Americus, Georgia
Encyclopedia
Early years
Americus, Georgia was named and chartered by Sen. Lovett B. Smith in 1832.For its first two decades, Americus was a small courthouse town. The arrival of the railroad in 1854 and, three decades later, local attorney Samuel H. Hawkins' construction of the only privately financed railroad in state history, made Americus the eighth largest city in Georgia into the twentieth century. It was known as the "Metropolis of Southwest Georgia," a reflection of its status as a cotton distribution center. In 1890, Georgia's first chartered electric street car system went into operation in Americus. One of its restored cars is on permanent display at the Lake Blackshear Regional Library, a gift from the Robert T. Crabb family who acquired the street car in the 1940s.
The town was already graced with an abundance of antebellum
Antebellum architecture
Antebellum architecture is a term used to describe the characteristic neoclassical architectural style of the Southern United States, especially the Old South, from after the birth of the United States in the American Revolution, to the start of the American Civil War...
and Victorian architecture
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
when local capitalists opened the Windsor Hotel
Windsor Hotel (Americus)
The Best Western Plus Windsor Hotel at 125 West Lamar Street in Americus, Georgia was built in 1892 to attract winter visitors from the northeastern United States. The five-story Queen Anne hotel was designed by a Swedish-born architect, Gottfried Leonard Norrman, working in Atlanta. It featured...
in 1892. A five-story Queen Anne edifice, it was designed by a Swedish architect, Gottfried L. Norrman, in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. Vice-President Thomas R. Marshall gave a speech from the balcony in 1917 and soon to be New York Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke in the dining room in 1928.
On January 1, 1976, the city center was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as the Americus Historic District. The district boundaries were extended in 1979.
Into the 20th century
For the local minority community, Rev. Dr. Major W. Reddick established the Americus Institute for thirdinary Education (1897–1932). Booker T. WashingtonBooker T. Washington
Booker Taliaferro Washington was an American educator, author, orator, and political leader. He was the dominant figure in the African-American community in the United States from 1890 to 1915...
was a guest speaker there in May 1908. Rev. Alfred S. Staley was responsible for locating the state Masonic Orphanage in Americus, which served its function from 1898 to 1940. Both men engineered the unification of the General Missionary Baptist Convention of Georgia in 1915, the former as president and the latter as recording secretary. The public school named in honor of A.S. Staley was designated a National School of Excellence in 1990.
Two other institutions of higher learning were also established in Americus, the Third District Agricultural and Mechanical School in 1906 (now Georgia Southwestern State University
Georgia Southwestern State University
Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, Georgia, is a school in the University System of Georgia.-The College of Arts and Sciences:The College of Arts and Sciences at GSW offers undergraduate degrees in art Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, Georgia, is a school in the...
), and the South Georgia Trade and Vocational School in 1948 (now South Georgia Technical College
South Georgia Technical College
South Georgia Technical College is a residential college located in southwest Georgia, teaching the latest educational programs of today. There are two campuses within the main college. The main college is located in Americus, Georgia, while the satellite campus located in Cordele, Georgia offers...
). South Georgia Technical College is located on the original site of Souther Field.
In World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, an Army Air Service
United States Army Air Service
The Air Service, United States Army was a forerunner of the United States Air Force during and after World War I. It was established as an independent but temporary wartime branch of the War Department by two executive orders of President Woodrow Wilson: on May 24, 1918, replacing the Aviation...
training facility, Souther Field (now Jimmy Carter Regional Airport), was commissioned northeast of the city limits. Charles A. Lindbergh, the "Lone Eagle," bought his first airplane and made his first solo flight there during a two-week stay in May 1923. Recommissioned for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Souther Field was used for RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
pilot training (1941–1942) as well as US pilot training before ending the war as a German prisoner-of-war camp. The town was incorporated in 1832, and the name Americus was picked out of a hat.
- Shoeless Joe JacksonShoeless Joe JacksonJoseph Jefferson Jackson , nicknamed "Shoeless Joe", was an American baseball player who played Major League Baseball in the early part of the 20th century...
served as the field manager for the local baseball team after his banishment from professional baseball. A plaque at Thomas Bell Stadium commemorates his contribution to the local baseball program.
Americus and the Civil Rights Movement
Koinonia Farm, an interracial Christian community, was organized near Americus in 1942. Founder Clarence JordanClarence Jordan
Clarence Jordan , a farmer and New Testament Greek scholar, was the founder of Koinonia Farm, a small but influential religious community in southwest Georgia and the author of the Cotton Patch translations of the New Testament. He was also instrumental in the founding of Habitat for Humanity...
was a mentor to Millard
Millard Fuller
Millard Dean Fuller was the founder and former president of Habitat for Humanity International, a nonprofit organization known globally for building houses for those in need, and the founder and former president of The Fuller Center for Housing...
and Linda Fuller, who founded Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat For Humanity International , generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or simply Habitat, is an international, non-governmental, non-profit organization devoted to building "simple, decent, and affordable" housing, a self-described "Christian housing ministry." The international...
at Koinonia in 1976 before moving into Americus the following year. In 2005, they founded the Fuller Center for Housing, also in Americus. Koinonia Partners
Koinonia Partners
Koinonia Partners is a Christian farming intentional community in Sumter County, Georgia.-History:The farm was founded in 1942 by two couples, Clarence and Florence Jordan and Martin and Mabel England, as a “demonstration plot for the Kingdom of God.” For them, this meant following the example of...
is currently located southwest of Americus on Hwy. 49.
The Civil Rights Era in Americus was a time of great turmoil; violent opposition to Koinonia by racist elements led to the bombing of a store uptown in 1957. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
spent a weekend in the courthouse jail in 1961, after an arrest in Albany. The "Sumter Movement" to end racial segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
was organized and led by Rev. Joseph R. Campbell in 1963. As a direct result, two Georgia laws were subsequently declared unconstitutional by a federal tribunal meeting in Americus. Color barriers were first removed in 1965 when J.W. Jones and Henry L. Williams joined the Americus police force. Lewis M. Lowe was elected as the first black city councilman ten years later. With their election in 1995, Eloise R. Paschal and Eddie Rhea Walker broke the gender barrier on the city's governing body.
In 1971, the city was featured in a Marshall Frady article, "Discovering One Another in a Georgia Town," in Life
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
magazine. The portrayal of the city's school integration was relatively benign, especially considering the community's history of troubled race relations. Americus' nadir in this respect had occurred in 1913, when a young black man named Will Redding murdered Police Chief W.C. Barrow in a fit of rage and was then lynched by a white mob.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 17,013 people, 6,374 households, and 4,149 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,623.1 people per square mile (626.8/km²). There were 7,053 housing units at an average density of 672.9 per square mile (259.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 39.05% White, 58.26% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.86% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.90% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.49% of the population.
There were 6,374 households out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 27.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.0% under the age of 18, 14.1% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 79.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 70.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,808, and the median income for a family was $32,132. Males had a median income of $27,055 versus $20,169 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $14,168. About 23.4% of families and 27.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 44.1% of those under age 18 and 19.8% of those age 65 or over.
Largest Employers
According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the area are:| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sumter County Schools | 950 |
| 2 | Cooper Lighting | 600 |
| 3 | Habitat for Humanity | 400 |
| 4 | Wal-Mart Wal-Mart Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000... |
399 |
| 5 | Phoebe Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital is located at 417 Third Ave. in Albany, Georgia.The health system is a network of hospitals, family medicine clinics, rehab facilities, auxiliary services, and medical education training facilities. The flagship hospital Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital is a 443-bed... Sumter Medical Center |
396 |
| 6 | Magnolia Manor United Methodist Church The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley... |
375 |
| 7 | Georgia Southwestern State University Georgia Southwestern State University Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, Georgia, is a school in the University System of Georgia.-The College of Arts and Sciences:The College of Arts and Sciences at GSW offers undergraduate degrees in art Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, Georgia, is a school in the... |
280 |
| 8 | Southern Star Community Services | 253 |
| 9 | Sumter County Sumter County, Georgia Sumter County is a county located in the southwest portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 26, 1831. As of 2000, the population was 33,200. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 32,532... |
235 |
| 10 | City of Americus | 195 |
Sumter County School District
The Sumter County School DistrictSumter County School District
The Sumter County School District is a public school district in Sumter County, Georgia, USA, based in Americus, Georgia. It serves the communities of Americus, Andersonville, Cobb, De Soto, Leslie, and Plains, Georgia.-History:...
holds grades pre-school to twelfth, which consist of four elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools. The district has 353 full-time teachers and over 5,774 students.
Elementary Schools
- Cherokee Elementary School
- Sarah Cobb Elementary School
- Sumter County Elementary School
- Sumter County Primary School
Private Education
- Southland AcademySouthland AcademySouthland Academy is a private, co-educational, non-sectarian Christian college preparatory day school in Americus, Georgia, United States, with over 600 students in grades K through 12, covering ages 4 through 19....
- Southland currently has 600 students from 4 year old kindergarten through 12 grade. It is a part of the Georgia Independent Schools Association (GISA).
Higher Education
- Georgia Southwestern State UniversityGeorgia Southwestern State UniversityGeorgia Southwestern State University in Americus, Georgia, is a school in the University System of Georgia.-The College of Arts and Sciences:The College of Arts and Sciences at GSW offers undergraduate degrees in art Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, Georgia, is a school in the...
- Main Campus - South Georgia Technical CollegeSouth Georgia Technical CollegeSouth Georgia Technical College is a residential college located in southwest Georgia, teaching the latest educational programs of today. There are two campuses within the main college. The main college is located in Americus, Georgia, while the satellite campus located in Cordele, Georgia offers...
-Main Campus
All schools and colleges are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), with the exception of South Georgia Technical College. It is in the candidacy stage to being accredited by SACS.
Tornado
Americus was the target of a tornadoTornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
around 9:15 P.M. on March 1, 2007. The EF-3 tornado was up to one mile wide, and carved a 38-mile path of destruction through the city and surrounding residential areas. It destroyed parts of Sumter Regional Hospital, forcing the evacuations of all of the patients there. There were two fatalities at a Hudson Street residence near the hospital; all SRH patients were evacuated safely. The hospital, however, faces major reconstruction issues and may not be re-opened until 2010. A makeshift medical facility has opened in a parking lot adjacent to the damaged hospital structure.
Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue
Sonny Perdue
George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III, was the 81st Governor of Georgia. Upon his inauguration in January 2003, he became the first Republican governor of Georgia since Benjamin F. Conley served during Reconstruction in the 1870s....
said, "It was worse that I had feared. The hospital was hit, but the devastation within the area of Sumter County and Americus was more than I imagined. The businesses around the hospital are totally destroyed. Power is still not restored in many places. It's just a blessing frankly that we didn't have more fatalities than we did." Over 500 homes were affected, with around 100 completely destroyed. Several businesses throughout the town were seriously damaged or destroyed as well. Among the businesses suffering major damage were Winn Dixie supermarket, Wendy's, Zaxby's, McDonald's, Domino's Pizza, and several local businesses. The Winn Dixie was completely destroyed. Domino's Pizza has since reopened, as well as Winn Dixie.
President George W. Bush visited the area on March 3, calling what he saw "tough devastation."
Notable people
Prominent citizens of Americus include:- Griffin BellGriffin BellGriffin Boyette Bell was an American lawyer and former Attorney General. He served as the nation's 72nd Attorney General during the Jimmy Carter administration...
- Gen. Howell CobbHowell CobbHowell Cobb was an American political figure. A Southern Democrat, Cobb was a five-term member of the United States House of Representatives and Speaker of the House from 1849 to 1851...
- Gen. Phillip CookPhillip CookPhilip Cook was a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War and a postbellum member of the United States Congress.-Biography:...
- Charles F. Crisp
- Charles R. CrispCharles R. CrispCharles Robert Crisp was a U.S. Representative from Georgia, son of Charles Frederick Crisp.Born in Ellaville, Georgia, Crisp attended the public schools of Americus, Georgia....
- Lonne Elder IIILonne Elder IIILonne Elder III was an American actor, playwright and screenwriter. In 1973, he along with Suzanne de Passe became the first African Americans to be nominated for the Academy Award for writing...
- Millard FullerMillard FullerMillard Dean Fuller was the founder and former president of Habitat for Humanity International, a nonprofit organization known globally for building houses for those in need, and the founder and former president of The Fuller Center for Housing...
- Chan GaileyChan GaileyThomas Chandler "Chan" Gailey, Jr. is an American professional and college football coach. Gailey is the current head coach of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League ; he was formerly the head coach of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets college football...
- Victor GreenVictor GreenVictor Bernard Green is a former American football safety in the National Football League. He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 1993...
- John HarrisJohn Harris-Politics and government:*John Harris , English MP for Grampound in 1555*John Harris English MP for Bere Alston in 1640*John Harris , English MP for Liskeard...
- Kent HillKent HillKent Angelo Hill is a former American football offensive lineman who played nine seasons in the National Football League, mainly for the Los Angeles Rams. He was selected to five Pro Bowls. He was selected in the first round of the 1979 NFL draft out of Georgia Tech....
- George HooksGeorge HooksGeorge Hooks is a Democratic member of the Georgia State Senate, representing the 14th District since 1991. Previously he was a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from 1980 through 1990.-Background:...
- Alonzo JacksonAlonzo JacksonAlonzo Jackson is an American football defensive end in the National Football League who is currently a free agent...
- Joanna Moore
- Ruby MuhammadRuby MuhammadRuby Muhammad was an American religious figure known as the "Mother of the Nation of Islam." She was born in Sandersville, Georgia and grew up in Americus...
- Leonard PopeLeonard PopeLeonard Pope is an American football tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia...
- Dan ReevesDan ReevesDaniel Edward Reeves is a former American football player and head coach. He has participated in more Super Bowls as player/assistant coach/Head Coach than anyone else...
- Mo SanfordMo SanfordMeredith Leroy "Mo" Sanford is a former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, and Minnesota Twins....
External links
- City website
- Community website
- Americus (in the New Georgia Encyclopedia)
- The Americus Newsletter
- Americus Sumter Chamber of Commerce
- South Georgia Historic Newspapers Archive, Digital Library of Georgia