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Coordinates: 31°32′N 84°37′W / 31.53°N 84.62°W / 31.53; -84.62
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moved info about Still Pond from Recreation to Economy, deleted info about its festivals (none are shown on its website), and added info about what it produces
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==Economy==
==Economy==
Many farms in Calhoun County grow corn, oats, sorghum, and wheat.<ref name="New Georgia Encyclopedia"/>
Many farms in Calhoun County grow corn, oats, sorghum, and wheat.<ref name="New Georgia Encyclopedia"/> Still Pond Vineyard Winery & Distillery produces moonshine, vodka, brandy, whiskey, and 19 varieties of muscadine wine. It has a tasting room.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stillpond.com//|title=Still Pond}}</ref>


[[Calhoun State Prison]] in Morgan is a major employer. Calhoun Nursing Home, a 60-bed long-term care facility in Edison, is now operated by [[Miller County, Georgia|Miller County]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.millercountyhospital.com/our-services/calhoun-nursing-home/|title=Calhoun Nursing Home}}</ref> Willowood Personal Care Home is an assisted-living facility, also in Edison.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://willowoodofedison.com//|title=Willowood}}</ref>
[[Calhoun State Prison]] in Morgan is a major employer. Calhoun Nursing Home, a 60-bed long-term care facility in Edison, is now operated by [[Miller County, Georgia|Miller County]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.millercountyhospital.com/our-services/calhoun-nursing-home/|title=Calhoun Nursing Home}}</ref> Willowood Personal Care Home is an assisted-living facility, also in Edison.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://willowoodofedison.com//|title=Willowood}}</ref>
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The Chickasawahatchee Wildlife Management Area includes parts of Calhoun, [[Dougherty County, Georgia|Dougherty]], and Baker Counties. It covers 19,700 acres and has campsites, hiking trails, a shooting range, and an archery range. It also offers hunting, fishing, canoeing, and bird watching.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://georgiawildlife.com/chickasawhatchee-wma|access-date=2021-11-29 |title=Chickasawahatchee WMA}}</ref>
The Chickasawahatchee Wildlife Management Area includes parts of Calhoun, [[Dougherty County, Georgia|Dougherty]], and Baker Counties. It covers 19,700 acres and has campsites, hiking trails, a shooting range, and an archery range. It also offers hunting, fishing, canoeing, and bird watching.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://georgiawildlife.com/chickasawhatchee-wma|access-date=2021-11-29 |title=Chickasawahatchee WMA}}</ref>


Calhoun County and its cities hold several annual festivals. [http://www.stillpond.com Still Pond Vineyard & Winery], a family-owned and operated Vineyard, bordering Baker County in southern region, hosts 3 festivals including a Bud Break Bash the first Saturday in April, a [[Grape Stomp]] the first Saturday in August, and a Holiday Festival the first Saturday in December. The city of Edison hosts the Billie Lane King Cotton Charity Horse Show the second Saturday of May. The city of Arlington hosts the oldest festival in Georgia, May Day, on the first Saturday of May and the city of Leary hosts the Leary Christmas Parade on the second Saturday in December. Calhoun County is also proud to be the county that enacted the Southwest Georgia High Cotton 65-mile Yard Sale which takes place the second Saturday in November along Georgia Highway 37.
Calhoun County and its cities hold several annual festivals. The city of Edison hosts the Billie Lane King Cotton Charity Horse Show the second Saturday of May. The city of Arlington hosts the oldest festival in Georgia, May Day, on the first Saturday of May and the city of Leary hosts the Leary Christmas Parade on the second Saturday in December. Calhoun County is also proud to be the county that enacted the Southwest Georgia High Cotton 65-mile Yard Sale which takes place the second Saturday in November along Georgia Highway 37.


==Communities==
==Communities==

Revision as of 14:02, 30 November 2021

Not to be confused with Calhoun, Georgia.

Calhoun County
County
Calhoun County Courthouse in Morgan
Calhoun County Courthouse in Morgan
Map of Georgia highlighting Calhoun County
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Map of the United States highlighting Georgia
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 31°32′N 84°37′W / 31.53°N 84.62°W / 31.53; -84.62
Country United States
State Georgia
FoundedFebruary 20, 1854; 170 years ago (1854)
Named forJohn C. Calhoun
SeatMorgan
Largest cityMorgan
Area
 • Total284 sq mi (740 km2)
 • Land280 sq mi (700 km2)
 • Water3.2 sq mi (8 km2)  1.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total5,573
 • Density20/sq mi (8/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district2nd
Websitecalhouncountyga.com

Calhoun County is a county in the U.S. state of Georgia.

History

Calhoun County was named for John C. Calhoun, the seventh Vice President of the United States.[1] It was created from parts of Early and Baker counties on February 20, 1854.[2][3]

Rival political factions disagreed about whether the county seat should be in Concord, a community north of present-day Leary, or in Dickey, then known as Whitney. As a compromise, a spot halfway between Concord and Whitney was chosen for the county seat, and the town of Morgan was established there.[2]

In 1923 the state legislature moved the county seat to Arlington as directed by a county referendum. This decision was reversed in 1929, restoring Morgan as the county seat.[2]

Calhoun Memorial Hospital, a 25-bed critical access hospital in Arlington originally founded as a Hill-Burton hospital,[4] closed in 2013 after 62 years of operation.[5][6]

In 2008, members of the Downtown Business Authority in Arlington founded the South Georgia Regional Information Technology Authority (SGRITA) with help from the state government to provide wireless broadband service to several counties in rural southwest Georgia.[7][8] In 2017 SGRITA moved its office to Blakely in Early County.[9]

Geography

The county seat is Morgan,[10] where the historic Calhoun County Courthouse is located.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 284 square miles (740 km2), of which 280 square miles (730 km2) is land and 3.2 square miles (8.3 km2) (1.1%) is water.[11]

The vast majority of Calhoun County is in the Ichawaynochaway Creek sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). The county's western and southwestern corner, from Arlington running northwest to west of Edison, is in the Spring Creek sub-basin of the same larger ACF River Basin.[12]

The United States Department of Agriculture has designated most of the county's land as prime farmland.[2] Agricultural, forestry, and wildlife plantations line the county's eastern edge.[13]

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18604,913—
18705,50312.0%
18807,02427.6%
18908,43820.1%
19009,2749.9%
191011,33422.2%
192010,225−9.8%
193010,5763.4%
194010,438−1.3%
19508,578−17.8%
19607,341−14.4%
19706,606−10.0%
19805,717−13.5%
19905,013−12.3%
20006,32026.1%
20106,6945.9%
20205,573−16.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[14]
1790-1960[15] 1900-1990[16]
1990-2000[17] 2010-2020[18]

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 5,573. Of these people, 4.0% were under 5 years old, 16.9% were under 18, and 16.6% were 65 or over. The population was 39.3% female. The county's racial makeup was 60.8% black or African American, 36.1% white, 0.9% Asian, 0.6% American Indian, 0.3% Pacific islander, and 1.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.1% of the population. The foreign-born population was 4.1% of the total. A language other than English was spoken at home by 7.7% of the people aged 5 or older.

There were 1,736 households. The average household size was 2.56. The county had 2,406 housing units, of which 65.6% were owner-occupied. [18]

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 6,694 people, 2,002 households, and 1,292 families living in the county.[19] The population density was 23.9 inhabitants per square mile (9.2/km2). There were 2,409 housing units at an average density of 8.6 per square mile (3.3/km2).[20] The racial makeup of the county was 61.3% black or African American, 34.7% white, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% Pacific islander, 0.1% American Indian, 2.1% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.9% of the population.[19] In terms of ancestry, 7.3% were American, and 6.3% were Irish.[21]

Of the 2,002 households, 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.2% were married couples living together, 22.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.5% were non-families, and 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.20. The median age was 38.7 years.[19]

The median income for a household in the county was $30,522 and the median income for a family was $37,309. Males had a median income of $27,096 versus $20,845 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,452. About 20.3% of families and 28.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.0% of those under age 18 and 14.6% of those age 65 or over.[22]

Economy

Many farms in Calhoun County grow corn, oats, sorghum, and wheat.[2] Still Pond Vineyard Winery & Distillery produces moonshine, vodka, brandy, whiskey, and 19 varieties of muscadine wine. It has a tasting room.[23]

Calhoun State Prison in Morgan is a major employer. Calhoun Nursing Home, a 60-bed long-term care facility in Edison, is now operated by Miller County.[24] Willowood Personal Care Home is an assisted-living facility, also in Edison.[25]

Education

The Calhoun County School District consists of one elementary school and a middle-high school. The district has about 530 students.[26].

Pataula Charter Academy opened in 2010 in Edison as a tuition-free public charter school serving several counties in southwest Georgia. It has about 609 students in kindergarten through 12th grade.[28]

The Calhoun County Library is also in Edison.[29]

Recreation

The Chickasawahatchee Wildlife Management Area includes parts of Calhoun, Dougherty, and Baker Counties. It covers 19,700 acres and has campsites, hiking trails, a shooting range, and an archery range. It also offers hunting, fishing, canoeing, and bird watching.[30]

Calhoun County and its cities hold several annual festivals. The city of Edison hosts the Billie Lane King Cotton Charity Horse Show the second Saturday of May. The city of Arlington hosts the oldest festival in Georgia, May Day, on the first Saturday of May and the city of Leary hosts the Leary Christmas Parade on the second Saturday in December. Calhoun County is also proud to be the county that enacted the Southwest Georgia High Cotton 65-mile Yard Sale which takes place the second Saturday in November along Georgia Highway 37.

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated communities

Transportation

Major highways

Politics

Like most majority-African American counties in the Black Belt, Calhoun is staunchly Democratic. The last Republican candidate to win the county was Richard Nixon in 1972.

Presidential election results
Previous presidential election results[31]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2020 42.0% 923 57.5% 1,263 0.6% 12
2016 41.0% 830 58.2% 1,179 0.8% 16
2012 40.3% 883 59.3% 1,298 0.4% 8
2008 39.0% 862 60.7% 1,342 0.4% 8
2004 44.1% 890 55.4% 1,119 0.5% 10
2000 40.7% 768 58.7% 1,107 0.6% 12
1996 29.0% 541 65.2% 1,217 5.9% 110
1992 23.0% 464 64.5% 1,301 12.5% 253
1988 41.5% 644 58.1% 901 0.4% 6
1984 41.9% 776 58.1% 1,077
1980 31.2% 652 67.8% 1,414 1.0% 21
1976 23.8% 436 76.2% 1,394
1972 64.3% 892 35.7% 495
1968 12.3% 234 36.5% 697 51.3% 979
1964 78.7% 1,066 21.3% 289
1960 14.0% 131 86.0% 803
1956 8.9% 107 91.1% 1,094
1952 15.4% 147 84.6% 810
1948 7.0% 36 77.6% 399 15.4% 79
1944 4.8% 37 95.2% 736
1940 5.1% 33 94.9% 610
1936 1.8% 14 98.0% 777 0.3% 2
1932 2.0% 10 97.2% 483 0.8% 4
1928 13.8% 91 86.3% 571
1924 16.0% 66 83.3% 343 0.7% 3
1920 1.1% 5 98.9% 449
1916 0.7% 2 96.0% 265 3.3% 9
1912 16.2% 70 69.6% 300 14.2% 61

See also

References

  1. ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 31. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Calhoun County". Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  3. ^ "Calhoun County historic marker".
  4. ^ Report on Hill-Burton Hospitals and Their Obligations. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1984.
  5. ^ "Small rural hospital closes doors". February 4, 2013.
  6. ^ "Calhoun Memorial Hospital closes".
  7. ^ "Georgia citizens take broadband into their own hands". April 24, 2009.
  8. ^ "Sgrita".
  9. ^ "SGRITA relocating to City Hall".
  10. ^ "Ballotpedia". Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  11. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  12. ^ "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  13. ^ "Calhoun County Georgia". Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  14. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
  15. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
  16. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
  17. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
  18. ^ a b "Calhoun County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  19. ^ a b c "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  20. ^ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  21. ^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  22. ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  23. ^ "Still Pond".
  24. ^ "Calhoun Nursing Home".
  25. ^ "Willowood".
  26. ^ [name = "School Grades" https://schoolgrades.georgia.gov/calhoun-county. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)]
  27. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference School Grades was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  28. ^ [name = "Pataula Charter Academy" https://www.pataula.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=953108&type=d&pREC_ID=1279094. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)]
  29. ^ [name = "Calhoun County Library" https://krlibrary.org/?page_id=18. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)]
  30. ^ "Chickasawahatchee WMA". Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  31. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 19, 2018.

External links

31°32′N 84°37′W / 31.53°N 84.62°W / 31.53; -84.62

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Calhoun_County,_Georgia&oldid=1057931133"