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Maysville, Georgia

Maysville is a town in Banks and Jackson counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population was 1,798 at the 2010 census, up from 1,247 at the 2000 census.

History
The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Maysville as a town in 1879.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 11.2 km2, of which 11.0 sqkm is land and 0.1 sqkm, or 1.27%, is water.

Maysville is 70 mi northeast of Atlanta. Towns within 10 mi include Commerce, Gillsville, Lula, Jefferson, and Pendergrass.

Climate
Maysville has a humid subtropical climate. The temperature peaks in July with an average high of 90°, but temperatures can get much colder during the winter months. The average low during January was 29°. Maysville has even seen fair amounts of heavier than average snowfall in the past. An example of this occurred in March 2009 when several inches of snow fell across Banks County.

Government
The governing legislative authority has two components. A mayor serves as the top executive along with four city council members. The head of the local government is Mayor Richard Presley.

City council
The legislative council serves as governing head, in conjunction with the mayor, over Maysville and its issues. it was established in March 2010 by House Bill 961.

Qualifications
"The members of the city council shall serve for terms of four years and until the respective successors are elected and qualified. The term of office of each member of the city council shall begin on the first day of January immediately following the election of such member unless general law authorizes or requires the term to begin at the first organizational meeting in January or upon some other date. No person shall be eligible to serve as mayor or councilmember unless that person shall have been a resident of the city for 12 months prior to the date of the election of mayor or members of the city council; each shall continue to reside therein during that person´s period of service and to be registered and qualified to vote in municipal elections of this city.The mayor and councilmembers shall be elected by plurality vote as provided in Section 5.13 of this charter."

Council meetings
The city council holds an organizational meeting on the first Monday of January following each election. The meeting is called to order by the city clerk and the oath of office is administered to the newly elected members. Special meetings of the city council may be held should the mayor request them. All councilmembers must be notified personally, or by telephone, at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting.

Political wards
Maysville is apportioned into four voting wards. Members from the city's council are elected into representing each assigned ward during council meetings.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,798 people, 669 households, and 493 families residing in the town. There were 756 housing units, of which 87, or 11.5%, were vacant. The racial makeup of the city was 93.8% white, 2.2% African American, 0.4% Asian, 1.1% some other race, and 2.4% from two or more races. 2.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 669 households, 35.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.7% were headed by married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.3% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66, and the average family size was 3.13.

In the town, 25.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.9% were from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.

For the period 2012–2016, the estimated median annual income for a household was $37,714, and the median income for a family was $40,313. The per capita income for the town was $18,105. Male full-time workers had a median income of $40,313, versus $33,438 for females. 21.5% of the population and 23.3% of families were below the poverty line. 23.7% of the population under the age of 18 and 14.7% of those 65 or older were living in poverty.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,247 people, 481 households, and 365 families residing in the town. The population density was 346.1 PD/sqmi. There were 529 housing units at an average density of 146.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 95.11% White, 2.57% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.96% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.52% of the population.

There were 481 households, out of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.7% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.1% were non-families. 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $40,714, and the median income for a family was $47,368. Males had a median income of $34,063 versus $24,615 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,153. About 4.5% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 21.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The portion in Banks County is in the Banks County School District. Students there are zoned to Banks County High School.

The portion in Jackson County is in the Jackson County School District.

title: Maysville, Georgia


text:
Auburn, Georgia

Auburn is a city in Barrow and Gwinnett counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 7,495.

History
Auburn incorporated in 1892 soon after the railroad was extended to that point.

Geography
Auburn is located in western Barrow County and is 42 mi northeast of downtown Atlanta and 27 mi west of Athens.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 16.8 km2, of which 16.7 sqkm is land and 0.07 sqkm, or 0.39%, is water.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 7,495 people, 2,436 households, and 1,849 families residing in the city.

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

title: Auburn, Georgia


text:
Bethlehem, Georgia

Bethlehem is a town in Barrow County in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 715. The major employer in town is Harrison Poultry, which is the largest non-government employer in Barrow County.

The town was named after a local church, Bethlehem Methodist Church, and has a strong Christmas theme, with many of the street names being references to the nativity of Jesus, such as Mary, Joseph, and Manger. After the introduction of a 1967 stamp in Bethlehem, the town became known as a popular location for sending mail from during the holidays, as the post office sends letters marked "from Bethlehem."

History
The land that Bethlehem and the surrounding Barrow County occupies was originally occupied by Cherokee and Creek tribes. European settlers first arrived in the area in 1786. The Bethlehem Methodist Church was established in 1796 in what would later become Bethlehem. The church opened an adjacent camp ground that was used between 1851 and 1894 which was used as a troop mobilization center during the American Civil War. The Confederate States Army's 16th Georgia Regiment was formed at the camp ground, and the grounds were used as a refugee camp during the war. During the Reconstruction era onwards the camp ground was used for various religious services. A Christian revival meeting was taking place on August 31, 1886, when shockwaves from the 1886 Charleston earthquake were felt at an estimated MMI intensity of 6. The camp ground is now the current location of the Bethlehem Methodist Church, which was built in 1949.

The area was informally established as the community of Bethlehem in December 1883 as a stop along the Belmont – Monroe line of the Gainesville, Jefferson and Southern Railroad. The stop was named after the local Bethlehem Methodist Church. The church itself was named after the ancient town of Bethlehem, identified in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke as the birthplace of Jesus. The railway line was removed in 1946. Bethlehem was incorporated as a town in 1902 by an act of the Georgia General Assembly "under the name and style of the town of Bethlehem". At the time of its incorporation it was part of Walton County, but later became part of the newly formed Barrow County in 1914, which was created using land previously belonging to the nearby Gwinnett, Jackson, and Walton counties.

In 1986 a 13-year-old Bethlehem Elementary School student made national headlines when he stabbed his principal Murray Kennedy to death with a nail file. Because the white principal was killed by a black student, the incident stoked fears of racial conflict in the community, which were addressed by local black and white leaders in the community. The case drew the attention of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference who helped contribute to the student's defense fund. It also drew the attention of the Ku Klux Klan; 65 members of the Ku Klux Klan held a rally in front of the Winder, Georgia courthouse in protest of the murder. Despite the involvement of the KKK, fears of racial tension in the community itself quickly died out. After being charged as an adult, the student was sentenced to 15 years after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter.

Geography
Bethlehem is located in southern Barrow County, 4 mi south of Winder, the county seat. The town is 24.1 mi west of Athens, Georgia, and 49.1 mi east of Atlanta. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.3 sqmi, with approximately 0.002 sqmi of water. The land in and around Bethlehem forms a watershed that flows into the Apalachee River and Marburg Creek, which itself flows into the Apalachee River. Around 76.4% of the land in Bethlehem is used for agriculture or forestry, followed by 14.8% for residential use.

Climate
The climate of Bethlehem, as with most of the southeastern United States, is humid subtropical (Cfa) according to the Köppen classification, with four seasons including hot, humid summers and cool winters. July is generally the warmest month of the year with an average high of around 90 °F. The coldest month is January which has an average high of around 53 °F.

Bethlehem receives rainfall distributed evenly throughout the year as typical of southeastern U.S. cities, with March on average having the highest average precipitation at 5.12 in, and May typically being the driest month with 3.17 in.

Demographics
As of the census of 2020, there were 715 people, 341 households, and 241 families residing in the town. The population density was 310.9 PD/sqmi. There were 341 housing units at an average density of 148.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 64.11% White, 9% African American, 0% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 0.48% Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 13.63% from other races, and 12.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 49.97% of the population.

There were 341 households, out of which 42.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.2% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.06 and the average family size was 3.99.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 32% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 16% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 118.9 males. The median income for a household in the town was $53,281, and the median income for a family was $59,050. The median income for a non-family household was $38,043. Males had a median income of $30,417 versus $16,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,969. About 2.49% of the population were below the poverty line.

Economy
Bethlehem, as with the rest of Barrow County, has a sales tax of 7%, which is composed of the 4% Georgia state sales tax and a 3% local tax. According to the U.S. Census's American Community Survey 2020 5-year estimate, 57.3% of Bethlehem's population that are 16 years or older are in the labor force. Of these, around 56.26% of the total population being employed, and 1.38% of the total population being unemployed. The largest employer in the town is Harrison Poultry, which opened in Bethlehem in 1958 and is the largest non-government employer in Barrow County with around 1,000 employees.

Holiday postal tradition

Bethlehem's post office is popular during the holiday season for sending cards and letters, as mail sent from there will feature Bethlehem's cancellation mark and cachet, so that holiday mail sent will state that it is sent with "Greetings from Bethlehem." This special Bethlehem cancellation mark is made with a stamping machine called a flier canceler. Bethlehem's flier canceler is more than 100 years old and is the only one still in use by the U.S. Postal Service. The Bethlehem post office's special cachet features the Three Wise Men and the Star of Bethlehem.

Traveling to Bethlehem to send holiday mail is a holiday tradition for visitors of the town and the Bethlehem post office sends hundreds of thousands of pieces of mail during each Christmas season. The post office also has hand-stamps that customers can use to stamp "Christmas Greetings from Bethlehem" on their letters and cards before being sent.

The tradition began in 1967, when the United States Postal Service debuted a special Christmas stamp at the Bethlehem post office with a ceremony that included then-governor of Georgia Lester Maddox and Assistant U.S. Postmaster General Richard J. Murphy. While it was the sixth Christmas stamp produced by the US Postal Service, it was the first Christmas stamp to be produced in the larger commemorative size, which is almost twice the size of the previous Christmas stamp. The stamp was a reproduction of Hans Memling's Madonna and Child with Angels. Despite only regularly employing the postmaster and one other part-time employee in a town that at the time had around 350 people, this stamp was requested by so many people that the town's postmaster hired 43 temporary workers to handle the increased workload caused by people sending in their mail to Bethlehem to be re-sent out with the Christmas stamp's first-day-of-issue date of November 6. The Bethlehem post office ultimately sent out around 500,000 cards and letters during the 1967 Christmas season.

Arts and culture
The town operates a library inside City Hall as part of the Piedmont Regional Library System. Bethlehem has no designated historic districts. The nearby Kilgore Mill Covered Bridge and Mill Site (also known as Bethlehem Bridge ) was built in 1874 and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, and crosses over the Apalachee River, which serves as the boundary between Barrow and Walton counties. Bethlehem hosts an annual nativity pageant during each Christmas season at the town square on Christmas Avenue, below the illuminated large star which represents the Star of Bethlehem. The original star was put in place in 1951 and measured 15 ft across, and was replaced in 2009 with a star measuring 12 ft due to excessive rust and nonfunctioning lights on the original.

Parks and recreation
The town has one designated park, the R. Harold Harrison Community Playground, which includes a playground, walking trail, and covered pavilion. The closest state park is Fort Yargo State Park, located approximately 7 mi north of Bethlehem in Winder.

Government
When the town was incorporated in 1902 it was established that the town would operate as a civil township under a mayor and five councilmen, each with a term of one year. This government style was reaffirmed by an act passed during a 2004 session of the Georgia General Assembly, which added a town clerk to the council.

In the United States House of Representatives, Bethlehem is part of Georgia's 10th congressional district. For representation in the state government, the town is part of the Georgia State Senate's 47th district, and the 116th district for the Georgia House of Representatives.

Education
Public education for students in Bethlehem is administrated by Barrow County Schools. Bethlehem is part of the Apalachee cluster and is served by Bethlehem Elementary School, Haymon-Morris Middle School, and Apalachee High School. High school students in Bethlehem are also able to apply to attend two college preparatory schools in Barrow County, Sims Academy of Innovation & Technology or the Barrow Arts & Sciences Academy. Snodon Preparatory School was located in Bethlehem until its closure in 2019, and served students from grades 9–12. Following its closure, students in Bethlehem have the option to attend a charter school in Athens known as Foothills Education Charter High School on lottery basis. Bethlehem Christian Academy is a private school located in Bethlehem that serves Pre-K through 12th grade.

Media
As part of the North Georgia area, Bethlehem's primary network-affiliated television stations are WXIA-TV (NBC), WANF (CBS), WSB-TV (ABC), and WAGA-TV (Fox). WGTV is the local station of the statewide Georgia Public Television network and is a PBS member station. Bethlehem is served by the weekly newspaper Barrow News Journal, which also serves as Barrow County's legal organ (also called a "newspaper of public record"). AM radio station WJBB operates their main studio out of Bethlehem.

Transportation
Monroe Highway (SR 11) runs through Bethlehem in a north-to-south direction, while intersecting with SR 316 (US 29) inside the town limits, which runs from west-to-east through the town. SR 316 also intersects with SR 81 inside Bethlehem, which also runs north-to-south through the town. Many, but not all, of the street names in Bethlehem are references to the nativity of Jesus and the Bible, including such streets as Angel Street, Joseph Street, Manger Avenue, and Star Street.

The town lacks any form of public transportation and has limited sidewalks for pedestrian use. The nearest airport is the Barrow County Airport in the city of Winder, a small public use airport with two asphalt runways 7 mi from Bethlehem. The closest major airports are Athens–Ben Epps Airport, which is 27 mi from Bethlehem, and Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which is 58 mi away.

Utilities
Electricity in the town is provided by Georgia Power, while water utilities are provided by the nearby City of Winder. Unlike the rest of Barrow County which sources its water from the Bear Creek reservoir in Jackson County, Bethlehem and the City of Winder sources its water from three local sources: the Mulberry River, City Pond, and Fort Yargo Lake. Bethlehem contracts directly with a private trash hauling company to handle disposal of solid waste as a free service to residents. In 2019 the mayor of Bethlehem, Sandy McNabb, cited the lack of sewer infrastructure as "the primary reason for the lack of growth in Bethlehem."

Healthcare
Bethlehem currently has no hospitals inside its town limits. The closest hospital is Northeast Georgia Health System Barrow, also known as NGHS Barrow, which is located in Winder 6 mi north of downtown Bethlehem. Piedmont Walton is located in Monroe 10.5 mi south of downtown Bethlehem. In May 2022 the Barrow County Planning Commission approved the construction of a new Northeast Georgia Medical Center facility in Bethlehem.

Notable people

 * Jody Hice, the U.S. representative for Georgia's 10th congressional district since 2015.
 * Howard W. Odum, American sociologist and author.

title: Bethlehem, Georgia


text:
Braselton, Georgia

Braselton is a town in Barrow, Gwinnett, Hall, and Jackson counties in the U.S. state of Georgia, approximately 43 mi northeast of Atlanta. As of the 2020 census, the town had a population of 13,403, and in 2023 the estimated population was 15,538.

The Gwinnett and Barrow County portions of Braselton are part of the Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Marietta, GA, Metropolitan Statistical Area, and the Hall County portion is part of both the Atlanta and Gainesville, GA Metropolitan Statistical Areas. The remaining Jackson County portion of Braselton is not part of any core based statistical area.

History
The first permanent settlement at Braselton was made in 1884. The town is named after Harrison Braselton, a poor dirt farmer who married Susan Hosch, the daughter of a rich plantation owner. Braselton built a home on 786 acre of land he purchased north of the Hosch Plantation. The land he purchased was later called Braselton. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Braselton as a town in 1916.

In 1989 actress and Georgia native Kim Basinger and other investors bought 1751 acre of the town's 2,000 privately owned acres for $20million from Braselton Brothers Inc, intending to turn it into a tourist destination. In 1995, facing personal bankruptcy, she and her partners sold the land for $4.3million.

Geography
Braselton is located at 34.10917°N, -83.76278°W (34.109167, -83.762778).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 32.4 sqkm, of which 32.2 sqkm is land and 0.3 sqkm, or 0.79%, is water. Braselton has seen its growth from 7.20 sqmi to its current size from annexations into surrounding areas.

Braselton borders the mailing addresses (not city limits) of Gainesville (Candler), Flowery Branch, Oakwood (Chestnut Mountain side), and Pendergrass.

The town borders the city limits and shares a ZIP code with Hoschton.

The Road Atlanta race track has a Braselton address, but is located just north of the town itself.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 13,403 people, 3,779 households, and 3,100 families residing in the town.

Infrastructure
The town operates a police department, a Hall County Sheriff's Office location, post office, and one fire station. Northeast Georgia Health System built a new hospital in the Central/Greater Braselton area that opened in Spring 2015. It's the first net-new hospital in Georgia in 20 years.

Education
Portions in Barrow County are in the Barrow County School District.

Portions in Gwinnett County are in Gwinnett County Public Schools.

Portions in Hall County are in the Hall County School District.

The portion in Jackson County is in the Jackson County School District.

title: Braselton, Georgia


text:
Carl, Georgia

Carl is a town in Barrow County, Georgia, United States. The population was 269 at the 2016 census.

History
The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the town in 1908 under the name "Lawson". The present name of "Carl" was named after the infant son of early settlers.

Geography
Carl is located in western Barrow County at 34.00667°N, -83.81194°W (34.006635, -83.812016). It is bordered on its west side by the city of Auburn.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.8 km2, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 205 people, 90 households, and 59 families residing in the town. The population density was 257.6 PD/sqmi. There were 99 housing units at an average density of 124.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 92.20% White, 2.93% African American, 4.39% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.39% of the population.

There were 90 households, out of which 18.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 4.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.80.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 16.6% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 21.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 122.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $45,417, and the median income for a family was $56,250. Males had a median income of $32,356 versus $23,500 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,948. About 1.5% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.0% of those under the age of eighteen and 10.9% of those 65 or over.

title: Carl, Georgia


text:
Statham, Georgia

Statham is a city in Barrow County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,408 at the 2010 census, and 2,813 in 2020.

History
The community was named after Charles Statham, a University of Georgia official.

Geography
Statham is located in eastern Barrow County at 33.96556°N, -83.59667°W (33.965496, -83.596711), 13 mi west of Athens.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.6 sqmi, of which 3.5 sqmi is land and 0.1 sqmi, or 1.08%, is water.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,813 people, 895 households, and 658 families residing in the city.

Notable people

 * Julius Thompson, teacher and novelist.
 * Michael D. Steele, retired United States Army Colonel.
 * Ronald Cooper, racing driver

title: Statham, Georgia


text:
Winder, Georgia

Winder is a city and the county seat of Barrow County, Georgia, United States. It is located east of Atlanta and is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. The population was 18,338 at the 2020 census.

History
The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Winder in 1893. The community was named after John H. Winder, a railroad builder, and not the John H. Winder who served as a General in the Confederate Army. Before Winder was named Winder it was originally named Jug Tavern.

The first hotel of the Jameson Inn chain opened in Winder in 1987.

The first Doctors’ Day observance was March 28, 1933, in Winder. This first observance included the mailing of cards to the physicians and their wives, flowers placed on graves of deceased doctors, including Dr. Long, and a formal dinner in the home of Dr. and Mrs. William T. Randolph. After the Barrow County Alliance adopted Mrs. Almond's resolution to pay tribute to the doctors, the plan was presented to the Georgia State Medical Alliance in 1933 by Mrs. E. R. Harris of Winder, president of the Barrow County Alliance. On May 10, 1934, the resolution was adopted at the annual state meeting in Augusta, Georgia. The resolution was introduced to the Women's Alliance of the Southern Medical Association at its 29th annual meeting held in St. Louis, Missouri, November 19–22, 1935, by the Alliance president, Mrs. J. Bonar White. Since then, Doctors' Day has become an integral part of and synonymous with, the Southern Medical Association Alliance.

Geography
Winder is located in central Barrow County at 33.99639°N, -83.72083°W (33.996495, -83.720873). It is 20 mi west of Athens and 50 mi northeast of downtown Atlanta.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 33.5 km2, of which 32.2 km2 is land and 1.3 km2, or 3.97%, is water.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 18,338 people, 5,799 households, and 3,885 families residing in the city.

National Register of Historic Places
The county courthouse in Winder was built in 1920, and is listed under the National Register of Historic Places.

Barrow County Museum
The Barrow County Museum holds artifacts of Barrow county. It is the home of the Barrow County Historical Society. The museum located in the old Barrow County Jail.

Public schools
Public schools are part of the Barrow County School District and include Winder-Barrow High School. The district consists of eight elementary schools, four middle schools, and two high schools. The district has 610 full-time teachers and over 9,362 students. The following is a list of schools featured in Winder.
 * County Line Elementary School
 * Holsenbeck Elementary School
 * Kennedy Elementary School
 * Winder Elementary School
 * Yargo Elementary School
 * Arts and Innovation Magnet Program
 * Bramlett Elementary School
 * Westside Middle School
 * Richard B. Russell Middle School
 * Haymon-Morris Middle School
 * Bear Creek Middle School
 * Winder-Barrow High School
 * Apalachee High School
 * Barrow Arts and Sciences Academy (BASA)
 * Sims Academy of Innovation and Technology

Former Schools
 * Winder-Barrow Middle School (closed 2013)
 * Snodon Preparatory School (closed 2014)

Private schools

 * Bethlehem Christian Academy
 * B.C.C.A Barrow County Christian Academy

Colleges and universities

 * Lanier Technical College - (Winder-Barrow Campus)

Major roads

 * Georgia 8.svg State Route 8
 * Georgia 11.svg State Route 11
 * US 29.svg U.S. Route 29
 * Georgia 53.svg State Route 53
 * Georgia 81.svg State Route 81
 * Georgia 82.svg State Route 82
 * Georgia 211.svg State Route 211

Pedestrians and cycling
There are limited walkability options available currently. However, neighboring Clarke, Gwinnett and Hall counties have accessible trails available.

title: Winder, Georgia


text:
Adairsville, Georgia

Adairsville is a city in Bartow County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 4,878. Adairsville is approximately halfway between Atlanta and Chattanooga on Interstate 75. It is 12 mi south of Calhoun, 18 mi northeast of Rome and 61 mi north of Atlanta.

History
Adairsville used to be a small Cherokee village named after Chief Walter (John) S. Adair, a Scottish settler who married a Cherokee Indian woman before the removal of the Cherokee in 1838. It was part of the Cherokee territory along with Calhoun and including New Echota.

After the removal of the Cherokees, the village became part of Georgia, and the residents kept the name Adairsville. One of the town's developers was William Watts, who had a railroad business interest in the town. He had brought the Western and Atlantic Railroad from Atlanta (still in use). He deeded land to the railroad and surveyed business lots including hotels, mills, and blacksmith shops around town. Watts's plan was successful and brought the town the nickname "Granary of the State"; it was incorporated in 1854. He lived in Adairsville in a home built on the foundation of an Indian cabin, on a hill overlooking the town.

During the Civil War, Adairsville was involved on the side of the Confederate States of America in 1861 against the Union. On April 12, 1862, the steam locomotive The General was pursued from Atlanta and passed through Adairsville as its people the Great Locomotive Chase. After that, Adairians set a three-day street festival in remembrance of the Chase. The Civil War came to the town in full force on May 17, 1864, when the Confederate army failed to defeat Sherman and his Union army during the Atlanta Campaign in the Battle of Adairsville. After the Civil War ended in 1865, Adairsville rebuilt and became a center of the carpet and textile industries, and of farm and transportation services, including its famous railroad. Historic buildings still intact in the town include the original train depot, which was involved in the Great Locomotive Chase.

Adairsville is well known for Barnsley Gardens. Now a golf resort, Barnsley Gardens is southwest of the city center. The home was built by Sir Godfrey Barnsley of Derbyshire, England, in the late 1840s for his wife, Julia. She died before the house could be completed, but it is said that her ghost appeared to Sir Godfrey, telling him to complete the work. It was brought about by the visions of Andrew Jackson Downing, the architect who designed the grounds of the U.S. Capitol and White House. The ruins of the great main house remain. Almost lost to time and the elements, the land, including all of the ruins, was bought in 1988 by Prince Hubertus Fugger, who restored the gardens and renovated the grounds into an upscale golf resort.

On January 30, 2013, at approximately 11:30 am, the city was struck by a violent high-end EF3 tornado, leaving one dead, dozens injured, and hundreds of businesses and residences destroyed.

Geography
Adairsville is an exurban city at the northwest edge of metro Atlanta, at 34.36833°N, -84.92833°W (34.368925, −84.928212). U.S. Route 41 passes through the city, leading north to Calhoun and south to Cartersville. Interstate 75 runs through the eastern part of the city, with access from Exit 306 (State Route 140).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 23.6 km2, all land.

Climate
Adairsville's climate is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, it has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,878 people, 1,830 households, and 1,267 families residing in the city.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,542 people, 991 households, and 702 families residing in the city. The population density was 411.9 PD/sqmi. There were 1,103 housing units at an average density of 178.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 72.6% White, 22.5% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 1.5% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.0% of the population.

There were 1,568 households, out of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 78.3% were married couples living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.1% were non-families. 15.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.2% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $71,214, and the median income for a family was $74,828. Males had a median income of $31,123 versus $21,899 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,828. About 16.4% of families and 18.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.4% of those under age 18 and 22.1% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

 * Godfrey Barnsley, 19th-century cotton magnate after whom Barnsley Gardens is named
 * Vic Beasley, 1st Round Pick for the Atlanta Falcons
 * Bobby Cox, Atlanta Braves manager
 * Pretty Boy Floyd, a 1930s Midwestern outlaw, was born in Adairsville shortly before his family left Georgia for Oklahoma
 * Wally Fowler, singer, founder of the Oak Ridge Boys
 * Henry Morgan Green (1877–1939) physician, healthcare leader, and college founder; born in Adairsville
 * Bella Jarrett, actress and author
 * Horace G Martin, inventor of the Vibroplex telegraph key

title: Adairsville, Georgia


text:
Emerson, Georgia

Emerson is a city in far southern Bartow County, Georgia, United States, on highways US-41/GA-3, GA-293, and I-75 (via exits 283 and 285). The population was 1,470 at the 2010 census, an increase of 34% over the 2000 count of 1,092.

Emerson is a gateway to Red Top Mountain State Park, a Georgia state park, which is surrounded by Lake Allatoona.

History
An early variant name was "Stegall's Station". Emerson was incorporated in 1889, and named for Joseph Emerson Brown, the 42nd Governor of Georgia. In 2022, the mayor of Emerson, Al Pallone, and his wife, were killed in a vehicular accident involving a drunk driver.

Geography
Emerson is located at 34.12681°N, -84.75708°W (34.131111, -84.752778).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.95 km2, of which 18.91 km2 is land and 0.04 km2, or 0.22%, is water.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,415 people, 629 households, and 469 families residing in the city.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,092 people, 382 households, and 297 families residing in the city. The population density was 185.0 PD/sqmi. There were 408 housing units at an average density of 69.1 /mi2. The racial makeup of the city was 80.13% White, 17.03% African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.55% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.38% of the population.

There were 382 households, out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.9% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.0% were non-families. 19.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.21.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.6% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,181, and the median income for a family was $41,429. Males had a median income of $29,250 versus $24,375 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,270. About 12.3% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.9% of those under age 18 and 17.9% of those age 65 or over.

Film and television
Emerson has served as the backdrop for many film and television production scenes. The television mini-series Manhunt: Unabomber was filmed in Emerson along with portions of the film The 5th Wave. Old Alabama Road in Emerson has appeared in several Fast & Furious movies.

Schools
Emerson is home to three schools:

 * Emerson Elementary School
 * Red Top Middle School
 * Excel Christian Academy

title: Emerson, Georgia


text:
Euharlee, Georgia

Euharlee is a city in Bartow County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,136 at the 2010 census, an increase of 29% over the 2000 count of 3,208.

Euharlee is a bedroom community of Cartersville, the Bartow County seat which is located 9 mi to the east. They are connected through Euharlee Road, and by a chain of subdivisions and homes. Euharlee is located next to Plant Bowen, which has the second-largest generating capacity of any coal-fired power plant in the United States.

History
Euharlee was originally called Burge's Mill by settlers as early as the 1840s. The town was incorporated as Euharlee by the General Assembly of Georgia on September 16, 1870. "Euharlee" is a name derived from the Cherokee language, meaning "she laughs as she runs", referring to the sound of the Euharlee Creek.

Geography
Euharlee is located in southwestern Bartow County at 34.14722°N, -84.93639°W (34.147174, -84.936445). The Etowah River, part of the Alabama River watershed, flows through the eastern part of the city. Euharlee Creek joins the river just south of the center of town and is crossed by the Euharlee Covered Bridge, one of the oldest covered bridges in Georgia.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.1 km2, of which 13.7 km2 is land and 0.4 km2, or 2.83%, is water.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,268 people, 1,369 households, and 1,100 families residing in the city.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,208 people, 1,004 households, and 863 families residing in the city. The population density was 694.6 PD/sqmi. There were 1,057 housing units at an average density of 228.8 /mi2. The racial makeup of the city was 89.31% White, 7.64% African American, 0.50% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 1.12% from other races, and 0.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.71% of the population.

There were 1,003 households, out of which 55.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.8% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.0% were non-families. 10.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.20 and the average family size was 3.43.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 36.4% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 38.3% from 25 to 44, 14.1% from 45 to 64, and 3.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $53,714, and the median income for a family was $55,912. Males had a median income of $38,382 versus $24,631 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,483. About 1.7% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Places of interest

 * Black Pioneer's Cemetery is an area of downtown Euharlee dedicated to preserving the gravesites of several early African-American settlers of the region.
 * The Euharlee Covered Bridge goes over Euharlee Creek. It is one of the oldest covered bridges remaining in the state of Georgia. It was built in 1889 by Washington W. King, son of Horace King, and was formerly known as Lowry Bridge.
 * The Euharlee Welcome Center and History Museum is local history museum located in historic downtown Euharlee. The museum features an assortment of local artifacts from the early American Indian habitation to an exhibit featuring the area's Civil War history and local institutions.
 * Kingston Saltpeter Cave (not open to the public), located between Euharlee and Kingston, is the largest cave in Bartow County and was used to help produce gunpowder for the Confederacy during the American Civil War.

Schools
Euharlee is home to two schools within the Bartow County school system. Woodland Middle School and Euharlee Elementary School are located on Euharlee Road and are directly across the street from each other.

Euharlee Elementary's current principal is Jim Bishop, and the assistant principal is Amanda Elrod.

Woodland Middle School's current principal is Michael Blankenship, and the assistant principals are Hope McCauley and Ryan Satterfield.

Fall Festival
There is an annual Fall Festival held with the Covered Bridge as the focal point. It is held in October. Local schools are invited to showcase choral and band ensembles throughout the weekend. Crafts and foods are sold by local vendors. There are rides for the children as well.

The festival was increased and relocated from Osborne Park with the completion of Frankie Harris Park behind Emmie Nelson Library at Euharlee in 2005.

title: Euharlee, Georgia


text:
Kingston, Georgia

Kingston is a village in Bartow County, Georgia, United States. The population was 722 at the 2020 census.

Geography
Kingston is located in west-central Bartow County at 34.23583°N, -84.94472°W (34.235749, -84.944648).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.3 km2, all land.

Georgia State Route 293 (Kingston Highway) passes through the center of town, leading southeast 11 mi to Cartersville and west 13 mi to Rome. U.S. Route 411 is a four-lane highway that passes 1 mi south of Kingston, connecting the same two larger communities.

History
Native American tribes once inhabited the area. People of the Mississippian culture were in the vicinity until about 1500 AD. Cherokee removal occurred locally by 1838. White settlers were moved in as early as 1832, after a land lottery. The city was named for John Pendleton King, a United States Senator from Georgia.

On April 12, 1862, James J. Andrews with 18 Union soldiers in disguise, and 1 civilian, having seized the locomotive The General at Big Shanty (now Kennesaw) intending to wreck the Western and Atlantic Railroad, were forced to side-track here and wait for the southbound freights to pass. After a long delay The General continued north. Pursuing from Big Shanty, William Allen Fuller (conductor) led a crew which used a push-car and other means and eventually caught the highjackers.

Confederate hospitals located here during 1862–1864. 250 Confederate and two Union soldiers died of wounds, disease and sickness. These men were wounded in the battles of Perryville, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, and in the Dalton-Kingston Campaign. The patients were moved to Atlanta in May 1864 to avoid capture by the Union, who later used the hospitals. The dead are buried in unmarked graves nearby.

Atlanta Campaign
Union general William T. Sherman made his headquarters in the Hargis House May 16–19, for reorganization of forces in the campaign that would end at Atlanta. Assuming Johnston's army had moved, from Adairsville, directly on Kingston and the river crossings south, May 18, led Sherman to concentrate his forces here—only to discover that Johnston had gone directly to Cassville where, without making a stand, he continued to Allatoona on May 20. Sherman countered on May 23, by moving due south.

On May 18, 1864, Lieutenant General William J. Hardee's corps marched from Adairsville on the road parallel to the Western and Atlantic Railroad en route to Cass Station. He turned east on this road to join General Polk's and Hood's Confederate corps at Cassville which had moved on the direct Adairsville - Cassville Road. Sherman erred when he assumed that all of Johnston's army had marched from Adairsville, as Hardee had, to Kingston. This resulted in his ordering his forces concentrated here—discovering later that the Confederates were 5.5 mi east at Cassville and not at the Etowah River south of Kingston.

On May 19 Union generals Daniel Butterfield and Joseph Hooker, the new XX Corps, were headquartered at the house of Confederate Colonel Hawkins F. Price, a state senator who had voted for Georgia secession in 1861. Hooker had been ordered from Adairsville to Kingston, on false reports that Johnston had retreated there. South of the Price house Hooker discovered that Johnston had gone to Cassville.

On May 19, 1864, the IV Corps, followed by the XIV Corps, reached Kingston at 8 a.m. The IVth turned east to Cassville. A division of the XIVth sent to Gillem's bridge over the Etowah River found no retreating Confederates. Johnston's forces were at Cassville, 5.5 mi east. McPherson's XV Corps and XVI Corps, moving south from Barnsley's, camped on Woolley's plantation 2 mi west. The IV Corps, XX Corps and XXIII Corps were at Cassville.

May 19, 1864, McPherson's army (XVth & XVIth Corps) marched from Barnsley's and camped on the Woolley Plantation. This right wing of Sherman's advance, Kingston to Dallas, crossed the river, heading south, on Woolley's Bridge over the Etowah River, May 23.

On October 11, 1864, while encamped on the Woolley Plantation, the Ohio soldiers of the XXIII Corps voted in a state election.

In 1864, a road southward from Wooley's Bridge (Etowah River) crossed the road near this point and ran to Van Wert (Rockmart) and Dallas. This was the route of Union Major General James B. McPherson's Army of the Tennessee (XVth and XVIth Corps), the right wing of forces under Sherman moving from Kingston to the Dallas front, May 23 and 24. At that time, the church stood at the northwestern angle of the crossroads. Another edifice was erected on the site of the present structure, .75 mi eastward.

Sherman's forces encamped until May 23, when advance across the Etowah River began.

End of the Civil War
The first Decoration Day, or Memorial Day, was observed in Kingston in late April 1865, and has been a continuous observance here since that day, the only such record held by any community in this nation. The first Decoration Day was observed while Union troops still occupied the town, flowers being placed on both Confederate and Union graves that day.

In 2014, Bellware and Gardiner dismissed this claim in The Genesis of the Memorial Day Holiday in America. They point out that the timing of the observance and locations of General Judah and Wofford during April 1865 make the claim untenable.

On May 12, 1865, Confederate Brigadier General William T. Wofford surrendered 3,000 to 4,000 soldiers to Union Brigadier General Henry M. Judah. These were the last significant Confederate regulars to surrender east of the Mississippi. These were mostly Georgians, not paroled in Virginia, North Carolina, and elsewhere. During final negotiations, Gen. Wofford's headquarters were at the McCravey - Johnson residence on Church Street. General Judah's headquarters were at Spring Bank, the home of the Rev. Charles Wallace Howard, 2 mi north of Kingston. Rations were supplied to the Confederate soldiery by the Federal commissary.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 659 people, 248 households, and 191 families residing in the city. The population density was 817.3 PD/sqmi. There were 287 housing units at an average density of 355.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 68.59% White, 29.59% African American, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 0.76% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.52% of the population.

There were 248 households, out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 22.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.6% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 87.3 men.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,083, and the median income for a family was $36,667. Males had a median income of $28,333 versus $22,353 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,319. About 10.4% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.8% of those under age 18 and 18.6% of those age 65 or over.

Landmarks

 * Kingston has a small museum and several historical landmarks related to the Civil War and to the Native American tribes which once lived there.
 * Kingston Saltpeter Cave, located south of the city, is the largest cave in Bartow County and was used by the Confederacy to produce gunpowder during the Civil War. It is closed to public access.

List of Kingston area historic markers:
 * Confederate Memorial Day
 * Hardee's Corps at Kingston
 * Historic Price House
 * 2.5 mi northeast is the Site of the Thomas V. B. Hargis House
 * Kingston Methodist Church. The original Methodist church, with another name at another location, was built in 1845. It was rebuilt in Kingston in 1854, and dedicated by Rev. Lovick Pierce. It was the only church remaining after Sherman's march through Kingston. It opened its doors to all denominations. It also served as Kingston's schoolhouse for many years.
 * Old Macedonia Church, organized 1847
 * Spring Bank
 * Georgia (Bartow County), Kingston The post-war surrender of Confederate Troops took place here.
 * The Federal Army at Kingston

Notable people

 * Rap Dixon, baseball player in the Negro leagues

title: Kingston, Georgia


text:
Taylorsville, Georgia

Taylorsville is a town in Bartow and Polk counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population was 252 at the 2020 census, up 20.0% from 210 at the 2010 census.

History
Taylorsville was surveyed circa 1870 by Edward G. Taylor, and named for him. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Taylorsville as a town in 1916.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.5 sqmi, all of it land.

Climate
Taylorsville has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa), with cool to mild winters and hot, humid summers.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 252 people, 100 households, and 70 families residing in the town.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, the population was 3,796. The population density was 153.3 PD/sqmi. There were 103 housing units at an average density of 68.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 93.45% White, 4.37% African American, 0.87% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.75% of the population.

There were 93 households, out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.5% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were non-families. 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.84.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.4% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $39,375, and the median income for a family was $51,250. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $20,625 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,135. None of the families and 2.1% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 6.1% of those over 64.

Education
Students living in Taylorsville attend schools within the Bartow County School District.

 * Euharlee Elementary School
 * Taylorsville Elementary School
 * Woodland Middle School (in Euharlee)
 * Woodland High School (in Cartersville)

A few students living in a portion of Taylorsville that extends into Polk County attend schools within the Polk County School District.

Healthcare
Floyd Primary Care Center serves residents within the Taylorsville and Rockmart area. The center also holds the Center for Diabetes of Taylorsville.

Four area hospitals serve residents of Taylorsville.

 * Wellstar Paulding Regional Hospital, in Hiram
 * Cartersville Medical Center, in Cartersville
 * Floyd Medical Center, in Rome
 * Redmond Regional Medical Center, in Rome
 * WellStar Kennestone Regional Medical Center, 36 miles away in Marietta

Emergency services in Taylorsville are primarily provided by the Bartow County Fire Department and EMS.

Georgia Power Plant Bowen
Plant Bowen is a coal-fired power station located near Taylorsville. It is approximately 14 km west-south-west from Cartersville in western Bartow County. At 3,499 megawatts, Plant Bowen has the second largest generating capacity of any coal-fired power plant in North America, and the largest in the United States; only Ontario Power Generation's Nanticoke Generating Station in Canada has more generating capacity. Plant Bowen ranked third in the nation for net generation in 2006 producing over 22,630,000 MWh. The station is connected to the southeastern power grid by numerous 500 kV transmission lines, and is owned and operated by Georgia Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company.

Notable people

 * Willard Nixon (1928–2000), Boston Red Sox player
 * Charlie Sproull (1919–1980), Philadelphia Phillies player

title: Taylorsville, Georgia


text:
White, Georgia

White is a city in Bartow County, Georgia, United States. The population was 661 at the 2020 census.

White is located along U.S. Highway 411, 3 mi north of Interstate 75. It is a bedroom community of Cartersville, which is located 9 mi to the south, but they are connected by a chain of homes and retail shops.

History
A post office called White has been in operation since 1890. James Alexander White, the first postmaster, gave the city its name.

The Georgia General Assembly incorporated White as a town in 1919.

In March 2016, the city's police chief, as well as its only full-time officer, were arrested on false imprisonment charges. The arrests left the city with no police department.

The city has a new mayor as of June 6, 2022, Perry Bell, who later died on September 25, 2022.

Geography
White is located at 34.28056°N, -84.74667°W (34.280449, -84.746606).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.5 km2, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 693 people, 258 households, and 197 families residing in the city. The population density was 764.8 PD/sqmi. There were 274 housing units at an average density of 302.4 /mi2. The racial makeup of the city was 94.81% White, 2.89% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.87% from other races, and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.60% of the population.

There were 258 households, out of which 41.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.6% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 31.0% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,458, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $30,500 versus $22,404 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,665. About 13.8% of families and 15.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 17.4% of those age 65 or over.

title: White, Georgia


text:
Fitzgerald, Georgia

Fitzgerald is a city in and the county seat of Ben Hill County in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2020, its population was 9,006. It is the principal city of the Fitzgerald micropolitan statistical area, which includes all of Ben Hill and Irwin counties.

History
Fitzgerald was developed in 1895 by Philander H. Fitzgerald, an Indianapolis newspaper editor. A former drummer boy in the Union Army during the Civil War, he founded it as a community for war veterans–both from the Union and from the Confederacy. The majority of the first citizens (some 2700) were Union veterans. It was incorporated on December 2, 1896. The town is located less than 15 mi from the site where Confederate president Jefferson Davis was captured on May 10, 1865.

Fitzgerald was an early planned city. It was laid out as a square, with intersecting streets dividing it into four wards. Each ward was divided into four blocks and each block had sixteen squares. The first two streets running north–south on the west side of the city were named after Confederate generals Lee and Johnston, whereas the first two on the east side were named after Union generals Grant and Sherman.

After about a year, the residents planned a Thanksgiving harvest parade. Separate Union and Confederate parades were planned. But when the band struck up to play, the Confederates joined the Union veterans to march as one under the US flag. At the time there was increasing reconciliation nationwide between white soldiers of the North and South; historian David Blight notes that outstanding issues of race were pushed aside. In this era southern states had already begun to pass new constitutions that raised barriers to voter registration, following Mississippi's in 1890, and essentially disenfranchised most freedmen and many poor whites. By 1900, Fitzgerald was a sundown town, prohibiting African Americans from living there.

In recent years the unofficial, and sometimes controversial, mascot of the city has become the red junglefowl, a wild chicken native to the Indian subcontinent. In the late 1960s, a small number were released into the woods surrounding the city and they thrive to this day. In 2019, work began on a 62 ft tall topiary statue of a chicken.

Geography
Fitzgerald is located in Southeast Georgia at 31.71556°N, -83.25639°W (31.715432, -83.256464). U.S. Route 129 passes through the center of the city, leading north to Abbeville, Hawkinsville, and eventually Macon, and south to Ocilla, Nashville, and Lakeland. U.S. Route 319 also passes through Fitzgerald, leading northeast to McRae and Dublin and southwest to Tifton.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 23.3 km2, of which 22.9 km2 is land and 0.4 km2, or 1.64%, is water.

Demographics
At the 2020 United States census, there were 9,006 people, 3,346 households, and 1,932 families residing in the city.

Arts and culture
The Dorminy-Massee House is now operated as a bed and breakfast. J. J. (Captain Jack) Dorminy built it in 1915 for his family; the two-story, colonial-style home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Blue and Gray Museum, located in the town's AB&A 1908 railroad depot, houses several artifacts that tell the story of the town's founding. The town also has a city government owned art gallery located in the Carnegie library on the edge of downtown.

Government and infrastructure
The U.S. Postal Service operates the Fitzgerald Post Office. The city is the county seat, hosting the Ben Hill County Courthouse.

Education
The Ben Hill County School District conducts pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of one pre-school, one primary school, an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 217 full-time teachers and over 3,395 students.

 * Ben Hill County PreK
 * Ben Hill County Primary School
 * Ben Hill County Elementary School
 * Ben Hill County Even Start
 * Ben Hill County Middle School
 * Fitzgerald High School College and Career Academy

Wiregrass Georgia Technical College – Ben Hill-Irwin Campus is located on the southern end of the county.

Media

 * WRDO Real Radio 96.9
 * Herald Leader Newspaper (Fitzgerald)
 * WSWG, CBS TV
 * CW44, CW TV
 * WSWG2, My Network TV
 * WOKA Dixie Country 106.7
 * WOBB B-100
 * WSIZ Radio MyFM 102.3 (Fitzgerald) @ 99.9 (Douglas)

Minor league baseball teams
Fitzgerald was home to a minor league baseball team in the Georgia State League from 1948, the league's first season of operation, through 1952. The team was called the Fitzgerald Pioneers. The club had no affiliation with any major league club during the five seasons of operation in the Georgia State League. After the 1952 season, the Fitzgerald Pioneers relocated to Sandersville and became the Sandersville Wacos, which were affiliated with the Milwaukee Braves for the 1953 season. The team ended their last season in 1956, under different affiliation.

Fitzgerald got a replacement team for the Pioneers in 1953 when the Moultrie Giants of the Georgia–Florida League moved to town. The Moultrie club was a charter member of the Georgia–Florida League when it began operations in 1946. After relocating to Fitzgerald and becoming an affiliate of the Cincinnati Redlegs, the new edition of the Fitzgerald Pioneers lasted one season (1954) saw the team name changed to the Fitzgerald Redlegs. After two years in Fitzgerald, the club returned to Moultrie. It ceased operating in 1958 under the name Brunswick Phillies.

After the Fitzgerald Redlegs left, the city was without a team for the 1955 season. The next year the Cordele club relocated to Fitzgerald after ten seasons in Cordele. They changed affiliation back to what were now called the Kansas City A's, and the Fitzgerald A's played for the 1956 season. In 1957, the club again changed its affiliation, to the Baltimore Orioles; the club was known as the Fitzgerald Orioles for the 1957 season. The Fitzgerald team relocated to Dublin, Georgia after the 1957 season and remained a Baltimore Orioles farm team; they played as the Dublin Orioles for the Georgia–Florida League's last year of operation. Fitzgerald has not had a minor league team in the 63 years since.

Notable people

 * Morris B. Abram, president of Brandeis University and civil rights leader
 * Brainard Cheney, author
 * Neal Colzie, NFL defensive back
 * General Raymond G. Davis, USMC, World War II hero, Korean War Medal of Honor recipient, Commander of the 3rd Marine Division in 1968–69 in Vietnam, and Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps 1971–72
 * Abner Jay, blues musician
 * Frances Mayes, author
 * Charlie Paulk, seventh pick of 1968 NBA draft
 * Jason Poe, NFL offensive guard
 * Joe Reliford, youngest professional baseball player
 * Lecitus Smith, NFL guard
 * Forrest Towns, 1936 Summer Olympics track star
 * Jemea Thomas, former NFL cornerback
 * Mary Verner, politician, Mayor of Spokane, Washington

title: Fitzgerald, Georgia


text:
Alapaha, Georgia

Alapaha is a town in Berrien County, Georgia, United States, along the Alapaha River. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 481.

Alapaha developed from a trade settlement on the site of a Seminole village with the same name. The present-day Georgia town of Lakeland was originally named "Alapaha" and existed before the town that now bears the name.

Etymology
The name "Alapaha" was included, along with hundreds of Native American words, in mid-19th-century pronunciation guides as both a river and a village. Even then, opinions differed as to the proper pronunciation of the word, whether it was "A-LAP-Uh-ha," or "A-LAP-uh-haw." These guides offer no speculation as to the word's meaning. There were many variant names, pronunciations, and spellings of the Alapaha River operant in the late 19th century.

Some ethnologists believe that "Alapaha" was the Creek word for "other side;" others believe it was the Timucua language word for "bear." At least one ethnolinguist believed that "Alapaha" is a Creek adaptation of the Timucuan word "arapaha" which meant "bear lodge." A Timucua town named Arapaha apparently gave its name to the river it was located on. Speakers of one or another of the Muscogean languages, which do not have the sound "r", may have changed the pronunciation of the name from "Arapaha" to "Alapaha."

Indian presence and early settlement
The Smithsonian Institution documented the presence of an Indian mound near Alapaha in 1886: "The Alapaha mound is situated 5 mi northeast of the town of Alapaha, on Alapaha River, on lot of land No. 328, fifth district of Berrien County, Georgia. It is 38 ft across, 6 ft above the level, and somewhat oval in shape. In the center of the mound was a burial vault 6 ft deep, 3 ft wide, and 6 ft long, north and south. Two bodies were deposited in this vault with the heads pointing south." It is possible that these remains became part of the Smithsonian collection, as was typical of its archaeological expeditions at the time. This source also gives the location and contents of two other Berrien County mounds south of Nashville, the Withlacoochee mound, and the French Ferry mound.

Early European settlers were primarily Highland Scots Methodist or Primitive Baptist, representing two socio-economic classes, "Jeffersonian yeomen" and a "squirearchy," two distinct divisions of landed farmers created by the Georgia Land Lottery of 1820. Between 1820 and 1840, agriculture was principally sheep and cattle herding. With the advent of railroad expansion in the 1830s a sizeable population of Irish Catholic laborers settled in and around the lower Alapaha River, eventually leading to the establishment of St. Anne's Catholic church there. Brushy Creek Primitive Baptist Church, originally in Irwin County, figured prominently in local affairs up to and after the Civil War. The Primitive Baptists often opposed the Methodist program of "benevolence" toward less fortunate citizens.

The town of Alapaha was established as a depot on the route of the Brunswick and Albany Railroad near where a road leading from Nashville, Georgia to Edenfield, Georgia crossed the Alapaha River. Early railroad maps refer to it as "Alapaha Station." It was in existence by at least 1874.

Boomtown years
The 1880s and 1890s brought an agricultural and industrial boom in forestry, timber, and naval stores. There were several sawmills in Alapaha by 1880, including "Alapaha Steam Saw Mills, established 16 years" which ran a weekly advertisement in the New York Times, boasting that Sloat, Bussell, & Co. were prepared to ship from Savannah or Brunswick "a Superior Article of Long leaf, close-grained, untapped Georgia Pitch Pine," guaranteed never to have been "injured" by turpentine extraction. Alapaha Steam Saw Mills listed its business addresses as 116 Wall Street, New York City, and 76 Bay Street, Savannah.

In 1881, Alapaha received prominent mention in a promotional pamphlet on the excellence of economic opportunity in South Georgia. The pamphlet was published "under the auspices" of the Savannah, Florida, and Western Railroad, the Brunswick and Albany Railroad, and the Macon & Brunswick Railroad, for the benefit of "Timber Men, Lumber Manufacturers, Fruit Growers, Vegetable Growers, Tourists, Invalids, Pleasure Seekers, Travellers, Parties Seeking New Homes, --and--All Who Desire To Better Their Condition." It devoted significant space to Alapaha, calling it "an important wool market," and "a lively and business-like little village," with "six stores with mixed stocks, and three bar-rooms." Its aggregate annual sales reached $100,000, and it had "two physicians, two lawyers, and one dentist" and "a sprightly newspaper." Calling it a "land of promise," the anonymous writer (probably a Mr. Lastinger who was the newspaper editor) wrote, "Bee culture is also carried on; the honey is as rich as that from California."

From the Macon Telegraph, March 24, 1886, in an article titled "At Alapaha. Her New Hotel.  Her Clever Social People.  Her Prosperous Merchants, Etc.,": "...a new hotel, two stories high, nicely fitted up and well kept. Dr. J.A. Fogle, one of the most clever men you would met in a week's hard riding, is the proprietor, but his time is mostly devoted to an extensive practice and to his well-stocked drug store. The hotel is presided over by Mrs. Fogle, a lady of refinement and most pleasant manner, ably assisted by her sister, Miss Fannie Leonard. The table is bountifully supplied with tempting fare, the sleeping apartments are models of cleanliness and comfort, and the attention to guests is prompt and courteous The commercial tourists are fond in their praise of it, and you know they are, generally speaking, a difficult set to please." This building is still intact, and is now a private home.

In the spring of 1897, a catastrophic fire destroyed four uninsured buildings in the downtown section of Alapaha. The Macon Telegraph reported that a bucket brigade of both black and white citizens worked to save the buildings, which had begun to burn after midnight. Lost were a store belonging to H.B. Young, a sewing machine repair business belonging to Mr. Norton, who managed to save his tools and materials, a two-story building owned by J.H. Baker, an old livery stable run by J.S. Turner, and a storehouse managed by W.S. Walker that contained 39 oilbbl of wine, an iron safe, and books and papers. Two of the buildings were owned by a T. Cook. The paper reported that "the cause of the fire is not known, but the general opinion is that someone must have set it on fire."

20th century to present
The 1907 roster of the Georgia Medical Association lists two physicians from Alapaha, W.A. Moore and G.A. Paulk.

Alapaha was the site of a famous Atlantic Coast Line Railroad train wreck on March 26, 1911, when the Dixie Flyer derailed on a high trestle across the Alapaha River, killing ten and injuring many, including wealthy Northern socialites who were traveling to the coast.

On December 30, 1914, a patent application for a "portable shower-bath" with a detailed diagram was submitted by inventor Robert Alex Rutland of Alapaha, and witnessed by E.F. Tiller and W.M. Gaskins, local entrepreneurs. The patent was granted by the U.S. Patent Office on July 20, 1915.

On July 4, 1918, the Alapaha, a wooden paddle-wheeler Ferris-type cargo ship whose dead-weight tonnage was 3,500, registered in Cornwells Heights, Pennsylvania, was christened and launched. The ship routinely transported cargo such as coal between Philadelphia and the French cities of Rouen and Le Havre. The vessel was featured in a New York Tribune headline "Freighter in Distress," reported to be off the Atlantic Coast, "heavy seas breaking over her deck, her steam pipes were broken; her seams had opened up and several feet of water were in her hold." The freighter survived, only to meet with delays during the marine workers' union strikes of 1919.

Alapaha lost four men (of 25 total from Berrien County) in the infamous Otranto troopship disaster off the coast of Scotland, eight weeks before the Armistice ended World War I. Their names and hometowns were published among 200 dead in the New York Times coverage. They were James Malcolm McMillan, Arthur Harper, William Hayes, and B.F. McCranie.

The Alapaha Colored School, one of the historic place listings in Berrien County, was the only school for African American children in the northern part of the county for three decades, starting in 1924. Atypical for rural Georgia, it had four classrooms and two stories, accommodating boys and girls in eleven grades; it closed in 1954 when Berrien County's African American schools were consolidated in Nashville.

A tornado on May 11, 1952, led to national headlines. The business area of the town was decimated and the water tower was smashed. The Red Cross set up field operations, bringing in a director from Moody Air Force Base and a mobile kitchen from Fort Benning.

In 1963, the U.S. Department of Labor won a lawsuit, Wirtz v. Alapaha Yellow Pine Products, Inc., against a locally owned sawmill. At issue were Fair Labor Standards Act violations concerning overtime pay. The case became a minor landmark in labor litigation history; the case is frequently cited as a precedent for denying defendants in similar suits to have their cases heard by a jury.

On October 3, 1966, Army Master Sgt. James Emory Jones of Alapaha, one of the first members of the elite Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observations Group (MAC-SOG), a black-operations unit of the Vietnam War, was killed in a secret attempt to wire-tap North Vietnamese communications lines in Laos. The existence of this secret unit was concealed for many years, as well as its operations outside borders of Vietnam. Jones's entire three-man commando unit was lost; evidence suggests that the unit requested U.S. bombers fire upon its coordinates when they knew they could not escape ambush. Jones's fate and place of death were kept secret for many years, and he was listed as "missing in action" for over two decades.

The 1996 novel The Wonder Book of the Air (ISBN 067943982X) by Cynthia Shearer is set in Alapaha and includes much of the town's history.

Just outside the town is the site where the famous "Hogzilla," a "wild" hog weighing in at about 800 lb, was shot on June 17, 2004, on a commercial hunting farm. The carcass of the hog was exhumed for a National Geographic special.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.0 sqmi, all land.

Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Alapaha has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics
In 2010, its population was 668, though by 2020 its population declined to 481.

Government
Alapaha was incorporated in 1881 by an act (Law #433) of the General Assembly of the Georgia legislature. That act set forth the framework for its municipal government, specifying that there be a mayor, aldermen, regular elections, taxes, licensing of "ten-pin alleys, billiard and pool tables, and other establishments calculated to encourage idleness" as well as "spiritous liquors." The corporate limits of the town were set at a quarter-mile from the junction of Main and Center streets in every direction.

In its entire history, the town has only grown ¾ of a square mile, despite early efforts to promote it for development.

Alapaha's city hall is located in the former depot that once served the Brunswick and Albany Railroad, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, and the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad.

In popular culture
The Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog breed was developed from the Paulk plantation dogs of the area. They were first registered with the Animal Research Foundation by Lana Lou Lane of Rebecca, Georgia in 1986. She gave the breed the name because the Alapaha River ran near her home.

The Alapaha blueberry is a patented rabbiteye blueberry named for the Alapaha River, and tested at Alapaha. Its berries are medium in size and have excellent firmness, color and flavor.

"The Alapaha Blues (The Catfish Dance)" is a song by Brian Buffington.

title: Alapaha, Georgia


text:
Enigma, Georgia

Enigma is a town in Berrien County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,278 at the 2010 census, and 1,058 in 2020. The origin of the name "Enigma" is obscure; the name is itself an enigma. Enigma has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names.

History
Enigma is a small town in South Georgia located in the northwest tip of Berrien County, 9 mi east of Tifton, on U.S. Highway 82. The town was founded between 1876-1880 by John A. Ball. It was not initially named "Enigma". Originally a settlement, it was commonly referred to as "Gunn and Weston" until Ball decided he wanted a real name for this town. Two names, "Lax" and "Enigma", were proposed to state officials for review. Lax was already taken by another nearby settlement, and so "Enigma" became the official name. Enigma is an odd name for a town; by definition it means a puzzle or mystery. Ball said, "It was a puzzle what to name it anyway." The town was incorporated on August 21, 1906.

Ball and his family originated in Raleigh, North Carolina, traveling to Georgia on the Brunswick and Western Railroad. He became the town's first postmaster, and not long afterward, Capt J.B. Gunn from Terrell County, Georgia, came as an assistant. Ball and his son Jim started a turpentine business around 1878. Ball returned to Raleigh to bring back a man named Tubb Daughtry and his family to help run the business. He gave them land to live on and permission to worship as they pleased. The turpentine business soon dwindled, and lumber became the main focus. Capt. J. B. Gunn and Capt. S. R. Weston built a sawmill two miles east of Enigma. H. F. Stewart came to work in the sawmill.

Other businesses opened in Enigma throughout the years, including a grocery, merchandise, and hardware stores. E.F. Bussey set up a merchandise store in a building owned at one time by Gunn. This building also housed the U.S. Post Office and sold coffins on its second story. It was located on the south side of the railroad. The railroad's closest depot was in Brookfield, 4 mi away. Enigma had a doctor's office run by G.R. Parker. There have been three banks in Enigma throughout the years. Two banks were started around 1915 to 1917, and the other one was started in 1973. The People's Bank opened in 1915 and closed in 1916, and the Ambrose-Enigma Banking Company opened on June 5, 1917, and closed around 1920. The Bank of Alapaha opened a branch in Enigma on March 1, 1973, and is still in business.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.3 sqmi, of which 3.2 sqmi is land and 0.04 sqmi, or 1.14%, is water.

Demographics
At the census of 2000, there were 869 people, 313 households, and 231 families residing in the town. By 2020, its population was 1,058.

Education
The Enigma school was located on the north side of town. It started as a one-room school house, then moved to a three-room school house. A large brick building was built in 1926 to serve as a new school, also on the north side, just across from Highway 82. In the fall of 1954 all county high schools were consolidated into Berrien High in Nashville, the county seat. The original Enigma school building was still in use as part of the elementary school when it burned in October 1973. The gymnasium and cafeteria were still standing, and portable classrooms were brought in so the school could continue until it was rebuilt. Enigma Elementary School was never rebuilt, and the mobile units continued serving the school until it closed at the end of the 1987-88 school year. Enigma Elementary merged with West Berrien Elementary School starting with the 1988-89 school year. The new Northwest Elementary School was housed on the old West Berrien campus. Northwest Elementary School was closed in 1994 in the final consolidation of schools in the county. Now all children are bussed to Berrien Primary, Berrien Elementary, Berrien Middle, and Berrien High in Nashville. The Enigma School grounds now serve as the Enigma City Park.

title: Enigma, Georgia


text:
Nashville, Georgia

Nashville is a city in and the county seat of Berrien County, Georgia, United States. The population was 7,029 at the 2022 census estimates. It is called the "City of Dogwoods", as the tree grows in large numbers around the area.

History
Nashville was founded about 1840. In 1856, Nashville was designated seat of the newly formed Berrien County. It was incorporated as a town in 1892 and as a city in 1900. While some say the city is named after Francis Nash (1742–1777), an officer in the American Revolutionary War, many historical articles in the local newspaper claim otherwise.  The Berrien Press published an article in its November 22, 2006 edition under the title of Will the Naming of Nashville Controversy Ever Be Truly Settled? The 2006 article pointed to The Griffin Papers, written in the 1930s, and several articles from The Nashville Herald - December 24, 1909, October 14, 1910, January 19, 1933, June 13, 1935, June 29, 1944, October 12, 1950, November 27, 1952, and March 5, 1953. Every one of these articles, and the 1956 Berrien County Centennial plates all lay claim to Nashville being named after Simon W. Nash, a local citizen of the 1850s and 1860s.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.2 km2, of which 12.0 km2 is land and 0.1 km2, or 1.13%, is water.

Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Nashville has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,947 people, 2,032 households, and 1,217 families residing in the city.

Education
Berrien County students in kindergarten to grade twelve are in the Berrien County School District, which consists of two elementary schools, a middle school, a high school, and a charter school. The district has 172 full-time teachers and over 3,037 students.
 * Berrien Primary School
 * Berrien Elementary School
 * Berrien Middle School
 * Berrien High School
 * Berrien Academy

The city of Nashville is served by a public library, the Carrie Dorsey Perry Memorial Library, a part of the Coastal Plain Regional Library System network.

title: Nashville, Georgia


text:
Ray City, Georgia

Ray City is a city in Berrien County and Lanier County, Georgia, United States. The population was 956 in 2020.

History
Early variant names were "Ray's Pond" and "Ray's Mill". The community was named after Thomas M. Ray, the proprietor of a local mill.

Geography
Ray City is in southern Berrien County, with a small portion extending south into Lanier County. U.S. Route 129 passes through the city, leading north 10 mi to Nashville, the Berrien county seat, and east 8 mi to Lakeland, the Lanier county seat. Georgia State Route 125 leads south from Ray City 18 mi to Valdosta, and State Route 37 leads west 14 mi to Adel.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Ray City has a total area of 3.0 km2, of which 2119 sqm, or 0.07%, are water. Beaverdam Creek flows through the middle of the city, and Batterbee Branch flows through the west side. The two streams join west of Ray City to form Cat Creek, a south-flowing tributary of the Withlacoochee River, part of the Suwannee River watershed.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 956 people, 484 households, and 313 families residing in the city.

title: Ray City, Georgia