text:
Laurens County, Georgia

Laurens County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 49,570, up from 48,434 in 2010. The county seat is Dublin. The county was founded on December 10, 1807, and named after Lieutenant Colonel John Laurens, an American soldier and statesman from South Carolina during the American Revolutionary War.

Laurens County is part of the Dublin micropolitan statistical area.

History
Laurens County was formed on December 10, 1807, from portions of Wilkinson and Washington Counties. During the Red Summer of 1919 there was increased racial tension in the area and in August there was the Laurens County, Georgia race riot of 1919.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 818 sqmi, of which 807 sqmi is land and 11 sqmi (1.4%) is water. It is the third-largest county in Georgia by land area and fourth-largest by total area.

The majority of Laurens County is located in the Lower Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The southwestern corner of the county, defined by a line that runs west from Chester through Rentz to U.S. Route 441, and then southeast toward Glenwood, is located in the Little Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the same Altamaha River basin. A small and narrow sliver of the eastern edge of the county, from east of Lovett to northeast of Rockledge, is located in the Ohoopee River sub-basin of the larger Altamaha River basin. The county has several swamps along with Oconee river including Cow Hell Swamp.

Major highways
U.S. Route 441 Bypass (around Dublin)
 * I-16.svg Interstate 16
 * US 80.svg U.S. Route 80
 * US 319.svg U.S. Route 319
 * US 441.svg U.S. Route 441
 * By-pass plate.svg
 * Georgia 19.svg State Route 19
 * Georgia 26.svg State Route 26
 * Georgia 29.svg State Route 29
 * Georgia 31.svg State Route 31
 * Georgia 46.svg State Route 46
 * Georgia 86.svg State Route 86
 * Georgia 117.svg State Route 117
 * Georgia 126.svg State Route 126
 * Georgia 199.svg State Route 199
 * Georgia 257.svg State Route 257
 * Georgia 278.svg State Route 278
 * Georgia 338.svg State Route 338
 * Georgia 404.svg State Route 404 (unsigned designation for I-16)

Adjacent counties

 * Johnson County – northeast
 * Emanuel County – northeast
 * Treutlen County – east
 * Wheeler County – south
 * Dodge County – southwest
 * Bleckley County – west
 * Wilkinson County – northwest
 * Twiggs County – northwest

Cities

 * Allentown
 * Dublin
 * Dudley
 * East Dublin

Towns

 * Cadwell
 * Dexter
 * Montrose
 * Rentz

Unincorporated communities

 * Alcorns
 * Alligood
 * Baston
 * Brewton
 * Catlin
 * Cedar Grove
 * Chappells Mill
 * Condor
 * Five Points
 * Five Points
 * Garretta
 * Harlow
 * Haskins Crossing
 * Holly Hills
 * Kewanee
 * Laurens Hill
 * Lollie
 * Lovett
 * Lowery
 * Midway
 * Minter
 * Moores
 * Nameless
 * Old Condor
 * Rockledge
 * Shewmake
 * Spring Hill
 * Tuckers Crossroad
 * Tweed
 * Vincent
 * Whipples Crossing

Ghost Towns

 * Bender

2020 Census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 49,570 people, 17,142 households, and 11,549 families residing in the county.

Education
Laurens County School District operates the county's public schools.

Notable people

 * Eugenia Tucker Fitzgerald, founder of the first woman's secret society established at a girls' college was born here.
 * Karl Slover, one of the oldest living Munchkins from Wizard of Oz (1939 film).
 * Demaryius Thomas, wide receiver for the Denver Broncos
 * Anthony Johnson, mixed martial artist for the Ultimate Fighting Championship(UFC)

title: Laurens County, Georgia


text:
Lanier County, Georgia

Lanier County is a county in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,877. The county seat and only incorporated municipality is Lakeland. The county is named after the Georgia poet Sidney Lanier.

Lanier County is part of the Valdosta, GA metropolitan statistical area. Lanier shares Moody Air Force Base with Lowndes County on its western boundary.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 200 sqmi, of which 185 sqmi is land and 15 sqmi (7.3%) is water.

The vast majority of Lanier County is in the Alapaha River sub-basin of the Suwannee River basin. Just a narrow section of the western border of the county, northeast and southeast of Ray City, is in the Withlacoochee River sub-basin of the same Suwannee River basin, and a very narrow section of the eastern border of Lanier County is in the Upper Suwannee River sub-basin of the same Suwannee River basin.

Major highways

 * US 84.svg U.S. Route 84
 * US 129.svg U.S. Route 129
 * US 221.svg U.S. Route 221
 * Georgia 11.svg State Route 11
 * Georgia 11 Bypass.svg State Route 11 Bypass
 * Georgia 31.svg State Route 31
 * Georgia 31 Connector.svg State Route 31 Connector
 * Georgia 37.svg State Route 37
 * Georgia 38.svg State Route 38
 * Georgia 64.svg State Route 64
 * Georgia 122.svg State Route 122
 * Georgia 122 Connector.svg State Route 122 Connector
 * Georgia 125.svg State Route 125
 * Georgia 135.svg State Route 135
 * Georgia 135 Bypass.svg State Route 135 Bypass
 * Georgia 168.svg State Route 168

Major waterways

 * Alapaha River
 * Banks Lake

Previous

 * CSX Transportation

Defunct

 * Atlantic and Gulf Railroad
 * Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
 * Lakeland Railroad (Defunct, it was used from 1929 to 1957. It ran along the same path as the Milltown Air Line Railroad)
 * Milltown Air Line Railroad (Defunct, it was used from 1904 to 1928. It ran from Lakeland to Naylor, Georgia)
 * Plant System
 * Waycross and Western Railroad (Defunct, it was used from 1912 to 1925 from Waycross, Georgia to Lakeland, Georgia. It roughly followed current Georgia State Route 122)

Adjacent counties

 * Berrien County - northwest
 * Atkinson County - north
 * Clinch County - east
 * Echols County - south
 * Lowndes County - southwest

National protected area
The Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1985, hosts approximately 20,000 visitors annually. It provides hiking, fishing, and boating opportunities on more than 4000 acre of water, Banks Lake marsh, and swamp. The Robert Simpson III Nature Trail, dedicated in August 2001, is in the Lakeland, Georgia city limits on 75 acre of pine and hardwood forests. The county is known for its excellent fishing in the Alapaha River, Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge as well as in its many small lakes.

Cities

 * Lakeland
 * Ray City

Census-designated place

 * Stockton

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 9,877 people, 3,714 households, and 2,536 families residing in the county.

Economy
The county's economy has remained rural in nature, but the educational, health and social service sector was the largest employment category in 2006. Factors contributing to this economy include the presence of Moody Air Force Base (shared by adjoining Lowndes County), the several lakes and nature reserve, the hospital, and a large state correctional facility.

The top ten employers in Lanier County are:
 * Moody Air Force Base
 * Farmers & Merchants Bank
 * Louis Smith Hospital
 * Patten Probation Detention Center
 * Georgia Department of Corrections
 * Patten Seed Company
 * City of Lakeland, Georgia
 * Wausau Homes, Inc
 * J.H. Harvey Co, LLC (parent company of Harveys Supermarkets)

Media

 * Lanier County News - Legal organ and hometown newspaper since 1913. The paper was originally named The Milltown Advocate, but changed its name after Lanier County was formed in 1920.
 * Lanier County Advocate (newspaper) - Legal organ newspaper as of January 1, 2015.

Historic sites
Historic sites include Governor Eurith D. Rivers' home, which was moved from its original spot on Banks Lake to West Main Street in Lakeland in the early 1980s; Union Baptist Church, located near Georgia Highway 135; and Fender Cemetery, located east of Lakeland at the junction of U.S. 221 and Georgia Highway 37 on land that once belonged to David Fender. The site of the cemetery, in which many of the area's first settlers are buried, was chosen so that mourners would not have to ferry their dead across the river for burial. Also, the "Murals of Milltown," which depict community life in the 1920s, grace the exteriors of buildings in downtown Lakeland.

Education
The Lanier County School District operates four schools: Lanier County Primary School, Lanier County Elementary School, Lanier County Middle School, and Lanier County High School.

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

title: Lanier County, Georgia


text:
Lamar County, Georgia

Lamar County is a county located in the west central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,500. The county seat is Barnesville.

History
The Georgia General Assembly proposed the constitutional amendment to create the county on August 17, 1920, and the citizens of the state voted in favor of the amendment on November 2, 1920. Land from Pike County and Monroe County was then transferred to create Lamar County. Lamar County was named after Confederate Democrat Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar II.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 186 sqmi, of which 184 sqmi is land and 2.3 sqmi (1.3%) is water. It is located in the Piedmont region of the state.

The western third of Lamar County, west of a line from Orchard Hill through Milner and Barnesville, is located in the Upper Flint River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). The eastern majority of the county is located in the Upper Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin.

Major highways

 * I-75.svg Interstate 75
 * US 41.svg U.S. Route 41
 * US 341.svg U.S. Route 341
 * Georgia 7.svg State Route 7
 * Georgia 18.svg State Route 18
 * Georgia 36.svg State Route 36
 * Georgia 109.svg State Route 109
 * Georgia 401.svg State Route 401 (unsigned designation for I-75)

Adjacent counties

 * Butts County (northeast)
 * Monroe County (east)
 * Upson County (southwest)
 * Pike County (west)
 * Spalding County (northwest)

Cities

 * Barnesville (county seat)
 * Milner

Town

 * Aldora
 * Goggins

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 18,500 people, 6,494 households, and 3,746 families residing in the county.

title: Lamar County, Georgia


text:
Jones County, Georgia

Jones County is a county in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,347. The county seat is Gray. The county was created on December 10, 1807, and named after U.S. Representative James Jones.

History
Jones County, along with Morgan County, Putnam County, and Old Randolph, were established by an act of the Georgia General Assembly on December 10, 1807, from land that had originally been part Baldwin County in 1803 and, earlier, part of the Creek Nation. Jones County was originally bounded by a line running north 56° east to Commissioners Creek, then north 15° west to Cedar Creek, then up the creek to corner Randolph County and Putnam County, then along a line to Ocmulgee River, then down the river to where the old county line between Wilkinson County and Baldwin County was. It excluded parts of what is now Bibb County east of the Ocmulgee River, including the location of Fort Benjamin Hawkins, as they were part of a reserve guaranteed to the Creek Nation. Those areas were later added to Jones County after the Treaty of Indian Springs.

During the initial months of the county's existence, a town known as Albany served as the county seat. The town was renamed Clinton and was established as the county seat by the Georgia General Assembly on December 22, 1808. Clinton was incorporated as in 1816. During the 1800s Clinton grew as a center of commerce and the cotton trade. Clinton remained one of the most populous cities in Georgia in the mid-1800s.

In December 1810 Jones County gained a portion of Putnam County between Cedar Creek and their original border. In December 1822 Bibb County was established and Jones County lost some of its land to that county.

During the early 19th century, Jones County had a rapid population increase. The peak came around 1835, when the county ranked third or fourth among all of the state's counties in agricultural wealth. After 1835, soil erosion and lack of funds to develop property drove many farmers to newly opened land elsewhere in Georgia.

Before the American Civil War, a few factories sprang up in the county, including a cotton gin factory at Griswoldville in the southern portion of the county and a woolen factory at Wallace. Griswoldville was founded by Samuel Griswold in the 1850s. During the Civil War, the cotton gin factory was reformatted so it could produce pistols and other weapons for the Confederate Army. Griswoldville was located on the railway linking Macon to Savannah, and became a prime target in 1864 as the Union Army moved through Georgia. On November 20, 1864, the town and the factories in it were burned as part of Sherman's March to the Sea. Days later the Battle of Griswoldville took place in the area. The town of Griswoldville was not rebuilt.

Many other areas in Jones County were damaged by the Union Army during that time period. The Jarrell Plantation State Historic Site in Jones County showcases one of the few and well-preserved antebellum plantations in Georgia.

In the 1890s a railroad line owned by the Central of Georgia Railway named the Macon & Northern Railroad was built through the county and bypassed Clinton by a mile after citizens wanted the line to not pass through the town. By the early 1900s the population had shifted northeastward and the city of Gray was established. On June 27, 1905, the citizens of Jones County voted on the issues of moving the county seat from Clinton to Gray. The results were 1,289 votes in favor of moving the county seat to Gray and 51 votes for keeping the county seat at Clinton. On August 9, 1905, Gray became the new county seat of Jones County.

Father and son Alonzo and James D. Green were innocent African-Americans lynched near Round Oak and Wayside, Jones County in retaliation for the murder of popular white farmer Silas Hardin Turner on July 4, 1915. A third man, William Bostick, was also lynched on this day. None of those killed received a trial.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 395 sqmi, of which 394 sqmi is land and 1.5 sqmi (0.4%) is water.

The western half of Jones County, west of Gray, is located in the Upper Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The northeastern quarter of the county, north of Gray, is located in the Upper Oconee River sub-basin of the same Altamaha River basin, while the southeastern corner of Jones County is located in the Lower Oconee River sub-basin of the larger Altamaha River basin.

Major highways

 * US 129.svg U.S. Route 129
 * Georgia 11.svg State Route 11
 * Georgia 18.svg State Route 18
 * Georgia 22.svg State Route 22
 * Georgia 44.svg State Route 44
 * Georgia 49.svg State Route 49
 * Georgia 57.svg State Route 57
 * Georgia 540.svg State Route 540 (Fall Line Freeway)

Rivers

 * Ocmulgee River

Adjacent counties

 * Jasper County - north
 * Putnam County - northeast
 * Baldwin County - east
 * Twiggs County - southeast
 * Wilkinson County - southeast
 * Bibb County - south
 * Monroe County - west

National protected areas

 * Oconee National Forest (part)
 * Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge (part)

City

 * Gray (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

 * Bradley
 * Clinton
 * Fortville
 * Haddock
 * Round Oak
 * Wayside

Extinct town

 * Blountsville

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 28,347 people, 10,701 households, and 7,670 families residing in the county.

Notable people

 * Terrance Gore, professional baseball player with the Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees,Atlanta Braves and New York Mets; part of the World Series team with Kansas City in 2015 and Atlanta Braves in 2021.
 * William Lee, early Alabama politician; immigrated to Jones County from England
 * Sadie Gray Mays (1900–1969), social worker and wife of college president Benjamin Mays; born in Gray
 * Otis Redding, singer, lived on a ranch he owned in Jones County during the height of his music career. A marker in downtown Gray pays tribute to Redding.
 * John T. Edge, writer, commentator, director of the Southern Foodways Alliance, and most visibly, host of the SEC Network’stravel and food show, *True South*. Edge is author of several books on Southern food and contributes regularly to the Oxford American, the New York Times, and Garden & Gun.

title: Jones County, Georgia


text:
Johnson County, Georgia

Johnson County is a county located along the oconee River in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,189. The county seat is Wrightsville. Johnson County is part of the Dublin, Georgia, micropolitan statistical area.

History
Johnson county was created by the Georgia legislature December 11, 1858, from parts of Emanuel, Laurens, and Washington counties. Johnson County was named for Georgia governor, senator, and U.S. vice-presidential candidate Herschel Vespasian Johnson.

In 1919, a deputy driving Jim Waters, a black prisoner accused of rape, out of the county was stopped by a group of 150 men at a bridge over the Ohoopee River. The men tied Waters to a tree and shot him numerous times. The case was closed without any investigation.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 307 sqmi, of which 303 sqmi is land and 3.6 sqmi (1.2%) is water.

The vast majority of Johnson County is located in the Ohoopee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. Tiny portions of the northeastern borders of the county are located in the Upper Ogeechee River sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin, while the western corner of Johnson County is located in the Lower Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin.

Major highways

 * US 80.svg U.S. Route 80
 * US 221.svg U.S. Route 221
 * US 319.svg U.S. Route 319
 * Georgia 15.svg State Route 15
 * Georgia 26.svg State Route 26
 * Georgia 31.svg State Route 31
 * Georgia 57.svg State Route 57
 * Georgia 78.svg State Route 78
 * Georgia 86.svg State Route 86
 * Georgia 171.svg State Route 171

Adjacent counties

 * Washington County - north
 * Jefferson County - northeast
 * Emanuel County - east
 * Treutlen County - south
 * Laurens County - southwest
 * Wilkinson County - west

Cities

 * Adrian (Partly in Emanuel County)
 * Kite
 * Wrightsville (county seat)

Unincorporated community

 * Meeks
 * Donovan
 * New Home (Johnson County)
 * Tom
 * Scott

2020 Census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 9,189 people, 3,393 households, and 2,208 families residing in the county.

Government
The county is governed by a five-member board of commissioners. A county manager handles the daily operation of the county.

The county is part of the Dublin Judicial Circuit along with Twiggs County, Treutlen County, and Laurens County.

Education
In 1970, Johnson County schools integrated peacefully due to careful planning by the county's board of education and firm management by superintendent Buren Claxton.

The county's public schools are located in Wrightsville. The school mascot is the Trojan, and the school colors are blue and white. The school fight song is the theme from the movie Hang 'Em High.

Sports
Herschel Walker, a Johnson County native, played on the county's only state championship football team in 1979. Walker went on to play for the University of Georgia and won the Heisman Trophy. In 2004 Johnson County High School named its football field for Walker.

title: Johnson County, Georgia


text:
Jenkins County, Georgia

Jenkins County is a county located in the southeastern area of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,674. The county seat is Millen. Historic and bountiful Magnolia Springs State Park is located between Millen and Perkins.

History
Jenkins County was created on August 17, 1905, from portions of Bulloch, Burke, Emanuel and Screven counties, and named after the 44th Governor of Georgia, Charles Jones Jenkins. The effort was spearheaded by Robert Gray Daniel (d. May 14, 1934), a director of the local Millen Bank, a 40-year member of the board of education and scion of the county's Daniel family who had large mercantile and farming enterprises. The effect was to place the county seat of Millen in a position where the town could become a safe place for economic growth. But the first decade after formation was difficult due to lack of realistic economic planning and implementation. Local people were leaving for jobs in larger cities, and there were few new business start-ups.

During the Red Summer of 1919, there was a race riot on April 13, 1919 in Jenkins County, in which white mobs attacked the black community. Prosperous and respected local farmer Joe Ruffin, whose family had historically been slaves working the plantations of the Daniel family, was almost impoverished by the costs of his legal defense and vindication.

Businesses in the county attract their workforce from throughout the area. Because the county population is relatively small, people notice that when jobs increase, the population increases. When an employer closes its business, the local population decreases as people seek opportunities elsewhere. For a number of years, the largest employer was Jockey International which employed manual and skilled laborers until reducing then closing operations in September 2007. MI Windows and Doors had a long presence in the county at its manufacturing plant, closing in December 2007.

Jenkins County owns the Millen Airport, which was established to increase local and regional transportation flexibility. Annual assessments show the airport has provided consistent benefit to the people and businesses in the county.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 352 sqmi, of which 347 sqmi is land and 5.2 sqmi (1.5%) is water.

Most of the southern portion of Jenkins County, from southwest of Millen to west of Hiltonia, is located in the Lower Ogeechee River sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin, with the exception of very small parts of the southwestern corner of the county, north and east of Garfield, which are located in the Canoochee River sub-basin of the same Ogeechee River basin. The northwestern portion of Jenkins County is located in the Upper Ogeechee River sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin, with just the northeastern corner of the county located in the Brier Creek sub-basin of the Savannah River basin.

Major highways

 * US 25.svg U.S. Route 25
 * Georgia 17.svg State Route 17
 * Georgia 17 Bypass.svg State Route 17 Bypass
 * Georgia 21.svg State Route 21
 * Georgia 23.svg State Route 23
 * Georgia 67.svg State Route 67
 * Georgia 121.svg State Route 121
 * Georgia 555.svg State Route 555 (Savannah River Parkway)
 * Georgia 565.svg State Route 565 (Savannah River Parkway)

Adjacent counties

 * Burke County (north)
 * Screven County (east)
 * Bulloch County (south)
 * Emanuel County (west)

City

 * Millen

Census-designated place

 * Perkins

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 8,674 people, 3,443 households, and 2,095 families residing in the county.

title: Jenkins County, Georgia


text:
Jefferson County, Georgia

Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,709. The county seat and largest city is Louisville. The county was created on February 20, 1796, and named for Thomas Jefferson, the main author of the Declaration of Independence who became the third president of the United States.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 530 sqmi, of which 526 sqmi is land and 3.2 sqmi (0.6%) is water.

The small northern portion of Jefferson County, defined by a line running from Stapleton southeast and just south of State Route 80, is located in the Brier Creek sub-basin of the Savannah River basin. The entire rest of the county is located in the Upper Ogeechee River sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin.

Major highways
U.S. Route 1 Business (Louisville) U.S. Route 1 Business (Wadley)
 * US 1.svg U.S. Route 1
 * Business plate.svg
 * Business plate.svg
 * US 221.svg U.S. Route 221
 * US 319.svg U.S. Route 319
 * Georgia 4.svg State Route 4
 * Georgia 4 Business.svg State Route 4 Business (Louisville)
 * Georgia 4 Business.svg State Route 4 Business (Wadley)
 * Georgia 17.svg State Route 17
 * Georgia 24.svg State Route 24
 * Georgia 47.svg State Route 47
 * Georgia 78.svg State Route 78
 * Georgia 80.svg State Route 80
 * Georgia 88.svg State Route 88
 * Georgia 102.svg State Route 102
 * Georgia 171.svg State Route 171
 * Georgia 242.svg State Route 242
 * Georgia 296.svg State Route 296
 * Georgia 540.svg State Route 540 (Fall Line Freeway)

Adjacent counties

 * McDuffie County - north
 * Richmond County - northeast
 * Burke County - east
 * Emanuel County - south
 * Johnson County - southwest
 * Glascock County - northwest
 * Washington County - west
 * Warren County - northwest

Cities

 * Avera
 * Louisville (county seat)
 * Stapleton
 * Wadley
 * Wrens

Towns

 * Bartow

Census-designated place

 * Matthews

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 15,709 people, 5,664 households, and 3,598 families residing in the county.

Politics
Jefferson County trends Democratic in presidential elections; having last supported a Republican in 1988 when it voted for George HW Bush. George W. Bush came within 381 votes of carrying the county in 2004. In the 2022 midterms, Governor Brian Kemp is presumably the first Republican to win statewide in Jefferson County since Sonny Perdue's re-election in 2006. It is now a Democratic-leaning swing county

title: Jefferson County, Georgia


text:
Jeff Davis County, Georgia

Jeff Davis County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,779. The county seat is Hazlehurst. The county was created on August 18, 1905, and named for Jefferson Davis, the only Confederate president.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 335 sqmi, of which 331 sqmi is land and 4.7 sqmi (1.4%) is water.

Most of the northern border area, as well as part of the western border of Jeff Davis County, from northeast of Hazlehurst to west of Denton, is located in the Lower Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. Most of the eastern corner of the county, east of Hazlehurst and north of Graham, is located in the Altamaha River sub-basin of the larger basin by the same name. The central and southeastern portion of Jeff Davis County, south of Hazlehurst, is located in the Little Satilla River sub-basin of the St. Marys-Satilla River basin. The remaining central and southern portion of the county is located in the Satilla River sub-basin of the St. Marys-Satilla River basin.

Major highways

 * US 23.svg U.S. Route 23
 * US 221.svg U.S. Route 221
 * US 341.svg U.S. Route 341
 * Georgia 19.svg State Route 19
 * Georgia 19 Connector.svg State Route 19 Connector
 * Georgia 27.svg State Route 27
 * Georgia 107.svg State Route 107
 * Georgia 135.svg State Route 135
 * Georgia 135 Connector.svg State Route 135 Connector
 * Georgia 268.svg State Route 268

Adjacent counties

 * Wheeler County (north)
 * Montgomery County (northeast)
 * Toombs County (northeast)
 * Appling County (southeast)
 * Bacon County (southeast)
 * Coffee County (southwest)
 * Telfair County (northwest)

Cities

 * Denton
 * Hazlehurst

Census-designated place

 * Satilla

Economy
Jeff Davis County had an estimated $164,341,000 in retail sales in 2017. Agriculture is a major factor of the economy. Cotton and peanuts, along with the formerly more significant tobacco, are the primary commercial crops. Timber, too, is an important product.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 14,779 people, 5,279 households, and 3,790 families residing in the county.

title: Jeff Davis County, Georgia


text:
Jasper County, Georgia

Jasper County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,588, up from 13,900 in 2010. The county seat is Monticello. Jasper County is part of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell MSA.

History
This area was inhabited by indigenous peoples for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans. At the time of European-American settlement, it was inhabited by the Cherokee and Muscogee Creek peoples, who became known as among the Five Civilized Tribes of the Southeast.

The county was created on December 10, 1807, by an act of the Georgia General Assembly with land that was originally part of Baldwin County, Georgia. It became part of the new area of upland settlement through the South eventually known as the Black Belt, and a center of large plantations for short-staple cotton. Invention of the cotton gin in the late 18th century had made processing of this type of cotton profitable, and it was cultivated throughout the inland areas. As migration continued to the west, the county population rapidly rose and fell through the nineteenth century. Georgia settlers pushed Congress for the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which eventually forced most of the Native Americans west of the Mississippi River.

Jasper County was originally named Randolph County (after the Virginian John Randolph). Because of Randolph's opposition to U.S. entry into the War of 1812, the General Assembly changed the name of Randolph County to Jasper County on December 10, 1812, to honor Sergeant William Jasper, an American Revolutionary War hero from South Carolina. However, Randolph's reputation eventually was restored, and in 1828, the General Assembly created a new Randolph County.

Newton County was created from a part of the original Jasper County in 1821.

In March 1921, the bodies of at least nine Black men were found mutilated in shallow graves or local rivers. Reports indicated the men were held in peonage by a local farmer, John Williams.

The Jasper County, Georgia courthouse was shown and used for filming the courthouse scenes in the motion picture comedy "My Cousin Vinny", starring Joe Pesci. Although the setting of the movie is in Beechum County, Alabama (a fictitious place), near the end of the movie, Sheriff Farley (played by veteran actor Bruce McGill), actually mentions Jasper County, Georgia by name.

Government
The county has a five-member county commission, elected from single-member districts. The commission elects a chairman and vice-chairman to aid in conducting business. The county is protected by a combined Fire Rescue Department providing EMS and Fire Services. The department operates out of seven fire stations with the majority of their manpower being volunteers. The department employs 50 personnel, which include full-time, part-time, and volunteer employees, and is headed by a Fire Chief Christopher Finch.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 373 sqmi, of which 368 sqmi is land and 5.3 sqmi (1.4%) is water.

The western portion of Jasper County, west of a line formed by State Route 11 to northwest of Monticello, then along the eastern border of the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge, is located in the Upper Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The eastern portion of the county is located in the Upper Oconee River sub-basin of the same Altamaha River basin.

Major highways

 * Georgia 11.svg State Route 11
 * Georgia 16.svg State Route 16
 * Georgia 83.svg State Route 83
 * Georgia 142.svg State Route 142
 * Georgia 212.svg State Route 212
 * Georgia 380.svg State Route 380

Adjacent counties

 * Morgan County - northeast
 * Putnam County - east
 * Jones County - south
 * Monroe County - southwest
 * Butts County - west
 * Newton County - northwest

National protected areas

 * Oconee National Forest (part)
 * Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge (part)

City

 * Monticello (county seat)

Towns

 * Shady Dale

Unincorporated communities

 * Adgateville
 * Aikenton
 * Hillsboro

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 14,588 people, 5,171 households, and 3,807 families residing in the county.

Notable people

 * Susan Holmes - American politician born in Jasper County. 2001 Jasper County Citizen of the Year.
 * Roy "Buckshot" Jones - NASCAR driver.
 * Odell Thurman - NFL player.
 * Trisha Yearwood - Country music artist. In 2005, she released a studio album titled Jasper County.

title: Jasper County, Georgia


text:
Jackson County, Georgia

Jackson County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 75,907. The county seat is Jefferson.

Jackson County comprises the Jefferson, GA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA Combined Statistical Area.

History
Most of the first non-Native American settlers came from Effingham County in 1786. On February 11, 1796, Jackson County was split off from part of Franklin County, Georgia. The new county was named in honor of Revolutionary War Lieutenant Colonel, Congressman, Senator and Governor James Jackson. The county originally covered an area of approximately 1800 sqmi, with Clarksboro as its first county seat.

In 1801, the Georgia General Assembly granted 40,000 acre of land in Jackson County for a state college. Franklin College (now University of Georgia) began classes the same year, and the city of Athens was developed around the school. Also the same year, a new county was developed around the new college town, and Jackson lost territory to the new Clarke. The county seat was moved to an old Indian village called Thomocoggan, a location with ample water supply from Curry Creek and four large springs. In 1804, the city was renamed Jefferson, after Thomas Jefferson.

Jackson lost more territory in 1811 in the creation of Madison County, in 1818 in the creation of Walton, Gwinnett, and Hall counties, in 1858 in the creation of Banks County, and in 1914 in the creation of Barrow County.

The first county courthouse, a log and wooden frame building with an attached jail, was built on south side of the public square; a second, larger, two-story brick courthouse with a separate jailhouse was built in 1817. In 1880, a third was built on a hill north of the square. This courthouse was the oldest continuously operating courthouse in the United States until 2004, when the current courthouse was constructed north of Jefferson.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 343 sqmi, of which 340 sqmi is land and 3.4 sqmi (1.0%) is water.

The vast majority of Jackson County is located in the Upper Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin, with just a small portion of the county's northern edge, between Maysville to just east of Commerce, located in the Broad River sub-basin of the Savannah River basin.

Rivers and creeks

 * North Oconee River
 * Sandy Creek (Georgia)
 * Curry Creek
 * Middle Oconee River
 * Pond Fork
 * Allen Creek (Holders Creek)
 * Mulberry River

Adjacent counties

 * Banks County - north
 * Madison County - east
 * Clarke County - southeast
 * Barrow County - west
 * Hall County - northwest

Cities

 * Arcade
 * Commerce
 * Hoschton
 * Jefferson
 * Nicholson
 * Pendergrass

Towns

 * Braselton (partly in Gwinnett, Barrow and Hall)
 * Maysville (partly in Banks)
 * Talmo

Unincorporated communities

 * Apple Valley
 * Attica
 * Brockton
 * Center
 * Clarksboro

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 75,907 people, 25,180 households, and 19,467 families residing in the county.

Education
Most of the county is in the Jackson County School District. Portions in Commerce and Jefferson are in, respectively, Commerce City School District and Jefferson City School District.

Attractions

 * Chateau Elan (Braselton)
 * La Vaquita Flea Market (Pendergrass)
 * Mayfield Dairy Visitors Center (Braselton)
 * Sandy Creek Golf Course (Commerce)
 * Tanger Outlet Center (Commerce)

National Historic Places

 * Braselton Historic District
 * Commerce Commercial Historic District
 * Governor L. G. Hardman House (Commerce)
 * Hillcrest-Allen Clinic and Hospital (Hoschton)
 * Holder Plantation (Jefferson)
 * Hoschton Depot
 * Old Jackson County Courthouse (Jefferson)
 * Jefferson Historic District
 * Oak Avenue Historic District(Jefferson)
 * Paradise Cemetery (Jefferson)
 * Seaborn M. Shankle House (Commerce)
 * Shields-Etheridge Farm
 * Talmo Historic District
 * Williamson-Maley-Turner Farm (Jefferson)

Parks and cultural institutions

 * Crawford W. Long Museum (Jefferson)
 * Hurricane Shoals Park

Events

 * Daisy Festival - May (first full weekend) (Nicholson)
 * Mule Days - May (Shields-Etheridge Farm)
 * Annual City Lights Festival - mid-June (Commerce)
 * Celebrate Braselton - July 4 (Braselton)
 * Art in the Park - mid-September (Hurricane Shoals)
 * Annual Fall Festival - September (last weekend) (Hoschton)
 * Jefferson High School and Jefferson Middle School Band Concerts - throughout the year (Jefferson)
 * Jackson County Comprehensive High School, East Jackson Comprehensive High School, East Jackson Middle School, West Jackson Middle School, and Legacy Knoll Middle School Band Concerts - throughout the year

Major highways

 * I-85.svg Interstate 85
 * US 129.svg U.S. Route 129
 * Business plate.svg US 129.svg U.S. Route 129 Business
 * US 441.svg U.S. Route 441
 * Business plate.svg US 441.svg U.S. Route 441 Business
 * Georgia 11.svg State Route 11
 * Georgia 11 Business.svg State Route 11 Business
 * Georgia 11 Connector.svg State Route 11 Connector
 * Georgia 15.svg State Route 15
 * Georgia 15 Alternate.svg State Route 15 Alternate
 * Georgia 53.svg State Route 53
 * Georgia 59.svg State Route 59
 * Georgia 60.svg State Route 60
 * Georgia 82.svg State Route 82
 * Georgia 82 Connector.svg State Route 82 Connector
 * Georgia 98.svg State Route 98
 * Georgia 124.svg State Route 124
 * Georgia 330.svg State Route 330
 * Georgia 332.svg State Route 332
 * Georgia 334.svg State Route 334
 * Georgia 335.svg State Route 335
 * Georgia 346.svg State Route 346 (former)
 * Georgia 403.svg State Route 403 (unsigned designation for I-85)

Pedestrians and cycling

 * Fox Smallwood Dr Trail
 * American Veterans Memorial Park Trail
 * Commerce Middle School Track
 * Curry Creek Reservoir Trail
 * Jefferson Memorial Stadium Track
 * East Jackson Park Walking Trail
 * South Jackson Elementary Nature Trail & Walking Track
 * Hurricane Shoals Nature Trail
 * Sells Mill Nature Trail
 * Sandy Creek Park Walking Trail
 * Braselton Riverwalk Trail
 * East Jackson High School Track
 * W Jackson Middle School Track
 * West Jackson Park Walking Track
 * Jackson County High School Track & Nature Trail

title: Jackson County, Georgia


text:
Irwin County, Georgia

Irwin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,666. The county seat is Ocilla. The county was created on December 15, 1818. It was named for Governor Jared Irwin.

In the last years of the American Civil War, Irwin County gained the nickname of the Republic of Irwin due to the Unionism of many of its residents. The location where Jefferson Davis was captured is located in Irwin County near Irwinville.

History
The territories of Appling, Irwin, and Early counties were land newly ceded in 1814 and 1818. These counties were created by a legislative act on December 15, 1818. All or portions of Irwin's five adjacent counties were created from Irwin county along with all of Cook, Colquitt, Lanier, Lowndes, counties and portions of Atkinson, Brooks, Echols, Wilcox, and Worth counties. Irwin was divided into 16 districts of 20 miles and 10 chains square with lots of 70 chains square containing 490 acres according to the Act of 1818. In 1820 each lot was priced at $18, but by 1831 the price was down to $5 per lot.

Irwin County had 372 white residents and 39 slaves in 1820, when the census covered a large portion of central south Georgia. In 1825, Lowndes County was formed out of the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 15th, and 16th land districts in what was then the southern half of the county. In 1830, the county had 1,066 whites, 109 slaves, and 5 free people of color. In 1840, Irwin County had 1,772 whites and 266 slaves. In 1850. Irwin County had 2,874 whites, 459 slaves, and 1 free person of color. In 1853, Worth County was formed out of part of Irwin County. In 1854, Coffee County was also formed from Irwin. In 1860, Irwin County had 1,453 whites and 246 slaves. It was one of a few counties in Georgia outside of mountainous northern Georgia with slaves accounting for a small percentage of its population.

Civil War
During the American Civil War, like the United States in general, Irwin County was also ideologically divided. The county was one of the poorest at the time in Georgia. It was home to a number of Southern Unionists who opposed secession and the Confederacy. The county also provided several regiments to the Confederate Army including:
 * Company F "Irwin Volunteers", 49th Regiment Georgia Infantry.

In May 1863, several companies of Duncan Lamont Clinch Jr's Fourth Georgia Cavalry were charged with searching Irwin County for deserters. They spent a month searching the county, but were only able to find twenty-two deserters on May 22, the day they arrived. The deserters were sent to Savannah for enlistment or prosecution.

A prominent Unionist in the county was Willis Jackson Bone. He lived west of Irwinville, near the Alapaha River. He was a miller and operated a steam-powered mill on what was then Bones Pond and presently Crystal Lake. Because he was a gristmill operator, Bone was exempt from conscription. During the Civil War, he helped a number of escaped slaves, Confederate deserters, and escaped Union prisoners hide in the swamps along the river. In February 1865, Bone and a large assembly of others gathered in Irwinville. Those assembled declared Irwin County part of the Union again. A lieutenant of the local militia protested the action, but was knocked down with a musket by Bone. Three cheers for Abraham Lincoln followed. The assembly then took after the lieutenant and the enrolling officer Gideon Brown. They and other Confederate sympathizers were chased out of town and threatened with death if they should return. Willis Jackson Bone was hanged near his pond in late April 1865 after he killed a local justice of the peace named Jack Walker while Bone was bringing food to an escaped slave named Toney. Walker had tried to take Toney into custody.

A few months later, Irwinville became the site of the capture of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Davis was on his way from the capital of the Confederacy at Richmond, Virginia to board a ship with his family and flee to safety in England, Davis stopped at a hotel in Irwinville owned by Doctor G.E. White on the evening of May 9, 1865. There he conversed and socialized with the locals and no one had suspected that they were in the presence of a man of such esteem. Davis and his family moved to an encampment beside a nearby creek bed only a couple of miles from the hotel after they were done talking with the citizens of Irwinville and sometime in the early morning of May 10, the encampment was alarmed by the sound of gunfire. Davis tried to escape towards the creek wearing an overcoat and his wife had tied her scarf around his shoulders, but members of the First Wisconsin and Fourth Michigan Cavalry Regiments captured him. He was taken to Fortress Monroe, Virginia and held for two years. The location is now the Jefferson Davis Memorial Historic Site.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 363 sqmi, of which 354 sqmi is land and 8.4 sqmi (2.3%) is water.

The majority and entire central and western portion of Irwin County, bordered by a line running southeast from Fitzgerald, is located in the Alapaha River sub-basin of the Suwannee River basin. The eastern corner of the county is located in the Satilla River sub-basin of the St. Marys-Satilla River basin

Major highways

 * US 129.svg U.S. Route 129
 * US 319.svg U.S. Route 319
 * Georgia 11.svg State Route 11
 * Georgia 32.svg State Route 32
 * Georgia 35.svg State Route 35
 * Georgia 90.svg State Route 90
 * Georgia 107.svg State Route 107
 * Georgia 125.svg State Route 125
 * Georgia 158.svg State Route 158
 * Georgia 206.svg State Route 206

Adjacent counties

 * Ben Hill County (north) (created 1906 from Irwin and Wilcox counties)
 * Coffee County (east) (created in 1854 from Clinch, Irwin, Telfair, and Ware counties.)
 * Berrien County (south) (created in 1856 from Coffee, Irwin, and Lowndes counties)
 * Tift County (southwest) (created 1905 from Berrien, Irwin, and Worth counties.)
 * Turner County (northwest) (created from Dooly, Irwin, Wilcox, and Worth counties)

City

 * Ocilla

Unincorporated communities

 * Irwinville
 * Mystic
 * Waterloo
 * Wray
 * Abba

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 9,666 people, 3,329 households, and 2,090 families residing in the county.

title: Irwin County, Georgia


text:
Houston County, Georgia

Houston County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. The population was 163,633 at the 2020 census. Its county seat is Perry; the city of Warner Robins is substantially larger in both area and population.

The county was created on May 15, 1821, along with 4 other counties in the state, and later reduced in size with the formation of Bibb, Crawford, Pulaski, Macon, and Peach counties. It was named after Georgia governor John Houstoun, with the spelling being a common 19th-century variation that later evolved to "Houston". The pronunciation, however, remains to this day "howston." The geographic center of the county was given the name Wattsville, which was later changed to Perry.

Houston County is included in the Warner Robins, GA metropolitan statistical area, which in turn is included in the Macon-Warner Robins-Fort Valley combined statistical area. Flat Creek Public Fishing Area is in Houston County, south west of Perry.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 380 sqmi, of which 376 sqmi is land and 4.4 sqmi (1.2%) is water. The county is located in the upper Atlantic coastal plain region of the state.

The vast majority of Houston County is located in the Lower Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The very northern edge of the county, north of Centerville and Warner Robins, is located in the Upper Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the same Altamaha River basin. The very southwestern corner of Houston County, well west of Interstate 75, is located in the Middle Flint River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin).

Adjacent counties

 * Bibb County - north
 * Peach County - west
 * Twiggs County - east
 * Bleckley County - southeast
 * Pulaski County - south-southeast
 * Dooly County - south
 * Macon County - southwest

Cities

 * Byron (Partially)
 * Centerville
 * Perry (Slightly extends into Peach County, Georgia)
 * Warner Robins

Census-designated place

 * Robins Air Force Base

Unincorporated communities

 * Bonaire
 * Clinchfield
 * Dunbar
 * Elberta
 * Elko
 * Grovania
 * Haynesville
 * Kathleen

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 163,633 people, 58,417 households, and 39,810 families residing in the county.

Education
Houston County Schools operates public schools.

Politics
Houston County voted for conservative Democrats for most of the twentieth century, and gradually switched to voting for conservative Republicans closer to the century's end and into the twenty-first. In the 2018 gubernatorial election, while she did not carry Houston County, Stacey Abrams improved on Democratic margins in the county, improving five percent compared to Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential run and by four percent compared to Barack Obama's 2008 run. Houston was one of five counties not carried by Abrams which improved their Democratic margins. In 2020, Joe Biden improved Democratic margins to their best since Jimmy Carter carried it in 1980. He also became the first non-Georgian Democrat to win 40 percent of the county's vote since 1960.

Major highways

 * I-75.svg Interstate 75
 * US 41.svg U.S. Route 41
 * US 129.svg U.S. Route 129
 * US 341.svg U.S. Route 341
 * Georgia 7.svg State Route 7
 * Georgia 7 Spur.svg State Route 7 Spur
 * Georgia 11.svg State Route 11
 * Georgia 11 Business.svg State Route 11 Business
 * Georgia 11 Connector.svg State Route 11 Connector
 * Georgia 26.svg State Route 26
 * Georgia 49.svg State Route 49
 * Georgia 96.svg State Route 96
 * Georgia 127.svg State Route 127
 * Georgia 224.svg State Route 224
 * Georgia 247.svg State Route 247
 * Georgia 247 Connector.svg State Route 247 Connector
 * Georgia 247 Spur.svg State Route 247 Spur
 * Georgia 329.svg State Route 329
 * Georgia 401.svg State Route 401 (unsigned designation for I-75)

Pedestrians and cycling

 * Big Indian Creek Trail (Proposed)
 * Walker's Pond Trail
 * Wellston Trail
 * The Walk at Sandy Run Creek

title: Houston County, Georgia


text:
Henry County, Georgia

Henry County is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2020 census, the population of Henry County was 240,712, up from 203,922 in 2010. The seat of government is McDonough. The county was named for Patrick Henry.

Henry County is part of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metropolitan statistical area. The Henry County Courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History
Henry County, Georgia, was created by the Georgia State Legislature in 1821 from land acquired from the Creek Indian Nation by the First Treaty of Indian Springs. Henry's original land area was much larger than it is today, stretching from near Indian Springs (present-day Indian Springs State Park) in the south to the Chattahoochee River near Sandy Springs in the north; encompassing most of present-day Metropolitan Atlanta. Before one year had passed, the size of the county was diminished through the separation of land areas which, in whole or in part, became the present-day DeKalb, Fulton, Fayette and Newton counties. Later divisions resulted in Clayton, Spalding, Rockdale and Butts counties.

In the beginning Henry County was a virgin wilderness, having just been ceded from the Creek Nation. Prior to 1821, the Creeks and a few trappers and traders were the only residents of this area. The Creek Indians left their mark through place names, a few small Indian Mounds scattered around the county and through the arrowheads and broken pottery which can be found throughout Henry County.

Jesse Johnson, son of John Johnson and great-grandfather of U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson, was a "first settler" of Henry County. He was a prosperous farmer, the second sheriff (1822–1835), and judge, before he moved to Texas. Jonesboro Road stretches through the county. In 1995, Henry County was the sixth-fastest-growing county in the United States.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 327 sqmi, of which 322 sqmi is land and 4.4 sqmi (1.4%) is water.

The vast majority of Henry County is located in the Upper Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin, with just a very small western corner, west of Hampton, located in the Upper Flint River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin).

Adjacent counties

 * DeKalb County – north
 * Rockdale County – northeast
 * Newton County – east Northeast
 * Butts County – southeast
 * Spalding County – southwest
 * Clayton County – west

Government and politics
The Henry County Board of Commissioners is responsible for administering county government to residents. Four commissioners are elected by voters in individual districts, while the commission chairman is elected countywide and serves as the county's chief executive. June Wood, the former commission chair, was the first African-American to serve in the position after being elected in a December 2016 run-off election. She left office in December 2020 after losing her bid for re-election. As of January 2023, the following individuals serve the county on the Board of Commissioners:

Prior to 1984, Henry County had a presidential voting pattern typical of any other Solid South county in Georgia, consistently awarding landslide margins to Democrats. In 1920, it was one of three counties in the state (alongside Bleckley and Columbia) to give 100% of the vote to Democratic nominee James M. Cox. The first Republican to win Henry County was Richard Nixon in 1972, doing so with 77.93% of the vote, though it returned to the Democratic column when native Georgian Jimmy Carter won it in 1976 and 1980.

From 1984 to 2004, Henry County was a Republican stronghold, consistent with several Atlanta suburbs, as well as other suburban areas across the country. Strong margins in Henry County and other Atlanta suburbs were vital to Republicans' performance, offsetting strongly Democratic Black voters in Atlanta proper. Republican dominance peaked in 1988, when George H.W. Bush won 71.11% of the vote to Michael Dukakis' 28.41%, a 42.7% margin of victory. During this time, no Democrat managed to attain even 40 percent of the county's vote.

In the 2010s, the county rapidly flipped from being safely Republican at the start of the decade to safely Democratic by the end, thanks to explosive population growth that brought an influx of Democratic-leaning minority voters into the county, and a growing Democratic trend among suburban voters in general. The African American percentage of the population increased from 14.7% in the 2000 Census to 36.9% in 2010 and 48.4% in 2020, while the white proportion of the population fell from 81.4% in 2000 to 55.0% in 2010 and 35.9% in 2020. In the 2004 election, Democrat John Kerry had lost the county by 33.7%, but in 2008 and 2012, Democrat Barack Obama lost the county by only 7.4% and 3.3% respectively. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the county for the Democrats for the first time in 36 years, by a 4.4 percentage point margin of victory, in spite of the rightward shift taken by the rest of the country. In 2020, the county swung 16.1 points deeper into the Democratic column, the largest Democratic swing of any county in the country in that election, culminating in Joe Biden winning the county by 20.5 percentage points as he carried Georgia. In doing so, Biden turned in the best showing for a non-Georgian Democrat in the county since John F. Kennedy in 1960. The Democratic trend continued in 2022, with Henry County being one of the few counties where Stacey Abrams improved on her 2018 margin against Republican Brian Kemp even as she performed worse statewide. She took 61% of the vote, and Raphael Warnock defeated Herschel Walker with a similar share of the vote in the concurrent Senate race.

Major highways

 * I-75.svg Interstate 75
 * I-675.svg Interstate 675
 * US 19.svg U.S. Route 19
 * US 23.svg U.S. Route 23
 * US 41.svg U.S. Route 41
 * Georgia 3.svg State Route 3
 * Georgia 20.svg State Route 20
 * Georgia 42.svg State Route 42
 * Georgia 81.svg State Route 81
 * Georgia 138.svg State Route 138
 * Georgia 155.svg State Route 155
 * Georgia 401.svg State Route 401 (unsigned designation for I-75)
 * Georgia 413.svg State Route 413 (unsigned designation for I-675)

Pedestrians and cycling

 * Reeves Creek Trail

Transit systems

 * Henry County operates its own reservation-based transit service for use by county residents. In addition, Xpress, a regional commuter bus service operated by the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, serves park-and-ride lots in Stockbridge, Hampton, and McDonough.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 240,712 people, 79,550 households, and 60,471 families residing in the county.

2010 Census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 203,922 people, 70,255 households, and 54,445 families residing in the county. The population density was 633.0 PD/sqmi. There were 76,533 housing units at an average density of 237.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 55.0% white, 36.9% black or African American, 2.9% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 2.4% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 10.7% were American, 9.3% were Irish, 9.2% were German, and 8.2% were English.

Of the 70,255 households, 45.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% were married couples living together, 16.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 22.5% were non-families, and 18.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.29. The median age was 35.3 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $63,923 and the median income for a family was $70,972. Males had a median income of $50,198 versus $39,785 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,773. About 6.3% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.7% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.

2000 Census
As of the census of 2000, there were 119,341 people, 41,373 households, and 33,305 families residing in the county. The population density was 370 PD/sqmi. There were 43,166 housing units at an average density of 134 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 81.38% White, 14.68% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 1.76% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.79% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. 2.26% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Census Estimates from the 2008 American Community Survey indicate that the African-American population is 32.6%.

There were 41,373 households, out of which 42.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.40% were married couples living together, 10.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.50% were non-families. 15.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 29.20% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 34.90% from 25 to 44, 21.00% from 45 to 64, and 7.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $57,309, and the median income for a family was $61,607. Males had a median income of $41,449 versus $29,211 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,945. About 3.70% of families and 4.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.50% of those under age 18 and 7.80% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Goya Foods has its Atlanta offices in an unincorporated area near McDonough.

Additionally, a pair of warehouses used to exist along US 23 south of McDonough, one of which was owned by Whirlpool Corporation, and the other by Toys 'R' Us.

Media
WKKP is the local radio media outlet. It broadcasts 24 hours a day on 100.9 FM and 1410 AM, and has a classic country format.

The Henry Herald is the local county news print media.

Sports
The semi-professional soccer team Georgia Revolution FC plays in the National Premier Soccer League at the Warhawk Stadium.

Atlanta Motor Speedway is located in Henry County and hosts an annual NASCAR race and many other events throughout the year, including the 2021 Publix Atlanta Marathon, which moved to the Speedway premises.

Education
Local public schools are operated by the Henry County Schools.

Enriched Virtual Program

 * Impact academy

Alternative schools

 * EXCEL Academy (known as Patrick Henry alternative)
 * Mainstay Academy (GNETS - Special Education)

Private schools

 * ABC Montessori (Toddler - 12)
 * Bible Baptist Christian School (K4–12)
 * Community Christian School (Nursery–12)
 * Creekside Christian Academy
 * Eagle's Landing Christian Academy (K3–12)
 * Lake Dow Christian Academy
 * New Creation Christian Academy
 * North Henry Academy (K3–8)
 * Strong Rock Christian School (K–12)
 * Peoples Baptist Academy
 * Heritage Baptist Christian School
 * The Sharon School
 * McDonough Methodist Academy

Higher education
Mercer University has a Regional Academic Center in McDonough. The center, opened in 2003, offers programs through the university's College of Continuing and Professional Studies and Mercer's Tift College of Education. Clayton State University and Gordon College also offer a range of college courses at the Academy for Advanced Studies in McDonough.

Southern Crescent Technical College's Henry County Center (in McDonough) offers programs in Allied Health, Business Technology, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Computer Information Systems, Personal Services, Public Safety, and Drafting Technology.

Cities

 * Hampton
 * Locust Grove
 * McDonough
 * Stockbridge

Census-designated place

 * Heron Bay (part)

Unincorporated communities

 * Blacksville
 * Ellenwood (part)
 * Flippen
 * Kelleytown
 * Luella
 * Ola

title: Henry County, Georgia


text:
Heard County, Georgia

Heard County is a county located in the west central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. At the 2020 census, the population was 11,412, down from 11,834 in 2010. The county seat is Franklin. The county was created on December 22, 1830.

Heard County is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell MSA.

History
Heard County was created by Act of the Legislature on December 22, 1830. It was named for Stephen Heard, elected President of the Council on February 18, 1781, thus, in the absence of Governor Howley, becoming Governor de facto. Heard moved to Wilkes County from Hanover County, Virginia, and fought in the American Revolutionary War where he distinguished himself at Kettle Creek. The first sheriff, Jonathan Mewsick, was commissioned in 1832.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 301 sqmi, of which 296 sqmi is land and 5.1 sqmi (1.7%) is water.

The vast majority of Heard County is located in the Middle Chattahoochee River-Lake Harding sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin), with just a very small northwestern corner of the county, west of Ephesus, located in the Upper Tallapoosa River sub-basin of the ACT River Basin (Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin).

Major highways

 * US 27.svg U.S. Route 27
 * Georgia 1.svg State Route 1
 * Georgia 34.svg State Route 34
 * Georgia 100.svg State Route 100
 * Georgia 219.svg State Route 219

Adjacent counties

 * Carroll County (north)
 * Coweta County (east)
 * Troup County (south)
 * Randolph County, Alabama (west/Central Time border)

Cities

 * Ephesus
 * Franklin (county seat)

Towns

 * Centralhatchee

Census-designated places

 * Glenn

Unincorporated communities

 * Corinth (part)
 * Texas

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 11,412 people, 4,502 households, and 3,254 families residing in the county.

title: Heard County, Georgia


text:
Hart County, Georgia

Hart County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,828. The county seat is Hartwell.

Hart County was created December 7, 1853, and named for Nancy Hart. Of Georgia's 159 counties, Hart County is the only one named after a woman. Lake Hartwell is also named for her.

Letters to Miss Celie in the movie The Color Purple (film) by Steven Spielberg, based on the novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker, are addressed to "Hartwell County, Georgia" suggesting that the movie is set either in Hartwell or Hart County.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 257 sqmi, of which 232 sqmi is land and 25 sqmi (9.6%) is water. The county is located in the Piedmont region of the state.

Most of the southern three-quarters of Hart County is located in the Upper Savannah River sub-basin of the larger Savannah River basin, with the exception of two slivers of the county, south of Royston and west of Bowersville, which are located in the Broad River sub-basin of the Savannah River basin. The northern quarter of the county is located in the Tugaloo River sub-basin of the same Savannah River basin.

Major highways

 * I-85.svg Interstate 85
 * US 29.svg U.S. Route 29
 * Georgia 8.svg State Route 8
 * Georgia 17.svg State Route 17
 * Georgia 51.svg State Route 51
 * Georgia 59.svg State Route 59
 * Georgia 77.svg State Route 77
 * Georgia 77 Connector.svg State Route 77 Connector
 * Georgia 77 Spur.svg State Route 77 Spur
 * Georgia 172.svg State Route 172
 * Georgia 180.svg State Route 180
 * Georgia 281.svg State Route 281
 * Georgia 403.svg State Route 403 (unsigned designation for I-85)

Adjacent counties

 * Oconee County, South Carolina (north)
 * Anderson County, South Carolina (northeast)
 * Elbert County (south)
 * Madison County (southwest)
 * Franklin County (west)

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 22,997 people, 9,106 households, and 6,610 families living in the county. The population density was 99 /mi2. There were 11,111 housing units at an average density of 48 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 79.09% White, 19.36% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.24% from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races. 0.85% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 9,106 households, out of which 29.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.80% were married couples living together, 12.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.40% were non-families. 24.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.50% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 27.30% from 25 to 44, 25.00% from 45 to 64, and 16.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,833, and the median income for a family was $39,600. Males had a median income of $30,652 versus $21,233 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,714. About 12.20% of families and 14.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.10% of those under age 18 and 16.50% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 25,213 people, 10,121 households, and 6,998 families living in the county. The population density was 108.5 PD/sqmi. There were 13,007 housing units at an average density of 56.0 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 77.4% white, 18.7% black or African American, 0.9% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 1.7% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 13.6% were American, 8.4% were English, 7.4% were Irish, and 6.6% were German.

Of the 10,121 households, 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.9% were non-families, and 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age was 42.6 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,109 and the median income for a family was $44,451. Males had a median income of $35,172 versus $26,836 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,124. About 17.4% of families and 22.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.4% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 25,828 people, 9,853 households, and 6,743 families residing in the county.

Attractions

 * Lake Hartwell, a man-made lake covering 56,000 acres built for flood control and recreation
 * The Scarecrow festival occurs in Hartwell every year during the month of October. This is when the downtown gets "invaded" by scarecrows, which are handmade scarecrows placed in front of local shops and businesses.
 * Cateechee is one of the state's finest golf courses. It has 380 acres of land and 18 holes.
 * The Hartwell Dam is the county's largest generator of electricity, supplying power to more than 10 states. It can be seen at the Georgia and South Carolina border or U.S. Route 29. Usually power is generated daily and a long fog horn is heard all around the dam before they start generating.

City

 * Hartwell

Town

 * Bowersville

Census-designated places

 * Eagle Grove
 * Reed Creek

Other unincorporated communities

 * Air Line

title: Hart County, Georgia


text:
Harris County, Georgia

Harris County is a county located in the west-central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia; its western border with the state of Alabama is formed by the Chattahoochee River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 34,668. The county seat is Hamilton. The largest city in the county is Pine Mountain, a resort town that is home to the Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park (the largest state park in Georgia). Harris County was created on December 14, 1827, and named for Charles Harris, a Georgia judge and attorney.

Harris County is part of the Columbus, GA-AL metropolitan area and has become a popular suburban and exurban destination of residence for families relocating from Columbus. Because of this, Harris has become the sixth-wealthiest county in Georgia in terms of per capita income and the wealthiest in the state outside of Metro Atlanta.

History
The county was settled by European Americans largely after the federal government had removed the indigenous Creek people (Muscogee) in the 1830s, under treaties by which they ceded most of their homelands to the United States. They were relocated to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River.

In the antebellum era, parts of the county were developed for cotton plantations, the premier commodity crop. Planters acquired numerous enslaved African Americans as laborers from the Upper South through the domestic slave trade.

The County Courthouse was designed by Edward Columbus Hosford of Georgia and completed in 1906.

Moonshiners were active in the mountain areas of the county in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Both whites and blacks took part in this, and were common drinking patrons.

Lynchings
On January 22, 1912, a black woman and three black men were lynched in Hamilton, the county seat, for the alleged murder of young local white landowner Norman Hadley. He was described by journalist Karen Branan in her 2016 book about these events as a white, "near penniless plowboy-playboy" and "notorious predator of black women."

Of this group, Dusky Crutchfield was the first woman lynched in Georgia. The lynching case attracted attention of national northern newspapers. Also murdered by the lynch mob were Eugene Harrington, Burrell Hardaway, and Johnie Moore. (Note: There was confusion about the names of victims at the time, and variations in spelling have been published.)

The four had been taken in for questioning about Hadley's murder by Sheriff Marion Madison "Buddie" Hadley, but never arrested. Lynched as scapegoats by a white mob of 100 men, they were later shown to have been utterly innocent. As an example of the complex relationships in the town and county, Johnie Moore was a mixed-race cousin of the sheriff; and Norman Hadley was the sheriff's nephew.

In 1947, prosperous farmer Henry "Peg" Gilbert, a married African-American man who owned and farmed 100 acres in Troup County, was arrested by officials from neighboring Harris County and charged with harboring a fugitive. The 47-year-old father was accused in the case of Gus Davidson, an African-American man accused of fatally shooting a white man in Harris County and who had disappeared. Four days later Gilbert was dead, shot while held in jail by the Harris County Sheriff, who said it was self-defense. No charges were filed against him.

In 2016 the Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project of Northeastern University reported on Gilbert's death in custody. They had found that Henry Gilbert had been beaten severely before his death, and shot five times. They asserted he had been detained and killed because whites resented his success as a farmer. Economic issues and competition were often at the bottom of lynchings. A white man took over Gilbert's land, cheating his family out of everything he had built.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 473 sqmi, of which 464 sqmi are land and 9.1 sqmi (1.9%) are covered by water.

The county is located in the Piedmont region of the state, with forests, farmland, and rolling hills covering much of the county. The Pine Mountain Range begins in the county, and runs across the northernmost parts of the county, with the highest point on the range found at Dowdell's Knob near the Meriwether County line.

The majority of Harris County is located in the middle Chattahoochee River–Lake Harding subbasin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola–Chattahoochee–Flint River Basin), with the exception of the county's southeastern border area, south of Ellerslie, which is located in the middle Chattahoochee River–Walter F. George Lake subbasin of the same ACF River Basin as that part of the county is drained by Bull Creek, which flows into Upatoi Creek south of Columbus.

Lake Harding and Goat Rock Lake both form much of the county's western border along the Chattahoochee, and both are very popular recreational destinations, especially for metro Columbus residents.

Major highways
U.S. Route 27 Alternate
 * I-85.svg Interstate 85
 * I-185.svg Interstate 185
 * US 27.svg U.S. Route 27
 * Alternate plate.svg
 * Georgia 1.svg State Route 1
 * Georgia 18.svg State Route 18
 * Georgia 36.svg State Route 36
 * Georgia 85.svg State Route 85
 * Georgia 85 Alternate.svg State Route 85 Alternate
 * Georgia 103.svg State Route 103
 * Georgia 116.svg State Route 116
 * Georgia 190.svg State Route 190
 * Georgia 208.svg State Route 208
 * Georgia 219.svg State Route 219
 * Georgia 315.svg State Route 315
 * Georgia 354.svg State Route 354
 * Georgia 403.svg State Route 403 (unsigned designation for I-85)
 * Georgia 411.svg State Route 411 (unsigned designation for I-185)

Adjacent counties

 * Troup County (north)
 * Meriwether County (northeast)
 * Talbot County (east)
 * Muscogee County (south)
 * Lee County, Alabama (southwest/CST border)
 * Chambers County, Alabama (northwest/CST border except Lanett and Valley as the cities are jointed by the Columbus metropolitan area)

Cities

 * Hamilton (county seat)
 * Shiloh
 * West Point (part, most of city is in Troup County)

Towns

 * Pine Mountain
 * Waverly Hall

Unincorporated communities

 * Cataula
 * Ellerslie
 * Fortson (part, mostly in Muscogee County)
 * Midland (part, mostly in Muscogee County)
 * Mountain Hill
 * Ossahatchie
 * Pine Mountain Valley
 * Piney Grove
 * Ridgeway
 * Whitesville

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 34,668 people, 12,156 households, and 9,581 families residing in the county.

Politics
Like all of Georgia except the Unionist Fannin, Towns, Pickens and Gilmer counties, which were in the upland region and could not support plantations, Harris County was historically dominated by a majority of conservative white voters after the Civil War. They belonged to the Democratic Party. From the end of Reconstruction to 1980, they supported Republican presidential candidates only twice, in 1964 (when Barry Goldwater carried the state in a landslide) and 1972 (during Richard Nixon's national landslide).

But the passage of civil rights legislation by the national Democratic Party and social and cultural disruption of the era resulted in white conservatives beginning to support the Republican Party. In 1984, the state swung from having given a 16.8 percent victory to the 'favorite son' of Georgia, Jimmy Carter, in 1976, to a nearly 20-point victory for Ronald Reagan in his second term. In this, it was part of the realignment of white conservatives across the South. Since then, these voters in Harris County have voted for Republican presidential candidates. 1984 is the last time that a Democrat gained more than 40 percent of the vote. This trend has been attributed to the effect of Columbus's suburbs extending into the county, but it is part of the broader realignment among conservatives in the region.

Education
The Harris County School District holds preschool to grade 12 and consists of four elementary schools, an intermediate school, a middle school, and a high school. The district headquarters is located in Hamilton, and has 274 full-time teachers and over 4,411 students spread out over seven schools.
 * Mulberry Creek Elementary School (Cataula)
 * New Mountain Hill Elementary School (Fortson)
 * Park Elementary School (Hamilton)
 * Pine Ridge Elementary School (Ellerslie)
 * Creekside Intermediate School (grades 5–6) (Cataula)
 * Harris County Carver Middle School (Hamilton)
 * Harris County High School (Hamilton)

Notable people

 * Reuben J. Crews, father of C.C. Crews and a colonel in the Georgia Militia
 * Benjamin Franklin White, clerk of the Inferior Court of Harris County, mayor of Whitesville, and compiler of the shape note songbook known as The Sacred Harp

title: Harris County, Georgia


text:
Haralson County, Georgia

Haralson County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 29,919, up from 28,780 in 2010. The county seat is Buchanan. The county was created on January 26, 1856, and was named for Hugh A. Haralson, a former Georgia congressman.

Haralson County is part of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metropolitan statistical area.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 283 sqmi, of which 282 sqmi is land and 1.0 sqmi (0.4%) is water. Much of the county is located within the upper Piedmont region of the state, with a few mountains in the county that are considered part of the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

The vast majority of Haralson County is located in the Upper Tallapoosa River sub-basin of the ACT River Basin (Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin). Just the very northwestern corner of the county is located in the Upper Coosa River sub-basin of the same ACT River Basin.

Major highways
U.S. Route 27 Business
 * I-20.svg Interstate 20
 * US 27.svg U.S. Route 27
 * Business plate.svg
 * US 78.svg U.S. Route 78
 * Georgia 1.svg State Route 1
 * Georgia 1 Business.svg State Route 1 Business
 * Georgia 8.svg State Route 8
 * Georgia 16.svg State Route 16
 * Georgia 100.svg State Route 100
 * Georgia 113.svg State Route 113
 * Georgia 120.svg State Route 120
 * Georgia 402.svg State Route 402 (unsigned designation for I-20)

Adjacent counties

 * Polk County - north
 * Paulding County - northeast
 * Carroll County - south
 * Cleburne County, Alabama - west (CST)

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 29,919 people, 11,259 households, and 7,960 families residing in the county.

2010 census
As of the 2010 U.S. census, there were 28,780 people, 10,757 households, and 7,820 families living in the county. The population density was 102.0 PD/sqmi. There were 12,287 housing units at an average density of 43.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 92.8% white, 4.7% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 37.1% were American, 14.1% were Irish, 11.1% were English, and 6.0% were German.

Of the 10,757 households, 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 27.3% were non-families, and 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.09. The median age was 38.5 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,996 and the median income for a family was $45,339. Males had a median income of $39,452 versus $32,170 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,033. About 15.6% of families and 20.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.8% of those under age 18 and 16.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Public education in the county is largely provided by the Haralson County School District. However, the City of Bremen, which straddles the border of Haralson and Carroll Counties, operates the independent Bremen City School District.

Cities

 * Bremen
 * Buchanan (county seat)
 * Tallapoosa
 * Waco

Unincorporated communities

 * Besma
 * Budapest
 * Draketown
 * Felton

Law and government
The county was originally governed by a sole Commissioner of Roads and Revenues. The last occupant of this office was Charles Sanders (D). The county is now governed by a five-member Board of Commissioners, which replaced the single-commissioner form beginning with the term starting in January 2005. The chairman of the board is elected county-wide. The acting occupant of this office is Ronnie Ridley (R). There are four other commissioners, one elected from each of four geographical districts. The current occupants of these offices are District 1's David Tarpley (R), District 2's Danny Elsberry (R), District 3's John Daniel (R) and District 4's Ryan Farmer (R). The current sheriff of Haralson County is Stacy Williams. Judge J. Edward "Eddie" Hulsey Jr. is the current probate judge.

title: Haralson County, Georgia


text:
Hancock County, Georgia

Hancock County is a county located in the East Central part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,735. The county seat is Sparta. The county was created on December 17, 1793, and named for John Hancock, a Founding Father of the American Revolution.

Hancock County is included in the Milledgeville, Georgia micropolitan statistical area.

History
Before the Civil War, Hancock County was developed for cotton plantations, as international demand was high for the commodity. The land was developed and the cotton cultivated and processed by thousands of enslaved African Americans. This area is classified as part of the Black Belt of the United States, primarily due to its fertile soil. It was later also associated with the slave society. Enslaved persons made up 61% of the total county population in the 1850 Census. Unusually for such a plantation-dominated society, the county's representatives at the Georgia Secession Convention, who were overwhelmingly white and Democratic, voted against secession in 1861.

But the secession conventions were dominated by men who voted for separation, and Georgia soon seceded and entered the war.

After the war, the freed black population predominated by number in the county for decades. After emancipation and granting of citizenship and the franchise, most freedmen joined the Republican Party, which they credited with gaining their freedom. Conservative white Democrats resisted political domination by blacks, although they were outnumbered. In the later years of Reconstruction, whites used violence, intimidation and fraud to suppress black voting. In 1908 the white-dominated legislature passed an amendment that effectively disenfranchised most black voters and many poor whites ones.

Contemporary voting issues
According to the 2010 census estimate, the racial makeup of the county seat of Sparta was 84% African American, 15% White, 0.50% from two or more races, 0.30% Asian, and 0.10% Native American. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.70% of the population.

Since the late 20th century, most African Americans support the Democratic Party and conservative whites support the Republican Party.

In August 2015, the majority-white Hancock County Board of Elections initiated an effort to purge voters from the rolls. They directed deputy sheriffs to the homes of more than 180 black people residing in Sparta (these constituted some 20% of the city's total registered voters) to inform them they would lose their voting rights unless they appeared in court to prove their residency. A total of 53 voters were removed the voting rolls, but a federal judge overturned the Board's actions. It was asserted that these actions were racially based.

In 2021, the African-American elections superintendent for the City of Sparta was referred to the Georgia Secretary of State's Office for prosecution for allegedly imposing illegal requirements for candidates in the 2017 municipal election.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 479 sqmi, of which 472 sqmi is land and 6.8 sqmi (1.4%) is water.

The western portion of Hancock County, which is defined by a line running southeast from White Plains to the intersection of State Route 22 and Springfield Road, then running southwest along State Route 22, is located in the Upper Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The southern portion of the county, defined by a triangle made of State Route 22 and State Route 15, with Sparta at its apex, is located in the Lower Oconee River sub-basin of the same Altamaha River basin. The northeastern portion of Hancock County is located in the Upper Ogeechee River sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin.

Major highways
No Interstate Highway
 * Georgia 248.svg State Route 248
 * Georgia 15.svg State Route 15
 * Georgia 16.svg State Route 16
 * Georgia 22.svg State Route 22
 * Georgia 77.svg State Route 77

Adjacent counties

 * Taliaferro County - north
 * Warren County - northeast
 * Glascock County - east
 * Washington County - southeast
 * Baldwin County - southwest
 * Putnam County - west
 * Greene County - northwest

City

 * Sparta (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

 * Culverton
 * Mayfield

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 8,735 people, 2,974 households, and 1,755 families residing in the county.

Politics
Hancock County has been one of the most consistently Democratic counties in the entire nation since the Civil War. But the composition of the party voters and policies they support have undergone major changes since the late twentieth century, switching from whites to African Americans.

The majority of county voters have voted for the Democratic presidential nominee in every election since 1852 except that of 1972, when George McGovern lost every county in Georgia. McGovern did perform better here than elsewhere in the state, losing by only 93 votes. Apart from Richard Nixon in that election, Barry Goldwater in 1964 was the only Republican since at least 1912 to gain 30 percent of the county's vote. That year, most of the county's African-American majority was still largely disenfranchised and could not vote at all. The conservative white minority favored Goldwater because its traditional Democratic loyalties had frayed.

In 1980 Hancock County gave its "favorite son" candidate Jimmy Carter his second best county in the nation. In 1984 it supported Walter Mondale, who won more than 76.6 percent of Hancock County ballots, making it his fourth-best county outside the District of Columbia. He was otherwise within 3,819 votes of losing all fifty states.

Notable people

 * James Abercrombie, (1795–1861) was born in Hancock County.
 * Amanda America Dickson was born in Hancock County.

 * William Henry Harrison, state legislator from Hancock County.

 * Harvey Grant, twin brother of Horace Grant.
 * Horace Grant, twin brother of Harvey Grant.
 * Thomas "Tommy" Jackson, "Hurricane" Jackson.
 * Biddy Mason was born in Hancock county
 * Hiram George Runnels wasborn in Hancock County.
 * William Terrell, member of Georgia House of Representatives,representing Hancock County

title: Hancock County, Georgia


text:
Hall County, Georgia

Hall County is a county located in the northeast portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 203,136, up from 179,684 at the 2010 census. The county seat is Gainesville. The entirety of Hall County comprises the Gainesville, Georgia, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also part of the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, Combined Statistical Area.

History
Hall County was created on December 15, 1818, from Cherokee lands ceded by the Treaty of Cherokee Agency (1817) and Treaty of Washington (1819).

The county is named for Lyman Hall, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and governor of Georgia as both colony and state.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 429 sqmi, of which 393 sqmi is land and 37 sqmi (8.5%) is water. The county is located in the upper Piedmont region of the state in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the north.

Slightly more than half of Hall County, the eastern portion of the county, is located in the Upper Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin, while the western half of the county is located in the Upper Chattahoochee River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin).

The Chattahoochee River gathers strength in Hall County, as immortalized in Sidney Lanier's poem, "Song of the Chattahoochee":

OUT of the hills of Habersham, Down the valleys of Hall, I hurry amain to reach the plain, Run the rapid and leap the fall, Split at the rock and together again,

Adjacent counties

 * White County – north
 * Habersham County – northeast
 * Banks County – east
 * Jackson County – southeast
 * Barrow County – south
 * Gwinnett County – southwest
 * Forsyth County – west
 * Dawson County – northwest
 * Lumpkin County – northwest

Attractions

 * Atlanta Botanical Garden (Gainesville)
 * Brenau Downtown Center (Gainesville)
 * Don Carter State Park
 * Elachee Nature Science Center (Gainesville)
 * Falcons Complex (Flowery Branch)
 * Gainesville Theatre Alliance (Gainesville)
 * Interactive Neighborhood for Kids (Gainesville)
 * Lake Lanier Islands (Buford)
 * Lake Sidney Lanier
 * Quinlan Visual Arts Center
 * Road Atlanta (Braselton)

Major highways

 * I-985.svg Interstate 985
 * US 23.svg U.S. Route 23
 * US 129.svg U.S. Route 129
 * Georgia 11.svg State Route 11
 * Georgia 11 Business.svg State Route 11 Business
 * Georgia 13.svg State Route 13
 * Georgia 51.svg State Route 51
 * Georgia 52.svg State Route 52
 * Georgia 53.svg State Route 53
 * Georgia 53 Connector.svg State Route 53 Connector
 * Georgia 60.svg State Route 60
 * Georgia 82.svg State Route 82
 * Georgia 115.svg State Route 115
 * Georgia 136.svg State Route 136
 * Georgia 211.svg State Route 211
 * Georgia 254.svg State Route 254
 * Georgia 283.svg State Route 283
 * Georgia 284.svg State Route 284
 * Georgia 323.svg State Route 323
 * Georgia 332.svg State Route 332
 * Georgia 347.svg State Route 347
 * Georgia 365.svg State Route 365
 * Georgia 365 Business.svg State Route 365 Business
 * Georgia 369.svg State Route 369
 * Georgia 419.svg State Route 419 (unsigned designation for I-985)

Mass transit

 * The Gainesville AMTRAK station is situated at 116 Industrial Boulevard. Amtrak's Crescent train connects Gainesville with the cities of New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Greensboro, Charlotte, Atlanta, Birmingham and New Orleans.
 * Gainesville has a bus transit system, the Gainesville Connection, with 130 stops along three routes through Gainesville. The Hall Area Transit Transportation System began operations in January 2001 with three buses and four mini-buses.

Pedestrians and cycling

 * Chicopee Woods Bike Trail
 * Wilshire Trail

Demographics
Hall County remains extremely rural and many of its residents reside in unincorporated areas, accounting for more than half of the county's population.

2000 census
At the 2000 census, 139,277 people, 80,381 households and 80,009 families resided in the county. The population density was 354 PD/sqmi. There were 51,046 housing units at an average density of 130 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 80.75% White, 7.27% Black or African American, 0.34% Native American, 1.35% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, 8.75% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. About 19.56% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 80,381 households, 37.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.20% were married couples living together, 10.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.00% were not families. About 19.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.26.

Age distribution was 26.90% under the age of 18, 10.80% from 18 to 24, 32.30% from 25 to 44, 20.60% from 45 to 64, and 9.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.90 males.

The median household income was $44,908, and the median family income was $50,100. Males had a median income of $31,769 versus $24,550 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,690. About 8.50% of families and 12.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.20% of those under age 18 and 14.70% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 179,684 people, 60,691 households, and 45,275 families residing in the county. The population density was 457.5 PD/sqmi. There were 68,825 housing units at an average density of 175.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 74.1% white, 7.4% black or African American, 1.8% Asian, 0.5% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 13.9% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 26.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 16.8% were American, 10.6% were Irish, 9.3% were English, and 8.9% were German.

Of the 60,691 households, 40.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.6% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 25.4% were non-families, and 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.35. The median age was 34.5 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $50,876 and the median income for a family was $57,774. Males had a median income of $38,671 versus $31,378 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,675. About 11.3% of families and 14.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.3% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 203,136 people, 65,625 households, and 48,776 families residing in the county.

Education
Most of the county is in the Hall County School District. Portions in the city limits of Buford and Gainesville are in the Buford City School District and the Gainesville City School District, respectively.

Colleges and universities

 * Brenau University
 * Lanier Technical College
 * University of North Georgia, Gainesville Campus (formerly Gainesville State College)

High schools

 * Cherokee Bluff High School
 * Chestatee High School
 * East Hall High School
 * Flowery Branch High School
 * Gainesville High School
 * Johnson High School
 * Lakeview Academy
 * North Georgia Christian School
 * North Hall High School
 * Riverside Military Academy
 * West Hall High School

Middle schools

 * Academies of Discovery at South Hall
 * Alternative Learning Center/International Center
 * C. W. Davis Middle School
 * Cherokee Bluff Middle School
 * Chestatee Middle School
 * East Hall Middle School
 * Gainesville Middle School
 * Lanier Career Academy
 * North Georgia Christian School
 * North Hall Middle School
 * West Hall Middle School
 * World Language Middle School (shares building with South Hall)

Cities

 * Buford (mostly in Gwinnett County)
 * Flowery Branch
 * Gainesville
 * Gillsville (partly in Banks County)
 * Lula (partly in Banks County)
 * Oakwood

Towns

 * Braselton (partly in Jackson, Barrow, and Gwinnett Counties)
 * Clermont

Unincorporated communities

 * Belmont
 * Candler
 * Chestnut Mountain
 * Murrayville (partly in Lumpkin and White Counties)
 * Chicopee
 * Rabbittown

Politics
Hall County had voting patterns similar to the Solid South, voting Democrat in all presidential elections until 1968, with the exception of narrowly supporting Herbert Hoover against Catholic Democrat Al Smith in 1928. Since then, it has been won by the GOP by landslide margins, in stark contrast to nearby inner suburban counties of Atlanta, with the exception of segregationist George Wallace in 1968 and favorite son Jimmy Carter in both of his campaigns. As a measure of how rapidly it turned to the GOP, Carter’s 21-point victory in 1980 is the last time a Democrat managed even 40 percent of the county's vote. However, conservative Democrats held most state and local offices as late as 2000.

In 2022, local media reported that Hall County Solicitor General Stephanie Woodard was under investigation for allegations of theft and misuse of public funds.

title: Hall County, Georgia