Forsyth County, Georgia

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Forsyth County, Georgia
Map
Location in the state of Georgia
Georgia's location in the U.S.
Statistics
Founded	1831
Seat	Cumming
Largest city	Cumming
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	247 sq mi (641 km²) 226 sq mi (585 km²) 22 sq mi (56 km²), 8.72%
PopulationEst.  - (2006)  - Density	150,968 436/sq mi (168/km²)
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Congressional districts	7th, 9th
Website: www.forsythco.com

Forsyth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The county seat is Cumming,Georgia.^[1] Forsyth County is a part of theAtlanta metropolitan area (Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area). As of 2000, the population was 98,407.^[2] The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 158,914.^[3]

Forsyth County has been one of the fastest growing areas in the United States in terms of percentage of growth for several years during the 2000s.^[4][5][6] The population growth was caused by the county's proximity to Atlanta and its appeal as a commuter area for people working in the Atlanta area. The influx of high earning professionals increased the average income to a point where Forbes.com named it as the 13th wealthiest county in the United States in terms of median household income for 2008. At near $84,872 it is also the wealthiest county in the state of Georgia.^[7]

Forsyth County gained national media attention in the 1980s because of a series of civil rights demonstrations and counter demonstrations that began as an attempt to show that the county had moved past a history of extreme racism. The county also received national media attention because of Lake Lanier, which forms the eastern border of the county, and the scarcity of water resources during a drought that threatened water levels that provide water for the metro Atlanta area and is then shared by Alabama and Florida.^[8]

Contents 1 History 2 Pronunciation 3 Geography 3.1 Major highways 3.2 Adjacent counties 3.3 Cities and towns 3.4 National protected areas 4 Demographics 5 Education 6 Recreation 7 Civil Rights Incidents 7.1 Racial Cleansing of 1912 7.2 Marches and Demostrations of 1980s 7.3 2009 8 Notes and references 9 External links

[edit] History

Forsyth County was partitioned in 1832^[2] from a section of the Cherokee County territory along with 9 other counties in the area. The terriotroy was formed a year earlier in response to the discover of gold in the surrounding area in 1829. The land had been settled by the Cherokee Nationwho were relocated during the trail of tears.^[9]

Forsyth County was named for John Forsyth, Governor of Georgia from 1827-1829 and Secretary of State under Presidents Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren. For many years much of the area was set aside for agricultural and as a result fairly poor. During the 1950s with the introduction of the poultry industry the county saw a steady economic growth and also saw the planning stages of Georgia State Route 400. Georgia 400 was first opened in 1971 and was eventually extended through the county and northward. Expansions have taken place to support the population boon it cause as became a commuter town for Atlanta.

Today, Forsyth County maintains a large percentage of new homeowners. Due to rapid suburban sprawl and skyrocketing housing prices in neighboring Fulton County, a large number of affluent professionals have moved into the county. Over 60% of the current population either lived elsewhere or had not been born yet in 1987.

In 2008 Forsyth County had been in the top ten fastest growing counties of the United States for several years. Many new subdivisions with elegant houses have been constructed, several around world class golf courses. Close to Atlanta and the Blue Ridge mountains and bordering 37,000-acre (150 km²) Lake Sidney Lanier the area has attracted many of the Metro area's new residents. The growth is tempered by water availability and the efforts of several county organizations to make sure growth is planned and sustains the high quality of life in the area.

[edit] Pronunciation

Pronunciation for Forsyth County, Georgia is with emphasis on the 2nd syllable: for-SYTH (fawr-SITHE). Many natives actually pronounce the first syllable quickly, and with an "e" making it more like "fer-SITHE.

[edit] Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 247 square miles (641 km²), of which, 226 square miles (585 km²)^[2] of it is land and 22 square miles (56 km²) of it (8.72%) is water.

[edit] Major highways

[edit] Adjacent counties

• Dawson County, Georgia to the north, across a line of latitude
• Hall County, Georgia to the east, across Lake Lanier (former thalwegs of Chattahoochee River, up into Chestatee River)
• Gwinnett County, Georgiato the southeast, across Chattahoochee River and Buford Dam
• Fulton County, Georgia(formerly Milton County until 1932) to the southwest, across an irregular line (not following a ridge or stream), and a line of longitude
• Cherokee County, Georgiato the west-northwest, across the same line of longitude

		Dawson County
	Cherokee County		Hall County
		Forsyth County, Georgia
	Fulton County		Gwinnett County

[edit] Cities and towns

[edit] National protected areas

• Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (part)

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^[10][11] of 2000, there were 98,407 people, 34,565 households, and 28,101 families residing in the county. The population density was 436 people per square mile (168/km²). There were 36,505 housing units at an average density of 162 per square mile (62/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.05% White, 0.70% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.80% Asian, 2.01%Pacific Islander, 2.27% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races. 2.57% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 21.7% were of American, 14.1% English, 13.0%Irish and 11.8% German ancestry according toCensus 2000.

There were 34,565 households out of which 41.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.90% were married couples living together, 6.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.70% were non-families. 14.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.12.

The age distribution was 27.90% under the age of 18, 6.10% from 18 to 24, 37.10% from 25 to 44, 21.80% from 45 to 64, and 7.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 102.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $68,890, and the median income for a family was $74,003 (these figures had risen to $84,815 and $91,658 respectively as of a 2007 estimate).^[11] Males had a median income of $50,862 versus $32,112 for females. The per capita incomefor the county was $29,114. About 3.90% of families and 5.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.60% of those under age 18 and 10.20% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Education

Forsyth County is served by Forsyth County Schools The public school system is Forsyth County's largest employer (4,000 employees) and is an integral part of the community. It has experienced great growth over the past decade and is now home to 31,000 students in 30 schools. It is projected by 2013 to grow to over 50,000 students. Classrooms are technologically-advanced, as the school system places a heavy emphasis on being on the cutting edge of new technology and methods of teaching.

Ten new schools are projected to open by 2013, among them a sixth high school. There are currently five high schools in Forsyth County: Forsyth Central (which was the first high school and originally called Forsyth County High School), North Forsyth, South Forsyth, West Forsyth, and the newest, Lambert. There are 7 middle schools: Otwell (The first) which has been rebuilt, North Forsyth, South Forsyth, Lakeside (the newest), Piney Grove, Liberty, and Vickery Creek.

[edit] Recreation

Lake Lanier is a 37,000-acre (150 km²) Army Corp of Engineers lake, is enjoyed by many residents non-residents alike. Fishing, boating, tubing, wake boarding, and water skiing are common activities on the lake. Forsyth County Parks and Recreation Department maintains over 15 parks in the county.^[12] Most notably Sawnee Mountain Preserve, Central Park, and theBig Creek Greenway.^[13] The Cumming Fairgrounds hosts many events throughout the year including a rodeo, The Cumming Country Fair, andfarmers' market.^[14] There is also the annual 4th of July Steam Engine Parade.^[15]

[edit] Civil Rights Incidents

[edit] Racial Cleansing of 1912

The changing dynamics between white and black citizens after the civil war caused problems all over the southern United States. The north Georgia area also experienced racial tensions culmintating in violence and hate crimes. Examples of which were the Atlanta race riot of 1906 which left over 20 dead and the racial cleansing in Forsyth County.^{[16][17][18][19][20]}

Before the fall of 1912 Forsyth County had a typical mix of races for the surrounding area. The 1910 census showed 10847 white, 658 black, and 440mulatto citizens. Making the number of black citizens at just over 10% of the population. The trouble began in Forsyth County in September 1912 when Ellen Grice claimed that she was the victim of an attempted assault and rape by two black men. The alleged assault occurred on Wednesday September 4, 1912 in her mother's home. Some people were arrested. On Saturday September 7, 1912 at a gathering of one of the local black churches in downtown Cumming Grant Smith, a local black preacher, publicly questioned the character of the alleged victim. His comments enraged white citizens who then horse-whipped him. Smith was rescued by the police and locked in the courthouse for his own safety. Threats then emerged from groups of white and black citizens. White citizens talked of breaking into the jail and lynching those that were being held for the crime. To which the black citizens replied that they would dyamite the town if a lynching took place.

The next day on Sunday September 8, 1912 in the nearby community of Oscarville Mae Crow was walking to her aunt's house in the afternoon when she was assaulted by a black teenager named Earnest Daniel Knox. Dragging her into the woods and bashing her head on a rock Knox raped the young women and left her hidden in the woods. Crow was visited in the night by either Know and associates or someone Knox had told his crime to. Still alive she was raped again and left in the woods. Crow was found until the next morning, Monday September the 9th and taken to somewhere. Regaining consciousness for only a brief period she was able to name Knox as her assailent. Knox was arrested later that day, Monday September the 9th, at which point he confessed. He was first taken to the jail in Gainesville but when a potential lynch mob began gathering in Gainesville Knox was moved to a jail in Atlanta. Crow died of her injuries on two weeks later on Monday, September 23, 1912.

On Tuesday morning four more blacks were arrested in connection to the Mae Crow assault: Oscar Daniel, Rob Edwards, Ed Collins, and Trussie Daniel. Ignoring the potential of provoking a lynch mob they were detained in the Cumming jail. A mob soon gathered and stormed the jail. The mob shot Rob Edwards, mutilated his body with a tire iron, drug his dead body around the square behind a wagon, and then hung him from a telephone pole at the intersection of Main Street and Tribble Gap Road (the northwest corner of the Square). At this point the state militia was called in and Cumming was placed under martial law. The remaining prisoners were moved to a jail in Atlanta.

Oscar Daniel and Earnest Knox were indicted for rape and murder on Monday September 30. Trussie Daniel and Ed Collins were held as witnesses (bitter waters). The trial was set for Thursday October 3 in Cumming the county seat of Forsyth County. The prisoners were escorted by four companies of the state militia by train to Buford, Ga from which the walked the remaining 14 miles. The trials went by without any disturbance and on Friday October 4 both men had been sentenced to a private hanging on October 25. The end of the trial marked the begginging of the racial cleansing.

Before the cleansing 1,900 acres of land in the county was owned by blacks. Black churches were burned down, houses were shot at, whites went door to door telling blacks to flee from the county, and in one case a house was blown up with dynamite. Some blacks managed to sell their homes and land for a fair price but many lost a lot of money if they were able to sell at all. In some cases the families fled in the night and their land was never sold. Neighbors and other land owners were eventually able to obtain the land by paying property taxes on the land that had cease to be paid. Jaspin says "The majority of black landowners were helpless to prevent their white neighbors from stealing their land and their homes" (136).^[16] When it became apparent that the attacks on blacks were not isolated incidents some residents and county officials appealed for help in gaining control of the population and creating a safe environment for black citizens.

When it came time for the hangings gallows were built in the field of Dr. Ansel Strickland located just off the square in Cumming. A fence was erected around the gallows but citizens burned the fence the night before the execution. A crowd of between 5,000 and 8,000 gathered to watch the executions, a large group considering the entire population was only around 12,000.^[17]

[edit] Marches and Demostrations of 1980s

More ethnically diverse citizens have begun in recent years to immigrate to the county, particularly in the affluent southern portion. However the racial tension continued to be a part of the county's image into the early 1990s. This was infamously punctuated in January 17, 1987 by a march by civil rightsactivists in Cumming, and a counterdemonstration by a branch of the Ku Klux Klan, some of whom may have been residents of the county, and others who objected to the march, some residents and some nonresidents who attended the march for the purpose of protesting it. According to a story published in the New York Times on January 18, four marchers were slightly injured by stones, and bottles were thrown at them. Eight people from the counter demonstration, all white, were arrested. The charges included trespassing and carrying concealed weapons.

Originally, the march was going to be led by Forsyth resident Charles A. Blackburn. Blackburn wanted to dispel the racist image of Forsyth County, where he owned and operated a private school (The Blackburn Learning Center). Blackburn cancelled his plans after he received threatening phone calls. Other whites in nearby counties, as well as State Representative J.E. McKinney of Atlantaand Hosea Williams, who was on the Atlanta City Council, took up the march plans instead. The following week, January 24, approximately 20,000civil rights activists marched in Cumming. This occurrence produced no violence, despite the presence of over 5,000 counter-demonstrators, summoned by the Forsyth County Defense League, largely due to the presence of about 2,000 peace officers and national guardsmen. Forsyth County paid $670,000 for police overtime during thepolitical demonstration. There was considerable public outrage at the costs, particularly since most of the demonstrators on both sides were from outside the county. An interview with Forsyth County Sheriff Wesley Walraven, previous to the second march, is available in A Turn in the South by Nobel-prize winning author VS Naipaul.

The demonstration is thought to have been the largest civil rights demonstration in the U.S. since about 1970. The unexpected turnout of some 6,000 counter-demonstrators, sixty-six of whom were arrested for "parading-without-a-permit," turned out to be the largest outpouring opposed to the Civil Rights Bill since the Sixties. The counter-demonstration was called byThe Nationalist Movement, newly organized in Cumming, by Mark Watts, a local plumber. The original march had been triggered by an often repeated statement that Forsyth was "a county that warned black visitors not to 'let the sun go down on your head.' " New Georgia Encyclopedia Marchers arrived on buses from all over the country and formed a caravan from Atlanta, under the watchful eye of National Guard troops on freeway overpasses along the nearly hour-long bus route. When marchers arrived, they discovered that most of the Cumming residents had already left town for the day, and some had boarded up their windows because they feared violence. The mood of the marchers, however, was peaceful and hopeful. The voices of thousands of people singing "We shall overcome" echoed off the empty buildings, as marchers wound slowly through streets lined by hundreds of armed National Guards, many of them black. At least two-thirds of the 20,000 civil rights marchers were white, according to eyewitnesses. Many said the multi-racial turnout showed how the civil rights movement had succeeded, despite the challenge at hand. Forsyth county subsequently charged large fees for parade permits until the practice was overturned in Forsyth County, Georgia v. The Nationalist Movement (505 U.S. 123) in the Supreme Court of the United States on June 19, 1992.

[edit] 2009

On January 27, 2009, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported there was a house fire in northeastern Forsyth County with racial overtones. The homeowner, Pamela Morrow Graf, told authorities that she and her boyfriend, Steve Edward Strobel, left January 16 to attend the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama in Washington, D.C., and returned January 19 after hearing about the fire.^[21] The report stated that racist "graffiti was sprayed on a nearby fence" at the fire location. However, after igniting a storm of racial controversy, the case turned out to be a fake hate crime. The homeowner and her boyfriend had set the fire themselves to make it look like an attack, in a scheme to defraud her insurance carrier.^[22][23]

[edit] Notes and references

[edit] External links

• Forsyth County Georgia, Business and Government Directory with local news and information.
• Forsyth County Government, County Government Portal
• John Forsyth, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• History and Records, Forsyth County, GA
• Forsyth County School System
• Forsyth County News, Your "Hometown Paper" Since 1908
• Forsyth Herald
• Video of Annual Steam Engine Parade 60 Minute DVD of parade with many antique steam engines.

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v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Forsyth County, Georgia County seat: Cumming Cities Cumming | Milton‡ Unincorporated communities Chestatee | Coal Mountain | Matt Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

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v • d • e Education in Forsyth County, Georgia Public Schools v • d • e Schools of the Forsyth County School system Elementary Schools Big Creek Elementary School • Brookwood Elementary School • Chattahoochee Elementary School • Chestatee Elementary School • Coal Mountain Elementary School • Cumming Elementary School • Daves Creek Elementary School • Haw Creek Elementary School • Johns Creek Elementary School • Mashburn Elementary School • Matt Elementary School• Midway Elementary School • Sawnee Elementary School • Settles Bridge Elementary School • Sharon Elementary School • Shiloh Point Elementary School • Silver City Elementary School • Vickery Creek Elementary School • Whitlow Elementary School Middle Schools Lakeside Middle School • Liberty Middle School • Little Mill Middle School • North Forsyth Middle School • Otwell Middle School • Piney Grove Middle School • Riverwatch Middle School • South Forsyth Middle School • Vickery Creek Middle School High Schools Forsyth Central High School • Lambert High School • North Forsyth High School • South Forsyth High School • West Forsyth High School Alternative Schools Forsyth Academy • Academy @ Night • Gateway Academy Private Schools v • d • e Private Schools in Forsyth County (Georgia) Cornerstone Schools  · Covenant Christian Academy  · Friednship Christian School  · Horizon Chritian Academy  · McGinnis Woods Country Day  · Pinecrest Academy Higher Education v • d • e Higher Education in Forsyth County (Georgia) Lanier Technical Institue  · North Georgia College and State University: MBA Program and ASN Program