Cumming, Georgia
| Cumming, Georgia | |
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| — City — | |
| Motto: Gateway to Leisure Living | |
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 Cumming
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| Coordinates: 34°12′30″N 84°8′15″W / 34.20833°N 84.13750°WCoordinates: 34°12′30″N 84°8′15″W / 34.20833°N 84.13750°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Forsyth |
| Incorporated | 1834 |
| Chartered | 1845[1] |
| Named for | William Cumming |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.9 sq mi (15.2 km2) |
| • Land | 6.9 sq mi (15.2 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,217 ft (371 m) |
| Population (2010)[2] | |
| • Total | 5,430 |
| • Density | 787/sq mi (357.2/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 30028, 30040, 30041 |
| Area code(s) | 770 |
| FIPS code | 13-20932[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0331494[3] |
| Website | http://www.cityofcumming.net/index.html |
Cumming is a city in Forsyth County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. Its population was 5,430 at the 2010 census.[4] However, places with a Cumming mailing address have a population of around 100,000. It is the county seat of Forsyth County[5].
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History [edit]
The area now called Cumming is located west of Hall County around the area of Vann's Crossing.
Early history [edit]
The area, now called Cumming, was first inhabited by Cherokee tribes. They came in 1755, the Cherokee and Creek people developed disputes over hunting land. After two years of fighting, the Cherokee won the land in the Battle of Taliwa. The Creek people were forced to move south of the Chattahoochee River.[6][7]
The Cherokee coexisted with the settlers until the discovery of gold in Georgia in 1828. Settlers that moved to the area to mine for gold pushed for the removal of the Cherokee. Finally in 1835, the Treaty of New Echota was signed. The treaty stated that the Cherokee Nation must move to the Indian Territory. This resulted in the Trail of Tears. The Cherokee territory was then formed into Cherokee County in 1831. In 1832, the county was then split into several counties including Forsyth County.[8]
Modern history [edit]
During the 1830s and 1840s, Cumming benefited from the gold mining industry as many business were created to meet the needs of the miners. However, the California Gold Rush in 1849 put the city into an economic depression. Newly-built railroads bypassed the city and took traffic from the Federal Road that ran near Cumming. The city was spared during the Civil War because William T. Sherman did not pass through the city during his March to the Sea. In 1900, the county courthouse was destroyed in a fire and rebuilt in 1905.[6][7]
In 1912, Georgia governor, Joseph M. Brown, sent four companies of state militia to Cumming to prevent riots after several rapes of young white women by African-American men.
| “ | Ellen Grice was assaulted on Wednesday, September 4, 1912.Tony Howell was charged with "Assault with intent to Rape" (Book 4 p. 391). After several adjournments, the case was "nol prossed". Howell continued to live in Forsyth County until the 1940s, when according to a neighbor he moved to Alpharetta, GA to reside with his daughter.
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—Donna Parrish, Shadow of 1912 |
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The governor then declared martial law, but the effort did little to stop a month-long barrage of attacks by night riders on the African-American citizens. This led to a diaspora of African-Americans, and the city had virtually no black population.[10]
Racial tensions were strained even more in 1987 when a group of blacks were assaulted while camping at a park on Lake Lanier. This was widely reported by local newspapers and in Atlanta. As a result of this a local businessman decided to hold a "Peace March" the following week. Reverend Hosea Williams joined the local businessman in a march along Bethelview and Castleberry Road in south Forsyth County into the City of Cumming when they were assaulted by whites. The marchers retreated and vowed to return. During the following "Brotherhood March" On January 24, 1987, another racially-mixed group returned to Forsyth County to complete the march the previous group had be unable to finish. March organizers estimated the number at 20,000, while police estimates ran from 12-14,000. Civil rights leader, Hosea Williams, and former senator, Gary Hart, were in the demonstration. A group of the National Guard kept the opposition of about 1,000 in check. Oprah Winfrey featured the Cumming and Forsyth County on her show, The Oprah Winfrey Show. She formed a town hall meeting where one audience member said this:
| “ | I'm afraid of [blacks] coming to Forsyth County," he said to Oprah at the meeting. "I was born in Atlanta, and in 1963, the first blacks were bussed to West Fulton High School. I go down there now and I see my neighborhood and my community, which was a nice community, and now it's nothing but a rat-infested slum area because they don't care.[11] | ” |
However, it was found the most of the audience members agreed that Forsyth County should integrate. Rev. Hosea Williams was excluded from Oprah's show and arrested for trespassing.
Today, the city is experiencing new growth. The completion of Georgia 400 has helped turn Cumming into a commuter town for Atlanta. The city holds the Cumming Country Fair & Festival every October. The Sawnee Mountain Preserve also provides views of the city from the top of Sawnee Mountain.[6] In 1956, Buford Dam, along the Chattahoochee River, started operating. The reservoir that it created is called Lake Lanier.[7] The lake, being a popular spot for boaters, has generated income from tourists for Cumming as well as provide a source of drinking water. However, because of rapid growth of the Atlanta area, drought, and mishandling of a stream gauge, Lake Lanier has seen record-low water levels. Moreover, the lake is involved in a longstanding lawsuit between Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. Because of a recent ruling, the city may not be able to withdraw its water.[12] However, the city is looking into different sources of water such as wells and various creeks.[13]
Geography [edit]
Cumming is located at 34°12′30″N 84°8′15″W / 34.20833°N 84.13750°W (34.208464, -84.137575)[14].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.9 square miles (15 km2), of which, 5.9 square miles (15 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of it (0.34%) is water.
Demographics [edit]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 358 |
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| 1900 | 239 | −33.2% | |
| 1910 | 305 | 27.6% | |
| 1920 | 607 | 99.0% | |
| 1930 | 648 | 6.8% | |
| 1940 | 958 | 47.8% | |
| 1950 | 1,264 | 31.9% | |
| 1960 | 1,561 | 23.5% | |
| 1970 | 2,031 | 30.1% | |
| 1980 | 2,094 | 3.1% | |
| 1990 | 2,828 | 35.1% | |
| 2000 | 4,220 | 49.2% | |
| 2010 | 5,430 | 28.7% | |
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As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 5,430 people, 1,893 households (of which 57.1% were families), and 1,081 families residing in the city. The population density was 787.0 people per square mile (276.6/km²). There were 2,037 housing units at an average density of 295.2 per square mile (98.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.6% White, 2.9% African American, 0.5% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 16.9% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 31.4% of the population.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,118, and the median income for a family was $48,947. Full-time, year-round male workers had a median income of $35,402 versus $31,892 for similarly situated females. The per capita income for the city was $18,326 . About 27.9% of families and 22.0% of the adult population were below the poverty line.
Education [edit]
Cumming is served by Forsyth County Schools
Elementary Schools
- Big Creek Elementary (South Forsyth)
- Brookwood Elementary (Lambert)
- Chattahoochee Elementary (North Forsyth)
- Coal Mountain Elementary (North Forsyth)
- Cumming Elementary (Forsyth Central)
- Daves Creek Elementary (South Forsyth)
- Haw Creek Elementary (South Forsyth)
- John's Creek Elementary (South Forsyth)
- Mashburn Elementary (Forsyth Central)
- Matt Elementary (North Forsyth)
- Midway Elementary (South Forsyth)
- Sawnee Elementary(Forsyth Central)
- Settles Bridge Elementary (Lambert)
- Sharon Elementary
- Shiloh Point Elementary (South Forsyth)
- Silver City Elementary (North Forsyth)
- Vickery Creek Elementary (West Forsyth)
- Whitlow Elementary
Middle Schools
- Liberty Middle (West Forsyth)
- Little Mill Middle (North Forsyth)
- North Forsyth Middle (North Forsyth)
- Otwell Middle (Forsyth Central)
- Piney Grove Middle (South Forsyth)
- South Forsyth Middle (Lambert)
- Vickery Creek Middle (West Forsyth)
- Riverwatch Middle (Lambert)
- Lakeside Middle (South Forsyth)
High Schools
- Forsyth Central High School
- Lambert High School
- North Forsyth High School
- South Forsyth High School
- West Forsyth High School
Charter Schools
- Forsyth County Academy
Alternative Schools
- Creative Montessori School
- Piedmont Learning Center (6-12)
- Ignite Student Ministries (6-12)
Notable natives and residents [edit]
- Zac Brown, leader of the grammy-winning Zac Brown Band was born in Cumming.
- Junior Samples was a comedian on the TV show Hee Haw.
- Micah Owings, San Diego Padres starting pitcher, was born in Gainesville, which is near Cumming.
- The town of Cumming (incorporated 1834) is named in honor of Col. William Cumming, distinguished officer in the War of 1812.
- Actress Kelli Giddish was born in Cumming.
- Actress Skyler Day was born in Cumming.[15]
- Laura Thompson is co-host of the Harry Potter Podcast MuggleCast.[16]
- Christian recording artist Kristian Stanfill was born in Atlanta, but resides in Cumming with his wife.
- American Reunion was partially filmed in Cumming at Mary Alice Park
References [edit]
- ^ "City of Cumming, Ga "Gateway to Leisure Living"". Cityofcumming.net. Retrieved 2011-01-23.
- ^ a b c "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/13/1320932.html
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ a b c "New Georgia Encyclopedia: Cumming". Georgiaencyclopedia.org. 2006-06-22. Retrieved 2011-01-23.
- ^ a b c "Cumming GA History". Cumming.com. 1956-02-01. Retrieved 2011-01-23.
- ^ "Georgia Counties by Date of Creation". Georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu. Retrieved 2011-01-23.
- ^ "Forsyth County GA 1912". Donnaparrish.com. Retrieved 2011-01-23.
- ^ "1912 September and October". Rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved 2011-01-23.
- ^ "Memorable Guests". Oprah.com. 2006-01-01. Retrieved 2011-01-23.
- ^ Atlanta Business Chronicle - by Dave Williams (2009-07-17). "Federal Court ruling on Lake Lanier goes against Georgia | Atlanta Business Chronicle". Bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2011-01-23.
- ^ "The Forsyth County News Archive". Forsythnews.com. 2010-10-08. Retrieved 2011-01-23.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "Skyler Day (Maggie from Gigantic) Interview!". TeenNick. November 17, 2010. Retrieved March 1, 2011.
- ^ "The #1 Most-Listened to Harry Potter Podcast". MuggleCast. Retrieved 2011-01-23.
External links [edit]
- City of Cumming website
- Forsyth County Georgia, Information and Directory, Government,Business and more. Cumming is the county seat.
- Video of Annual Steam Engine Parade 60 Minute DVD of parade with many antique steam engines.
- Cumming Steam, Antique Tractor and Gas Engine Exposition
- Forsyth Herald
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