units at an average density of 313.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 94.04% White, 0.31% Asian, 4.39% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.29% of the population.

There were 123 households, out of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were married couples living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 18.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 2.87.

The population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 34.2% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.0 males.

The median income for a household was $39,250, and the median income for a family was $46,389. Males had a median income of $31,625 versus $22,813 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,777. About 3.3% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 2.4% of those age 65 or over.

title: Eton, Georgia