Chattooga County, Georgia
Encyclopedia
Chattooga County is a county located in the U.S. state
of Georgia
. It was created on December 28, 1838. As of 2000, the population was 25,470. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 26,797. The county seat
is Summerville
.
of 2000, there were 25,470 people, 9,577 households, and 6,837 families residing in the county. The population density
was 81 people per square mile (31/km²). There were 10,677 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile (13/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 86.71% White
, 11.21% Black
or African American
, 0.08% Native American
, 0.12% Asian
, 0.02% Pacific Islander
, 0.84% from other races
, and 1.02% from two or more races. 2.11% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 9,577 households out of which 30.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.70% were married couples
living together, 12.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.60% were non-families. 25.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the county the population was spread out with 22.90% under the age of 18, 10.00% from 18 to 24, 30.00% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 106.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,664, and the median income for a family was $36,230. Males had a median income of $26,505 versus $21,014 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $14,508. About 11.30% of families and 14.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.40% of those under age 18 and 14.90% of those age 65 or over.
." In this removal, thousands of Native Americans died from sickness, hunger and abuse. The land was then divided amongst white settlers in the Cherokee Land Lottery of 1832. The Lottery transformed Chattooga into a thriving agricultural area in the antebellum South with farms of varying size dotting the fertile landscape of the Chattooga Valley.
The coming of the American Civil War
saw Chattoogans polarized into pro and anti-union camps. Confederate armies received five regiments from Chattooga. Several engagements were fought in the county prior to the battle of Chickamauga. General Nathan Bedford Forrest fought an engagement near Alpine with Federal cavalry resulting in the Federals being thrown back to the Chattanooga area. The largest single engagement in Chattooga was the "Battle of Trion Factory," fought on Sept. 15th, 1863 on present day First Street near the site of the East Trion Church of God. Confederate Infantry forces under the command of General Benjamin Hardin Helm and cavalry under the command of Gen. Joseph Wheeler defeated Union forces in a running battle that started somewhere near Summerville and ended in Trion. The front section of the Old Trion Cemetery on First Street contains the remains of fifty-five Union soldiers and seven Confederates killed in this action, but the graves are unmarked. In september 2009, the Chattooga County Camp 507, Sons of Confederate Veterans in conjunction with the Missionary Ridge Camp 63 Sons of Union Veterans, and several local groups erected a memorial monument to remember the "First Battle of Trion Factory" and the soldiers who are buried in unmarked graves at Trion. In an interesting side note, Confederate General Helm was a brother-in-law to Mary Todd Lincoln and was killed five days after the Battle of Trion Factory on Sept. 19th at the Battle of Chickamauga in Walker County, GA.
The county is in Georgia's 11th House District. Former educator and community leader Barbara Massey-Reece (D-Menlo) represents the district, which includes all of Chattooga and parts of Floyd County, in the State House of Representatives. The county is represented by Chickamauga Republican Jeff Mullis in the State Senate.
Chattooga County is served by a vast array of public offices. The county is one of the few in the State of Georgia that still operates under one county commissioner. Jason Winters, a local businessman, successfully defeated incumbent Democratic Commissioner Mike Dawson in the Democratic Primary election in 2008. Winters went on to defeat local businessman Charles Black, a Republican, in in the General Election to take the office. Winters' office is on Commerce Street in downtown Summerville, the county's seat.
Sheriff Ralph Kellett served the community as sheriff for almost two decades before losing the Democratic Primary election to John Everett in 2008. Sheriff Everett kept the seat in Democratic hands in the General Election. Everett's office is located on West Washington Street beside the county courthouse.
Other elected officers include Tax Commissioner Kathy Brown, Sam "Laan" Cordle as Clerk of Superior and State Courts, Earle Rainwater as Coroner, and Jon Payne as Probate Judge and Election Superintendent. Tim Perry serves as Solicitor General and Sam Finster is the State Court Judge. Judge Kristina Cook-Connelly, daughter of Attorney Bobby Lee Cook, is judge on the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit.
The county's school board, under Chattooga County School's Superintendent Dwight Pullen, oversees four elementary schools: Leroy Massey Elementary, Menlo School, Lyerly School, and Summerville Elementary, one middle school, Summerville Middle, and one high school, Chattooga County High School. Chattooga High School is a "Class AA" school according to the Georgia High School Association. The board also oversees one alternative school. The members of the school board are William Anderson, Eddie Elsberry, Dot Johnson, Eddie Massey, and Terry Money. The other school system in Chattooga County is the Trion City School System. The system, constantly named one of the best public schools in the State of Georgia, is served by Superintendent Dr. H. Phillip Williams. The school board is chaired by Chairperson Connie Witt. The system has one elementary,one middle, and one high school. The school is on one campus and is a "Class A" school according to the Georgia High School Association. The school was recently named a Georgia School of Excellence and had the top SAT scores for any school system in the State of Georgia. The school also has the highest graduation rate of any high school in the state.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. It was created on December 28, 1838. As of 2000, the population was 25,470. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 26,797. The county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Summerville
Summerville, Georgia
Summerville is a city in Chattooga County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,556 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Chattooga County.- Geography :Summerville is located at ....
.
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 313.55 square miles (812.1 km²), of which 313.33 square miles (811.5 km²) (or 99.93%) is land and 0.23 square mile (0.5956972653 km²) (or 0.07%) is water. is water.Major highways
U.S. Route 27U.S. Route 27U.S. Route 27 is a north–south United States highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus is at US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 in Fort Wayne, Indiana...
State Route 1
State Route 48
State Route 100
State Route 114
State Route 157
State Route 337State Route 337 (Georgia)State Route 337 is a northeast-southwest route that runs from its southern terminus at the Alabama state line southwest of Menlo northeastward through Broomtown Valley at the foot of Lookout Mountain. The route reaches its northern terminus at U.S. 27/S.R. 1 south of LaFayette, though the route...
Adjacent counties
- Walker CountyWalker County, GeorgiaWalker County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 18, 1833 from land formerly belonging to the Cherokee Indian Nation. As of 2000, the population was 61,053. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 64,554...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
- north - Floyd CountyFloyd County, GeorgiaFloyd County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 90,565. Census estimates for 2007 show a population of 95,618...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
- east and south - Cherokee CountyCherokee County, AlabamaCherokee County, Alabama is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. It is named for the Cherokee tribe. As of 2010 the population was 25,989. Its county seat is Centre and it is a prohibition or dry county.- History :...
, AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
- west - DeKalb CountyDeKalb County, AlabamaAs of the 2010 Census DeKalb County had a population of 71,109. The median age was 37.5. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population was 81.6% non-Hispanic white, 1.5% African American, 1.4% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander , 9.9% from some other race, 2.2% reporting two or...
, AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
- west
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 25,470 people, 9,577 households, and 6,837 families residing in the county. 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 81 people per square mile (31/km²). There were 10,677 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile (13/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 86.71% White
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...
, 11.21% Black
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...
or African American
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...
, 0.08% Native American
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...
, 0.12% Asian
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...
, 0.02% Pacific Islander
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...
, 0.84% 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 1.02% from two or more races. 2.11% of the population were Hispanic
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...
or Latino
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...
of any race.
There were 9,577 households out of which 30.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.70% 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, 12.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.60% were non-families. 25.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the county the population was spread out with 22.90% under the age of 18, 10.00% from 18 to 24, 30.00% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 106.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,664, and the median income for a family was $36,230. Males had a median income of $26,505 versus $21,014 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 county was $14,508. About 11.30% of families and 14.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.40% of those under age 18 and 14.90% of those age 65 or over.
History
Chattooga county has a long and interesting history. It is named for the Chattooga River, which flows through it. It was originally settled by the 'mound builder' culture. A few small mounds can be found throughout the Alpine and Menlo areas. Sometime in the pre-European settlement era, the county was settled by at first the Creek Native Americans and later the Cherokee Native Americans. The principle Cherokee towns in Chattooga were Rivertown (Trion) and Broomtown in Shinbone valley. With the onset of European settlers and after gold was discovered in northern Georgia, the federal government forcibly removed the Cherokees to Oklahoma from Chattooga county in the early 1830s in what has become known as "the Trail Of TearsTrail of Tears
The Trail of Tears is a name given to the forced relocation and movement of Native American nations from southeastern parts of the United States following the Indian Removal Act of 1830...
." In this removal, thousands of Native Americans died from sickness, hunger and abuse. The land was then divided amongst white settlers in the Cherokee Land Lottery of 1832. The Lottery transformed Chattooga into a thriving agricultural area in the antebellum South with farms of varying size dotting the fertile landscape of the Chattooga Valley.
The coming of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
saw Chattoogans polarized into pro and anti-union camps. Confederate armies received five regiments from Chattooga. Several engagements were fought in the county prior to the battle of Chickamauga. General Nathan Bedford Forrest fought an engagement near Alpine with Federal cavalry resulting in the Federals being thrown back to the Chattanooga area. The largest single engagement in Chattooga was the "Battle of Trion Factory," fought on Sept. 15th, 1863 on present day First Street near the site of the East Trion Church of God. Confederate Infantry forces under the command of General Benjamin Hardin Helm and cavalry under the command of Gen. Joseph Wheeler defeated Union forces in a running battle that started somewhere near Summerville and ended in Trion. The front section of the Old Trion Cemetery on First Street contains the remains of fifty-five Union soldiers and seven Confederates killed in this action, but the graves are unmarked. In september 2009, the Chattooga County Camp 507, Sons of Confederate Veterans in conjunction with the Missionary Ridge Camp 63 Sons of Union Veterans, and several local groups erected a memorial monument to remember the "First Battle of Trion Factory" and the soldiers who are buried in unmarked graves at Trion. In an interesting side note, Confederate General Helm was a brother-in-law to Mary Todd Lincoln and was killed five days after the Battle of Trion Factory on Sept. 19th at the Battle of Chickamauga in Walker County, GA.
The Coming of Sherman
After the fall of Atlanta, Confederate General John Bell Hood led his Army of Tennessee from the Atlanta battlegrounds to the north and west in an attempt to lead General William Tecumseh Sherman's Army of the Cumberland away from Atlanta and out of Georgia. Sherman left a detachment in Atlanta while he took the remainder of his army in pursuit of Hood and his Confederates. General Hood's army passed through Chattooga County in September 1864 en route to Gaylesville, Alabama. General Sherman reportedly stated upon first seeing the Chattooga Valley from atop Taylors Ridge that it "is a good fertile valley suitable for agriculture." Upon reaching Summerville, Sherman was informed of a Confederate training camp some several miles up the river from town. General Sherman proceeded north about two miles and "fired a few shots at the retreating rear guard" of the Confederates. Reportedly, every road leading out of Chattooga to the west was filled with retreating Confederates. General Sherman telegraphed General Henry Halleck and president Abraham Lincoln from Summerville to outline his plan for the "March to the Sea," making Chattooga County the birthplace of his march.Government and Politics
Chattooga County is a Democratic stronghold in Northwest Georgia. The NW GA region has followed the state, particularly the suburbs of Atlanta, in a dramatic political shift to the right. While most counties in Northwest Georgia vote heavily Republican on the local, state, and national levels, Chattooga is still a Democratic County. The county hasn't elected a Republican for local office since Reconstruction. The county has supported Republicans for national office, but by much closer margins than most areas of the region.The county is in Georgia's 11th House District. Former educator and community leader Barbara Massey-Reece (D-Menlo) represents the district, which includes all of Chattooga and parts of Floyd County, in the State House of Representatives. The county is represented by Chickamauga Republican Jeff Mullis in the State Senate.
Chattooga County is served by a vast array of public offices. The county is one of the few in the State of Georgia that still operates under one county commissioner. Jason Winters, a local businessman, successfully defeated incumbent Democratic Commissioner Mike Dawson in the Democratic Primary election in 2008. Winters went on to defeat local businessman Charles Black, a Republican, in in the General Election to take the office. Winters' office is on Commerce Street in downtown Summerville, the county's seat.
Sheriff Ralph Kellett served the community as sheriff for almost two decades before losing the Democratic Primary election to John Everett in 2008. Sheriff Everett kept the seat in Democratic hands in the General Election. Everett's office is located on West Washington Street beside the county courthouse.
Other elected officers include Tax Commissioner Kathy Brown, Sam "Laan" Cordle as Clerk of Superior and State Courts, Earle Rainwater as Coroner, and Jon Payne as Probate Judge and Election Superintendent. Tim Perry serves as Solicitor General and Sam Finster is the State Court Judge. Judge Kristina Cook-Connelly, daughter of Attorney Bobby Lee Cook, is judge on the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit.
The county's school board, under Chattooga County School's Superintendent Dwight Pullen, oversees four elementary schools: Leroy Massey Elementary, Menlo School, Lyerly School, and Summerville Elementary, one middle school, Summerville Middle, and one high school, Chattooga County High School. Chattooga High School is a "Class AA" school according to the Georgia High School Association. The board also oversees one alternative school. The members of the school board are William Anderson, Eddie Elsberry, Dot Johnson, Eddie Massey, and Terry Money. The other school system in Chattooga County is the Trion City School System. The system, constantly named one of the best public schools in the State of Georgia, is served by Superintendent Dr. H. Phillip Williams. The school board is chaired by Chairperson Connie Witt. The system has one elementary,one middle, and one high school. The school is on one campus and is a "Class A" school according to the Georgia High School Association. The school was recently named a Georgia School of Excellence and had the top SAT scores for any school system in the State of Georgia. The school also has the highest graduation rate of any high school in the state.
Recreation
- Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites, Sloppy Floyd Lake Park
Cities and towns
- Cloudland
- LyerlyLyerly, GeorgiaLyerly is a town in Chattooga County, Georgia, USA. census, the town population was 488.-Geography:Lyerly is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...
- MenloMenlo, GeorgiaMenlo is a city in Chattooga County, Georgia, United States. The population was 485 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Menlo is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
- Pennville
- SummervilleSummerville, GeorgiaSummerville is a city in Chattooga County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,556 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Chattooga County.- Geography :Summerville is located at ....
- TrionTrion, GeorgiaTrion is a town in Chattooga County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,993 at the 2000 census. The estimated pop. as of 2006 is 2,001. Trion is the second largest incorporation is Chattooga County, which has a population of approximately 27,000...
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Chattooga County, Georgia
- Northwest Georgia Joint Development AuthorityNorthwest Georgia Joint Development AuthorityThe Northwest Georgia Joint Development Authority is a joint development authority that serves Catoosa County, Chattooga County, Dade County, and Walker County in the U.S. state of Georgia....
External links
- http://www.chattoogainfo.com/ News and information from Chattooga County