Dahlonega, Georgia
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| Dahlonega, Georgia, USA | |
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| — City — | |
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| Nickname(s): Gold City | |
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| Coordinates: 34°31′50″N 83°59′5″W / 34.53056°N 83.98472°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Lumpkin |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Gary McCullough |
| - City Marshall | Stacy Jarrard |
| - City Manager | Bill Lewis. |
| Area | |
| - Total | 6.4 sq mi (16.6 km2) |
| - Land | 6.4 sq mi (16.6 km2) |
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,450 ft (442 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 3,638 |
| - Density | 568.1/sq mi (219.5/km2) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 30533, 30597 |
| Area code(s) | 706 |
| FIPS code | 13-21240[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0355420[2] |
| Website | http://www.cityofdahlonega.com/ |
Dahlonega is a city in Lumpkin County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat[3]. As of the 2000 census, it had a total population of 3,638.
Dahlonega is located at the north end of Georgia 400, which connects Atlanta to many affluent suburbs to the north. It is consistently named as a best place to retire by many different publications, due to its low cost of living, vibrant activities, continuing education for seniors, festivals, and beautiful setting.
The Dahlonega Gold Museum Historic Site sits in the middle of the town square, housed in the old Lumpkin County Courthouse built in 1836. From its steps in 1849, Dahlonega Mint assayor Dr. M. F. Stephenson tried to persuade miners to stay instead of joining the California Gold Rush, saying "there's millions in it."
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[edit] History
Dahlonega, Georgia was the site of the first major gold Rush in the USA in 1828. It was a boom town in the Georgia Gold Rush and became the site of a United States Mint branch mint between 1838 and 1861. The facility was then controlled by the Confederate Treasury Department and operations continued until June 1, 1861.
Numerous gold mines were scattered around the area, a major reason for the forced relocation of the Cherokee nation to Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears.[4] The city's name since 1833 comes from the Cherokee-language word "Talonige" or "Dalonige", meaning "yellow money" or "gold." The city is just east of Auraria, and each city claims to be the authentic site of the first discovery of gold. Senator John Calhoun of South Carolina (7th Vice President of the United States) also owned the Calhoun Mine, just south of the City Square.
The Dahlonega Mint, like the one established in 1838 in Charlotte, North Carolina, only minted gold coins, in denominations of $1.00, $2.50 (quarter eagle), $3.00 (1854 only) and $5.00 (half eagle). It was cost effective considering the cost, time, and risk shipping gold to the main mint in Philadelphia. The Dahlonega Mint was a small operation, usually accounting for only a small fraction of the gold coinage minted annually. The government did not consider it necessary to reestablish the facility after the Civil War.
By then, the U.S. government had established a mint in San Francisco. Given the large amount of gold discovered in California, that mint handled the needs of gold mint production.
As a result, surviving Dahlonega coinage is today highly prized in American numismatics. The mint building burned in 1878 - but the North Georgia College campus built Price Memorial Hall on its foundation.[5] The building is clearly identifiable by the gold leaf steeple.
In recent years, Dahlonega and Lumpkin County have been recognized as "the heart of Georgia Wine Country." The county features five vineyards and wineries that attract many tourists. The quaint Dahonega Square is a popular tourist destination with gift shops, restaurants, art galleries and artists' studios.
Dahlonega's local festivals also draw many tourists. Bear on the Square, an annual three-day festival held the third weekend in April which marks the day that a black bear wandered onto the square, features bluegrass and old-time music while celebrating the authentic culture of the Southern Appalachians with a juried artists' market and other activities. Gold Rush Days attract over 200,000 people for the two-day event every year on the third weekend in October.
[edit] Historical marker
Located on the old Courthouse Square in Dahlonega, Georgia WPA Historical Marker 19 B-7, explains:
This court house, built in 1836, replaced the small log structure used since the establishment of Lumpkin County in 1832. The town was named Dahlonega in October, 1833, for the Cherokee word "Talonega" meaning "golden." From its steps in 1849, Dr. M.F. Stephenson, assayor [sic] at the Mint, attempted to dissuade Georgia miners from leaving to join the California Gold Rush. His oration gave rise to the sayings: "There's millions in it," and ["]Thar's gold in them thar hills."[6]
[edit] Geography
Dahlonega is located at 34°31′50″N 83°59′5″W / 34.53056°N 83.98472°W (34.530471, -83.984705)[7].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.4 square miles (16.6 km²), all of it land.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 3,638 people, 1,060 households, and 568 families residing in the city. The population density was 568.1 people per square mile (219.5/km²). There were 1,181 housing units at an average density of 184.4/sq mi (71.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.94% White, 4.95% African American, 0.44% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 2.56% from other races, and 1.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.57% of the population.
There were 1,060 households out of which 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.1% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.4% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city the population was spread out with 13.5% under the age of 18, 42.9% from 18 to 24, 19.0% from 25 to 44, 13.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there were 73.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 69.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,636, and the median income for a family was $44,904. Males had a median income of $30,500 versus $22,917 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,572. About 11.4% of families and 24.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.4% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | %± |
| 1820 | 385 | — |
| 1830 | 7,568 | Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "," |
| 1840 | 8,742 | Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "," |
| 1850 | 6,245 | Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "," |
| 1860 | 5,431 | Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "," |
| 1870 | 3,937 | Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "," |
| 1880 | 4,012 | Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "," |
| 1890 | 4,014 | Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "," |
| 1900 | 4,013 | Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "," |
| 1910 | 3,128 | Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "," |
| 1920 | 2,775 | Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "," |
| 1930 | 2,610 | Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "," |
| 1940 | 1,998 | Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "," |
| 1950 | 1,765 | Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "," |
| 1960 | 2,044 | Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "," |
| 1970 | 2,376 | Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "," |
| 1980 | 3,000 | Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "," |
| 1990 | 3,246 | Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "," |
| 2000 | 3,638 | Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "," |
| Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places Over 100,000[8] | ||
[edit] Education
Dahlonega is home to North Georgia College and State University, the Senior Military College of Georgia. The campus has a building, Price Hall, topped with a spire, which is covered with gold leaf from the town. The rotunda dome of the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta is also covered with Dahlonega gold.
These are some of the public schools in Dahlonega
- Lumpkin County Elementary School
- Long Branch Elementary School
- Blackburn Elementary School
- Lumpkin County Middle School
- Lumpkin County High School
Other educational facilities in Dahlonega include:
- Hidden Lake Academy, a boarding school.
- Wahsega 4-H Center, an environmental education center and summer camp owned by the University of Georgia and administered through the UGA Cooperative Extension Service Georgia 4-H program.
- Camp Glisson, a year-round retreat camp owned by the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church.
[edit] Famous residents
- Amy Ray, Indigo Girls Singer and Song-writer
- Jennifer Nettles, Sugarland Lead Singer
- Max Burns, Former United States House of Representatives Member
- Sara Christian, NASCAR 1st Female Driver
- John Bell, Widespread Panic lead singer and guitarist
- Zac Brown, Zac Brown Band Lead Singer
- Dallas Kinney, Pulitzer Prize winning photographer.
[edit] References
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ James Loewen, (1996).
- ^ Price Memorial Building State Historical Marker (accessed October 27, 2006)
- ^ Georgia Historical Markers (accessed October 27, 2006)
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Cite error: Invalid
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[edit] Suggested reading
- "Gold-Mining in Georgia." Harper's New Monthly Magazine 59, Issue 352 (September 1879): 517-519. Available here
- I Remember Dahlonega: Memories of Growing Up in Lumpkin County, by Anne Dismukes Amerson (Chestatee Publishing: 1993)
- Williams, David (1993). The Georgia Gold Rush: Twenty-Niners, Cherokees, and Gold Fever. Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press. ISBN 1-57003-052-9.
[edit] External links
- Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Dahlonega Lions Club
- City of Dahlonega Website
- Dahlonega Georgia Merchants Association
- Dahlonega Nugget Newspaper
- "Thar's Gold in Them Thar Hills": Gold and Gold Mining in Georgia, 1830s-1940s
- The Bear On the Square Mountain Festival
- Wineries & Vineyards in Dahlonega Area
- Dahlonega, Georgia is at coordinates 34°31′50″N 83°59′05″W / 34.530471°N 83.984705°WCoordinates: 34°31′50″N 83°59′05″W / 34.530471°N 83.984705°W
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