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Acworth, Georgia

Acworth is a city in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, this city had a population of 22,440, up from 20,425 in 2010. Acworth is located in the foothills of the North Georgia mountains along the southeastern banks of Lake Acworth and Lake Allatoona on the Etowah River. Unincorporated areas known as Acworth extend into Bartow, Cherokee and Paulding counties.

Acworth's is often referred to as "the Lake City" because of its proximity to Lake Allatoona and Lake Acworth.

History
Like the rest of Cobb County, the area now containing Acworth was carved out of the former Cherokee Nation in 1831 after the natives were expelled.

The Western and Atlantic Railroad was completed through town in 1840. A watering station for the locomotives was established there.

The town received its current name in 1843 from Western & Atlantic Railroad engineer Joseph L. Gregg, who named it for his hometown of Acworth, New Hampshire, which was named for the former Royal Navy Surveyor Sir Jacob Acworth.

Telegraph lines reached the town in 1851.

A private school was opened for white students in 1852. A newer private school operated from 1899 to 1935, when they integrated with the Cobb County School District. Until 1935, high school students from Acworth paid tuition to attend. Students outside the town were subsidized by the Cobb County School Board. Black students were educated separately in a grammar school. The closest Black high school was in Atlanta. Later, students were bused by the county to a segregated school in Marietta.

Acworth was incorporated on December 1, 1860.

Volunteers to fight in the Civil War enlisted in what became Company A ("Acworth Infantry") in the 18th Georgia Volunteer Infantry and Company C ("Invincibles") in the 41st Georgia Volunteer Infantry.

The town was captured by the Union June 6, 1864. The city was called "Little Shanty" by the Union troops, to contrast it with the next town south, "Big Shanty", since renamed Kennesaw. The town was under martial law during the six months of occupation. On November 13, 1864, the town was burned down by the army of General W. T. Sherman, sparing 12 homes and one church; its citizens were left destitute.

The town had nearly recovered by the 1880s. Cotton farming in the area peaked from the 1890s through the 1920s. Low prices during the Great Depression resulted in a cessation of cotton farming in the area and throughout Cobb County.

During segregation, the railroad tracks served as a racial divide, with African Americans living to the northeast of the tracks and the whites to the southwest. There were few common public events. When a movie theater was erected in the 1930s, Blacks were allowed to access the balcony from a separate entrance. Whites sat on the main floor.

Volunteers formed a fire department in 1907.

There were eventually a total of three textile mills in town from 1905 through the 1980s. They employed about 800 workers at their peak.

In 1926, Main Street was paved. When the entire Dixie Highway (old U.S. Route 41 and part of the Cherokee Peachtree Trail) was paved in 1929, over 800 tourist vehicles entered the city daily.

When the Etowah River was dammed, forming Lake Allatoona, citizens feared that land near the town would become a swamp. They successfully petitioned for a second dam, resulting in Lake Acworth in the 1950s. This became a tourist attraction.

The town made a major improvement in its water and sewage lines in the late 1940s.

The city elected its first woman mayor, Mary McCall, in 1956 and 1961–66.

African-American students were schooled separately from white children until 1967.

Acworth was recognized as a 2010 All-America City Award winner by the National Civic League.

In 2011, the filming of several scenes for the Footloose remake took place in downtown Acworth. The Acworth Presbyterian Church was used as the primary church, and the house of Mayor Tommy Allegood was used as Julianne Hough's character's home.

In 2017, the city was the site of the WWA Wakeboarding National Championship.

Geography
Acworth is located in the foothills of the North Georgia mountains along the southeastern banks of Lake Acworth and Lake Allatoona on the Etowah River. It is bordered by the city of Kennesaw to the southeast and by Bartow and Cherokee counties to the north.

Interstate 75 runs through the northern part of the city in Cherokee and Bartow counties, with access from exits 277 and 278. Via I-75, downtown Atlanta is 34 mi southeast, and Chattanooga, Tennessee, is 88 mi northwest. U.S. Route 41 and Georgia State Route 92 also run through the city, with GA-92 leading east 12 mi to Woodstock, and south 18 mi to Hiram. US-41 runs to the west of the city, leading southeast 6 mi to Kennesaw, Georgia and northwest 12 mi to Cartersville.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.7 sqkm, of which 21.4 sqkm is land and 1.4 sqkm, or 6.05%, is water.

Unincorporated areas considered Acworth for mailing purposes extend into southeast Bartow County, southwest Cherokee County, and northeast Paulding County. Some of the incorporated portions of Acworth east of Nance Road and Acworth Due West Road have a Kennesaw mailing address.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 22,440 people, 8,337 households, and 5,470 families residing in the city.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,422 people, 5,194 households, and 3,589 families residing in the city. The population density was 1896.9 PD/sqmi. There were 5,453 housing units at an average density of 770.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 79.7% White, 12.6% African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.3% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.2% from other races, and 2.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.05% of the population.

There were 5,194 households, out of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.0% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 41.0% from 25 to 44, 15.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.

Government
The city is governed by a five-member Board of Aldermen, who serve staggered four-year terms. The mayor is elected to four-year terms.

An unusual ordinance once required all citizens to own a rake. This ordinance was enacted shortly after the neighboring city of Kennesaw, Georgia ordered every homeowner to own a gun in 1982. The requirement to own a rake is no longer in effect.

The city maintains ten public parks: Acworth Sports Complex, Baker Plantation, Dallas Landing, East Lakeshore, Frana Brown, Logan Farm, Newberry, Overlook, Proctor Landing, and South Shore.

Education
Public education in Acworth is handled by the Cobb County School District.

Public schools include: Private schools include:
 * McCall Primary School
 * Acworth Elementary School
 * Baker Elementary School
 * Ford Elementary School
 * Frey Elementary School
 * Pickett's Mill Elementary School
 * Pitner Elementary School
 * Barber Middle School
 * Durham Middle School
 * Allatoona High School
 * North Cobb High School
 * North Cobb Christian School
 * West Windsor Academy at Governors Towne Club

Major roads
The main route through the center of Acworth is Main Street, a two-lane road. It is known as "Old 41" as it was formerly the route for US 41. State Route 92 and the new Highway 41 pass through the southern part of the city. The newly built Seven Hills Connector connects South Acworth to Paulding County. Bells Ferry Road goes through Acworth, Kennesaw, Marietta, and Woodstock.

Pedestrians and cycling

 * Acworth Trail
 * Graves Path

Notable people

 * Johnny Archer, professional pool player and Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame inductee
 * Jason Bohn, professional golfer
 * Angie Bowie, former actress/model and ex-wife of David Bowie
 * Warren Creavalle, professional soccer player
 * Robby Ginepri, former professional tennis player
 * Grant Henry, artist and businessman
 * Scotti Madison, former professional baseball player
 * Jordan Matthews, soccer player
 * Larry Nelson, former professional golfer and World Golf Hall of Fame inductee
 * Bronson Rechsteiner, professional wrestler
 * Bobby Reynolds, former professional tennis player and current Auburn Tigers tennis coach
 * Ranger Ross, former professional wrestler
 * Clarke Schmidt, professional baseball player
 * Musa Smith, former NFL running back
 * Rick Steiner, former professional wrestler
 * Scott Steiner, former professional wrestler
 * Darren Waller, NFL tight end
 * Raleigh Webb, NFL player on the New England Patriots
 * Aiden Zhane, RuPaul's Drag Race Season 12 contestant

title: Acworth, Georgia


text:
Austell, Georgia

Austell is a city in Cobb and Douglas counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 7,713.

History
Game hunters and trappers frequently went through the area that is now Austell on their way to the area's salt licks. These early visitors claimed the area's waters had medicinal properties. It soon became a destination for therapeutic healing, leading to the founding of a town known as Salt Springs. As immigration increased and demand for land near the spring grew, G. O. Mozely donated and subdivided 40 acre of his land, enhancing the loose settlement with a street plan. Later, the spring was renamed Lithia Springs due to the water containing lithium carbonate, and the neighboring city of Lithia Springs was founded in 1882. In 1888, the lithia spring water was bottled and sold under the commercial name Bowden Lithia Spring Water. The historic lithia spring water is still bottled and sold under the name brand Lithia Spring Water. The Georgia Pacific Railway chose the town of Austell to be a station depot, being the dividing point for the major Birmingham and Chattanooga railway lines.

Austell was incorporated in 1885. The town is named for General Alfred Austell (1814–1881), in recognition of his efforts to bring major railways to the South. General Austell also founded the Atlanta National Bank (later renamed First Atlanta), which eventually became part of Wachovia and later Wells Fargo through various mergers and acquisitions. General Austell is buried in an elaborate Gothic Revival–style mausoleum at the highest point in Atlanta's Oakland Cemetery.

In 2009, Sweetwater Creek flooded, destroying many homes and businesses in the Austell area.

Geography
Austell is located along the southern border of Cobb County at 33.81583°N, -84.63611°W (33.815905, −84.636242). A small portion of the city extends south into Douglas County. It is bordered by Lithia Springs to the south and Mableton to the east. The city of Powder Springs is 4 mi to the northwest. U.S. Route 78 passes through the city, leading east 15 mi to downtown Atlanta and west 8 mi to Douglasville.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Austell has a total area of 15.5 sqkm, of which 0.04 sqkm, or 0.24%, is water.

Topography
Sweetwater Creek, a tributary of the Chattahoochee River, flows through the city, passing north, then east of the city center. The area is relatively flat, with few large hills.

Climate
According to the Köppen classification, Austell has a humid subtropical climate with hot, humid summers and mild, but occasionally cold winters by the standards of the southern United States. The city experiences four distinct seasons. Summers are hot and humid, with a July daily average of 89 °F. In a normal summer it is not unusual for temperatures to exceed 90 °F. Winters are mild, windy, with some warm, sunny days and occasional snow, with a January average high of 50 °F and low of 30 °F. Occasionally, high temperatures will struggle to reach 40 °F, and nights can dip into the teens. Subzero temperatures are very uncommon and only occur once every decade or so.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 7,713 people, 2,691 households, and 1,794 families residing in the city.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,359 people, 2,009 households, and 1,386 families residing in the city. The population density was 942.1 PD/sqmi. There were 2,144 housing units at an average density of 376.9 /mi2. The racial makeup of the city is:
 * Black alone – 3,593 (54.6%)
 * White alone – 1,932 (29.4%)
 * Hispanic – 782 (11.9%)
 * Two or more races – 134 (2.0%)
 * Asian alone – 96 (1.5%)
 * Other race alone – 22 (0.3%)
 * American Indian alone – 13 (0.2%)
 * Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone – 9 (0.1%)

There were 2,009 households, out of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.3% were married couples living together, 18.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. Of all households, 24.5% were made up of individuals, and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.3% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 37.0% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $38,933, and the median income for a family was $39,635. Males had a median income of $31,750 versus $22,944 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,924. About 11.0% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.0% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
The economy of Austell in its early years was largely tied to the rail depot, transferring people and goods and allowing many residents to commute to nearby Atlanta in pursuit of higher paying, more abundant jobs. Passengers no longer move by rail to or from Austell, though. Other industry includes recycling paper and plastics with exports going as far as China.

Annual events
The city of Austell holds an annual July 4 fireworks celebration.

Points of interest
Six Flags Over Georgia, a large tourist attraction, is located in unincorporated Cobb County 7 mi southeast of downtown and has an Austell mailing address.

The Collar Community Center located near downtown is used for civic organizations and local get-togethers. The South Cobb Recreation Center is a 21000 sqft facility that offers a gym, two multipurpose rooms, a caterer's kitchen, six offices, a conference room, three restrooms and a lobby. It has an occupational capacity of 939.

Sports
During summer, softball games are nearly a continual occurrence with city leagues having 30 games and 450 players. In addition to cheerleading, 32 teams of over 500 youths are sponsored by the Sweetwater Valley Youth Association. Five lighted fields accommodate baseball and softball aficionados. Collar Park and Washington Street Park both have tennis courts.

Parks and recreation
The Austell Parks and Recreation Department maintains five recreational facilities and seven parks Berry Park, a passive park, Collar Park and Legion Park which are both community parks, and Pine Street, Stephens, Washington Street and Berry Park which are neighborhood parks. Combined, they all cover an area of 36.2 acre.

Government
The city of Austell has seven elected officials: Mayor, representatives of four wards and two representatives at-large.

Education
Public education in Cobb County is handled by the Cobb County School District. Public schools in the city limits include Austell Primary School, Austell Elementary School, Garrett Middle School, and South Cobb High School.

Private schools in the city include:

 * Cumberland Christian Academy
 * Good Shepherd Learning Center
 * Sunbrook Academy at Barnes Mill
 * The Goddard School is located north of Austell

Media
The locally read newspapers include the South Cobb Patch, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Fulton County Daily Report.

Transportation
Austell is 4 mi north of Interstate 20. It also sits on the divergence of two Norfolk Southern rail lines, one to Birmingham and the other to Chattanooga.

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

title: Austell, Georgia


text:
Fair Oaks, Georgia

Fair Oaks is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 9,028 at the 2020 census.

Fair Oaks lies just outside the city limits of Smyrna and Marietta, and the area uses "Smyrna" or "Marietta" for its mailing addresses. Except for actual residents of Fair Oaks, very few locals even know it exists as a separately-counted area. The name is also rarely used by local businesses, even in the immediate area.

The area was named for its many mature native oak trees. This, however, is threatened by nearby Dobbins Air Reserve Base and new Federal Aviation Administration regulations regarding flight paths for takeoff and landing. In 2005, the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly passed a resolution in support of the community, which was built in the early 20th century, well before the military base.

Geography
Fair Oaks is located at 33.91972°N, -84.54444°W (33.919802, -84.544507).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 2.0 sqmi, of which 0.51% is water.

Demographics
Fair Oaks was listed as an unincorporated place in the 1950 U.S. Census and in the 1960 U.S. Census. It was no longer listed in the 1970 U.S. Census. It was designated a census designated place in the 1980 U.S. Census.

2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,443 people, 2,952 households, and 1,791 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 4,325.4 PD/sqmi. There were 3,136 housing units at an average density of 1,606.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 50.76% White, 23.83% African American, 0.72% Native American, 0.98% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 20.43% from other races, and 3.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 36.54% of the population.

There were 2,952 households, out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.7% were married couples living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.3% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.32.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 15.6% from 18 to 24, 37.6% from 25 to 44, 14.6% from 45 to 64, and 6.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 123.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 128.5 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $31,766, and the median income for a family was $34,491. Males had a median income of $22,401 versus $21,491 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $13,245. About 11.9% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.1% of those under age 18 and 15.7% of those age 65 or over.

title: Fair Oaks, Georgia


text:
Kennesaw, Georgia

Kennesaw is a suburban city northwest of Atlanta in Cobb County, Georgia, United States, located within the greater Atlanta metropolitan area. Known from its original settlement in the 1830s until 1887 as Big Shanty, it became Kennesaw under its 1887 charter. According to the 2020 census, Kennesaw had a population of 33,036, a 10.9% increase in population over the preceding decade. Kennesaw has an important place in railroad history. During the Civil War, Kennesaw was the staging ground for the Great Locomotive Chase on April 12, 1862. Kennesaw is home to Kennesaw State University, an R2 research institution and the third largest public university in the state of Georgia.

Etymology
The name "Kennesaw" is derived from the Cherokee word gah-nee-sah, meaning 'cemetery' or 'burial ground'.

History
As the Western and Atlantic Railroad was being built in the late 1830s, shanty towns arose to house the workers. These were near a big spring. A grade up from the Etowah River became known as "the big grade to the shanties", then "Big Shanty Grade", and finally "Big Shanty".

Civil War
Camp MacDonald, a training camp, was located there from 1861 to 1863.

During the Civil War, Big Shanty was the site of major fighting in the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, part of the larger Atlanta Campaign. Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, located southeast of the city limits, now contains many of these historic areas. Much of the surrounding land has been developed, and many of the buried artifacts have been searched for and taken by people with metal detectors. Some artifacts of the Civil War are still on display in the visitor center of Kennesaw Mountain.

Later history
L.C. Chalker purchased a 1.25 acre tract of land adjacent to the Kennesaw Cemetery from J.W. Ellis in 1934, which was sold for burial purposes. Chalker purchased another 1 acre adjacent to the first parcel in 1948, which was also to be used for a cemetery. The Chalker family managed these portions of the cemetery until they were sold to the City of Kennesaw in the mid-1950s. The earliest known burial is the infant Lucius B. Summers, who was interred in 1863. Other grave markers date as far back as the 1860s to the 1890s. Civil War veterans are buried here. The Kennesaw Cemetery is still in use.

In March 2004, First Lady Laura Bush designated Kennesaw a Preserve America Community.

Geography
Kennesaw is located in northwestern Cobb County, bordered by the city of Acworth to the northwest. Kennesaw Mountain is located southeast of the city limits in the battlefield park. Its summit is the highest point in the Atlanta metro area, at an elevation of 1808 ft above sea level. The city was renamed for the mountain.

U.S. Route 41 and State Route 3 pass through the city as Cobb Parkway, leading southeast 7 mi to Marietta and northwest 17 mi to Cartersville. Interstate 75 passes just northeast of the city limits, with access from exits 269, 271, and 273. Via I-75, downtown Atlanta is 27 mi to the southeast, and Chattanooga, Tennessee, is 94 mi northwest.

The iconic peaks of Kennesaw Mountain are visible from the bridge over Interstate 75 that crosses over the city limits of Kennesaw. According to the United States Census Bureau, Kennesaw has a total area of 24.7 sqkm, of which 24.4 sqkm is land and 0.3 sqkm, or 1.08%, is water.

Climate
Kennesaw has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa). On November 22, 1992, an F-4 tornado caused 34 injuries.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 33,036 people, 12,803 households, and 8,250 families residing in the city.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 29,783 people, 11,413 households, and 7,375 families residing in the city. There were 12,328 housing units at an average density of 1,027.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 58.9% White, 22.3% Black, 10.8% Hispanic or Latino of any race, 5.3% Asian, 0.4% Native American, 0.02% Pacific Islander (U.S. Census), 4.7% of other races, and 3.0% non-Hispanic mixed of two or more races.

There were 11,413 households, out of which 38.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0% were married couples living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.0% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 7.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.

Personal income
The median income for a household in the city was $61,355 and the median income for a family was $75,465. Males had a median income of $46,953, versus $42,809 for females. The per capita income for the city was $27,165. About 8.2% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.1% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.

Tourism
Several festivals are held annually. Every April the annual Big Shanty Festival displays over 200 arts and crafts booths along with 20 food booths downtown featuring several local businesses and entrepreneurs. Over 60,000 people from around North Georgia attend the festival. The festival begins with a parade through downtown.

Government
The city hall is located downtown, just off Main Street (old U.S. 41 and State Route 3, later State Route 293). It contains the offices of mayor and city council, a basement jail, a municipal 9-1-1 call center and other offices. It is the public-safety answering point for the city of Kennesaw and the neighboring city of Acworth, and dispatches the separate police departments of both cities. Calls for fire services are relayed to and dispatched from Cobb County's 911 center, and serviced by the Cobb County Fire Department, as neither city has its own fire department.

Wireless Internet in city parks
In 2008, the city of Kennesaw awarded a bid to Digitel Wireless for the implementation of city wireless Internet. In March 2008, the city of Kennesaw announced the grand opening of four new wireless areas: Swift-Cantrell Park and Adams Park, and the train depot area across from the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History. The city has also provided Wi-Fi in the Ben Robertson Community Center.

Crime statistics
In 2001, violent crime rates were about 60% below national and state rates. Property crime rates were from 46–56% below national and state rates. From 1999 to 2011, Kennesaw crime statistics reported that both property and violent crimes had decreased, though from 2003 to 2008 the trend in both violent and property crime rates slightly increased. The increase in crime rate overall is attributed to the population growth rate of 37.41%. The population growth rate is much higher than the state average rate of 18.34% and is much higher than the national average rate of 9.71%.

County services
The Cobb County Public Library System operates a Kennesaw branch library. The Cobb County Police Department serves unincorporated areas, including the Town Center Area Community Improvement District and Kennesaw State University (in addition to KSU's own police).

Gun law
Kennesaw is noted for its unique firearms legislation, passed in response to a handgun ban in Morton Grove, Illinois. In 1982 the city passed an ordinance [Sec 34-21]:

"(a) In order to provide for the emergency management of the city, and further in order to provide for and protect the safety, security and general welfare of the city and its inhabitants, every head of household residing in the city limits is required to maintain a firearm, together with ammunition therefore.

(b) Exempt from the effect of this section are those heads of households who suffer a physical or mental disability which would prohibit them from using such a firearm. Further exempt from the effect of this section are those heads of households who are paupers or who conscientiously oppose maintaining firearms as a result of beliefs or religious doctrine, or persons convicted of a felony."

A similar law was passed in 2000 in the city of Virgin, Utah, making it the second city in the United States to require residents to own guns. Nelson, Georgia, Nucla, Colorado, and Gun Barrel City, Texas also followed suit.

Local attractions

 * Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History
 * Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park consists of around 18 mi of nature trails and historic Civil War battle sites.
 * The Kennesaw State University Museum of History and Holocaust Education
 * The Kennesaw State University Bentley Rare Book Room and Archives

Education
Public schools are operated by the Cobb County School District.

Elementary schools include Big Shanty Intermediate., Bullard, Chalker, Hayes, Kennesaw, and Lewis.

Middle schools include Awtrey, Lost Mountain, McClure, Palmer, and Pine Mountain.

High schools include Harrison High School, Kennesaw Mountain, North Cobb, and Kennesaw Charter Science & Math Academy.

Private schools include Sunbrook Academy at Legacy Park, Sunbrook Academy at Stilesboro, and Mount Paran Christian School.

Kennesaw State University is located within the city and is part of the University System of Georgia.

Sports
In 2016, the Atlanta Blaze of Major League Lacrosse spent their first year of play as an expansion franchise with home games at Fifth Third Bank Stadium on the campus of Kennesaw State University. The team relocated in 2019.

Notable people

 * Darvin Adams, Canadian football player
 * Caroline Cossey, English model
 * Jesse James Dupree, lead singer of rock band Jackyl
 * Yan Kaminsky, NHL left winger
 * Ron Lester, actor
 * Justin Fields, National Football League quarterback playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers
 * Lil Yachty, rapper
 * Payne Lindsey, documentary filmmaker and podcast host of Up and Vanished and Atlanta Monster
 * Scott F. McAfee, judge on the Fulton County Superior Court and Georgia Inspector General from 2021-2023
 * Sean O'Pry, model
 * Mathew Pitsch, member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from Fort Smith from 2015–2019; former resident of Kennesaw
 * Dansby Swanson, infielder for the Chicago Cubs
 * Lucas Till, actor
 * Brian Voss, professional ten-pin bowler on the PBA Tour

title: Kennesaw, Georgia


text:
Mableton, Georgia

Mableton is a city in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. Voters of the unincorporated area of Mableton approved a referendum to incorporate on November 8, 2022, and six council members were elected on March 21, 2023, with Michael Owens elected as mayor of Mableton in the 2023 Mableton mayoral election. According to the 2020 census, the census-designated area Mableton had a population of 37,115; the city has more. Upon Brookhaven's cityhood in December 2012, Mableton was previously the largest unincorporated CDP in Metro Atlanta. With boundaries described in Appendix A of House Bill 839, Mableton is the largest city in Cobb County in terms of population and includes historical Mableton, along with the Six Flags area, areas of unincorporated Smyrna, and parts of unincorporated South Cobb.

Early history (1843–1912)
Between the 16th and 19th centuries, most of the land in present-day southern Cobb County belonged to the Cherokee and Creek. Two Native American villages were established near the area that will later become known as Mableton - the settlements of Sweet Water Town and Nickajack. Both tribes coinhabited the area peacefully, with one legend claiming that eventual ownership of the area by the Cherokee was settled via a ball game. One of the early known records of white Europeans being aware of the inhabitants is an 1839 map depicting a 'Nickajack Creek' converging with the Chattahoochee River south and west of the Standing Peachtree settlement. The town was named after Scottish immigrant Robert Mable (October 18, 1803 - July 7, 1885), who on September 11, 1843, bought 300 acres (approximately 120 hectares or 1.2 km2) of land in southern Cobb County from the Georgia Land Lottery of 1832. Mable was a millwright and farmer who grew cotton, corn, potatoes, and sorghum in the area; he owned between 11 and 48 slaves by 1860. According to oral interviews, Mable was a "fair and kind" enslaver who educated slave children alongside his own, and eventually also liberated his slaves before any government mandate ordered him to. The Robert Mable House and Cemetery, located off U.S. 78 on Floyd Road just north of Clay Road, now includes an amphitheater which hosts public events.

More white settlers moved into the northern edge of Mableton by Nickajack Creek, near Smyrna, in the mid-1800s. They formed a community initially known as Mill Grove and later Nickajack. The creek provided ample power to run grist, saw, cotton, and woolen mills. A covered bridge, originally built c. 1848–1850, traverses the stream and is now part of a historical district. It is one of the few remaining covered bridges in Georgia, and still highly active today after it was later buttressed to handle automobile traffic. A notable resident of the area during that period was John Gann, Cobb County's first state senator. His home, built in 1841, still stands today and is also part of the historical district.

During the Atlanta campaign of the Civil War, Union officers Walter Q. Gresham and Francis P. Blair Jr. of the XVII Corps reached Mableton on July 3, 1864, after the Union defeat at Kennesaw. Gresham replenished his troops' supplies and received medical care at Robert Mable's house, and camped for the night before advancing to Atlanta. The house was spared from the carnage of Sherman's March to the Sea. The Georgia Pacific Railway (later absorbed by Southern Railway and today known as the Norfolk Southern Railway) opened a railroad station in Mableton in December 1881. The chief engineer erected a sign displaying 'Mableton' upon completion of the station in honor of Robert. The first train from Atlanta arrived at the station just before Christmas. Shortly after, the post office was established on June 28, 1882. This replaced the post office in Bryantville, a former settlement about 2 mi southeast. The arrival of the railroad allowed Mableton to act as a commercial hub for then-rural Cobb County. Cotton export flourished throughout the county from the 1890s until the Great Depression.

Original incorporation (1912–1916)
On August 19, 1912, Mableton was incorporated as a town but was disincorporated on August 17, 1916. In that year, the town suffered from a heavy flood, resulting in an unexpected tax burden being placed upon the residents for repairs. But after locals successfully demanded that a tax on storm drains be shared by all of Cobb County instead, the town's charter was revoked and Mableton was disincorporated. Homer A. Glore, a medical doctor served as the first mayor of Mableton.

Restored municipality (2023–)
In 2020, a local initiative known as the South Cobb Alliance fostered a debate for cityhood. A feasibility study conducted by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government stated that the potential city would generate $11.3 million in operating expenses and $14.6 million in revenue. Alternatively, nearby Smyrna considered annexing parts of Mableton. This move would have made Smyrna the largest city in Cobb County, surpassing the county seat of Marietta, and ultimately disrupt Mableton's cityhood efforts.

Following the 2022 midterm elections, a referendum on cityhood was passed, with 13,162 in favor of Mableton's cityhood and 11,675 rejecting it. It is the largest city in Cobb County in terms of population, with the new city incorporating about 47,000 residents. The city limits also include areas of unincorporated Smyrna and Austell.

The City of Mableton was approved by the voters in a referendum on the General Election Ballot on November 8, 2022.

The referendum was the result of the General Assembly's passage of House Bill (HB-839), which set the boundaries of the city, established city council districts, and laid out the powers of the Mayor and Council. The law also established March 21, 2023, as the date for a special election for the first council members and mayor of Mableton.

In 2023 Mableton mayoral election, Michael Owens defeated Aaron Carman in the runoff election and became the city's mayor.

Geography
Mableton is located at 33.81833°N, -84.57611°W (33.818333, -84.576111). The Chattahoochee River acts as the southeast border, separating Cobb County from west Fulton County — where the historic African-American neighborhood of Collier Heights and the former site of the Bankhead Courts housing project are nearby. Two suburban cities directly border Mableton: Austell in the west and Smyrna in the north. Lithia Springs, an unincorporated community, is directly southwest.

Mableton is approximately 15 miles west-northwest from the city of Atlanta, and approximately 20 miles from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Demographics
Mableton appeared as an unincorporated place in the 1960 U.S. Census. It was not listed in the 1970 U.S. Census. It was listed as a census designated place in the 1980 U.S. Census.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,339 housing units at an average density of 550.8 /sqmi. There were 10,894 households, out of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.5% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.9% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.12.

Government
Mableton, Georgia was incorporated as a city on August 19, 1912, before being disincorporated on August 17, 1916 as a result of a flood overwhelming the city's sewer system. In November 2023, the city was reincorporated in an election.

The mayor is the highest elected official in the city and the current mayor is Michael Owens who was elected in the 2023 Mableton mayoral election.

Transportation
The public-use, general aviation Fulton County Airport (Brown Field) is adjacent to Mableton's southeast border with Fulton County. It includes two runways and handles approximately 65,000 operations annually.

Trails
The Silver Comet Trail runs through Mableton. It is a 61.5 mile paved trail with a 2% grade, beginning in Smyrna and ending at the Georgia-Alabama state line near Cedartown, GA. Heritage Park is a smaller trail running along Nickajack Creek that ultimately connects to the Comet. A notable landmark includes the ruins of a woolen mill built in the 1860s.

Parks

 * Lions Park
 * Thompson Park
 * Riverline Park
 * Wallace Park

Community Garden
The Historic Mableton Community Garden is located at 5178 Floyd Road.

Amphitheater
Governor Roy Barnes provided a state grant for construction of a 2,500-seat amphitheater shortly after his appointment in 2000, fulfilling residents' desire dating back from the 1970s. The Mable House Barnes Amphitheater is a $7 million state and local investment and attracts numerous high-profile acts.

Amusement park
Six Flags Over Georgia is located near Mableton's border with Austell, adjacent to I-20. The park is home to 11 roller coasters, the first "floorless" freefall tower ride in the world, and a fully-functional carousel from 1908 listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Education
The Cobb County School District operates several public schools in the area:

Elementary schools

 * Mableton Elementary School
 * Clay-Harmony Leland Elementary School
 * Bryant Elementary School
 * Riverside Elementary School
 * H.A.V.E.N. Academy at Skyview
 * Russell Elementary School

Middle schools

 * Floyd Middle School
 * Garret Middle School
 * Lindley Middle School
 * Betty Gray Middle School

High school

 * Pebblebrook High School – famous alumni include Glee actress Becca Tobin, Utah Jazz player Collin Sexton, and rapper Lil Yachty
 * South Cobb High School

Private schools
The Georgia Japanese Language School (GJLS; ジョージア日本語学校 Jōjia Nihongo Gakkō), a part-time supplementary Japanese school, holds its classes at the Lindley 6th Grade Academy in Mableton; Lindley was previously occupied by the W. H. Barnes Education Center. The GJLS originally opened with nine students in 1974 at Oglethorpe University, serving grades 1 through 9. The school moved to W.H. Barnes in 2002.

Whitefield Academy, a Christ-centered college preparatory school in Smyrna, is near Mableton.

The SAE School is an "independent project-based learning school" for pre-school to 8th grade students located in Mableton.

Primrose Schools, a private school for early preschool children, is in the Providence neighborhood of Mableton.

Public library

 * South Cobb Regional Library

Redevelopment
In the summer of 2010, more than a hundred residents, bureaucrats, politicians, architects, designers and traffic engineers spent a week designing a vision for a redeveloped downtown Mableton. It was then formalized by Duany Plater-Zyberk into a plan that was unanimously approved by Cobb County's Board of Commissioners in 2013. The establishment of the new Mableton Town Center (MTC) is part of the county's 2040 Comprehensive Plan. As of late 2020, Embry Development Company is in talks with the Cobb County Board of Commissioners to begin construction of a 31-acre mixed-use commercial/residential plaza at Mableton Parkway and Old Powder Springs Road. The development calls for 81 town homes, 46 "courtyard cottage" style houses, 21 detached single-family homes, and 13,500 square feet of retail and restaurant space. The particular area, in addition to establishments along Veterans Memorial Highway (U.S. 78), is largely dated and rundown, with some businesses failing to adhere to building codes.

Another company, Garner Group, is also redeveloping a nearly 40 year old strip mall along Floyd Road and East-West Connector into a mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly plaza. There will be 360 luxury apartments and 42 townhomes on the 60-acre site, with the entire development occupying about 720,000 square feet. Planning Commission Chair Galt Porter, proponent of the plan, stated of the recent growth in the area: "It's probably been 15 to 20 years since there's been a market rate development of apartments anywhere close to this...you have to go to Smyrna to get something, or you have to go out all the way into Powder Springs to get something. There's just nothing in this area." The project was approved by the Cobb County Board of Commissioners on October 21, 2020.

Notable people

 * Roy Barnes, 80th governor of Georgia from 1999 to 2003, the most recent Democrat to hold the office
 * Kenny Selmon, track and field athlete competing in the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics
 * Lil Yachty, Grammy-nominated trap artist
 * Erica Thomas, Georgia state representative
 * Anna Benson, glamour model and ex-wife of baseball player Kris Benson
 * AR Fox, pro wrestler
 * T. J. Holmes, CNN news anchor
 * Kenny McKinley, former wide receiver for Denver Broncos
 * Michael King, television producer/reporter and commentator
 * Collin Sexton, basketball player for the Utah Jazz
 * Ronnie DeVoe, member of New Edition
 * Chloe Bailey, American actress and singer
 * Halle Bailey, American actress and singer

title: Mableton, Georgia


text:
Marietta, Georgia

Marietta is a city in and the county seat of Cobb County, Georgia, United States. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 60,972. The 2019 estimate was 60,867, making it one of Atlanta's largest suburbs. Marietta is the fourth largest of the principal cities by population of the Atlanta metropolitan area.

Etymology
The origin of the name is uncertain. It is believed that the city was named for Mary Cobb, the wife of the U.S. Senator and Superior Court judge Thomas Willis Cobb. The county is named for Cobb.

Early settlers
Homes were built by early settlers near the Cherokee town of Big Shanty (now Kennesaw) before 1824. The first plot was laid out in 1833. Like most towns, Marietta had a square (Marietta Square) in the center with a courthouse. The Georgia General Assembly legally recognized the community on December 19, 1834.

Built in 1838, Oakton House is the oldest continuously occupied residence in Marietta. The original barn, milk house, smokehouse and well house remain on the property. The gardens contain the boxwood parterre from the 1870s. Oakton was Major General Loring's headquarters during the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain in 1864.

Marietta was initially selected as the hub for the new Western and Atlantic Railroad and business boomed. By 1838, roadbed and trestles had been built north of the city. In 1840, political wrangling stopped construction for a time and, in 1842, the railroad's new management moved the hub from Marietta to an area that became Atlanta. In 1850, when the railroad began operation, Marietta shared in the resulting prosperity.

The businessman and politician John Glover arrived in 1848. A popular figure, Glover was elected mayor when the city incorporated in 1852. Another early resident was Carey Cox, a physician, who promoted a "water cure" that attracted tourists to the area. The Cobb County Medical Society recognizes him as the county's first physician.

The Georgia Military Institute was built in 1851 and the first bank opened in 1855. During the 1850s, fire destroyed much of the city on three separate occasions.

Civil War
By the time the Civil War began in 1861, Marietta had recovered from the fires.

In April 1862, James Andrews, a civilian working with the Union Army, came to Marietta, along with a small party of Union soldiers dressed in civilian clothing. The group spent the night in the Fletcher House hotel (later known as the Kennesaw House and now the home of the Marietta Museum of History) located immediately in front of the Western and Atlantic Railroad. Andrews and his men, who later became known as the Raiders, planned to seize a train and proceed north toward the city of Chattanooga, destroying the railroad on their way. They hoped, in so doing, to isolate Chattanooga from Atlanta and bring about the downfall of the Confederate stronghold. The Raiders boarded a waiting train on the morning of April 12, 1862, along with other passengers. Shortly after, the train made a scheduled stop in the town of Big Shanty, now known as Kennesaw. When the other passengers alighted for breakfast, Andrews and the Raiders stole the engine and the car behind it, which carried the fuel. The engine, called The General, and Andrews' Raiders had begun the episode now known as the Great Locomotive Chase. Andrews and the Raiders failed in their mission. He and all of his men were caught within two weeks, including two men who had arrived late and missed the hijacking. All were tried as spies, convicted and hanged.

General William Tecumseh Sherman invaded the town during the Atlanta Campaign in summer 1864. In November 1864, General Hugh Kilpatrick set the town ablaze, the first strike in Sherman's March to the Sea. Sherman's troops crossed the Chattahoochee River at a shallow section known as the Palisades, after burning the Marietta Paper Mills near the mouth of Sope Creek.

The Marietta Confederate Cemetery, with the graves of over 3,000 Confederate soldiers killed during the Battle of Atlanta, is located in the city.

Education
In 1892, the city established a public school system. It included a Marietta High School and Waterman Street School for white students. A school for black students was also created on Lemon Street. The state of Georgia did not provide a high school for black students until 1924 when Booker T. Washington High School (Georgia) opened in Atlanta, after decades of black citizens requesting educational resources.

20th century
Leo Frank was lynched at 1200 Roswell Road just east of Marietta on August 17, 1915. Frank, a Jewish-American superintendent of the National Pencil Company in Atlanta, had been convicted on August 25, 1913, of the murder of one of his factory workers, 13-year-old Mary Phagan. The murder and trial, sensationalized in the local press, portrayed Frank as sexually depraved and captured the public's attention. An eleventh-hour commutation by Governor John Slaton of Frank's death sentence to life imprisonment because of problems with the case against him created great local outrage. A mob threatened the governor to the extent that the Georgia National Guard had to be called to defend him and he left the state immediately with his political career over. Another mob, systematically organized for the purpose, abducted Frank from prison, drove him to Marietta and hanged him. The leaders of the abduction included past, current and future elected local, county and state officials. There were two state legislators, the mayor, a former governor, a clergyman, two former Superior Court justices and an ex-sheriff. In reaction, Jewish activists created the Anti-Defamation League, to work to educate Americans about Jewish life and culture and to prevent anti-Semitism.

The Big Chicken was constructed in Marietta in 1963.

In 1963, Atherton's Drugstore, a store on Marietta Square, exploded, killing 6 people and injuring 23 others.

Geography
Located near the center of Cobb County, between Kennesaw to the northwest and Smyrna to the southeast. U.S. Route 41 and State Route 3 run through the city northeast of downtown as Cobb Parkway, and Interstate 75 runs parallel to it through the eastern part of Marietta, with access from exits 261, 263, 265, and 267. Downtown Atlanta is 20 mi to the southeast, and Cartersville is 24 mi to the northwest.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Marietta has a total area of 60.0 sqkm, of which 59.8 sqkm is land and 0.2 sqkm, or 0.38%, is water.

Climate
Marietta has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa).

Marietta falls under the USDA 7b Plant Hardiness zone.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 60,972 people, 24,554 households, and 13,788 families residing in the city.

2010 census
At the 2010 census, there were 56,641 people and 22,261 households. The population density was 2,684.1 /sqmi. There were 25,227 housing units at an average density of 1,152.6 /sqmi. The racial make-up was 52.7% White, 31.5% African American, 0.1% Native American, 3.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 9.1% from other races and 3.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 20.6% of the population.

There were 23,895 households, of which 27.8% had children under 18 living with them, 35.4% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.5% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% 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 3.05.

22.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 14.1% from 18 to 24, 39.4% from 25 to 44, 15.7% from 45 to 64 and 8.3% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.3 males. For every 101 females age 18 and over, there were 100.3 males.

Government
Incorporated as a village in 1834 and as a city in 1852, the city of Marietta is organized under a form of government consisting of a Mayor, City Council, and City Manager. The City Council is made up of representatives elected from each of seven single-member districts within the city, and a Mayor elected at-large.

The City Council is the governing body of the city with authority to adopt and enforce municipal laws and regulations. The Mayor and City Council appoint members of the community to sit on the city's various boards and commissions, ensuring that a broad cross-section of the town is represented in the city government.

The City Council appoints the City Manager, the city's chief executive officer. The Council-Manager relationship is comparable to that of a board of directors and CEO in a private company or corporation. The City Manager appoints city department heads and is responsible to the City Council for all city operations. The City Council also appoints the city attorney who serves as the city's chief legal officer and the City Clerk who maintains all the city's records.

Terms of office are for four years and the number of terms a member may serve are unlimited. There are seven councilmen, each representing a separate ward.

Personal income
The median household income was $40,645 and the median family income was $47,340. Males had a median income of $31,186 and females $30,027. The per capita income was $23,409. About 11.5% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line. 21.3% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those aged 65 or over.

Industry
Dobbins Air Reserve Base on the south side of town and a Lockheed Martin manufacturing plant are among the major industries in the city. The Lockheed Georgia Employees Credit Union is based in Marietta.

Top employers
According to Marietta's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers within the city are :

Utilities
The city operates Marietta Power under the auspices of the Board of Lights & Water.

Roads
Interstate 75 and U.S. 41 run through the eastern part of the city. State routes 3, 5, and 120 also run through Marietta.

Transit systems
CobbLinc, Marietta/Cobb County's Transit System and Xpress GA Buses serve the City.

Rail
The CSX freight trains between Atlanta and Chattanooga (Western & Atlantic Subdivision) still run a block west of the town square, past the 1898-built former railroad depot (now the Visitor Center).

Into the 1950s the Louisville and Nashville Railroad operated the Midwest-Florida trains, the Cincinnati-Florida Flamingo and the Chicago-Florida Southland, which made daily stops in Marietta Depot. Into the 1960s, the L&N's Chicago & St. Louis-Florida trains, Dixie Flyer and Dixie Limited also made stops there. The final train was the L&N's St. Louis, Missouri - Evansville, Iindiana - Atlanta Georgian which ended service on April 30, 1971. (Until 1968 the train also had a northern leg from Evansville to Chicago.)

Media
The Marietta Daily Journal is published in the city.

Sports
East Marietta National Little League won the 1983 Little League World Series, defeating the team from Barahona, Dominican Republic in the world championship.

Education
All of the public schools in Marietta proper are operated by the Marietta City Schools (MCS), while the remainder of the schools in Cobb County, but outside the city limits, is operated by the Cobb County School District, including all of the county's other cities. MCS has one high school, Marietta High School, grades 9-12; a middle school, Marietta Middle School, grades 7 and 8; Marietta Sixth Grade Academy; and several elementary schools: A.L. Burruss, Dunleith, Hickory Hills, Lockheed, Marietta Center for Advanced Academics, Park Street, Sawyer Road, and West Side. Many residents of Marietta attend Cobb County public schools, such as Joseph Wheeler High School and Sprayberry High School. These schools are known to compete fiercely in athletics, especially basketball, as both Wheeler and Marietta High School frequently produce D-1 players. The town of Marietta is also home to the Walker School, a private pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade school. Walker competes in the Georgia High School Association Class A (Region 6) athletic division while Marietta and Wheeler compete in Class AAAAAA (Regions 4 and 5, respectively).

The school system employs 1,200 people. MCS is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School district. In 2008, MCS became only the second IB World School district in Georgia authorized to offer the IB Middle Years Program (MYP) for grades 6-10. MCS is one of only a few school systems nationwide able to provide the full IB (K-12) continuum.

The Marietta Campus of Kennesaw State University, formerly known as Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU) before being merged into Kennesaw State, and Life University are located in Marietta, serving more than 20,000 students in more than 90 programs of study.

Culture
The city has six historic districts, some on the National Register of Historic Places (these include Northwest Marietta, Whitlock Avenue, Washington Avenue, and Church-Cherokee Streets). The city's visitor center is located in the historic train depot.

Downtown is the town square and former location of the county courthouse. The square is the site of several cultural productions and public events, including a weekly farmers' market.

The Marietta Players perform semi-professional theater year-round. The historic Strand Theatre has been renovated back to its original design and features live theatre, concerts, classic films, and other events. The Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art is in the old Post Office building.

The Marietta History Center exhibits the history of the city and county. The Center is home to thousands of artifacts including items from Marietta residents and businesses. The Marietta Gone with the Wind Museum is located in the Historic Brumby Hall and houses a private collection of memorabilia related to Gone with the Wind, both the book and the film. The William Root House Museum and Garden is the oldest wood-frame house still standing in Marietta, built c. 1845. Once owned by William Root, one of Marietta's earliest citizens and merchants whose drugstore was located in the Square.

The Big Chicken, which currently sits on top of a KFC restaurant, has been a landmark on U.S. 41 and Roswell Road since 1963.

Miramax Films and Disney filmed scenes of the 1995 movie Gordy here. The 2014 film Dumb and Dumber To filmed a scene in the Marietta Square.

The city includes the Kennesaw House, one of only four commercial buildings in Marietta not burned to the ground in Sherman's March to the Sea. The Kennesaw House is home to the Marietta History Center which tells the history of Marietta and Cobb County.

Notable people

 * Shareef Abdur-Rahim, former professional basketball player and president of the NBA G League
 * Murray Attaway, singer/songwriter, founding member of Guadalcanal Diary
 * Alton Brown, Good Eats
 * Marcus Alexander Bagwell, professional wrestler, formerly with the World Wrestling Federation, World Championship Wrestling and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
 * Alan Ball, Academy Award-winning screenwriter
 * Chris Beard, Texas men's basketball coach
 * Alice Birney (1858–1907), co-founder of National Parent-Teacher Association, born in Marietta
 * Rodrigo Blankenship, American football placekicker for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL)
 * Billy Burns, Major League Baseball player
 * Jaylen Brown, NBA player for Boston Celtics
 * Marlon Byrd, former Major League Baseball player
 * K Camp, rapper
 * James M. Canty, educator and businessman
 * Lucius D. Clay, general, US Army, Military Governor of Germany post-World War II
 * Jason Damm, rugby union player
 * Jonathan Dwyer, former NFL player
 * Ajani Fortune, soccer player for Atlanta United
 * Frank Freyer, 14th Naval Governor of Guam and Chief of Staff of Peruvian Navy
 * George H. Gay Jr., sole survivor of Torpedo Squadron 8 at Battle of Midway
 * Arik Gilbert, football player for the Nebraska Cornhuskers
 * Yaya Han, Chinese-American cosplayer
 * Corey Heim, NASCAR driver
 * Cedric Henderson, NBA player for Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks
 * Scoot Henderson, NBA player for Portland Trail Blazers
 * Jack Hensley, murdered in Iraq
 * Richard Howell (born 1990), American-Israeli basketball player for Hapoel Tel Aviv of Israeli Basketball Premier League
 * Marvin Hudson, Major League Baseball umpire
 * Lucy McBath, activist and US Representative
 * Jerick McKinnon, NFL Player for Kansas City Chiefs
 * Adam Morgan, MLB player for Philadelphia Phillies
 * Jim Nash, former MLB player
 * Melanie Oudin, professional tennis player, US Open 2009 quarterfinalist
 * Jennifer Paige, singer
 * Lennon Parham, actress and comedian
 * Robert Patrick, actor
 * Ron Pope, singer/songwriter
 * Marco Restrepo, musician
 * Billy Joe Royal, singer
 * Chris Robinson, former Black Crowes singer
 * Rich Robinson, former Black Crowes guitar player
 * Cody Rhodes (Cody Runnels), professional wrestler, WWE Universal Champion
 * Ray Traylor, professional wrestler who performed as Big Boss Man, inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016
 * Lawson Vaughn, MLS professional soccer player
 * Trey Sermon, American football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL)
 * Daniela Silivaș-Harper, Romanian gymnast and coach
 * Ron Simmons, professional wrestler, member of WWE Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame
 * Dansby Swanson, Major League Baseball player for Chicago Cubs, first overall pick in 2015 MLB Draft
 * Emily Sonnett, professional soccer player for the U.S. women's national soccer team and Seattle Reign FC
 * Luke Thomas, MMA journalist, lived for two years in Marietta and graduated from Marietta High School
 * Travis Tritt, country music singer and composer
 * Lynn Turner, convicted murderer
 * Jeff Walls, guitarist, songwriter, founding member of Guadalcanal Diary
 * Isadora Williams, American-Brazilian figure skater who represented Brazil at 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi
 * Michael Len Williams II (Mike Will Made It), record producer
 * Trey Wolfe, professional football player and former NFL player of the Washington Redskins (now the Washington Commanders) and the Seattle Seahawks.
 * Xavier Woods (Austin Watson), professional wrestler, YouTube personality
 * Joanne Woodward, actress and married to Paul Newman.
 * Jabari Zuniga, NFL player for the New York Jets.
 * Isaiah Collier, NBA player for the Utah Jazz

Sister cities
Marietta has two sister cities.

 * 🇨🇷Heredia, Costa Rica
 * 🇩🇪Linz am Rhein, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

title: Marietta, Georgia


text:
Powder Springs, Georgia

Powder Springs is a city in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 13,940 at the 2010 census, with an estimated population for 2019 of 15,758. The 12,000-capacity Walter H. Cantrell Stadium is located in Powder Springs. It is used mostly for football and soccer matches.

History
The town of Powder Springs was incorporated as Springville in 1838 in the lands of two Cherokee leaders. Gold had been discovered in Georgia 10 years earlier, and the first European-American settlers came to find gold. The settlers found little gold in the mines at Lost Mountain and off Brownsville Road. It was at about this time that the Cherokee people were forced off their land and removed to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River on the Trail of Tears.

Springville was renamed Powder Springs in 1859. The name was derived from the seven springs in the city limits. The water in these springs contains some 26 minerals that turn the surrounding sand black like gunpowder – hence the earlier name of Gunpowder Springs.

Civil War history includes a skirmish at Lattermore's Mills on June 20, 1864, which was a part of the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain and General Sherman's Atlanta Campaign. Many slaves escaped the plantations in this area to join Sherman's forces and gain freedom.

In 2015, the city elected its first black mayor, Al Thurman. He was the first African-American to be elected as a mayor in Cobb County, but was one of several elected in small towns in Georgia in 2015.

Geography
Powder Springs is located in southwestern Cobb County at 33.86583°N, -84.68028°W (33.865933, -84.680349). U.S. Route 278 (C. H. James Parkway) passes through the city west of its center, leading 5 mi southeast to Austell and 11 mi northwest to Dallas. Downtown Atlanta is 22 mi to the east via US 278 and Interstate 20.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Powder Springs has a total area of 18.6 sqkm, of which 0.03 sqkm, or 0.17%, is water.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 16,887 people, 5,125 households, and 3,899 families residing in the city.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,481 people, 4,004 households, and 3,267 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,969.2 PD/sqmi. There were 4,101 housing units at an average density of 647.0 /sqmi The racial makeup of the city was 57.89% African American, 37.38% Caucasian, 0.20% Native American, 1.08% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.72% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.32% of the population.

There were 4,004 households, out of which 50.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.2% were married couples living together, 16.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.4% were non-families. 14.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 3.06 and the average family size was 3.39.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 33.8% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 36.9% from 25 to 44, 16.3% from 45 to 64, and 6.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $56,486, and the median income for a family was $59,392. Males had a median income of $41,345 versus $31,774 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,776. About 5.8% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

Parks and recreation

 * Powder Springs Park
 * Powder Springs Trail System
 * Silver Comet Trail

Education
Powder Springs Public Schools are part of the Cobb County School District, including McEachern High School, located on the site of the former Native American burial ground and the former Seventh District Agricultural and Mechanical (A&M) School.

The late Georgia Senator Richard B. Russell attended the Seventh District A&M School. The administrative building of McEachern High School is named for Senator Russell.

Other schools in Powder Springs include Hillgrove High School, Tapp Middle School, Dobbins Middle School, Powder Springs Elementary School, Lovinggood Middle School, Varner Elementary, Compton Elementary, Kemp Elementary, Still Elementary, and Vaughan Elementary.

Media
The Bright Side is a newspaper serving Powder Springs and several other small cities.

Notable people

 * Rory Anderson (born 1992), former NFL tight end, selected in seventh round of 2015 NFL Draft; played college football at South Carolina
 * Gregg Bishop, film director, screenwriter and producer; born in Powder Springs
 * Pat Cannon (1904–1966), United States Representative from Florida; born in Powder Springs
 * Kenyan Drake (born 1994), running back in the National Football League, selected in third round of 2016 NFL Draft; played college football at Alabama, where he was a three-time SEC champion (2012, 2014, 2015), a BCS national champion (2012), and CFP national champion (2015).
 * Chuma Edoga (born 1997), offensive tackle for the Atlanta Falcons
 * Evan Engram (born 1994), tight end for Jacksonville Jaguars, selected in first round of 2017 NFL Draft; played college football at Ole Miss
 * Mark Lee (born 1973), guitarist for Christian rock band Third Day, born in Powder Springs
 * Jason Lively (born 1967), actor, born in Powder Springs
 * Robyn Lively (born 1972), actress; born in Powder Springs
 * Shaquell Moore (born 1996), professional soccer player for Nashville SC, and the United States Men's National Team.
 * Myles Rowe (born 2000), professional racing driver competing in the USF Pro 2000 Championship, the 2023 USF Pro 2000 Champion
 * Taylor Trammell (born 1997), outfielder for Seattle Mariners
 * Tiffany Whitton (born 1987), woman who lived in Powder Springs at the time of her 2013 disappearance

title: Powder Springs, Georgia


text:
Smyrna, Georgia

Smyrna is a city in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. It is located northwest of Atlanta, and is in the inner ring of the Atlanta Metropolitan Area. It is included in the Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Alpharetta MSA, which is included in the Atlanta–Athens-Clarke–Sandy Springs CSA.

From 2000 to 2012, Smyrna grew by 28%. Historically it is one of the fastest-growing cities in the state, and one of the most densely populated cities in the metropolitan area. In the 2020 Census, Smyrna's population was 55,663.

Smyrna was ranked #44 in Money's 2018 survey of "The Best Places to Live in America" for balancing economic growth, affordability, and quality of life.

History
Cherokee Indians live in the area.

Pioneers began settling the area in 1832. By the late 1830s, a religious encampment called Smyrna Camp Ground had become a popular travel destination and was well known throughout Georgia. It is a Greek name for the Biblical city of Smyrna, modern day İzmir in Turkey, the home of the Christian martyr Polycarp. After the completion of the Western and Atlantic Railroad in 1842, the area began to grow. It was known by several names until 1872—Varner's Station, Ruff's Siding, Neal Dow, and Ruff's Station. The city was incorporated with the name Smyrna in 1872.

Two Civil War battles occurred in the area, the Battle of Smyrna Camp Ground and the Battle of Ruff's Mill, both on July 4, 1864. The area's businesses, homes, and 1849 covered bridge (since rebuilt and still in use today) were burned by Sherman's troops.

The nearby Bell Bomber plant that produced B-29 bombers during World War II was reopened by Lockheed in 1951, and became a catalyst for growth. The city's population grew during the next two decades, from 2,005 in 1950 to almost 20,000 by 1970.

Geography
Smyrna is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area, located about 1 mi northwest of the Atlanta city limits, and with Smyrna's downtown approximately 16 miles (25.7 km) from downtown Atlanta. Smyrna is located just west of the northern intersection of I-285 and I-75, which is the site of the edge city Cumberland and the Cobb Galleria.

Smyrna is bordered by Vinings to the east, Marietta to the north and west, and Mableton to the south and southwest. The city of Sandy Springs and the affluent Atlanta neighborhoods of Paces and Buckhead are approximately within 10 miles of Smyrna's center.

The center of Smyrna is located at 33.87185°N, -84.51838°W.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 39.9 sqkm, of which 39.8 sqkm is land and 0.1 sqkm, or 0.23%, is water. The general terrain of the area is characteristic of the Piedmont region of Georgia, characterized by hills with broad ridges, sloping uplands, and relatively narrow valleys.

Flora
The city's official symbol is the jonquil (a flower). Known as the "Jonquil City", it derives this name from the thousands of jonquils that flourish in gardens and along the streets in early spring.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 55,663 people, 24,736 households, and 13,669 families residing in the city.

2018
At the 2018 census, there were 56,271 people, with 35% growth since 2000. There were 23,002 households. The population density was 3,300 /sqmi. The racial make-up of the city was 29.3% African American, 46% White, 0.4% Native American, 7.71% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander and 3.1% from two or more races. 14.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The population was distributed by age as follows: 22.6% under the age of 18, 18.8% from 18 to 29, 20% from 30 to 39, 14.9% from 40 to 49, 14.2% from 50–64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.2 males.

52.6% of Smyrna residents lived in families with an average of 2.2 people per household.

In 2012, 52.2% of Smyrna residents had a college degree and 91.3% of residents had a high school diploma. This is one of the highest rates in the state of Georgia.

Municipal
The city is governed by a seven-member council, elected by wards, and a mayor elected at-large. Max Bacon served as the mayor of Smyrna starting in 1985; in July 2019 he announced his retirement from city politics. The current mayor is Derek Norton, who took office January 6, 2020. Norton previously served on the City Council since 2015.

The city operates the Smyrna Public Library, the only library in the county which is not a part of the Cobb County Public Library System.

Personal income
The median household income in 2018 was $73,788. The per capita income was $44,823, a 24.7% increase from 2000.

In 2018, the place with the highest median household income in Smyrna was census tract 312.09, with a value of $143,443, followed by census tracts 311.12 and 311.17, with respective values of $108,229 and $89,769.

Industry
The Atlanta Bread Company has its headquarters in Smyrna.

Companies with an office include Eaton Corporation and IBM. Smyrna was the site of the corporate offices of the now-defunct World Championship Wrestling.

Top employers
According to the City's 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

On October 31, 2014, Emory Healthcare closed the Emory Adventist Hospital at Smyrna. They have since announced plans to renovate and reopen the hospital.

Private projects
In 1991, the city began a community redevelopment project known as "Market Village," in order to create a well-defined downtown. Included were a community center and 28000 sqft public library. A mixed retail and residential district was modeled after an early 1900s city village, including a square with a fountain. This, and other expansions have revitalized the downtown area. Further redevelopment has occurred throughout the city—including thousands of new homes – mostly cluster homes, townhouse and condo communities replacing older neighborhoods. The population has risen as a result of redevelopment, a few annexations, and Smyrna's location as a residential suburb in the Northwest center of metro Atlanta.

There are additional mixed retail/residential/office redevelopments near the city center, including Jonquil Plaza, Belmont Hills plaza, and The Crossings.

Public projects
In September 2019, the James M. Cox Foundation gave $6 million to the PATH Foundation, which will connect the Silver Comet Trail terminus in Smyrna to the Atlanta Beltline. It is expected to be completed by 2022. The combined length of the Silver Comet and the Beltline will make it the longest paved trail surface in the U.S., totaling approximately 300 miles (480 kilometers); one could travel from Atlanta to Anniston, Alabama via the trail alone.

Media outlets
Smyrna and Vinings' community newspaper is The Bright Side. It is dedicated to publishing positive events that occur in Cobb County.

Public schools
Public schooling in Smyrna falls under the jurisdiction of the Cobb County School District. The city's students are served by 12 of the district's schools. The largest schools by enrollment are:

 * Campbell High School
 * Campbell Middle School
 * Nickajack Elementary School

Private schools
Several private schools are inside Smyrna's city limits, including St. Benedict's Episcopal School, Covenant Christian School, Whitefield Academy, and a satellite campus of Buckhead Preparatory Academy.

Arts and culture

Market Village in the city center often has open-air concerts and festivals. There are also various small parks such as Cobb Park, public pools such as Aline Wolfe Center for the elderly and Tolleson park pool for all ages, tennis courts and playgrounds and a linear park with walking trail along Spring Road.

Transportation
Several major roadways, such as I-285, Cobb Parkway (U.S. Route 41), Atlanta Road (Old State Route 3), and South Cobb Drive (State Route 280), pass through the municipality.

Smyrna is served by CobbLinc and MARTA public buses.

Notable people

 * Chan Marshall, singer-songwriter, musician, better known as Cat Power
 * U.S. Representative Bob Barr
 * Julia Roberts, actress

 * Gerald Perry and Ron Gant, baseball stars who both played for the Atlanta Braves
 * Daniel Palka, baseball player with the New York Mets
 * John Brebbia, baseball player with the San Francisco Giants
 * Kyle Fowler, racing driver
 * Louie Giglio, Passion City Church Senior Pastor/Passion Conferences and sixstepsrecords founder
 * Tay Glover-Wright, American football player
 * C. Martin Croker, voice-over actor and animator was born in Smyrna. He is best known for his work on the cult classic show Space Ghost Coast to Coast
 * Kelly Nelon Clark,recording artist and actress, was a long time resident and calls Smyrna her hometown
 * Benn Jordan, recording artist and composer, owns a home and recording studio in Smyrna.
 * Eschel Rhoodie, the South African Secretary of the Department of Information from 1972 to 1977, resided in Smyrna after emigrating to the United States.
 * 645AR, rapper, raised partly in Smyrna

In popular culture
The restaurant scene in the film Joyful Noise was shot at Howard's Restaurant in Smyrna in 2011.

title: Smyrna, Georgia


text:
Vinings, Georgia

Vinings is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Cobb County, Georgia, United States that runs along the Chattahoochee River bank across from Buckhead. As of the 2020 census, the CDP had a total population of 12,581. Located next to the affluent Paces section of Buckhead in northwest Atlanta, Vinings is known for its historic sites, shopping districts, proximity to local freeways and The Battery, and nearby nature areas. The United States Postal Service assigns "Atlanta" to the ZIP Code (30339) that includes Vinings (area of Cobb County between Interstate 285 and the Chattahoochee River).

The Home Depot is headquartered in Vinings.

History
Early on, Vinings was known as Crossroads, and then Paces, after Hardy Pace, circa 1830. He operated Pace's Ferry across the Chattahoochee River, in this area between Atlanta, Buckhead, and Smyrna. Paces Ferry Road is still the main east–west road through Vinings. The Western and Atlantic Railroad laid rail tracks from Chattanooga, Tennessee to Atlanta in the 1840s. Vinings became a construction station for the railroad, and was inadvertently named for William H. Vining, as he worked on the railroad construction of "Vining's Bridge" laying tracks in the area. The railroad is still state-owned as it was from the beginning, and is now leased to CSX.

The Union Army occupied the Vinings area during Sherman's Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War in 1864 and the subsequent March to the Sea. Pace's home, which had been used as a hospital for Union troops, was destroyed in the process. Vinings recovered after the war, as Governor Brown leased the railroad to Vinings to bring passengers to the springs and pavilions built to encourage a respite from the reconstruction of Atlanta. Vinings was officially recognized as a community in 1904, the same year the one-lane bridge was constructed across the Chattahoochee River. The town was never incorporated, though it had been discussed whether it should become a "township".

The Vinings Historic Preservation Society seeks to keep the town's history alive.

Geography
Vinings is located at 33.86636°N, -84.46607°W. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 3.3 sqmi, of which 3.2 sqmi is land and 0.1 sqmi, or 3.34%, is water.

Demographics
Vinings was first listed as a CDP in the 1990 U.S. Census.

2000 Census
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,677 people, 5,227 households, and 1,740 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3,039.2 PD/sqmi. There were 5,670 housing units at an average density of 1,780.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 81.97% White, 12.09% African American, 0.19% Native American, 3.69% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.83% from other races, and 1.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.26% of the population.

There were 5,227 households, out of which 11.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.3% were married couples living together, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 66.7% were non-families. 43.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.84 and the average family size was 2.61.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 10.8% under the age of 18, 15.5% from 18 to 24, 50.9% from 25 to 44, 16.6% from 45 to 64, and 6.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $88,876, and the median income for a family was $105,121. Males had a median income of $78,685 versus $46,315 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $61,068. About 3.3% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Vinings residents attend schools in the Cobb County School District. Residents are zoned to Teasley Elementary School, Campbell Middle School, and Campbell High School.

Vinings is unincorporated, and is therefore under the jurisdiction of Cobb's county commission and other public services. After the success of Sandy Springs, there was discussion and at least one public meeting on whether the town should also incorporate as a "city" (the only type of municipality in Georgia). With residents evenly split, there was no consensus, and the idea was shelved mainly due to concerns about potential property tax increases.

However, some expressed optimism that the Georgia Township Act might allow it to become a "township", equivalent in function to a village in many other U.S. states. This would allow it control of zoning and other land uses (the major dispute with the county), and as written would cap additional property taxes at a half mill (0.5 per mille, or 50¢ per $1000 annually). , the bill has not been reintroduced in the Georgia General Assembly.

The proposed boundaries were Interstate 285 along the northwest side, Interstate 75 at the northeast end, the Chattahoochee River on the southeast side, and Atlanta Road (old US 41 until Cobb Parkway was built in the 1950s) at the southwest end.

title: Vinings, Georgia


text:
Ambrose, Georgia

Ambrose is a city in Coffee County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 327.

Geography
Ambrose is located at 31.59389°N, -83.01583°W (31.594015, -83.015819).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.1 sqmi, of which 3.1 sqmi is land and 0.1 sqmi (1.92%) is water.

Demographics
In 2020, its population was 327, down from 380 in 2010.

title: Ambrose, Georgia


text:
Broxton, Georgia

Broxton is a city in Coffee County, Georgia, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 1,060. It is known for its unique sandstone formation called Broxton Rocks along Rocky Creek 10 mi north of town.

History
An early variant name was "Gully Branch". The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the place as the "Town of Broxton" in 1904, with the corporate limits extending in a 1 mi radius from the front-yard well of one Jesse Lott. The present name is after Broxton Creek.

Geography
Broxton is located in north-central Coffee County at 31.6275°N, -82.88972°W (31.627415, -82.889709). U.S. Route 441 passes through the city, leading south 9 mi to Douglas, the county seat, and north 33 mi to McRae.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Broxton has a total area of 8.7 km2, of which 8.4 km2 is land and 0.3 km2, or 3.58%, is water.

Demographics
In 2010, the city had a population of 1,189 residents; at the 2020 census, its population declined to 1,060 residents.

Among the city's population in 2010, its racial and ethnic makeup was 46.93% non-Hispanic white, 41.97% African American, 0.17% American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.50% Asian alone, 0.93% multiracial, and 9.50% Hispanic or Latino of any race. In 2020, non-Hispanic whites declined to 42.55% of the population; the remainder of its 2020 racial and ethnic makeup was 41.98% African American, 0.19% some other race, 4.15% multiracial, and 11.13% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

title: Broxton, Georgia


text:
Douglas, Georgia

Douglas is a city in Coffee County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 11,722. Douglas is the county seat of Coffee County and the core city of the Douglas micropolitan statistical area, which had a population of 50,731 as of the 2010 census.

History
Douglas was founded in 1855 as the seat of the newly formed Coffee County. It was named for Senator Stephen A. Douglas from Illinois, a renowned stump speaker who was the challenger to Abraham Lincoln in the presidential election of 1860.

Douglas was chartered as a town in 1895 and as a city in 1897. In 1895, the railroad came to Douglas and the community began to boom. In 1909, the Georgia and Florida Railway located its offices in Douglas.

The Eleventh District Agricultural & Mechanical School was established in Douglas in 1906. In 1927, South Georgia College was founded as Georgia's first state-supported junior college.

During the 1920s and 1930s, Douglas was one of the major tobacco markets in the state. Much of this history is depicted in the Heritage Station Museum, located in the former Georgia and Florida Railway train station on Ward Street in downtown Douglas.

Douglas has two areas listed on the National Register of Historic Places: the downtown and Gaskin Avenue historic districts. They were added to the list in 1989.

Geography
Douglas is located near the center of Coffee County at 31.5075°N, -82.85083°W (31.507413, −82.850799). It is 59 mi driving distance northeast of Valdosta, Georgia, 115 mi driving distance northwest of Jacksonville, Florida, and 201 mi driving distance southeast of Atlanta.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Douglas has a total area of 36.2 km2, of which 34.7 sqkm is land and 1.5 sqkm, or 4.08%, is water. Major water bodies include Twenty Mile Creek, the Seventeen Mile River (a tributary of the Satilla River), and Hilliard's Pond, which was once the ski show park "Holiday Beach".

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 11,722 people, 4,339 households, and 2,610 families residing in the city.

Douglas micropolitan statistical area

Douglas is the principal city of the Douglas micropolitan statistical area, a micropolitan area that covers Atkinson and Coffee counties and had a combined population of 50,731 at the 2010 census.

Highways

 * [[Image:US 221.svg|25px]] U.S. Route 221 (runs north-south)
 * [[Image:US 441.svg|25px]] U.S. Route 441 (runs north-south)
 * [[Image:Georgia 31.svg|20px]] Georgia State Route 31 (runs north-south)
 * [[Image:Georgia 32.svg|20px]] Georgia State Route 32 (runs east-west)
 * [[Image:Georgia 135.svg|25px]] Georgia State Route 135 (runs north-south)
 * [[Image:Georgia 158.svg|25px]] Georgia State Route 158 (runs east-west)
 * [[Image:Georgia 206.svg|25px]] Georgia State Route 206 (runs east-west)

Airport

 * Douglas Municipal Airport

Utilities

 * The Electric Department, locally owned and a member of the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia, services Douglas with power.
 * The Natural Gas Department, member of both Georgia & American Public Gas Association and the Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia, provides gas to the area.
 * Water and sewer service is conducted by the city's Water Department.
 * The Public Works Department handles yard clippings, junk items, and animal control for the city.

Major employers

 * Wal-Mart
 * Premium Peanut
 * Premium Waters
 * American Insulated Wire
 * Fleetwood Mobile Homes Corporation
 * PCC Airfoils
 * Pilgrim's

Agriculture
Farming plays a large role in the area's economy. Major agricultural products from the town and surrounding county include peanuts, corn, tobacco, and cotton. Chicken is also a major part of the economy.

Tourism
Douglas is home to Heritage Station Museum, which displays artifacts of the city's history. The World War II Flight Training Museum (the old 63rd Army Air Forces Contract Pilot School),Broxton is home to the Broxton Rocks, and the Ashley-Slater House are also popular tourist attractions in the area. All three were recently named among "Georgia's Hidden Treasures" in a segment on WSB-TV.

Douglas has ten public parks. There are four golf courses in and around the city.

Nearby, the 1490 acre General Coffee State Park draws more than 100,000 visitors a year and is the most popular tourist attraction in the area.

Healthcare

 * Coffee Regional Medical Center
 * Coffee Regional Walk-In Clinic

Media

 * WOKA Dixie Country 106.7 FM
 * WOKA Radio 1310 AM
 * WOUG Radio Cielo 107.3 FM
 * WULS Radio 103.7 FM
 * WDMG Radio 97.9 FM, 860 AM
 * WPNG Radio Shine 101.9 FM
 * WSIZ Radio MyFM 102.3 @ 99.9 FM
 * The Douglas News
 * The Douglas Enterprise
 * WSWG, CBS TV

Coffee County School District
The Douglas-Coffee County area is served by the Coffee County Board of Education. The Coffee County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of eight elementary schools, a middle school, three high schools, and an alternative education center. The district has 438 full-time teachers and over 8,000 students.
 * Ambrose Elementary School
 * Broxton Mary-Hayes Elementary School
 * Eastside Elementary School
 * Indian Creek Elementary School
 * Nicholls Elementary School
 * Satilla Elementary School
 * West Green Elementary School
 * Westside Elementary School
 * Coffee Middle School
 * George Washington Carver Freshman Campus
 * Coffee County Career Academy
 * Coffee High School
 * Coffee Alternative Education Center

Private schools

 * First Academy at First Baptist Church provides preschool (1 year olds - 3 year olds), pre-kindergarten, and K-12.
 * Citizens Christian Academy is K-12
 * First United Methodist Church provides pre-kindergarten

Higher education

 * South Georgia State College is a public four-year institution of the University System of Georgia.
 * Wiregrass Georgia Technical College

Notable people

 * James Brown, singer
 * Tyreek Hill, National Football League player for the Miami Dolphins, formerly the Kansas City Chiefs
 * Jason Childers, Major League Baseball player for the Tampa Bay Rays
 * G. Wayne Clough, Secretary of Smithsonian Institution and former president, Georgia Tech
 * Greg Holland, country singer
 * Jennifer Nettles, one-half of the country music duo Sugarland
 * Joel Parrish, football player
 * Willie Spence, singer and runner-up of Season 19 of American Idol
 * Maureen Tucker, drummer and occasional singer of 1960s and 1970s rock group The Velvet Underground, lives in Douglas.
 * Greg Walker, former first baseman and hitting coach, Chicago White Sox

title: Douglas, Georgia


text:
Nicholls, Georgia

Nicholls is a city in Coffee County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,798 as of the 2010 census, up from 1,008 in 2000, due to counting of the Coffee County Correctional Facility population within the city limits. This facility is privately owned and operated by CoreCivic.

The estimated city population as of 2018 was 3,338.

History
Nicholls was founded in 1895. The city was named for John C. Nicholls, a U.S. Representative from Georgia.

Geography
Nicholls is located near the eastern border of Coffee County at 31.51694°N, -82.63778°W (31.516941, -82.637654). Georgia State Route 32 passes through the community, leading west 13 mi to Douglas, the county seat, and east 10 mi to Alma.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Nicholls has a total area of 4.8 km2, of which 0.06 sqkm, or 1.32%, is water.

Nicholls, Georgia is in the Wiregrass Region of the United States and inherits its topography and ecological diversity.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,008 people, 406 households, and 278 families residing in the city. The population density was 646.4 PD/sqmi. There were 500 housing units at an average density of 320.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 55.36% White, 43.55% African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.50% from other races, and 0.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.19% of the population.

There were 406 households, out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% were married couples living together, 21.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.5% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $21,750, and the median income for a family was $24,479. Males had a median income of $23,990 versus $18,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $10,592. About 24.5% of families and 30.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.7% of those under age 18 and 33.9% of those age 65 or over.

Arena
The Wiregrass Arena is located in Nicholls. It is the home of many agricultural events as well as Nicholls Founders Day, an annual festival.

title: Nicholls, Georgia


text:
Berlin, Georgia

Berlin is a city in Colquitt County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 511.

History
Berlin was incorporated as a town in 1910. A post office has been in operation at Berlin since 1910. The community was named after Berlin, in Germany. Upon American entry into World War I, the town was renamed "Lens" due to Anti-German sentiment. The name "Berlin" was soon afterwards restored.

Geography
Berlin is located at 31.0675°N, -83.62361°W (31.067405, -83.623649).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.8 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 595 people, 196 households, and 145 families residing in the town. In 2020, there were 511 people residing in the town.

title: Berlin, Georgia


text:
Doerun, Georgia

Doerun is a city in Colquitt County, Georgia, United States. The population was 738 in 2020.

History
A post office called Doerun has been in operation since 1895. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the place in 1899 as the "Town of Doerun". The community was named for a deer run near the original town site.

Geography
Doerun is located at 31.32°N, -83.91667°W (31.320046, -83.916675). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.3 sqmi, of which 1.3 sqmi is land and 0.79% is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 828 people, 343 households, and 221 families residing in the city. By 2020, its population was 738.

Education
Doerun Elementary School (DES) is located within the city limits of Doerun. DES is administered by the Colquitt County School District. Doerun is also served by Colquitt County High School. Principal is Mrs. Kati Stephan, a former teacher of Doerun Elementary.

title: Doerun, Georgia


text:
Ellenton, Georgia

Ellenton is a town in Colquitt County, Georgia, United States. Its population was 281 at the 2010 census. It was incorporated in 1970 by the Georgia General Assembly. It is located at 31.17667°N, -83.58806°W (31.176563, -83.588016).

According to the United States Census Bureau, it has an area of 0.8 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 336 people, 109 households, and 81 families residing in the town. In 2020, its population was 210.

title: Ellenton, Georgia


text:
Funston, Georgia

Funston is a town in Colquitt County, Georgia, United States. The population was 402 in 2020.

History
The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Funston in 1970.

Geography
Funston is located at 31.19861°N, -83.87306°W (31.198593, -83.873051). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.2 sqmi, all land.

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

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 426 people, 155 households, and 121 families residing in the town. By 2020, its population was 402.

title: Funston, Georgia