Coffee County, Georgia

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History/Timeline

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Early 1800's White settlers came here to settle but the most adventurous pioneers stayed to settle. .^[1]

1814 Prior to white immigration, Creek Indians were the original inhabitants of Coffee County. The Treaty of Fort jackson and the 1818 Treaty of the Creek Agency ceded lands by the Creek Indians to Georgia including the Coffee area lands.^[2]

:1827 Due to the hostilities between the early settlers, and Creek Indians, only the adventurous pioneers stayed to settle. With the Treaties mentioned earlier, the Creek Indians were removed to Oklahoma. The lakes and the rivers and creeks reflect the Creek Indian heritage in the names of many of the lakes, creeks, streams, and rivers, such as the Oconee River, Ocmulgee River, and the Okefenokee Swamp, retaining their original Indian names^[1]

1830 - Meeks Cabin (ca. 1830), a log structure that is one of the oldest buildings in south Georgia. ^[1]Meeks Cabin imageThe park also maintains an environmental reserve that houses various endangered species of animal and plant life. Endangered flora may also be found at Broxton Rocks Preserve, a unique sandstone outcrop that extends nearly four miles. The preserve is home to more than 500 species of plants native to the area, including rare and endangered species.^[1]

Feb 9, 1854 - Georgia General Assembly passed an act forming Coffee County from Clinch, Irwin, Telfair, and Ware counties. It is named for General John E Coffee, Telfair County frontiersman, planter and politican who was in the Indian Wars and served in both houses of the Georgia state legislature and in the U.S. Congress. ^[2][1]

1858 Douglas became the county seat. It was named after U.S. senator Stephen Arnold Douglas of Illinois. It can be found at the Intersections of U.S. 441, 221 and Georgia 32. Its downtown area is a historic district. Douglas was named for U.S. senator Stephen Arnold Douglas who created the Freeport Doctrine was the Democratic nominee for president against Abraham Lincoln and fought for the sanctity of the Union. ^[1][3]

Coffee County map, 1855-1863

1940 - The Coffee County courthouse, located in Douglas, was built, designer was William J. J. Chase. This is 2-story building of classical architecture.. It then had a renovation and extensions in 1981.^[1]

Berrien (1856), Jeff Davis (1905), and Atkinson (1917) counties were created from parts of of Coffee County.^[2]

Coffee County is in the wiregrass region of south central Georgia, so called because of the predominance of wiregrass, which is prevalent in regions where the Georgia pines grow in the Lower Coastal Plain.. ^[1]

Road development encouraged rapid migration of larger family units to the area. With more population, The county's economy changed socially and was prosperous. Churches, schools and even more new roads were built.. ^[1]

Tobacco Barn

Farmland was finally fenced. After this, the plantations growing cotton thrived. Soon tobacco was introduced.. Slave labor was used only on a small scale. The county consisted of a majority of rural population.^[1]

Tobacco barn, and Sugar Cane Syrup Boiler

Tobacco crop in this county is one of the strongest area of those state. Coffee County is still mostly rural. Most of the residents in and around the county's larger towns—Broxton, Ambrose, and Nicholls—are involved in agriculture. The residents of the larger towns, such as Broxton, Ambrose, and Nicholls all seem to be farmers.^[1]

Douglas, Georgia has southern Georgia's "Best kept Secrets" located 5 miles east of Douglas., the General Coffee State ParkGeneral Coffee State Park, Things to see in the park include Heritage Farm, including with log cabins, a corn crib, tobacco barn, cane mill and other exhibits. ::Children are able to feed the park's farm animals, goats, sheep, chickens, pigs and donkeys. ::Overnight camping, cottages or a stay at the Burnham House, an elegantly 1800's cabin.

Lake - 4 acre

Size: of this 1,511-acre park

Meeks Cabin, General Coffee State Park

The manufacturing sector growth and employment is a state average, but surpasses employment rate in many counties.^[1]

South Georgia College, the oldest 2-year college under the University System of Georgia is located in Douglas, Georgia. Douglas, Georgia also hosts one of the largest Elder hostel programs. the downtown district and the Gaskin Avenue are both on the National Register. Of note in Douglas are the Heritage Station Museum, Douglas City Cemetery, and Martin Centre (a restored 1950 movie theater. ^[1]

Broxton Rocks Ecological Preserve

Douglas, Georgia is proud of Broxton Rocks Ecological Preserve, in Coffee County Broxton Rocks consists of sandstone rock area that covers 4 miles. Five hundred native plants of the area including some rare and endangered plants. ^[1] Visit Broxton Rocks is a unique sandstone outcrop that extends nearly four miles. The preserve is home to more than 500 species of plants native to the area, including rare and endangered species. Unusual animals and threatened examples are: Bachman's sparrow and the pileated woodpecker, with a drum-sounding peck can be heard over long distances, nest here. Other animals are the armadillo, the woodrat, the flying squirrel, the vulnerable* gopher tortoise, and the threatened* indigo snake.^[4][5][6]

Nicholls, Coffee County, Georgia

Nicholls, Georgia, i12 miles East of Douglas, on the A. B. & C. Railroad.

1895 - Nicholls began by the Southern Pine Company. It had a post office in Lott's country store (established ~1869). The First school this same year was a one-teacher school. Later the school operated in a 2-story brick building.. Churches for the town were Missionary Baptist Church, Union Missionary Baptist Church (1920) then the two churches united into one located in Nicholls. 1870 the Methodist Church in Nicholls started. The current church was built 1910. 1904, Nicholls received a phone system. Tobacco farming began on S. S. Brown 2 miles South of Nicholls. A Tobacco warehouse was built near the McGee farm.

Tobacco barn and Sugar cane syrup Boiler.

County people say this tobacco is the best grade. Southern Pine saw mill employed people from all over Coffee County, living in Nichols. It has since moved.^[7]

Ambrose, Georgia

1899 Settlers began in Ambrose, Georgia 12 miles west of Douglas. Soon the A. B. & A. Railroad reached Ambrose, Dennis Vickers and J. J. Phillips donated land for the town. Vickers built a drug store with Dr. Moorman, Soon he built a brick building for a merchandise store. Dennis Vickers built a gin. Today, Holland manufactured guano in Ambrose. One farmer with truck farms has 19 trucks transporting his produce from South Georgia to northern points within 36 hours.^[7]

Broxton, Georgia

Broxton, Georgia was originally called Gully Branch, which began on a tract of land Jesse Lott owned. Lott's log cabin is still in the center of town.. Later Lott replaced that cabin with a 2-story house. was named after Broxton Creek near by. Settlers received their mail by horseback, carried by a Confederate soldier weekly, named Douglas. Lott, Thomas Young , and B.R. Leggett made Broxton worth while. Leggett was the 3rd man to build a house here and operated a mercantile business, and a railroad agent. Out of a wildwood, Broxton has become a nice town with 3 churches, Methodist (1890), Baptist (1902, and Primitive and is proud of its consolidated schools, 24 hour electricity, mail service and newspaper, Broxton Journal. Its Women's Club (1917) have guided the city along. Broxton children first attended a small wooden school house for the rudimentary education. Now it has 2 schools containing 13 rooms for the 480 pupils enrolled, and 14 teachers to teach modern subjects.Unusual ones are home economics class for girls and a pig club for the boys.^[7]

West Green, Georgia

1900 This town had a little trouble with names for it.......The Southern Pine Lumber Company brought its tramroad south from Hazlehurst 20 miles with a branch toward Nicholls, and the other led west to Broxton. At the junction called "The Twenty" there was 1 house, owned by a slave named "Mammy". Soon the J.P. Courthouse was built.. The first store was "The Boyd Bird Cross Tie Company with a commissary (grocery). About 1907 the railway was bought, so the name of the junction formerly called "The Twenty" became D. A. and G. or "Garrett." There was a house, with a room for the depot. The center room became a general store. About 1908- 1909 the railroad became the Georgia and Florida. A new depot was built, with section houses!! People were optimistic.. Two men formed a real estate company, and laid off streets, built some houses and a gin and grist mill. Boyd built a saw mill which became " Garrant Lumber company". Next a two story building was built on 10 acres of land for the school. A 2nd 2-story building was built with the first floor for a drugstore and a physician, the 2nd story was for school and church meetings, called "Castle Hall". South Georgia Farm Company brought in settlers from South Carolina, Tennessee. About 1910The town was incorporated finally becoming {{Blue|West Green, Georgia}] By 19150 the town had Baptist and Methodist Churches. 1925, the town voted bonds to build a better school with 10 classrooms and an auditorium to seat 500. The town has telephone service.^[7]

A privately owned company, operated by the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) the largest prison company of the nation operates the Coffee County Correctional Facility in Nicholls, Georgia. ^[2]

Government Offices

1902 Courthouse

1902 Coffee County Courthouse

1940 - The Coffee County courthouse, located in Douglas, was built, designer was William J. J. Chase. This is 2-story building of classical architecture.. It then had a renovation and extensions in 1981.^[1] Current Courthouse

Current courthouse

Geography

Size - total area of 603 square miles (1,560 km2), of which 575 square miles (1,490 km2) is land and 28 square miles (73 km2) (4.6%) is water.

Coffee County is in the wiregrass region of south central Georgia, so called because of the predominance of wiregrass, which is prevalent in regions where the Georgia pines grow in the Lower Coastal Plain.. ^[1]

Trees, wildlife- abundance of game, rivers, woods, and general wildlife.

Region - Coffee County is in the wiregrass region of south central Georgia, so called because of the predominance of wiregrass, which is prevalent in regions where the Georgia pines grow in the Lower Coastal Plain.. ^[1]

Sub-basins :

Satilla River sub basin of the St. Marys-Satille River basin - majority of Coffee county

Lower Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin-- northern corner of the county, well north of Broxton, an area bisected by State Route 107

Alapaha River sub-basin of the Suwannee River basin ---southwestern corner of Coffee County, northeast of Alapaha

Broxton Rocks- of Douglas, Georgia,- Atlantic coastal plain, Broxton Rocks' sandstone layers were created by the slow erosion of the Altamaha Formation, dating from the Middle Miocene era. Fractures have opened up throughout the feature, some wide enough to allow a person to walk through, some narrow but deep.

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MANUSCRIPTS/georgia/GA602/0/Atkinson.pdf

Ground on uplands of Coffee co. is well drained and nearly level to gently sloping

Soil has sandy surface layer. sub soil is loamy. Nearly level surface soils on flood plains are poorly drained, frequently flooded. Most of the soils are loamy or clayey throughout.

Climate -long hot summers, that are humid as tge tropical air from the gulf cover the area.  :Winters are short (only a rare cool wave

Rainfall -heavy thoughout the year. Summer rains are afternoon thunderstorms good for crops.

Annual precipitation -60% - 51 inches (30 inches fall April -September.

Growing season - Spring is last freeze, multiple plantings possible.

Humidity - 55%

Tornado potential

Adjacent counties

• Telfair County – north
• Jeff Davis County – northeast
• Bacon County – east
• Ware County – southeast
• Atkinson County – south
• Berrien County – southwest
• Irwin County – west
• Ben Hill County – west

Protected areas

• General Coffee State Park

• Broxton Rocks Ecological Preserve, in Coffee County Broxton Rocks consists of sandstone rock area that covers 4 miles. Five hundred native plants of the area including some rare and endangered plants. ^[1] Visit Broxton Rocks is a unique sandstone outcrop that extends nearly four miles. The preserve is home to more than 500 species of plants native to the area, including rare and endangered species. Unusual animals and threatened examples are: Bachman's sparrow and the pileated woodpecker, with a drum-sounding peck can be heard over long distances, nest here. Other animals are the armadillo, the woodrat, the flying squirrel, the vulnerable* gopher tortoise, and the threatened* indigo snake.^[8][9][10]

Demographics

In 2000 there were 37,413 people in the county with a population density of 62 people/sq. mi. The racial makeup of the county was 68.23% White, 25.88% Black or African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 4.04% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. 6.82% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. In 2010 there were 42,356 people, in the county with a population density of 73.7 people/sq. mi. In terms of ancestry, 14.6% were English, 10.7% were American, and 5.8% were Irish. The median income for a household in the county was $35,202 and the median income for a family was $39,880. The per capita income for the county was $16,664. About 18.3% of families and 21.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.6% of those under age 18 and 18.4% of those age 65 or over. ^[11]

• According to the 2010 U.S. census, the county's population is 42,356, an increase from the 2000 population of 37,413.

• Coffee County comprises the Douglas, GA Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Highways

Cities

• Douglas
• Nicholls
• Broxton
• Ambrose

County Resources

• General Coffee State Park

Census

1860 --- 2,879 —

1870 --- 3,192 10.9%

1880 --- 5,070 58.8%

1890 --- 10,483 106.8%

1900 --- 16,169 54.2%

1910 --- 21,953 35.8%

1920 --- 18,653 −15.0%

1930 --- 19,739 5.8%

1940 --- 21,541 9.1%

1950 --- 23,961 11.2%

1960 --- 21,953 −8.4%

1970 --- 22,828 4.0%

1980 --- 26,894 17.8%

1990 --- 29,592 10.0%

2000 --- 37,413 26.4%

2010 --- 42,356 13.2%

Est. 2016 43,012

Cemeteries

• Meeks Cemetery
• Douglas City Cemetery
• McLarty Family Cemetery
• Meeks Cemetery (Old)
• New Hope Baptist Church Cemetery
• Vickers Rural Cemetery

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17} https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/counties-cities-neighborhoods/coffee-county
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee_County,_Georgia
3. ↑ https://www.biography.com/people/stephen-a-douglas-9278185
4. ↑ http://www.cityofdouglas.com/index.aspx?NID=123
5. ↑ http://www.cityofdouglas.com/DocumentCenter/View/2136
6. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broxton_Rocks
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3} http://genealogytrails.com/geo/coffee/towns.html
8. ↑ http://www.cityofdouglas.com/index.aspx?NID=123
9. ↑ http://www.cityofdouglas.com/DocumentCenter/View/2136
10. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broxton_Rocks
11. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee_County,_Georgia

• A History of Georgia: From Its First Discovery by Europeans to the Adoption of the Present Constitution in MDCCXCVIII, Vol 1, by William Bacon Stevens January 1, 1847 New York : D. Appleton

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholls%2C_Georgia
• http://genealogytrails.com/geo/coffee/towns.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrose%2C_Georgia
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas%2C_Georgia
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broxton%2C_Georgia
  • General Coffee State Park
• Broxton Rocks Ecological Preserve, in Coffee County
• https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MANUSCRIPTS/georgia/GA602/0/Atkinson.pdf