Early County, Georgia

Early County, Georgia
Early County Courthouse in Blakely
Location in the U.S. state of Georgia
Georgia's location in the U.S.
Founded	1818
Named for	Peter Early
Seat	Blakely
Largest city	Blakely
Area
• Total	516 sq mi (1,336 km2)
• Land	513 sq mi (1,329 km2)
• Water	3.8 sq mi (10 km2), 0.7%
Population
• (2010)	11,008
• Density	21/sq mi (8/km²)
Congressional district	2nd
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website	earlycounty.georgia.gov

Early County is a county located in the southwest of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 11,008. The county seat is Blakely, home of the Early County Courthouse. Created by European Americans on December 15, 1818, it was named for Peter Early. The county is bordered on the west by the Chattahoochee River.

History

Prehistoric and nineteenth-century history has been preserved in some of Early County's attractions. It is the site of the Kolomoki Mounds, a park preserving major earthworks built by indigenous peoples of the Woodland culture more than 1700 years ago, from 350 CE to 600 CE. This is one of the largest mound complexes in the United States and the largest in Georgia; it includes burial and ceremonial mounds. The siting of the mounds expresses the ancient people's cosmology, as mounds are aligned with the sun at the spring equinox and summer solstice.

The county area was territory of the historic Creek Indian peoples of the Southeast, particularly along the Chattahoochee River, before European-American settlers encroached and pushed them out during Indian Removal of the first half of the nineteenth century.

The Cohelee Creek Bridge in the county is the southernmost covered bridge still standing. One of the last wooden flagpoles from the American Civil War era is located at the historic courthouse in downtown Blakely.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 516 square miles (1,340 km²), of which 513 square miles (1,330 km²) is land and 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²) (0.7%) is water.

The northeastern and eastern portions of Early County, east of Blakely, and extending south to a line east of Jakin, are located in the Spring Creek sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). The western portion of the county is located in the Lower Chattahoochee River sub-basin of the same ACF River Basin.

Major highways

• U.S. Route 27
• 
  U.S. Route 27 Business
• U.S. Route 84
• State Route 1
• State Route 1 Business
• State Route 38
• State Route 39
• State Route 45
• State Route 62
• State Route 62 Bypass
• State Route 200
• State Route 216
• State Route 273
• State Route 273 Spur
• State Route 370

Adjacent counties

• Clay County (north)
• Calhoun County (northeast)
• Baker County (east)
• Miller County (southeast)
• Seminole County (south)
• Houston County, Alabama (southwest/CST Border)
• Henry County, Alabama (west/CST Border)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1820	768		—
1830	2,051		167.1%
1840	5,444		165.4%
1850	7,246		33.1%
1860	6,149		−15.1%
1870	6,998		13.8%
1880	7,611		8.8%
1890	9,792		28.7%
1900	14,828		51.4%
1910	18,122		22.2%
1920	18,983		4.8%
1930	18,273		−3.7%
1940	18,679		2.2%
1950	17,413		−6.8%
1960	13,151		−24.5%
1970	12,682		−3.6%
1980	13,158		3.8%
1990	11,854		−9.9%
2000	12,354		4.2%
2010	11,008		−10.9%
Est. 2014	10,491		−4.7%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 12,354 people, 4,695 households, and 3,295 families residing in the county. The population density was 24 people per square mile (9/km²). There were 5,338 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 50.3% White, 48.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.4% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. 1.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,695 households out of which 32.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.00% were married couples living together, 20.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.80% were non-families. 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the county the population was spread out with 28.70% under the age of 18, 7.80% from 18 to 24, 25.90% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 87.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $25,629, and the median income for a family was $31,215. Males had a median income of $36,458 versus $27,277 for females. The mean income for the county was $147,364. The per capita income for the county was $14,936. About 22.20% of families and 25.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.20% of those under age 18 and 20.10% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 11,008 people, 4,228 households, and 2,924 families residing in the county. The population density was 21.5 inhabitants per square mile (8.3/km²). There were 4,975 housing units at an average density of 9.7 per square mile (3.7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 49.6% black or African American, 48.4% white, 0.4% American Indian, 0.3% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 8.2% were American, 6.1% were Irish, and 5.5% were German.

Of the 4,228 households, 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were married couples living together, 21.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.8% were non-families, and 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.12. The median age was 39.3 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $26,928 and the median income for a family was $40,238. Males had a median income of $36,250 versus $28,401 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,330. About 22.9% of families and 28.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 46.4% of those under age 18 and 15.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Main article: Blakely, Georgia § Education

Communities

• Arlington (shared with Calhoun County)
• Blakely
• Damascus
• Jakin

Unincorporated communities

• Bancroft
• Cedar Springs
• Cederville
• Colomokee
• Crossroads
• Cuba
• Douglass Crossroads
• Douglasville
• Ferrell Crossroads
• Freeman
• Hentown
• Hilton
• Howards Mill
• Jones Crossroads
• Killarney
• Liberty
• Lucile
• Luke
• McLendon
• New Hope
• Nicholasville
• Pleasant Hill
• Rock Hill
• Rowena
• Saffold
• Sowhatchee
• Springfield
• Urquhart

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Early County, Georgia

External links

• Early County 2055 - a non-profit corporation established by native son Charles Barton Rice and Catherine B. Rice to support the revitalization, economic development and preservation of Blakely and Early County, Georgia.
• Blakely - Early County Chamber of Commerce - Chamber of Commerce for Blakely and surrounding communities of Jakin, Arlington and Damascus.
• Southwest Georgia Academy(SGA)-a private school is located in Damascus and its adjoining Counties by Georgia Independent School Association (GISA)
• Early County News, a local newspaper founded by the Fleming Family in 1859

Further reading

• Jerald T. Milanich, The Archaeology of Precolumbian Florida (Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 1994).
• Jerald T. Milanich, et al., McKeithen Weeden Island: The Culture of Northern Florida, A.D. 200-900 (New York: Academic Press, 1984).
• Thomas J. Pluckhahn, Kolomoki: Settlement, Ceremony, and Status in the Deep South, A.D. 350 to 750 (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2003).
• William H. Sears, Excavations at Kolomoki: Final Report (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1956).
• Christopher Trowell, "A Kolomoki Chronicle: The History of a Plantation, a State Park, and the Archaeological Search for Kolomoki's Prehistory," Early Georgia 26, no. 1 (1998).
• Mark Williams and Daniel T. Elliott, eds., A World Engraved: Archaeology of the Swift Creek Culture (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1998).