Oglethorpe County, Georgia
Oglethorpe County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,825.[1] The county seat is Lexington.[2]
Oglethorpe County | |
|---|---|
Oglethorpe County Courthouse | |
Flag Logo | |
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia | |
Georgia's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 33°53′N 83°05′W / 33.88°N 83.08°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| Founded | December 19, 1795 |
| Named for | James Oglethorpe |
| Seat | Lexington |
| Largest city | Crawford |
| Area | |
| • Total | 442 sq mi (1,140 km2) |
| • Land | 439 sq mi (1,140 km2) |
| • Water | 3.0 sq mi (8 km2) 0.7% |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 14,825 |
| • Density | 34/sq mi (13/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 10th |
Oglethorpe County is included in the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA Combined Statistical Area. It is the largest county in Northeast Georgia.
History edit
Oglethorpe County was originally part of a large tract of land surrendered by Creek and Cherokee Native Americans to the Colony of Georgia in the treaty of 1773. The county itself was founded on December 19, 1793, and is named for Georgia's founder, General James Oglethorpe.
On September 10, 1919, Obe Cox was accused of murdering a White farmer's wife. He was seized by a White mob taken to the scene of the crime, his body riddled with bullets and burned at the stake. Several thousand persons witnessed the scene. The lynching was controversial as the local black community "thanked" the mob for just killing Cox and not attacking their community.[3] After an investigation the black media of the time reported that the blacks who wrote the letter thanking the lynching "do not stand for much in the town and are excused for their utter ignorance in condoning [lynching]."[3]
See reference "The Lynching Project:Oglethorpe County"[4]
Geography edit
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 442 square miles (1,140 km2), of which 439 square miles (1,140 km2) is land and 3.0 square miles (7.8 km2) (0.7%) is water.[5] The county is located in the Piedmont region of the state.
The majority of Oglethorpe County is located in the Broad River sub-basin of the Savannah River basin. A narrow western portion of the county, in a line from just north of Woodville, through Crawford, to just south of Winterville, is located in the Upper Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. A small part of the southern portion of the county, from Maxeys east, is located in the Little River sub-basin of the Savannah River basin.[6]
River edit
Adjacent counties edit
- Elbert County (northeast)
- Wilkes County (east)
- Taliaferro County (southeast)
- Greene County (south)
- Oconee County (west)
- Clarke County (west)
- Madison County (north)
National protected area edit
- Oconee National Forest (part)
- Watson Mill Bridge State Park (part)
Communities edit
Cities edit
Towns edit
Unincorporated communities edit
Demographics edit
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 9,780 | — | |
| 1810 | 12,297 | 25.7% | |
| 1820 | 14,046 | 14.2% | |
| 1830 | 13,618 | −3.0% | |
| 1840 | 10,868 | −20.2% | |
| 1850 | 12,259 | 12.8% | |
| 1860 | 11,549 | −5.8% | |
| 1870 | 11,782 | 2.0% | |
| 1880 | 15,400 | 30.7% | |
| 1890 | 16,951 | 10.1% | |
| 1900 | 17,881 | 5.5% | |
| 1910 | 18,680 | 4.5% | |
| 1920 | 20,287 | 8.6% | |
| 1930 | 12,927 | −36.3% | |
| 1940 | 12,430 | −3.8% | |
| 1950 | 9,958 | −19.9% | |
| 1960 | 7,926 | −20.4% | |
| 1970 | 7,598 | −4.1% | |
| 1980 | 8,929 | 17.5% | |
| 1990 | 9,763 | 9.3% | |
| 2000 | 12,635 | 29.4% | |
| 2010 | 14,899 | 17.9% | |
| 2020 | 14,825 | −0.5% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 15,754 | [7] | 6.3% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] 1790-1880[9] 1890-1910[10] 1920-1930[11] 1930-1940[12] 1940-1950[13] 1960-1980[14] 1980-2000[15] 2010[16] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 10,903 | 73.54% |
| Black or African American | 2,248 | 15.16% |
| Native American | 40 | 0.27% |
| Asian | 134 | 0.9% |
| Pacific Islander | 5 | 0.03% |
| Other/Mixed | 626 | 4.22% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 869 | 5.86% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 14,825 people, 5,651 households, and 3,711 families residing in the county.
Education edit
Recreation edit
- White Water Rafting on the Broad and South Fork Broad Rivers
- ATV and Motor Bike Park
- Sportsman Hunting: Seasonal Whitetail Deer, Turkey and Rabbit
Historic Districts and Heritage Research, Antique Stores in Historic Lexington, Agriculture and Agritourism as well as Oglethorpe Fresh Produce
In 2016, the Oglethorpe County Recreation Department was named both the District 7 and State Agency of the Year for populations under 20,000 through the Georgia Recreation and Park Association.
Transportation edit
Major highways edit
Pedestrians and cycling edit
The county has limited walkability options available.
Politics edit
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 5,592 | 68.71% | 2,439 | 29.97% | 107 | 1.31% |
| 2016 | 4,625 | 69.30% | 1,831 | 27.43% | 218 | 3.27% |
| 2012 | 4,251 | 67.64% | 1,914 | 30.45% | 120 | 1.91% |
| 2008 | 4,144 | 64.12% | 2,232 | 34.54% | 87 | 1.35% |
| 2004 | 3,688 | 65.41% | 1,899 | 33.68% | 51 | 0.90% |
| 2000 | 2,706 | 61.71% | 1,519 | 34.64% | 160 | 3.65% |
| 1996 | 1,826 | 48.03% | 1,570 | 41.29% | 406 | 10.68% |
| 1992 | 1,590 | 42.94% | 1,491 | 40.26% | 622 | 16.80% |
| 1988 | 1,951 | 62.61% | 1,154 | 37.03% | 11 | 0.35% |
| 1984 | 2,122 | 63.15% | 1,238 | 36.85% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 1,187 | 41.56% | 1,611 | 56.41% | 58 | 2.03% |
| 1976 | 811 | 30.43% | 1,854 | 69.57% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1972 | 1,712 | 84.00% | 326 | 16.00% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 383 | 14.71% | 483 | 18.56% | 1,737 | 66.73% |
| 1964 | 1,126 | 56.58% | 864 | 43.42% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 142 | 9.17% | 1,406 | 90.83% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 167 | 10.63% | 1,404 | 89.37% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 208 | 12.46% | 1,461 | 87.54% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 62 | 5.55% | 819 | 73.26% | 237 | 21.20% |
| 1944 | 173 | 15.80% | 922 | 84.20% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 131 | 13.79% | 818 | 86.11% | 1 | 0.11% |
| 1936 | 115 | 11.93% | 845 | 87.66% | 4 | 0.41% |
| 1932 | 34 | 2.66% | 1,240 | 97.03% | 4 | 0.31% |
| 1928 | 205 | 20.14% | 813 | 79.86% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 129 | 6.56% | 1,748 | 88.96% | 88 | 4.48% |
| 1920 | 42 | 4.74% | 844 | 95.26% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1916 | 18 | 2.51% | 657 | 91.63% | 42 | 5.86% |
| 1912 | 50 | 9.09% | 400 | 72.73% | 100 | 18.18% |
Notable people edit
- Nathan Crawford Barnett, member of the Georgia House of Representatives and Georgia Secretary of State for more than 30 years. Raised in Lexington, and educated at the Lexington Academy
- William H. Crawford (1772–1834) - U.S. Minister to France, U.S. Secretary of War, and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury
- George R. Gilmer (1790–1859) - Twice Governor
- Meriwether Lewis (1774–1809) - leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
- Wilson Lumpkin (1783–1870) - Governor
- Joseph H. Lumpkin (1799–1867) First Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court and co-founder of the Lumpkin Law School
- George Mathews (1739–1812) - Revolutionary hero and twice Governor
- Kenny Rogers - Country music performer
See also edit
Bibliography edit
- Notes
- ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Oglethorpe County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
- ^ . National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ a b Brundage 1993, p. 47.
- ^ "The Lynching Project: Oglethorpe County".
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
- ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
- ^ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1910.
- ^ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930.
- ^ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1940.
- ^ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia -" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1950.
- ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
- ^ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000.
- ^ . United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
- References
- Brundage, William Fitzhugh (1993). Lynching in the New South: Georgia and Virginia, 1880-1930. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 9780252063459. - Total pages: 375
- "The Lynching Project: Oglethorpe County".
External links edit
- Oglethorpe County official website