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Valdosta, Georgia

Valdosta is a city in and the county seat of Lowndes County in the U.S. state of Georgia. As the principal city of the Valdosta metropolitan statistical area, which in 2023 had a metropolitan population of 151,118, according to the US Census Bureau its metropolitan area includes Brooks County to the west. With a city population of 55,378 in 2020, Valdosta is the home of Valdosta State University, a regional university in the University System of Georgia with over 12,000 students as of 2021.

Etymology
The city of Valdosta had been named after Governor George Troup, for whom Troup County, Georgia, was also named. Valdosta was named after Troup's plantation, Valdosta (occasionally the "Val d'Osta" spelling was used for the plantation); Troup had named it after the Aosta Valley (Val d'Osta) in Italy. The name Aosta (Latin: Augusta), refers to Emperor Augustus. A long-standing rumor held that the city's name meant "vale of beauty."

Incorporation
Valdosta was incorporated on December 7, 1860, when it was designated by the state legislature as the new county seat, formerly at nearby Troupville. The railroad was built to Valdosta that year, rather than Troupville, stimulating development in the new county seat. Many citizens of Troupville had already relocated to Valdosta when the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad was built 4 mi away. The engine known as Satilla No. 3 pulled the first train into Valdosta on the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad on either July 4, 1860 or on July 20, 1860.

Civil War to Reconstruction
The American Civil War began the year after the establishment of Valdosta. During the war, many of its male residents served in the Confederate States Army. Three years after the beginning of the war, women rioted in the city after the refusal of Confederate dollars as legal tender.

During the Reconstruction era, more than 100 freedmen, families of farmers, craftsmen, and laborers, emigrated from Lowndes County to Arthington, Liberia, in 1871 and 1872, looking for a better life. Since before the war, the American Colonization Society had supported the relocation of free blacks to Liberia, an American colony in West Africa established for this purpose. The first group from Lowndes County left in 1871, and were led by Jefferson Bracewell; the second group was led in 1872 by Aaron Miller.

One notable event during Reconstruction was at a political meeting in front of the courthouse. A carpetbagger named J. W. Clift was running for United States Congress and was looking for support from former slaves. During Clift's speech he verbally attacked whites of Valdosta. In response five men planted explosives at the courthouse, planning on setting them off at Clift's next political rally. When other whites arrived at the courthouse unaware of the explosives the five men decided to stop the explosives but some still managed to go off. The explosion was small and no injuries occurred. The five men were arrested and were going to go on trial, but federal soldiers took them to Savannah for trial, which was seen by residents as an overreach of authority and an endangerment for self-government.

As mechanization was introduced, the number of agricultural jobs decreased and Valdosta became more industrialized by the 20th century. The world's second Coca-Cola bottling plant began bottling Coca-Cola in Valdosta in 1897. In 1899, the cotton mill town of Remerton was established 2 mi from the center of Valdosta.

First half of the 20th century

A new courthouse was planned in 1900 to replace the smaller courthouse. Construction began in 1904 for around $75,000. The old courthouse was torn down in March 1904. The new courthouse was completed in 1904, and on April 14, 1905, the first session of court took place in the new courthouse.

In November 1902, the Harris Nickel-Plate Circus' prize elephant, Gypsy, went on a rampage and killed her trainer James O'Rourke. After terrorizing the town for a couple of hours, she ran off to Cherry Creek, north of Valdosta. Gypsy was chased by Police Chief Calvin Dampier and a posse. Gypsy was shot and killed and buried on site. James O'Rourke was buried in Sunset Hill Cemetery in Valdosta.

On July 28, 1907, Valdosta voted to become a dry city; a record $10,000 worth of whiskey was sold on the last day. The city had been wet since its founding.

In 1910, cotton was still important to the economy, and Fortune magazine ranked Valdosta as the richest city in America by per capita income. Soon after that, the boll weevil invaded the South, moving east through the states and killing much of the cotton crop in this area in 1917. Agriculture in this area turned to tobacco and pine timber. In January 1913, the South Georgia State Normal College opened in Valdosta on the edge of town. Over the course of the following century, it evolved into Valdosta State University.

On May 16, 1918, a white planter named Hampton Smith was shot and killed at his house near Morven, Georgia, by a black farm worker named Sidney Johnson who was routinely mistreated by Smith. Johnson also shot Smith's wife but she later recovered. Johnson hid for several days in Valdosta without discovery. Lynch mobs formed in Valdosta ransacking Lowndes and Brooks counties for a week looking for Johnson and his alleged accomplices. These mobs lynched at least 13 African Americans, among them Mary Turner and her unborn eight-month-old baby who was cut from her body and murdered. Mary Turner's husband Hazel Turner was also lynched the day before.

Sidney Johnson was turned in by an acquaintance, and on May 22 Police Chief Calvin Dampier led a shootout at the Valdosta house where he was hiding. Following his death, a crowd of more than 700 castrated Johnson's body, then dragged it behind a vehicle down Patterson Street and all the way to Morven, Georgia, near the site of Smith's murder. There the body of Johnson was hanged and burned on a tree. That afternoon, Governor Hugh Dorsey ordered the state militia to be dispatched to Valdosta to halt the lynch mobs, but they arrived too late for many victims. Dorsey later denounced the lynchings, but none of the participants were ever prosecuted.

Following the violence, more than 500 African Americans fled from Lowndes and Brooks counties to escape such oppressive conditions and violence. From 1880 to 1930, Brooks County had the highest number of lynchings in the state of Georgia. By 1922 local chapters of the Ku Klux Klan, which had been revived starting in 1915, were holding rallies openly in Valdosta.

Second half of the 20th century

On June 26, 1941, Moody Army Airfield opened 10 mi northeast of town as part of the United States' preparation for the country's potential involvement in World War II.

The local economy received an important boost in the mid-20th century when Interstate 75 was routed and built through the area. Many vacationers on their way to Florida found Valdosta a convenient "last stop" on their way to Walt Disney World and the Orlando area. The Interstate's route to the west of the city has contributed to its commercial district shifting from the historic downtown area to near the Interstate.

Valdosta State College was integrated in September 1963. In 1969, Valdosta High School (the formerly all-white school) and Pinevale High School (the formerly all-black school) were merged into one system; integration had begun at Valdosta High School about 1966.

During the Vietnam War, future president George W. Bush entered the National Guard, receiving flight training at Valdosta's Moody Air Force Base in November 1968.

In 1994, Kent and Dawn Buescher opened Liberty Farms Animal Park with a playground, entertainment venue and a collection of animals. An amusement park was added, and in 1996 Liberty Farms Animal Park was renamed Wild Adventures. Wild Adventures expanded with Splash Island Water Park in 2002. The Buescher family purchased a botanical garden and theme park called Cypress Gardens in 2004. Due to damage from three hurricanes and a financial struggle in repairing Cypress Gardens, the Buescher family were forced to sell Wild Adventures to Herschend Family Entertainment in 2007.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Monthly Labor Review, the first automated teller machine (ATM) was installed at a C&S Bank in Valdosta in 1971. That ATM was preceded by one installed in Rockville Centre, New York, in 1969.

Geography
Valdosta is located in central Lowndes County at 30.84667°N, -83.28306°W (30.846661, -83.283101), 15 mi north of the Florida state line. It is about 230 mi south of Atlanta, 138 mi east of Dothan, Alabama, and 120 mi northwest of Jacksonville, Florida. Regionally, Valdosta is considered part of Southeast Georgia, a region bordering Coastal Georgia, South Georgia, and Southwest Georgia.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 94.3 km2, of which 93.1 km2 are land and 1.2 km2, or 1.26%, are water. The Withlacoochee River, a tributary of the Suwannee River, runs along part of the western edge of the city, while the eastern side of the city drains to Mud Creek, flowing southeast to the Alapahoochee River, also part of the Suwannee River watershed.

Climate
Valdosta has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfa), with mild, dry/wet winters and hot, humid summers. Temperatures frequently go over 90 F, but in extreme heatwaves, temperatures occasionally go over 100 F. Snowfall is rare but not unknown. Snow fell in Valdosta most recently on January 3, 2018, but the last significant snowfall happened in 1989. However, light frosts regularly occur between December and February. Valdosta can experience Indian summers in the winter, where temperatures can get quite warm. Very rarely do winter lows go below 25 F.

Demographics
At the 1860 United States census, Valdosta had a population of 166, which has increased since every decennial census. In 2000, the city's population grew to 43,724, and by the 2020 United States census, there were 55,378 people, 21,153 households, and 11,224 families residing in the city, up from 54,518 at the 2010 U.S. census.

The racial and ethnic makeup of the city in 2020 was 34.06% non-Hispanic white, 54.28% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.56% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander American, 3.78% multiracial or another race, and 6.06% Hispanic or Latino of any race. At the 2022 American Community Survey, its population was 55% African American, 35% White, 1% Asian, 2% multiracial, and 5% Hispanic or Latino of any race. Among its racially diverse population, the median age was 29.2.

In 2022, there were 24,837 housing units in Valdosta. Approximately 87% were occupied and 60% were renter-occupied. The majority of its units were single unit family homes and the median value of an owner-occupied housing unit was $152,100. Among its population, 16.8% of the city has moved since 2021; of its movers, 7% relocated from the same county, 6% from a different county, and 3% from another state.

In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $31,940, and the median income for a family was $39,295. Males had a median income of $33,230 versus $25,689 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,003. About 20.3% of families and 28.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.3% of those under age 18 and 13.1% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2022 American Community Survey's estimates, the median household income was $41,365 with a per capita income of $24,946. An estimated 28.4% of the city's population lived at or below the poverty line, and 38% of children under age 18 were considered in poverty.

Economy
Located in the far southern portion of the state, near the Florida line along the Interstate 75 corridor, it is a commercial center of South Georgia with numerous manufacturing plants. The surrounding area produces tobacco, naval stores, particularly turpentine, as well as pine lumber and pulpwood. According to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Valdosta is called the "Naval Stores Capital of the World" because it supplies 80% of the world demand for naval stores.

In the retailing field, Valdosta has one major regional mall, Valdosta Mall, which features national chain anchor stores. Several large stores surround the mall or are near the mall. Valdosta has other notable shopping areas such as the Historic Downtown area with many local businesses, and the Five Points area which has large retailers and numerous national franchise and local restaurants. Moody Air Force Base is located about 10 mi northeast of Valdosta in northern Lowndes County. Wild Adventures, a 166 acre theme and water park, is located 10 mi south of the center of Valdosta in rural Lowndes County. Wild Adventures is owned by Herschend Family Entertainment.

Public libraries

The South Georgia Regional Library operates two libraries in Valdosta: Valdosta Lowndes County Library and Mae Wisenbaker McMullen Memorial Southside Library. Valdosta Lowndes County Library, with over 32000 sqft of space, houses the administrative offices of the library system. Built for $450,000, it first opened in 1968. The Mae Wisenbaker McMullen Memorial Southside Library opened on May 31, 1992. An area businessperson, J.C. McMullen, donated the land used for the Southside Library, which was built as part of a larger library construction program; it was named after Mae Wisenbaker McMullen, the mother of J.C. McMullen.

The first library for African-Americans in Lowndes County began operations in the Walton Building on January 21, 1935, closed in February 1939, and reopened in 1955. In 1963, all libraries became available to patrons of all races.

Museum

The Lowndes County Historical Society & Museum is located at the Carnegie Library of Valdosta, a National Register of Historic Places listed building and Carnegie library, one of 24 Carnegie libraries in Georgia.

Civic center
The Lowndes County Civic Center is a 120-seat multi-purpose arena that can be rented by the public and is often used to host community sporting events. The arena was also an occasional venue for Southern Championship Wrestling and Spinebusters Championship Wrestling.

LGBT pride
The South Georgia Pride Festival is held every third Saturday in September. The first festival was held in 2008 on the front lawn of Valdosta State University. In 2009, the festival became South Georgia Pride and held its festival at the John W. Saunders Park in Valdosta in 2010. Valdosta Mayor John J. Fretti proclaimed September 17, 2011, as South Georgia Pride Day. Since 2010, the festival has grown to over 3,000 people attending. In July 2012, Mayor John Gayle refused to give a proclamation to South Georgia Pride, the only one he has refused.

Minor league baseball
Valdosta hosted several different minor league baseball teams during the twentieth century, and was one of six cities in the Georgia State League which began play in 1906, with the team known as the Valdosta Stars. From 1946 to 1958, the Valdosta Tigers were a "Class-D" minor league team. Valdosta was also home to the Valdosta Trojans which was a "farm" team for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

ESPN's Titletown, USA
TitleTown USA was a month-long segment on ESPN that started in the spring of 2008 and continued through July. Fans nominated towns and cities across the country based on their championship pedigree. A panel reviewed the nominees, and fan voting in May determined the 20th finalist. SportsCenter visited each city in July, and fan voting July 23–27 determined the winner. Due to the Valdosta High School football team's record as well as multiple championships in many sports by Valdosta State University, Lowndes High School, Valwood School, Georgia Christian School, and other academic institutions in the town, Valdosta was nominated as a finalist in 2008 for ESPN's "Titletown USA" contest. On July 28, 2008, with 29.2% of fan votes on ESPN's website poll, Valdosta was named TitleTown USA.

The football team at Valdosta High School has more wins than any other American high school, and is second in overall wins in the country after University of Michigan.

Public schools
The Valdosta City School District holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, consisting of five elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. The school district serves the city of Valdosta and the surrounding communities of Lowndes County. the district has 482 full-time teachers and over 8,294 students. The Lowndes County School District serves communities of Lowndes County outside of the Valdosta city limits. The Lowndes County School District has seven elementary schools, three middle schools, and one high school. The District has a total of 10,728 Students and nearly 600 teachers and staff.

Scintilla Charter Academy is a free public school of choice open to any student who resides in Lowndes county or the city of Valdosta. SCA holds grades kindergarten to ninth grade.

Private schools
Valwood School is an independent college preparatory school north of Valdosta enrolling students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. Several Christian schools offering grades K-12 also operate in and near Valdosta, including Crossroads Baptist School, Georgia Christian School, Lighthouse Christian School, Open Bible Christian School, Highland Christian Academy, St. John Catholic School, and Victory Christian School.

Higher education
Valdosta is the home of Valdosta State University (VSU), founded in 1906 as South Georgia State Normal College for Women. It became part of the University System of Georgia in 1950 as Valdosta State College. It achieved university status and became VSU in 1993 and is one of two regional universities in Georgia.

An extension of Georgia Military College is in the city limits, and Wiregrass Georgia Technical College is located a mile outside of the city limits off Interstate 75.

Also located in Valdosta is Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide: Moody Campus.

Newspaper

 * The Valdosta Daily Times

Radio
AM:

 * WJEM 1150 AM; 5 kW Gospel
 * WVLD 1450 AM; 1 kW Rock (Rock 106.9)
 * WGUN 950 AM; 4 kW Adult Urban Contemporary
 * WRFV 910 AM; 50 kW

FM:

 * WDDQ TALK 92.1 FM Talk radio
 * WAYT 88.1 FM Christian Contemporary (licensed to Thomasville)
 * WVVS 90.9 FM VSU station
 * WWET 91.7 FM (Georgia Public Broadcasting)
 * WAAC 92.9 FM Country
 * WJYF 95.3 FM Christian Contemporary
 * WQPW 95.7 FM Adult Contemporary
 * WJEM 96.1 (repeater of 1150 AM)
 * WGOV-FM 96.7 FM Urban
 * WAFT 101.1 FM Christian
 * WXHT 102.7 FM Pop Hits (Broadcast from Valdosta but licensed to Madison, Florida)
 * WSTI 105.3 FM Classic Soul and R&B (Broadcast from Valdosta but licensed to Quitman)
 * W295AO 106.9 Rock (repeater of WVLD 1450AM)
 * WWRQ 107.9 FM The Beat

Television
Valdosta and Lowndes County is part of the Tallahassee, Florida television market and receives most channels from that city; it also receives some channels from the neighboring Albany market.

 * WSWG channel 44 is the local CBS affiliate licensed to Valdosta and based in Moultrie. The station serves the Valdosta and Albany areas, and includes subchannels offering programming from MyNetworkTV and Me-TV.
 * WXGA-TV channel 8 is the local GPB outlet, licensed to Waycross.

Major highways

 * I-75.svg Interstate 75 (State Route 401) runs north to south through a western section of Valdosta, with access from Exits 11 through 22. I-75 leads north 46 mi to Tifton and southeast 62 mi to Lake City, Florida.
 * US 41.svg U.S. Highway 41 (State Route 7) runs north to south entering the city at the Withlacoochee River being known as North Valdosta Road, and continuing south on North Ashley Street. It branches into two sections at Five Points, US 41 Business / SR 7 Business traveling south down North Ashley Street, US 41 Alternate / SR 7 Alternate traveling south down Patterson Street. At the overpass over the CSX railroad, they join to become US 41 Business / SR 7 Business following South Patterson Street.
 * US 84.svg U.S. Highway 84 (Wiregrass Georgia Parkway) is colocated with State Route 38 and runs west to east bisecting the city and is known as Hill Avenue through the city limits. US 84 leads northeast 62 mi to Waycross and west 43 mi to Thomasville.
 * US 221.svg U.S. Highway 221 follows US 84 and SR 38 west of Valdosta and State Route 31 northeast of Valdosta. US 221 leads west with US 84 17 mi to Quitman and northeast 21 mi to Lakeland.

Other transportation

 * The Valdosta Regional Airport, 3 mi south of the center of Valdosta, is served by Delta Air Lines to Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport as a Delta Connection. There is also a Greyhound bus station.

Pedestrians and cycling

 * Azalea City Trail
 * VSU Walking Trail System

Streetcar

 * In 1898, the Valdosta Street Railway Company secured the right to operate streetcars on Patterson, Ashley, Toombs, Lee, Hill, Central, Crane and Gordon streets. Valdosta was one of the smallest cities in America to have a street railway system. The streetcar operated in the downtown area between 1899 and 1924. The abandoned tracks were removed in the 1940s to be used as scrap metal for the war effort.

Intercity rail
For several decades the Atlantic Coast Line and the Southern Railway ran regular passenger trains on a Chicago to Florida circuit, making stops in Valdosta, albeit at different stations. The Atlantic Coast Line ran the South Wind through Valdosta, and the Southern operated the Ponce de Leon and the Royal Palm through the town.

After Amtrak assumed passenger rail operations in the United States in 1971 it operated the Floridian from Chicago to St. Petersburg and Miami. In a group of several train disestablishments in 1979, Amtrak discontinued the Floridian, thus marking the last time that passenger trains served south Georgia (excepting the New York-Florida service in eastern Georgia).

Notable people

 * Michelle Anderson, president of Brooklyn College and a scholar on rape law
 * Alex W. Bealer, Atlanta blacksmith and author; born in Valdosta in 1921
 * Alfred Corn, poet and essayist; raised in Valdosta
 * Doc Holliday, Western dentist, gunfighter and gambler; spent his youth in Valdosta
 * Louis Lomax, African-American journalist and the son of a leading local educator
 * James Lord Pierpont, composer of "Jingle Bells"; lived many years in Valdosta, where he taught music
 * Elsie Quarterman, plant biologist and professor of biology at Vanderbilt University; born in Valdosta in 1910
 * Mary Turner, African-American lynching victim

Entertainment

 * Rhett Akins, country artist, two-time Songwriter of the Year, member of the Peach Pickers writing trio and his son, Thomas Rhett, country music artist
 * Don Fleming, indie rock musician and producer
 * From First to Last (Matt Good, Derek Bloom and Travis Richer), post-hardcore band
 * Ben Hayslip, two-time Country Music Songwriter of the Year. Member of The Peach Pickers along with Valdosta native Rhett Akins
 * Bill Hicks, comedian; born in Valdosta
 * NewSong, Christian band
 * Margaret Pardee, violinist and violin teacher
 * Pauley Perrette, actress best known for NCIS; attended Valdosta State University
 * Billy Joe Royal, country music and pop artist; born in Valdosta
 * Sonny Shroyer, actor best known for role as Enos Strate on The Dukes of Hazzard; born in Valdosta
 * Domonique Simone, adult film star
 * Pierce Wallace, ESPN Fan Hall of Fame and television personality
 * Demond Wilson, minister and TV actor best known for playing Lamont on Sanford and Son
 * William Workman, opera singer

Sports

 * Briny Baird, professional golfer on PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour
 * Buck Belue, former Valdosta High School standout and quarterback of the University of Georgia's 1980 national championship team, now a radio talk show host
 * Dusty Bonner, VSU quarterback, later played for Kentucky, NFL's Atlanta Falcons and arena football league
 * Dana Brinson, former NFL player
 * Vincent Burns, NFL defensive tackle (Indianapolis Colts)
 * Lorenzo Cain, MLB center fielder
 * Ellis Clary, former Major League Baseball (MLB) player, coach, and scout
 * Buck Coats, former MLB player
 * Pepper Daniels, baseball player in the Negro leagues
 * William "Red" Dawson, only surviving coach of the 1970 Marshall tragedy, chronicled in the movie We Are Marshall
 * Harris English, professional golfer on the PGA Tour
 * Dot Fulghum, played in MLB for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1921
 * Willie Gary, NFL, St. Louis Rams, played in Super Bowl XXXVI
 * Randall Godfrey, NFL linebacker, Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks and San Diego Chargers
 * DL Hall, MLB prospect and former first-round pick
 * Brice Hunter, NFL wide receiver, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
 * Sean Kazmar Jr., former MLB player
 * Malcolm Mitchell, NFL wide receiver, New England Patriots
 * Kenny Moore II, NFL player
 * Todd Peterson, former NFL player
 * Jay Ratliff, NFL nose tackle, Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears
 * Greg Reid, former Florida State and Valdosta State football player, now plays for Arena Football League team, Tampa Bay Storm
 * Desmond (Desi) Relaford, MLB infielder
 * Stan Rome, NFL player, Kansas City Chiefs (1979–1982)
 * Coleman Rudolph, football player, Georgia Tech and NFL's New York Giants and Jets
 * Glenn Schumann, football coach who is currently the co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach for the Georgia Bulldogs
 * Telvin Smith, NFL linebacker, played for Florida State Football, before being drafted to the Jacksonville Jaguars

Politics

 * Allen Boyd, served as a Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida from 1997 to 2011
 * Charlie Norwood, served as a Republican congressman from Georgia from 1995 to 2007
 * Melvin E. Thompson, the 71st governor of Georgia, retired and died in Valdosta

Valdosta in fiction

 * Parts of Fannie Flagg's novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe and the 1991 film based upon the novel are set in Valdosta.
 * In Allen Steele's science fiction novel Coyote Frontier, Valdosta in the year 2070 is the site of Camp Buchanan, an internment camp for dissident liberal intellectuals.
 * Scenes from Ernest in the Army take place in Valdosta, even though the entire film was shot in South Africa.
 * Scenes from the film Zombieland, starring Woody Harrelson, were shot on Valdosta streets and at nearby Wild Adventures theme park.
 * In Cotton Patch Gospel, Joe moves Jesus and the rest of the family to Valdosta when Herod dies.
 * The Lady Chablis performed in Valdosta in the novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt.
 * The 1986 movie As Summers Die starring Bette Davis and Jamie Lee Curtis was filmed in Valdosta.
 * In John Steinbeck's novel East of Eden, Adam Trask stops in Valdosta to steal supplies and request money from his brother Charles after escaping from a Florida chain gang on his way back to Connecticut.
 * In the movie The Further Adventures of Tennessee Buck, the title character claims that they are heading towards "the roughest country this side of Valdosta, Georgia".
 * One of the opening sketches of the second episode of the first season of the sketch comedy series Mr. Show with Bob and David features a Dixiecrat senator, played by Bob Odenkirk, attending a folk festival in Valdosta and ordering it shut down when he decides the featured exhibits are too suggestive.

title: Valdosta, Georgia


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Dahlonega, Georgia

Dahlonega is the county seat of Lumpkin County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 5,242, and in 2018 the population was estimated to be 6,884.

Dahlonega is located at the north end of Georgia highway 400, a freeway which connects Dahlonega to Atlanta. Dahlonega was named as one of the best places to retire by the publication Real Estate Scorecard.

Dahlonega was the site of the first major Gold Rush in the United States beginning in 1829. The Dahlonega Gold Museum Historic Site which is located in the middle of the public square, was originally built in 1836 as the Lumpkin County Courthouse. In 1849, when local gold miners were considering heading west to join the California Gold Rush, Dr. Matthew Fleming Stephenson, the assayer at the Dahlonega Branch Mint, tried to persuade miners to stay in Dahlonega. Standing on the courthouse balcony and pointing at the distant Findley Ridge, Dr. Stephenson was recalled in his speech as saying: "Why go to California? In yonder hill lies more riches than anyone ever dreamed of. There's millions in it," This phrase was repeated by those miners who did make the journey to California and was shared in the mining camps of the west. Years later, the young Samuel Clemens, better known as the author Mark Twain, also heard of Stephenson's phrase. Twain was so enthralled by the phrase "There's Millions In It," that he used it frequently in his book The Gilded Age. Over time, the phrase has been misquoted to the better-known "Thar's gold in them thar hills."

The Georgia Gold Rush
In 1829, the first documented discovery of gold was made in Georgia. As news of the discovery spread, thousands of would be get rich quick men flooded into the mountains looking for the yellow metal in the creeks and rivers. At that time in history, the frontier of Georgia bordered the Cherokee Nation. During the winter of 1829–1830, white gold prospectors began illegally crossing the Chestatee River into the Cherokee Nation in search of gold. After objections were made to the Federal Indian Agent in the territory, United States troops were sent in to forcibly remove the gold miners from the nation.

By 1831, Governor Gilmer (and later Wilson Lumpkin) of Georgia realized that it was impossible to remove the thousands of miners who had intruded into the Cherokee Nation. Gilmer saw an opportunity to claim the remaining Cherokee lands as part of Georgia. In 1832, the Georgia legislature voted to create ten new counties out of the former Cherokee Nation without regard to their sovereignty. Lumpkin County named after Governor Wilson Lumpkin, was created in December 1832. A year later the town of Taloneka or Talonega was named as the new county seat on December 21, 1833. The spelling was later changed to Dahlonega, derived from the Cherokee word meaning "yellow."

The spelling of the Cherokee word Da-lo-ni-ge-i was disputed by early correspondents; Featherstonhough, for example, wrote it as "Tahlonekay". The proper pronunciation of Dahlonega is (Dah-loe-nee-gee or Dah-lone-gay) in the Western Dialect of the Cherokee language. Da-lo-ni-ge'i does not mean gold but it simply means, Yellow.

Naming the city
The city was named "Talonega" by the Georgia General Assembly on December 21, 1833. The name was changed from Talonega by the Georgia General Assembly on December 25, 1837, to "Dahlonega", from the Cherokee-language word Dalonige, meaning "yellow" or "gold".

The Dahlonega Branch Mint
Due to the abundance of gold which was discovered in North Georgia, the United States Treasury Department decided to build a branch mint in Dahlonega. This allowed local miners a place to bring their gold deposits in exchange for hard currency. The Dahlonega branch mint was built in 1838 and operated from 1838 to 1861. The Dahlonega Mint, like the one also established in 1838 in Charlotte, North Carolina, minted only gold coins, in denominations of $1.00, $2.50 (quarter eagle), $3.00 (1854 only) and $5.00 (half eagle). It was cost-effective in consideration of the economics, time, and risk of shipping gold to the main mint in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Dahlonega Mint was a small operation, usually accounting for only a small fraction of the gold coinage minted annually in the US.

In 1861, when the Civil War began, the mint closed due to lack of materials and manpower. After the war the U.S. government decided against re-opening the facility. By then, the U.S. government had established a mint in San Francisco. Given the large amount of gold discovered in California from the late 1840s on, the San Francisco and Philadelphia mints handled the national needs of coin minting. As a result, surviving Dahlonega coinage is today highly prized in American numismatics.

The University of North Georgia

After the end of the Civil War in 1865, the Dahlonega Branch mint remained closed. The building served as a barracks for US troops garrisoned here, and as a school for freed black students. In 1871, Hon. William P. Price, who had been elected to Congress from Dahlonega, petitioned the government to re-purpose the vacant mint building into a college. In 1873, the newly founded North Georgia Agricultural College, opened its doors from the ashes of the original Dahlonega Branch Mint. Over the years as the college grew, the names have changed from the original North Georgia Agricultural College, North Georgia College, North Georgia College and State University and the current designation as the University of North Georgia.

Wine and tourism
In recent years, Dahlonega and Lumpkin County have been recognized as "the heart of the North Georgia Wine Country". The county features multiple vineyards and five licensed wineries that attract many tourists.

The historic Dahlonega Square is a popular destination, with gift shops, restaurants, art galleries and studios, and wine-tasting rooms. In 2015, Senator Steve Gooch introduced Georgia Senate Resolution 125 officially recognizing Lumpkin County as the Wine Tasting Room Capital of Georgia.

The city's local festivals draw many visitors. "Bear on the Square", an annual three-day festival held the third weekend in April, marks the day that a black bear wandered onto the square. It features bluegrass and old-time music. "Gold Rush Days", an annual two-day event the third weekend in October, attracts over 200,000 people.

Dahlonega is home to the Holly Theatre.

Dockery Lake Recreation Area is located 12 miles North of Dahlonega, a US Forest Service campground on a man-made lake stocked with trout.

Historical marker
Located at 384 Mountain Drive, WPA Historical Marker 19 B-7 explains:

This court house, built in 1836, replaced the small structure used since the establishment of Lumpkin County in 1832. The town was named Dahlonega in October, 1833, for the Cherokee word Talonega meaning "golden."

From its steps in 1849, Dr. M.F. Stephenson, assayer at the Mint, attempted to dissuade Georgia miners from leaving to join the California Gold Rush. His oration gave rise to the sayings: "There's millions in it," and "Thar's gold in them thar hills."

Geography
Dahlonega is located in central Lumpkin County at 34.5325°N, -83.985°W (34.5325, −83.9850). U.S. Route 19 passes through the east side of the city, leading north 34 mi to Blairsville and south 65 mi to Atlanta. Georgia State Route 400, a freeway which runs concurrently with US-19 to Atlanta, has its northern terminus 5 mi south of the center of Dahlonega. State Routes 9 and 52 run concurrently around the south side of Dahlonega, joining US 19 on the southeast side. State Route 9 leads southwest 14 mi to Dawsonville, while State Route 52 leads west 18 mi to Amicalola Falls State Park. To the east State Route 52 leads 16 mi to Clermont.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.9 km2, of which 0.14 sqkm, or 0.60%, are water. The city is centered on a low ridge, with the west side draining to Cane Creek and the east side to Yahoola Creek. Both creeks flow south to the Chestatee River, part of the Chattahoochee River watershed. 1720 ft Crown Mountain is in the southern part of the city.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 7,537 people, 1,873 households, and 1,086 families residing in the city.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 5,242 people and 2,392 households. The population density was 568.1 PD/sqmi. There were 1,181 housing units at an average density of 184.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 91.3% White, 3.1% African American, 0.04% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 2.0% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 6.0% of the population.

There were 1,060 households, out of which 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.1% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.4% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 13.5% under the age of 18, 42.9% from 18 to 24, 19.0% from 25 to 44, 13.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females, there were 73.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 69.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,636, and the median income for a family was $44,904. Males had a median income of $30,500 versus $22,917 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,572. About 11.4% of families and 24.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.4% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.

Lumpkin County School District
The Lumpkin County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of three elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 215 full-time teachers and over 3,511 students.
 * Cottrell Elementary School
 * Long Branch Elementary School
 * Blackburn Elementary School
 * Lumpkin County Middle School
 * Lumpkin County High School

Higher education
Dahlonega is home to University of North Georgia (formerly named North Georgia College and State University), North Georgia College and North Georgia Agricultural College, the Senior Military College of Georgia and the second oldest public university in the State of Georgia. The University of North Georgia is one of six senior military colleges (along with the Public Campuses of Texas A&M University, the Citadel, the Virginia Military Institute and Virginia Tech, and the Private Campus of Norwich University). The campus' administration building, Price Memorial Hall, is topped with a spire covered with gold leaf from the town. The rotunda dome of the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta is also covered with Dahlonega gold.

Other educational facilities

 * Wahsega 4-H Center, an environmental education center and summer camp owned by the University of Georgia and administered through the UGA Cooperative Extension Service Georgia 4-H program
 * Camp Glisson, a year-round retreat camp owned by the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church

Notable people

 * Sara Christian, NASCAR's first female driver
 * Steve Gooch, Georgia state senator and majority whip
 * Dallas Kinney, Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer
 * Guy A. J. LaBoa, lieutenant general in the United States Army who commanded the 4th Infantry Division and First United States Army

In popular culture
There is a Dahlonega Mine Train roller coaster at Six Flags over Georgia.

Corey Smith has a song titled "Dahlonega", in reference to the town and its landmarks, on his album While the Gettin' Is Good, released on June 23, 2015.

Country music recording artist Ashley McBryde directly references the town in her debut single "A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega", which was released in October 2017.

Twin towns – sister cities
Dahlonega is twinned with:
 * 🇵🇱 Myślenice, Poland

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

title: Dahlonega, Georgia


text:
Ideal, Georgia

Ideal is a city in Macon County, Georgia, United States. The population was 407 at the 2020 census, down from 499 in 2010.

History
The town was originally named "Joetown", but when two railroad executives stopped in the town, one proclaimed it an "ideal" place for a railroad station, and the other declared he'd just named it.

The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Ideal as a town in 1906.

Geography
Ideal is located in western Macon County at 32.37306°N, -84.18889°W (32.372918, -84.188822). Georgia State Route 90 passes through the center of town, leading southeast 10 mi to Oglethorpe, the county seat, and northwest 8 mi to Rupert.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.16 sqmi, of which 0.01 sqmi, or 0.95%, are water. It resides at the confluence of Whitewater and Cedar creeks, two spring-fed tributaries of the Flint River.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 407 people, 124 households, and 64 families residing in the city.

title: Ideal, Georgia


text:
Marshallville, Georgia

Marshallville is a city in Macon County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,048 at the 2020 census, down from 1,448 in 2010.

History
Marshallville was founded in the 1820s. It was incorporated as a town in 1854 and as a city in 1953.

Geography
Marshallville is in northeastern Macon County. Georgia State Routes 49 and 127 pass through the city. SR 49 leads southwest 13 mi to Montezuma, the largest city in the county, and north 8 mi to Fort Valley. SR 127 goes southwest out of town with SR 49 but then leads west 21 mi to Rupert, while to the east it leads 13 mi to Perry.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Marshallville has a total area of 3.2 sqmi, of which 0.03 sqmi, or 1.01%, are water.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,048 people, 560 households, and 309 families residing in the city.

title: Marshallville, Georgia


text:
Montezuma, Georgia

Montezuma is a city in Macon County, Georgia (ZIP code 31063). The population was 3,047 at the 2020 census, down from 3,460 in 2010. It is home to the armory of Bravo Company, 648th Engineers of the Georgia Army National Guard.

History
Montezuma had its start in 1851, when the railroad was extended to that point. The city was named after the famous Aztec leader by soldiers returning from the Mexican American War and was incorporated in 1854.

Montezuma is home to a thriving Mennonite community, founded when 10 to 15 Mennonite families moved from Virginia in the 1950s.

Geography
Montezuma is in south-central Macon County, on the east side of the Flint River. It is bordered to the west across the river by Oglethorpe, the Macon county seat. Several state highways converge in Montezuma. State Route 26 (Walnut Street) passes through the south side of the city, leading east 35 mi to Hawkinsville and west past Oglethorpe 18 mi to Ellaville. State Route 90 passes through the center of Montezuma, leading southeast 21 mi to Vienna and northwest 20 mi to Rupert. State Route 49 also passes through the city center, leading northeast 13 mi to Marshallville and southwest 11 mi to Andersonville.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.6 sqmi, of which 0.07 sqmi, or 1.49%, are water.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,047 people, 1,276 households, and 898 families residing in the city.

Education
Education is provided by the Macon County School District. Macon County Middle School, and Macon County High School, are both located in Montezuma.

Notable people

 * Jim Colzie, baseball player in the Negro leagues
 * J. Griffen Greene, educator
 * Roquan Smith, NFL All-Pro Linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens

title: Montezuma, Georgia


text:
Oglethorpe, Georgia

Oglethorpe is a city in Macon County, Georgia, United States. The population was 995 at the 2020 census, down from 1,328 in 2010. The city is the county seat of Macon County. It was named for Georgia's founder, James Oglethorpe.

History
Oglethorpe was founded in 1838. It was located in the Black Belt of Georgia, where slaves outnumbered whites and did the work to support cultivation of cotton as a commodity crop. Oglethorpe was incorporated as a town in 1849 and as a city in 1852. In 1857, the seat of Macon County was transferred to Oglethorpe from Lanier.

Oglethorpe was once one of the largest cities in southwestern Georgia. Epidemics of malaria and smallpox caused high fatalities in the early 1860s; the remaining residents in Oglethorpe fled south to Americus to escape more disease.

Geography
Oglethorpe is located in south-central Macon County at 32.29333°N, -84.0625°W (32.293328, -84.062616). It sits on high ground west of the Flint River, which forms the boundary between Oglethorpe and the larger city of Montezuma.

Georgia State Route 49 passes through the center of town as Chatham Street. It leads east into Montezuma and northeast 15 mi to Marshallville, while to the southwest it leads 20 mi to Americus. State Route 90 enters from the north on North Randolph Street and Sumter Street and leaves to the east on Chatham Street. It connects Oglethorpe with Rupert 18 mi to the northwest and with Vienna 23 mi to the southeast. State Route 128 leaves Oglethorpe to the north with SR 90 but leads 19 mi to Reynolds. State Route 26 (Riverview Drive) passes through the south side of Oglethorpe, leading east through Montezuma 36 mi to Hawkinsville and west 17 mi to Ellaville.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Oglethorpe has a total area of 2.1 sqmi, of which 0.05 sqmi, or 2.34%, are water.

Demographics
Oglethorpe first appeared in the 1850 U.S. census.

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 995 people, 561 households, and 351 families residing in the city.

Macon County School District
The Macon County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of one elementary school, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 129 full-time teachers and over 2,200 students.
 * Macon County Elementary School
 * Macon County Middle School
 * Macon County High School

title: Oglethorpe, Georgia


text:
Carlton, Georgia

Carlton is a city in Madison County, Georgia, United States. The population was 263 at the 2020 census.

History
An early variant name of Carlton was "Berkeley", to avoid confusion with Carrollton, Georgia. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Carlton in 1892.

Geography
Carlton is located in southeastern Madison County. The city lies along former Georgia State Route 72, 5 mi east of Comer and 12 mi southwest of Elberton. The South Fork of the Broad River flows just south of Carlton, reaching the Broad River 3 mi east of town. Watson Mill Bridge State Park, on the South Fork, is 2.5 mi southwest of Carlton.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.0 sqmi, of which 0.003 sqmi, or 0.30%, are water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 233 people, 100 households, and 65 families residing in the city. The population density was 232.3 PD/sqmi. There were 118 housing units at an average density of 117.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 74.25% White, 22.75% African American, 1.72% Asian, and 1.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.43% of the population.

There were 100 households, out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.0% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,250, and the median income for a family was $29,583. Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $20,625 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,303. About 14.3% of families and 19.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.2% of those under the age of eighteen and 26.8% of those 65 or over.

title: Carlton, Georgia


text:
Colbert, Georgia

Colbert is a city in Madison County, Georgia, United States. The population was 630 at the 2020 census.

History
The Georgia General Assembly first incorporated the place in 1899 as the "Town of Five Forks"; it was officially renamed "Colbert" in 1909 by a new act of legislature. The present name is after James Fletcher Colbert, an early settler.

Geography
Colbert is located in southern Madison County at 34.0375°N, -83.21389°W (34.037600, -83.213900). The city lies along Georgia State Route 72, 12 mi northeast of Athens and 5 mi southwest of Comer. Danielsville, the county seat, is 7 mi to the north.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Colbert has a total area of 1.0 sqmi, of which 0.004 sqmi, or 0.39%, are water. The city is drained to the south by Mill Shoal Creek and to the north by tributaries of Brush Creek. Both creeks run to the South Fork of the Broad River, part of the Savannah River watershed.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 488 people, 204 households, and 136 families residing in the city. The population density was 561.5 PD/sqmi. There were 223 housing units at an average density of 256.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 90.78% White, 8.81% African American, and 0.41% from two or more races.

There were 204 households, out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.4% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 28.9% 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 2.39 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,500, and the median income for a family was $46,042. Males had a median income of $26,313 versus $24,844 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,936. About 11.3% of families and 16.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.2% of those under age 18 and 16.4% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture
Colbert is known for its tradition of an Independence Day parade and festival, which draws crowds of nearly 10,000 people every year and has hosted celebrities including Hee Haw's Archie Campbell and fertilizer salesman turned comedian Jerry Clower. In May 2010, Colbert declined to invite comedian Stephen Colbert to the parade despite a petition drive that gathered 499 signatures, because the parade was not deemed an appropriate venue for his visit being a solemn day.

title: Colbert, Georgia


text:
Comer, Georgia

Comer is a city in Madison County, Georgia, United States. It had a population of 1,512 as of the 2020 census, up from 1,126 in 2010. Comer is the largest city in Madison County based on population and total land area. The city is included in the Athens-Clarke County Metropolitan Statistical Area, part of the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs Combined Statistical Area.

History
The present city of Comer was incorporated by an act of the Georgia Legislature on January 1, 1893. The community was named after A. J. Comer, a pioneer citizen.

Geography
Comer is located in southeastern Madison County at 34.06292°N, -83.12495°W. It is concentrated around the intersection of Georgia State Routes 72, 98, and 22. Athens is 18 mi to the southwest; Danielsville, the Madison county seat, is 8 mi to the northwest; Elberton is 18 mi to the east; and Lexington is 14 mi to the south. Comer is located in the Broad River sub-basin of the Savannah River basin. Watson Mill Bridge State Park lies just to the southeast.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.3 sqmi, of which 0.03 sqmi, or 0.80%, are water.

Neighborhoods

 * Downtown
 * Jubilee
 * Clairmont
 * Brickyard
 * Royal Oaks
 * Shannons Place
 * Village Station
 * Arnold Park
 * Spring Stone
 * Hill Street
 * Madison Street
 * Clover Ave
 * College Ave
 * Laurel Ave
 * Hawks View

Major highways
Route 72 Business]] Route 72 Bypass]] Route 72 Spur]]
 * Georgia 22.svg State Route 22
 * Georgia 72.svg [[Georgia State Route 72|State
 * Georgia 72.svg [[Georgia State Route 72|State
 * Georgia 72.svg [[Georgia State Route 72|State
 * Georgia 98.svg State Route 98

Education
Children in the city of Comer attend the following schools for the Comer School Zone, Madison County School District.
 * Comer Elementary School (CES), home of the Comer Comets
 * Madison County Middle School (MCMS), home of the Mustangs
 * Madison County High School (MCHS), home of the Red Raiders
 * Broad River College and Career Academy

The Gholston Fund is an education-directed trust set up by J. Knox Gholston before his death to continue his legacy of funding local education projects in Comer.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,052 people, 391 households, and 251 families residing in the city. The population density was 330.6 PD/sqmi. There were 424 housing units at an average density of 133.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 77.95% White, 20.25% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.38% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.05% of the population.

There were 391 households, out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were married couples living together, 16.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.8% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.04. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 24.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 73.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 70.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,059, and the median income for a family was $40,750. Males had a median income of $33,333 versus $22,969 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,742. About 12.4% of families and 16.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.7% of those under age 18 and 24.1% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Comer is divided into four city districts, each represented by a single elected city council member, elected at-large city mayor, as well as an elected county commissioner who serves one of five county districts.

Elected officials

 * Mayor: Jimmy Yarbrough
 * City Council members
 * District 1 Sherman Mattox
 * District 2 Ron Farren
 * District 3 Tommy Appling
 * District 4 Michael Wilder
 * State Senate District 47 Frank Ginn
 * State House District 33 Rob Leverett
 * US Congress District 10 Mike Collins

Appointed officials

 * City Clerk / Court Clerk: Mary Anderson
 * Assist. City Clerk / Assist. Court Clerk: Donna Hawks
 * Utilities Superintendent: Scott Porter
 * Chief of Police: Dennis Bell
 * Fire Chief: Lee Bales
 * City Attorney: David Syfan
 * Municipal Court Judge: Robert Sneed
 * City Engineer: Tom Sloope

Public safety
Comer is served by the Comer Police Department, led by Police Chief Dennis Bell and with two employees. The city is also served by the Comer Volunteer Fire Department, led by Fire Chief Johnny Bridges. Madison County Emergency Medical Service provides EMS basic and advance life support services. The department is led by Director Bobby Smith, who is also the Madison County EMA director. The city is also served by the Madison County Rescue Service for basic crash rescue and advanced technical rescue services. The department is led by Rescue Chief Mark Perry.

Public housing
Comer has two separate sets of public housing units, managed and run by the Athens Housing Authority. Each housing unit has approximately 15 apartment units.
 * Athens Housing Authority - East (Spring Circle)
 * Athens Housing Authority - West (Ivy Street)

Public utilities and maintenance
Comer Water and Sewer Department and the Streets and Sanitation Department serve the city. Both departments are led by Utilities Superintendent Scott Porter.

Electric service in Comer is provided by Georgia Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, and one customer-owned electric cooperative, Jackson EMC. Water utility and sewer service is provided by the City of Comer Water and Sewer Department. Garbage collection is provided by AAA Sanitation. Natural gas is supplied by Atlanta Gas Light through various marketers within the deregulated market. Telephone and hardline internet service is provided by either Windstream or Charter Communications depending on where one lives in the city.

Healthcare
Comer Health and Rehabilitation Center is a 24/7 short or long term personal care facility that offers physical therapy, in-house wound care and restorative care. Comer Health and Rehabilitation is a subsidiary of Ethica Health and Retirement Services.

Jubilee Partners
A sister program to Habitat for Humanity, Jubilee Partners is a 258 acre Christian service community located on Jubilee Road in Comer. It was founded in 1979 by a small group of people from Koinonia Farms in Americus, Georgia, who wanted to establish a community in northeast Georgia that would function similar to the Americus community.

Notable People

 * Keith Strickland, musician, composer, and founding member of the B-52s.

title: Comer, Georgia


text:
Danielsville, Georgia

Danielsville is a city in Madison County, Georgia, United States. The population was 654 at the 2020 census, up from 560 in 2010. The city is the county seat of Madison County.

History
Danielsville was named for General Allen Daniel (1772–1836), major-general of the Fourth Division of Georgia Militia 1812-17 and both state senator and representative from Elbert and Madison counties. He was Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives in 1822. His father was at one time thought to be a Captain Allen Daniel of Virginia, a veteran of the Revolutionary War, but this has been disproved. In 1812, Danielsville was designated seat of the newly formed Madison County. Danielsville was incorporated as a town in 1817 and as a city in 1908.

Lynching of Lent Shaw
On April 11, 1936, a 45-year-old Black father of eleven children, called Lent Shaw in newspaper accounts as his name is misspelled in court documents, was arrested by Madison County police and taken to the county jail in Danielsville. His accuser, a white woman aged 22, alleged that Shaw was the man who had attacked her on April 10. Shaw claimed that he was at home at the time of the alleged attack.

By late evening, word had spread of Shaw's arrest, and a mob of about 150 white county residents gathered at the jail, demanding Shaw be released to them. Sheriff T. L. Henley tried to break up the mob unsuccessfully. The mob began prying apart the brick wall of the jail when 74-year-old judge Berry Mosely, who had been confined to bed with an illness, arrived and began talking down the mob. In the meantime, the county sheriff began rounding up deputies and called in nearby National Guard soldiers. Judge Mosely ordered the sheriff to take Shaw to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. When the National Guard soldiers arrived, they backed a truck up to the jail and sped away to Athens before the mob could react. No one was severely injured in the incident, but the damaged jail had to be repaired. During transit, Shaw allegedly assaulted police officers escorting him, and the police responded by shooting him three times.

Two weeks later, Shaw was brought back to Danielsville to face trial. The mob reappeared, and Mosely again ordered Shaw moved away for his safety, this time to Royston. That location was not far enough to protect him from the mob, which followed Shaw to the jail there. In April 1936, in the middle of the night, the mob stormed the jail, shot Shaw multiple times, and lynched him, leaving his hanging body to be found later. His lynchers posed for pictures memorializing the barbaric event. His death was the 468th lynching in Georgia since 1889.

Images of the lynching, featuring Shaw's battered corpse flanked by his attackers, were printed extensively by the national press including the Atlanta Daily World, The Crisis, The New York Times, and other newspapers. Shaw's lynching is referenced in archival material from the NAACP archives at the Library of Congress, and the story has been preserved and explored by historians of racial violence including Dr. Nell Irvin Painter and Dr. Amy Louise Wood. Photographs of the lynching are also featured in author Richard Wright's landmark book, 12 Million Black Voices. To date, none of Shaw's murderers have been publicly identified or brought to justice, though many of their faces are clearly displayed in photos of the lynching.

Geography
Danielsville is located in central Madison County at 34.12417°N, -83.21639°W (34.124244, -83.216496). The city lies 15 mi northeast of Athens and the same distance southwest of Royston along U.S. Route 29. Georgia State Route 98 passes through the northeastern part of Danielsville, leading northwest 5 mi to Ila and southeast 8 mi to Comer.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Danielsville has a total area of 1.5 sqmi, of which 0.03 sqmi, or 2.30%, are water. The city is drained to the south by tributaries of the South Fork of the Broad River, part of the Savannah River watershed.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 457 people, 193 households, and 119 families residing in the city. The population density was 412.4 PD/sqmi. There were 216 housing units at an average density of 194.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 95.40% White, 2.19% Black or African American, 0.44% Native American, 1.09% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. 3.50% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 193 households, out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.3% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.8% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 34.1% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,639, and the median income for a family was $43,542. Males had a median income of $30,469 versus $22,188 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,086. About 8.8% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.7% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.

Madison County School District
The Madison County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of five elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 290 full-time teachers and over 4,621 students.
 * Colbert Elementary School
 * Comer Elementary School
 * Danielsville Elementary School
 * Hull-Sanford Elementary School
 * Ila Elementary School
 * Madison County Middle School
 * Madison County High School
 * Broad River College and Career Academy.

Notable people

 * Crawford W. Long, the man who first used ether in surgery, born in Danielsville
 * Jake Westbrook, American Major League baseball player

title: Danielsville, Georgia


text:
Hull, Georgia

Hull is a city in Madison County, Georgia, United States. The population was 230 at the 2020 census, up from 198 in 2010.

History
The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Hull as a town in 1905. The community most likely was named after Reverend Hope Hull, a Methodist Church leader.

Geography
Hull is located in southwestern Madison County at 34.01333°N, -83.29444°W (34.013201, -83.294470). It is bordered to the southwest by Clarke County (the city of Athens).

Georgia State Route 72 passes through the center of town, leading southwest 6 mi to the center of Athens and east-northeast 5 mi to Colbert.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.3 sqmi, of which 0.001 sqmi, or 0.31%, are water. The city sits on a ridge which is drained to the north by South Creek and to the south by Sulphur Spring Branch, both part of the watershed of the South Fork of the Broad River and of the Savannah River basin.

Hull is known as "The Well City", from a long-standing water well in the center of town.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 160 people, 70 households, and 42 families residing in the city. The population density was 483.7 PD/sqmi. There were 78 housing units at an average density of 235.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 86.88% White, 8.12% African American, 0.62% Native American, 4.38% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.00% of the population.

There were 70 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.84.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,250, and the median income for a family was $30,417. Males had a median income of $25,625 versus $19,792 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,942. About 18.9% of families and 20.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.3% of those under the age of eighteen and 33.3% of those 65 or over.

title: Hull, Georgia


text:
Ila, Georgia

Ila is a city in Madison County, Georgia, United States. The population was 350 at the 2020 census.

History
Ila was first settled in the mid-1800s by farmers from North Carolina and Virginia. The community became an agricultural one and growing corn, cotton, soybeans, wheat, and other crops.

The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the Town of Ila in 1910. Ila is a name derived from the Choctaw language meaning "dead".

Geography
Ila is located in northwestern Madison County at 34.17361°N, -83.29278°W (34.173692, -83.292706). The city is concentrated around the intersection of Georgia State Route 98 and Georgia State Route 106. SR 106 leads south-southwest 16 mi to Athens and north-northeast 15 mi to Carnesville, while SR 98 leads west-northwest 10 mi to Commerce and southeast 5 mi to Danielsville, the Madison county seat.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Ila has a total area of 0.8 sqmi, of which 0.001 sqmi, or 0.13%, are water. Ila sits on a ridge between the South Fork of the Broad River to the south and its tributary, Furnace Creek, to the northeast. The city is part of the Savannah River watershed.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 328 people, 137 households, and 86 families residing in the city. The population density was 403.2 PD/sqmi. There were 143 housing units at an average density of 175.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 97.26% White, 2.13% African American, and 0.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.30% of the population.

There were 137 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.2% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.9% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $41,250, and the median income for a family was $44,583. Males had a median income of $31,875 versus $24,167 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,890. About 11.6% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.2% of those under age 18 and 15.2% of those age 65 or over.

title: Ila, Georgia


text:
Buena Vista, Georgia

Buena Vista is a city in Marion County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Columbus, Georgia-Alabama metropolitan statistical area. The population was 1,585 at the 2020 census, down from 2,173 in 2010. Formerly known as "Pea Ridge", the city changed its name to Buena Vista in honor of Zachary Taylor's victory in the Mexican–American War. The city is the county seat of Marion County. It is the birthplace of baseball legend Josh Gibson and Medal of Honor recipient Luther H. Story.

History
Buena Vista was first settled in 1818 by settlers from Georgia. A postal office was established in 1837, and it was incorporated as a town. In 1850, the seat of Marion County was transferred to Buena Vista from Tazewell. Buena Vista was incorporated as a city in 1891, and again in 1920. In 1906, a major fire destroyed much of Buena Vista, however it was rebuilt with brick soon after. Following the fire, the town received an influx of European immigrants.

Geography
Buena Vista is in central Marion County in western Georgia. Georgia State Routes 26 and 41 cross in the center of town. SR 26 leads west 16 mi to Cusseta and southeast 14 mi to Ellaville, while SR 41 leads north 19 mi to Geneva and south 19 mi to Preston. State Route 137 leads northeast 6 mi to Tazewell and west-northwest 7 mi to Union.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Buena Vista has a total area of 3.3 sqmi, of which 0.06 sqmi, or 1.68%, are water. The city is part of the Flint River watershed. Sitting atop a ridge, it is drained by three separate stream systems. To the northeast is Oochee Creek, an east-flowing tributary of Buck Creek, which runs to the Flint River at Montezuma. The southeast part of the city drains to Muckalee Creek, which joins the Flint River at Albany. The west side of Buena Vista drains to Peacock Ditch, a tributary of Kinchafoonee Creek, which joins Muckalee Creek at Albany.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,585 people, 722 households, and 478 families residing in the city.

Education
Marion County School District serves pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of one primary school (grades: pre-k through 5th) and a middle/high school (grades: 6th-12th). The district has 108 full-time teachers and over 1,686 students. The Marion County School District is in the process of opening a new middle/high school. The 146000 sqft structure will sit on 200 acres of land in the middle of the county and is scheduled to open for the 2012–13 school year.
 * L. K. Moss Primary School
 * Marion County Middle High School—www.marion.k12.ga.us

Infrastructure
The city is served by Georgia State Route 26, Georgia State Route 41, and Georgia State Route 137.

Notable people

 * Josh Gibson, Negro leagues baseball player and Hall of Famer
 * Roosevelt Jackson, oldest living Negro leagues baseball player (minor leagues only)
 * Eddie Owens Martin, creator of Pasaquan
 * Luther H. Story, Korean War Medal of Honor recipient

title: Buena Vista, Georgia


text:
Dearing, Georgia

Dearing is a town in McDuffie County, Georgia, United States. The population was 529 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Augusta metropolitan area.

History
An early variant name was "Lombardy". A post office called Lombardy was established in 1823, and the name was changed to Dearing in 1893. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the place in 1910 as the "Town of Dearing". The present name is after William Dearing, a railroad official.

Geography
Dearing is located in southeastern McDuffie County at 33.41333°N, -82.38472°W (33.413425, -82.384781). U.S. Routes 78 and 278 run together through the town, leading northwest 8 mi to Thomson, the county seat, and east 4 mi to Harlem. Augusta is 24 mi east of Dearing.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.8 sqmi, of which 0.01 sqmi, or 1.09%, are water. The town is drained to the south by tributaries of Headstall Creek, which flows south to Brier Creek, a tributary of the Savannah River.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 441 people, 178 households, and 126 families residing in the town. By 2020, its population was 529.

title: Dearing, Georgia


text:
Thomson, Georgia

Thomson (originally called Slashes) is a city in McDuffie County, Georgia, United States. The population was 6,814 at the 2020 census. The city is the county seat of McDuffie County. Thomson's nickname is "The Camellia City of the South", in honor of the thousands of camellia plants throughout the city. Thomson was founded in 1837 as a depot on the Georgia Railroad. It was renamed in 1853 for railroad official John Edgar Thomson and incorporated February 15, 1854 as a town and in 1870 as a city. It is part of the Augusta – Richmond County Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Thomson, originally called "Slashes", was founded in 1837 as a depot on the Georgia Railroad. It was renamed in 1853 for railroad official John Edgar Thomson. In 1870, Thomson was designated seat of the newly formed McDuffie County. It was incorporated as a town in 1854 and as a city in 1870.

The Old Rock House, built in 1785, is said to be one of Georgia's oldest documented houses with its original design intact. Built by Thomas Ansley, the home is said to be the home of ancestors of former president Jimmy Carter. Thomson is also the birthplace of Populist leader and two-time presidential candidate Thomas E. Watson.

Thomson was home to minor league baseball. An affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, the Thomson Orioles became members of the 1956 six–team the Class D level Georgia State League. Playing home games at The Brickyard, Thomson led the league in attendance and qualified for the playoffs. The Georgia State League permanently folded following the 1956 season.

Geography
Thomson is located at 33.46722°N, -82.49944°W (33.467346, −82.499450). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.95 sqmi, all land. Thomson is considered part of the Central Savannah River Area geographical designation.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 6,814 people, 2,581 households, and 1,610 families residing in the city.

Landmarks

 * Rock House (1785) – Oldest stone residence in Georgia
 * Hickory Hill – Home of US senator Thomas E. Watson (1856–1922), noted author, statesman, and lawyer; known as the father of Rural Free Delivery

Education
The McDuffie County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of four elementary schools, a middle school, a high school and an alternative school. The district has 262 full-time teachers and over 4,312 students.
 * Dearing Elementary School
 * Maxwell Elementary School
 * Norris Elementary School
 * Thomson Elementary School
 * Thomson-McDuffie Middle School
 * Thomson High School
 * McDuffie County Achievement Center

Notable people

 * Zebedee Armstrong, outsider artist
 * Casper Brinkley, former defensive end for the NFL's Carolina Panthers
 * Jasper Brinkley, linebacker for the NFL's New York Giants
 * Vonteego Cummings, former professional basketball guard, played in the NBA and the Euroleague
 * Darius Eubanks, linebacker for the NFL'S Dallas Cowboys
 * Ray Guy, NFL punter for the Oakland Raiders and namesake of the Ray Guy Award, presented each year to college football's top punter. He is the first and only punter admitted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
 * Richard E. Hawes, Navy admiral, World War II hero, and namesake of guided missile frigate USS Hawes
 * Eddie Lee Ivery, running back for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Green Bay Packers
 * Millie Jackson, R & B singer
 * Franklin Langham, PGA Tour golfer (1992–2005)
 * Dr. Wendell Logan, jazz composer and Guggenheim Fellowship recipient. Dr. Logan established the jazz department at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music
 * Jerry Mays, running back for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the San Diego Chargers
 * Blind Willie McTell, singer and blues musician, wrote "Statesboro Blues". Thomson sponsors an annual blues festival in his honor
 * Chris Mohr, NFL punter for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills and Atlanta Falcons (1989–2004); published songwriter
 * Rev. Romulus Moore, one of the first African-American legislators in the Georgia State Assembly, and one of the founding fathers of the civil rights movement.
 * Brothers Robert Paschal and James Paschal, notable Atlanta restaurateurs and civil rights advocates
 * Ken Roberson, Broadway choreographer noted for his work in the 2004 Tony Award-winning "Avenue Q" and "All Shook Up;" movie credits as choreographer include HBO's "Lackawanna Blues" and independent film "Preaching to the Choir"
 * Tom Watson, U.S. senator, Populist Party leader, and renowned orator of the late 19th century. Noted for establishing Rural Free Delivery, which set up rural mail service for the nation

title: Thomson, Georgia


text:
Darien, Georgia

Darien is a city in and the county seat of McIntosh County, Georgia, United States. It lies on Georgia's coast at the mouth of the Altamaha River, approximately 50 mi south of Savannah, and is part of the Brunswick, Georgia metropolitan statistical area. It is the second-oldest planned city in Georgia and was originally called New Inverness. The population of Darien was 1,460 at the 2020 census, down from 1,975 in 2010.

Colonial period
The British built Fort King George in 1721, near what would become Darien. At the time it was the southernmost outpost of the British Empire in North America. The fort was abandoned in 1727 following attacks from the Spanish. Its remains constitute the oldest fort on the Georgia coast.

The town of Darien (originally known as "New Inverness") was founded in January 1736 by Scottish Highlanders recruited by James Oglethorpe to act as settler-soldiers protecting the frontiers of Georgia from the Spanish in Florida, the French in the Alabama basin, and the Indian allies of each colonial enterprise. On January 10, 1736, 177 emigrants, including women and children, arrived on the Prince of Wales to establish Darien, which was named after the Darien scheme, a former Scottish colony in Panama. Among the initial settlers was Lachlan McGillivray, who became a noted trader with the Creek people, and Lachlan McIntosh, a leader during the American Revolutionary War.

The Scots originated mainly from around Inverness and consisted of both Jacobite and Hanoverian supporting clans, the majority of whom spoke only Gaelic. When visited by Oglethorpe in February, the settlers had already constructed "a battery of four pieces of cannon, built a guardhouse, a storehouse, a chapel, and several huts for particular people." Darien was laid out in accordance with the now-famous Oglethorpe Plan.

They showed similar progress in the construction of military forts: by March the Scottish settlers had begun work on two forts, Fort St. Andrews on Cumberland Island, and Fort St. George on the St. Johns River, 60 mi to the south of the territory claimed by the British government in the Georgia charter.

In 1736, the British abandoned Fort St. George by agreement with the Spanish officials in Florida. In 1736 Darien settlers began work on Fort Frederica on St. Simons Island, a few miles south of Darien, between it and Cumberland Island. Scots settlers whose travel was paid for by the Trustees of the Colony were organized into two companies, the Highland Independent Company of Foot, an infantry force, and the Highland Rangers, a mounted force. By 1737 the constant military activity of the Darien colony was taking its toll. An additional 44 Highland settlers arrived to expand the town.

Initially the settlers' economy was based on the cultivation of crops; however, after the first year, they suffered a succession of poor harvests. They concentrated on rearing cattle and harvesting timber for sale in nearby Savannah.

In 1739 eighteen of the most prominent members of the Darien colony signed the first petition against the introduction of slavery into Georgia, in response to pleas to Oglethorpe and the trustees by inhabitants of Savannah to lift the prohibition of slavery. The Highlanders' petition was successful, but slavery was introduced ten years later in 1749 because the proprietors could not attract enough laborers to make the colony profitable.

Conflicts continued with Spanish and Indian forces during this time. The War of Jenkins' Ear began in October 1739. In November, in response to two Scots garrisoned on Amelia Island being killed in an ambush by Spanish-allied Indians, the Darien settlers mobilized and, together with forces from South Carolina, captured the Spanish forts Picolata, San Francisco de Pupo, San Diego, and Mose, before attempting to lay siege to St. Augustine. The Spanish won the Battle of Fort Mose, resulting in the death or capture of 51 Darien settlers.

After the battle, a number of the settlers abandoned Darien for South Carolina. By 1741 another shipload of 43 colonists had arrived. These colonists received land grants from the trustees which specified that the land was to pass to the male or female descendants of the original recipients, in "Tail General". The trustees were trying to keep settlers in the colony. Previously, all land grants in the American colonies had been granted in "Tail Male", descending to only the male children. The Highland settlers objected to the change, as it went against their traditional patrilineal landholding and inheritance practices. In the future, the majority of Georgia land grants were made in "Tail General".

In January 1775, the city passed a resolution condemning slavery, saying:

Civil War and after
On June 11, 1863, Union troops stationed on St. Simons Island looted and destroyed most of the town, including the homes of black residents, mostly slaves. This was not part of Sherman's March to the Sea, which occurred more than a year later. Confusion has arisen because the St. Simons Island troops were under the command of another General Sherman, stationed in the South Carolina Sea Islands. The destruction of the undefended city, which was of little strategic importance, was carried out by the 54th Massachusetts Volunteers under the command of a reluctant Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and the 2nd South Carolina Volunteers under the command of Colonel James Montgomery. Colonel Montgomery ordered that the town be looted and burned. This was part of the Union strategy to damage the Confederate states' ability to supply food and materiel towards their war effort. Montgomery's troops allegedly broke ranks and looted freely, while Shaw ordered his troops to take only what would be useful at camp. (He later described the raid as a "Satanic action.")

The First African Baptist Church (claimed to be the oldest African American church in the county) was destroyed along with the rest of the town. It was rebuilt, and later some meetings of the 20th-century Civil Rights Movement were held there.

After the U.S. Army destroyed Darien, gunboats were used to blockade the port. The troops plundered residents and plantations of McIntosh County for food, as armies lived off the land to a great extent. The only defenders left in the county were a group of men too old for military service. On the night of August 3, 1864, the county's white defenders had met at the Ebenezer Church, 9 mi north of Darien. Union troops found out about the meeting from the local enslaved people. The troops surrounded the church, opened fire, and captured 23 men. These men were marched to a landing near Darien, put on ships, and taken to prisons in the North.

Following the Civil War, Darien was rebuilt, with financial aid coming in small part from the family of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw. He had been killed during the war but had written to his family of his shame in participating in the destruction of it.

Into the early 1900s, Darien was one of the largest Southeastern ports for shipping lumber. When the timber was depleted, Darien became a fishing village, known primarily for Georgia wild shrimp. It was once famous for its oysters.

On September 8, 1930, two African American men, George Grant and Willie Bryan, were lynched by a mob of Darien's residents in the Darien Jail due to the death of Police Chief Robert L. Freeman and the wounding of Deputy Collins and two other officers while trying to capture the two men after a robbery at the Darien Bank. The town was put under martial law by Colonel W.R. Neal of the Georgia militia in response to the mob.

There are 32 markers of historic sites near Darien and 42 markers in McIntosh County. (See the external link for a list.)

Darien in the 21st century has shown signs of growth. With the formation of the Interstate Highway System, Interstate 95 was constructed and passes approximately 1 mi west of the city. This drew off businesses from the city center as development ensued near the I-95 interchange with GA 251. This has resulted in the building of several chain restaurants, gas stations, and hotels, as well as a small outlet mall. But downtown Darien has flourished with an emphasis on its historic heritage and the waterfront. Many new businesses have opened as the city has reclaimed its walking center.

Geography
Darien is located on the southern edge of McIntosh County at 31.37111°N, -81.43083°W (31.371134, −81.430742). It is bordered to the south by the Altamaha River, 10 mi upstream (west) from its mouth at the Atlantic Ocean. The city is sited on a low bluff overlooking the Darien River, a tidal channel that reaches the Atlantic at Doboy Sound north of the Altamaha.

U.S. Route 17 passes through the center of town, leading north 11 mi to Eulonia and south 17 mi to Brunswick. Interstate 95 passes through the west side of the city limits, with access from Exit 49 (State Route 250). I-95 leads north 62 mi to Savannah and south 78 mi to Jacksonville, Florida.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 24.0 sqmi, of which 21.2 sqmi are land and 2.9 sqmi, or 11.94%, are water.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,460 people, 957 households, and 609 families residing in the city.

Government
The city has changed its form of government to council/manager and has hired a city manager.

McIntosh County School District
The McIntosh County School District consists of two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 121 full-time teachers and 1,979 students.
 * Todd Grant Elementary School
 * McIntosh County Middle School
 * McIntosh County Academy

title: Darien, Georgia


text:
Gay, Georgia

Gay is a town in Meriwether County, Georgia, United States. The population was 110 at the 2020 census.

History
An early variant name was "Sasserville". A post office called Gay has been in operation since 1886. The present name is after William F. Gay, an early postmaster. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the Town of Gay in 1907.

Geography
Gay is located in northeastern Meriwether County at 33.09389°N, -84.57389°W (33.093797, −84.573924). State Routes 74 and 85 run concurrently through the town, leading north 16 mi to Senoia and south 8 mi to Woodbury. State Route 109 Spur leads southwest from Gay 9 mi to Greenville, the Meriwether county seat.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.9 sqmi, of which 0.001 sqmi, or 0.12%, are water. The Flint River passes 3 mi to the east of the town.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 149 people, 61 households, and 38 families residing in the town. The population density was 173.1 PD/sqmi. There were 69 housing units at an average density of 80.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 56.38% White and 43.62% African American.

There were 61 households, out of which 9.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples living together, 16.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.7% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 16.8% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 19.5% from 25 to 44, 32.2% from 45 to 64, and 24.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $26,667, and the median income for a family was $29,583. Males had a median income of $31,875 versus $26,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,840. There were 12.0% of families and 25.5% of the population living below the poverty line, including 82.4% of under eighteens and 17.2% of those over 64.

Arts and culture
The town of Gay hosts a "Cotton Pickin' Fair" on the first weekend of every May and October.

The town was featured in Season 2, Episode 1 of Queer Eye on Netflix.

The Netflix show Barbecue Showdown Season 3 was filmed in Gay.

title: Gay, Georgia


text:
Greenville, Georgia

Greenville is a city and the county seat of Meriwether County, Georgia, United States. The population was 794 at the 2020 census, down from 876 in 2010. The city is located 60 mi southwest of Atlanta and is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area (Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area).

History
Greenville was founded in 1828 as the seat of the newly formed Meriweather County. The city was named for Major General Nathanael Greene, commander of the rebel American forces at the Battle of Guilford Court House on March 15, 1781.

Geography
Greenville is located in central Meriwether County at 33.02778°N, -84.71361°W (33.027845, -84.713562). U.S. Route 27 Alternate and Georgia State Routes 109 and 100 intersect in the center of the city at the county courthouse. US 27 Alternate leads north 25 mi to Newnan and south 49 mi to Columbus, while State Route 109 leads southeast 8 mi to Woodbury and west 20 mi to LaGrange. State Route 100 leads northwest 16 mi to Hogansville.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.4 sqmi, of which 0.01 sqmi, or 0.59%, are water. The city drains to the south into Walnut Creek and to the east into Kennel Creek, a tributary. Walnut Creek is an east-flowing tributary of Red Oak Creek and part of the Flint River watershed.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 794 people, 368 households, and 219 families residing in the city.

Meriwether County School District
The Meriwether County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of three elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools. The district has 300 full-time teachers and over 3,948 students.

 * George E. Washington Elementary School
 * Mountain View Elementary School
 * Unity Elementary School
 * Greenville Middle School
 * Manchester Middle School
 * Greenville High School
 * Manchester High School

Notable people

 * Mario Alford, wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL
 * Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, 2013 SEC Player of the Year, eighth overall selection in the 2013 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons and 2x NBA champion.
 * Lella A. Dillard, president, Georgia Woman's Christian Temperance Union
 * Y. Frank Freeman, executive with Paramount Pictures
 * Clara Ann Howard, Baptist missionary in Africa, longtime staff member at Spelman College
 * William J. Samford, 31st governor of Alabama
 * Joseph M. Terrell, 57th governor of Georgia (October 25, 1902 – June 29, 1907); from Greenville, buried in the local cemetery
 * Hiram Warner, one of the original members of the Supreme Court of Georgia, eventually becoming that court's second chief justice. Warner also held office as a circuit court judge, a representative in the Georgia General Assembly, and a U.S. congressman.
 * Jontavious Willis, country blues singer, guitarist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist

title: Greenville, Georgia


text:
Lone Oak, Georgia

Lone Oak is a town in Meriwether County, Georgia, United States. The population was 114 at the 2020 census.

History
The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Lone Oak as a town in 1901. The town's name is descriptive of the original condition of the site.

Geography
Lone Oak is located in northwest Meriwether County at 33.17194°N, -84.82°W (33.171862, −84.820113). Georgia State Route 54 passes through the town, leading northeast 5 mi to Luthersville and west 6 mi to Hogansville. Greenville, the Meriwether county seat, is 12 mi to the southeast via Forrest Road.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.6 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 104 people, 44 households, and 31 families residing in the town. The population density was 166.2 PD/sqmi. There were 47 housing units at an average density of 75.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 76.92% White, 13.46% African American, 0.96% Native American, 5.77% from other races, and 2.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.77% of the population.

There were 44 households, out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 22.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.5% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 70.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 60.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $36,250, and the median income for a family was $39,167. Males had a median income of $24,500 versus $28,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,602. None of the population and none of the families were below the poverty line.

Arts and culture
The town hosts the Lone Oak Arts & Crafts Festival each November.

title: Lone Oak, Georgia


text:
Luthersville, Georgia

Luthersville is a city in Meriwether County, Georgia, United States. The population was 776 at the 2020 census, down from 874 in 2010.

History
The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Luthersville as a town in 1872. The community was named after the 16th-century German reformer Martin Luther.

Geography
Luthersville is located in northern Meriwether County at 33.20917°N, -84.74528°W (33.209299, −84.745286). Its northern border is the Coweta County line. U.S. Route 27 Alternate is Luthersville's Main Street; the highway leads south 13 mi to Greenville, the Meriwether county seat, and north 12 mi to Newnan. Georgia State Route 54 crosses US 27 Alternate in the center of Luthersville; it leads northeast 11 mi to Turin and southwest the same distance to Hogansville.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Luthersville has a total area of 3.2 sqmi, of which 0.02 sqmi, or 0.72%, are water. The city sits on a ridge that forms the divide between the Chattahoochee River watershed to the west and the Flint River watershed to the east. The northwest part of the city drains to Yellowjacket Creek, a tributary of the Chattahoochee, while the southern part of the city drains to Coleman Creek and the northeast part drains to Bear Creek, both tributaries of the Flint.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 776 people, 248 households, and 173 families residing in the city.

title: Luthersville, Georgia