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Welcome to Calhoun County, Georgia Project!
History/Timeline
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| Calhoun co. logl.
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- Aug 9, 1814 Acquisition: Creek cession of land to Georgia.[1]
- 1820 The lottery of 1820 opened up the lands of the current Calhoun County in southwest Georgia. The lottery was open to ordinary citizens, especially recognized Revolutionary War soldiers. Calhoun land in Southwest Georgia, was first established by the lottery of 1820, and became the beginning for what we see today as Calhoun County. [2]
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| Calhoun County marker
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- For the recognized Revolutionary soldiers: if a Revolutionary soldier drew a lucky lottery ticket in1805 or 1807, that soldier was allowed another draw in 1820. If the soldier had not drawn in the early draws, he was allowed two draws in the 1820 lottery.. [2]
- Post 1820 - After the land had been ceded to the "Georgians" by lottery, the Creek Indians still raided the settlers. Forts and stockades were scattered around the area to retreat to when threatened by the Creeks.[2]
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| Morgan, Calhoun, Ga marker.
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- May 1827 Surveyors continued surveying until the first Monday. [2]
- 1832 Previously the lower Creeks were pushed out of the area and gave up their title to Georgia land. The last Cherokees were pushed out of Georgia on the Trail of Tears.[2]
- Two (2) areas began growing in the area of Calhoun County. One was Concord, west of Leary, Georgia. The other was Whitney (east of present day Edison, Georgia) and settled by South Carolina pioneers, who were Presbyterians and Methodists. [2]
- 1848 -Whitney, Georgia was renamed Dicky, Georgia[2]
- 1854 Whitney . had the best schools in South Georgia. [2]
- 1854 Calhoun County was created from Early and Baker counties. Georgia named it for John C Calhoun, 7th U.S. Vice president under Presidents John Quincy Adams, and Andrew Jackson. This Vice President resigned to debate Daniel Webster in the Senate, 1832 on the issue of States' rights. [2]
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| John C. Calhoun
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[3]
[4][5]
- 1856 - Morgan, Georgia was incorporated and named for Hiram Morgan (one of its commissioners) or Daniel Morgan who served in the Revolutionary War (1775-83). [4] [5]
- Dissension over Calhoun County Seat
- Although Morgan, Georgia was not the largest town, it received the designation of County seat due to this story. Two groups of citizens wanted the county seat to be in the town they inhabited.[2][4]
- NOTE this same story has occurred in several counties in Texas. People feel strongly about one town being a county seat. [4][2]
- 1854 - When Georgia legislature formed Calhoun County with a legislative act, it stipulated that the county's new inferior justices select the site for the courthouse. They were to find a central and convention place.. Towns such as Concord and Whitney began a controversy. [5]
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| 1863 map of Calhoun Georgia.
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- Calhoun citizen Group#1 wanted the county seat to be Concord, which is North of Leary.. Concord, It was already a voting precinct when Dist. 3 was part of Baker county. [4][2]
- Group #2 wanted the county seat to be Whitney, which later changed its name to Dickey, Georgia. [4][2]
- Leaders of both groups decided to compromise on something half of the distance between each town, Concord and Whitney. [4][2]
- To measure this, a rag was tied to a wheel of a buggy. Both men of the Groups rode together in the buggy. Someone was counting the wheel revolutions. After arrival in Whitney, the men turned the buggy around and drove down the same road again toward the other town. When the wheel had covered half of the revolutions, the men set a stake to mark the spot for the courthouse in the county seat.. This spot was to be the county seat!!
- The spot was first named Jasper for some weeks. Then they learned Georgia already had a town named Jasper."That spot for the Courthouse" was renamed Morgan, Georgia and has been the site of the court house from that day forward. [2]
- Jasper, now Morgan, Georgia was born.[4][2]
- Dissension continued..
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| 1885 map Calhoun County, GA
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- 1923, the voters of Calhoun petitioned to moved the County Seat from Morgan to Arlington (voting 975-456 votes). So Georgia made Arlington, Georgia the new county Seat. [5]
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| Arlington Baptist Church.
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- 1929 A 2nd referendum of 1033 voters favoring Morgan to 496 for Arlington, with 5 votes for Edison.. The legislature again redesignated Morgan as the County seat (Ga Laws 1929, p 550).[5][4][2]
Calhoun County History
- It has four incorporated cities: Arlington, Edison, Leary, and Morgan.
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture has identified Calhoun County as having prime farmland with over 50% of its land is in farms. The numbers of small farms has decreased in the 1900's due to mechanized cotton pickers, tractors for planting. This decreases the numbers of citizens employed in the farm industry.. Currently troops are corn, oats, sorghum, and wheet.Although the number of small farms in the county has decreased over the years, more than 50 percent of Calhoun County is designated as prime farmland by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. [4]
- Edison, Georgiais is home of the Calhoun County Middle/High School as well as a public library.
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| Arlington United Methodist Church
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- 1990 The National Register of Historic Places designated the Arlington United Methodist Church in Arlington, Georgia. [4]
- 2000 the National Register of Historic Places designated the commercial district of Edison, Georgia as a "Better Hometown City". A description of the city include: brick sidewalks, cast-iron handrails with period lighting. [4]
- Several identified endangered species can be found in Calhoun County, Georgia. Primary identified is the gopher tortoise, known as Georgia state reptile. It is on the threatened species list by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Also included here in the county are the swamp buckhorn, and yellow flytrap. There are now some wildlife plantations. [4]
- Morgan, Georgia, the county Seat for Calhoun County, is proud of a historic Courthouse. The As the county seat, the city of Morgan boasts a historic Courthouse. [6]
- Arlington, Georgia can be identified by its single tri-coloredl traffic light. It is the meeting place of the north-south and the east-west railroad Tracks.
- Calhoun County and its cities hold many festivals annually.
- 1) Still Pond Vineyard & Winery, a family-owned and operated Vineyard, bordering Baker County in southern region, hosts 3 festivals.
- 1-A) Bud Break Bash the first Saturday in April
- !-B) Grape Stomp the first Saturday in August
- 1-C) Holiday Festival the first Saturday in December.
- The city of Edison, Georgia hosts the Billie Lane King Cotton Charity Horse Show the second Saturday of May.
- Arlington hosts the oldest festival in Georgia, May Day, on the first Saturday of May
- City of Leary, Georgia hosts the Leary Christmas Parade on the second Saturday in December. ::City of Morgan holds the Harvest Festival the first Saturday in Morgan.
- Calhoun County is also proud to participate in the Southwest Georgia High Cotton 65-mile Yard Sale which takes place the second Saturday in November along Georgia Highway 37.
- The Hospital Authority is the largest employer in Calhoun County. This has 5 health care companies
- Calhoun Memorial Hospital near Jennings Medical Clinic which has 2 physicians, 2 providers, staff for primary care practice.
- Calhoun Nursing Home - is 60 bed long term care facility
- R.E. Jennings Medical Clinic
- Willowood Assisted Living Facility is a 15 bed personal care for Seniors in Edison
- Calhoun Rehabilitation Services on RE Jennings Avenue in Arlington.
- The hospital-a 25-bed critical access hospital that was founded as a Hill-Burton hospital, 1951
Government Offices
1st County Courthouse,1854 The first courthouse was built soon after the county creation, 1854. This was destroyed by fire 1888.[2]
Calhoun County's first courthouse was built in Morgan shortly after the county was created in 1854. That structure burned in 1888, and a new courthouse was built on the site -- but it too burned in 1920. What served as courthouse for the next 15 years is not clear, but the county's present courthouse was constructed in 1935. The courthouse was renovated 1972.
2nd County Courthouse, 1888 A new courthouse was built soon was built. It also was destroyed by fire 1920[2]
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| Calhoun County Courthouse
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3rd County Courthouse, 1935, the Calhoun County Courthouse, located in Morgan, is the third in the county's history. Designed in the colonial revival style, the courthouse was renovated in 1972.
Geography
- Size - 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
- Location - in southwest Georgia
- Size -284 square miles.
- Eastern Boundary - Dougherty Co., which had just been created in 1853
- Quail Hunting Plantations decorate the pastoral landscape and complete scenic roadways in this rural Georgia community
- Creeks/Rivers - The vast majority of Calhoun County is located in the Ichawaynochaway Creek sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin).
- Sub basins -Spring Creek sub-basin --The county's western and southwestern corner, from Arlington running northwest to west of Edison of the same larger ACF River Basin.
- Boundaries of Calhoun County- Point where the North and South parallel line between lots of land numbers 393 and 334, in the 4th district of Early County, intersects with the county line between Randolph and Early, and Randolph and Baker, and thence east on said line until it intersects with the most westwardly main run of the Chickassawhatchie Creek, and thence South on said run and creek (though not including Grimmett’s causeway,) until the point where said creek intersects the east and west district line, dividing the third from the seventh district of Baker, and the fourth from the sixth district of Early, and thence westwardly on said line until it intersects with the main branch or run of Spring Creek, thence up said main run to the north and south line, dividing lots of land numbers 348 and 359, in the 4th district of Early, and thence north along said line until it intersects with said county line between Randolph and Early.
Protected areas
- Endangered Species - Among several endangered species found in Calhoun County is the gopher tortoise, swamp buckhorn, yellow flytrap, and the gopher tortoise, Gopher Tortoise is the State reptile. The tortoise is identified as a threatened species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Demographics
In 2000 there were 6,320 people in the county with a population density of 23 people/sq. mi. The racial makeup of the county was 38.26% White, 60.60% Black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.44% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races. 2.99% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. In 2010 there were 6,694 people residing in the county with a population density of 23.9 people/sq. mi. . 61.3% were Black or African American, 34.7% White, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 0.1% Native American, 2.1% of some other race and 1.0% of two or more races. 3.9% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race)The median income for a household in the county was $24,588, and the median income for a family was $31,019.The per capita income for the county was $11,839. About 23.20% of families and 26.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.20% of those under age 18 and 26.50% of those age 65 or over. [7]
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| 1885 map Calhoun County, GA
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- According to the 2010 U.S. census, the population of Calhoun County is 6,694, an increase from the 2000 population of 6,320.
- Calhoun County Elementary School is located in Arlington
- Calhoun County Middle & High School is located in Edison
- Calhoun County Library
- Calhoun State Prison is located in Morgan - There are approximately 1200 males residing at the institution and are included in the census figures.
- Large farms and Quail Hunting Plantations decorate the pastoral landscape and complete scenic roadways in this rural Georgia community. Calhoun County proudly supports agriculture as the local lifeblood industry.
Highways< br/>
- Georgia State Route 37
- Georgia State Route 41
- Georgia State Route 45
- Georgia State Route 55
- Georgia State Route 62
- Georgia State Route 216
- Georgia tate Route 234
Towns
County Resources
- May Day festival in Arlington, held the first Saturday in May annually. It is one of Georgia's oldest festivals.
- King Cotton Horse Show, held in Edison each May
- Harvest Festival, held on the courthouse square in Morgan every November
- 1) Still Pond Vineyard & Winery, a family-owned and operated Vineyard, bordering Baker County in southern region, hosts 3 festivals.
- 1-A) Bud Break Bash the first Saturday in April
- 1-B) Grape Stomp the first Saturday in August
- 1-C) Holiday Festival the first Saturday in December.
- The city of Edison, Georgia hosts the Billie Lane King Cotton Charity Horse Show the second Saturday of May.
- Arlington hosts the oldest festival in Georgia, May Day, on the first Saturday of May
- City of Leary, Georgia hosts the Leary Christmas Parade on the second Saturday in December. ::City of Morgan holds the Harvest Festival the first Saturday in Morgan.
- Calhoun County is also proud to participate in the Southwest Georgia High Cotton 65-mile Yard Sale which takes place the second Saturday in November along Georgia Highway 37.
Census
- 1860 --- 4,913 —
- 1870 --- 5,503 12.0%
- 1880 --- 7,024 27.6%
- 1890 --- 8,438 20.1%
- 1900 --- 9,274 9.9%
- 1910 --- 11,334 22.2%
- 1920 --- 10,225 −9.8%
- 1930 --- 10,576 3.4%
- 1940 --- 10,438 −1.3%
- 1950 --- 8,578 −17.8%
- 1960 --- 7,341 −14.4%
- 1970 --- 6,606 −10.0%
- 1980 --- 5,717 −13.5%
- 1990 --- 5,013 −12.3%
- 2000 --- 6,320 26.1%
- 2010 --- 6,694 5.9%
- Est. 2016 --- 6,324
Cemeteries
Sources
- ↑ http://www.ourgeorgiahistory.com/ogh/Calhoun_County,_Georgia
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 http://calhouncountyga.com/history.htm
- ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Calhoun_County,_Georgia_Genealogy
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 Calhoun County History
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/topics/counties/calhoun
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calhoun_County,_Georgia
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calhoun_County,_Georgia
Here are the two articles I found:
The Dothan Eagle, Wednesday, 27 July 1955
Officers Probing Reports Monster Seen Near Edison
EDISON, Ga., (UPI) -- An official investigation of "the thing" hit a snag today because all the available witnesses here were too frightened to give detailed accounts, authorities reported. Police Chief W. B. Lawrence and Calhoun County Sheriff Ivan Jones agreed that the "Ghost of Edison" which got the southwest town in a tizzy must be a huge beast that walks upright. Various accounts of persons who have seen the monster roaming about the community's outskirts indicate it has claws, long shaggy hair, is white in color, has bear-like tracks and easily leaps six-foot fences. Tang King, 20-year-old Negro, was first to report seeing it, Lawrence and Jones said, but he could supply little information. Jones said an elderly woman has seen it several times. Wayne Dozier, vocational agriculture instructor at Edison High School, said he found a batch of hair on a fence post at his farm, near the spot where the thing was first spotted. Sheriff Jones said he planned to inspect the tracks this afternoon and to re-question persons who claim to have seen the monster. Reports have come from persons living about six miles southwest of Edison. Edison is located about 35 miles northeast of Blakely.
The Atlanta Constitution, Thursday, 28 July 1955
Sheriff Pledges Hunt for "The Thing"
EDISON, July 27 -- This Calhoun County town's "thing" will receive the full attention of Sheriff Ivan Jones, the officer pledged Wednesday. Just what he is looking for hasn't been agreed on. The creature variously has been described as a "ghost," "a little gray man without clothes," "something that escaped from a circus," and a "goat-bear." It leaves dog-like tracks the "size of your hand." Whatever it is, it has scared the daylights out of several people since it first put in an appearance in a sparsely populated area near here. It left a strand of long, curly, coarse hair on a fence post it hurdled. The hair has been sent to the State Crime Laboratory in Atlanta for analysis.