McDonough, Georgia
Encyclopedia
McDonough is a city in Henry County
, Georgia
, United States
. The population was 22084 at the 2010 census
. Inclusion of the unincorporated neighborhoods surrounding McDonough, which are not part of a town/city, raises the population to approximately 30,000 from an estimate in 2008. The city is the county seat of Henry County
. It is the home of AM radio station Classic Country 1410 WKKP
and SCB-TV cable Channel 15 television station.
The census-designated place
of Blacksville
and the unincorporated communities
of Flippen
, Kelleytown
, and Ola
are located near McDonough, and addresses in those communities have McDonough postal addresses.
and founded in 1823 around a traditional town square
design. The buildings surrounding the square are intact although there are some vacancies. The county courthouse and historic jail building are on the north side near the Welcome Center in a historically maintained Standard Oil
service station 1920 prototype. The station also houses the Main Street Program Office and Hospitality and Tourism Office. In the center of the square is a monument to Henry County's Confederate dead. One block east of the square, the town's original cotton
warehouse
has been replaced with the Henry County Judicial Center. In the same area the Henry County Courthouse Annex has an original oil on canvas "Cotton Gin" (4½ by 11 feet) by Jean Charlot. He painted this oil in 1942 for the town post office. His works can be found all over the world in everything from children's books to large murals.
The town was a relay station on the New York to New Orleans stagecoach line and was connected by other stage lines with Fayetteville and Decatur, and with Macon by way of Jackson.
In 1900, a washout
during a thunderstorm
caused a train wreck
about 1½ miles (2.4 km) north of town. The runoff undermined about 100 feet (30.5 m) of the Southern Railway
(Macon
division) prior the accident, and the passenger train subsequently caught fire, killing 35. http://www3.gendisasters.com/georgia/7634/mcdonough-ga-train-wreck-jun-1900
, the city has a total area of 12.9 square miles (33.4 km²), of which 12.7 square miles (32.9 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) (1.6%) is water.
of 2000, there were 8,493 people, 3,069 households, and 2,102 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,093.8 people per square mile (422.6/km²). There were 3,234 housing units at an average density of 416.5 per square mile (160.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 61.4% White, 34.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 1.8% from other races
, and 1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.7% of the population.
There were 3,069 households out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% were married couples
living together, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 34.1% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,482, and the median income for a family was $46,818. Males had a median income of $34,669 versus $28,318 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $19,029. About 9.6% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.3% of those under age 18 and 18.3% of those age 65 or over.
Although it is considered to be located in Stockbridge, many of the Eagle's Landing Country Club's homes are within McDonough's 30253 zip code.
are ministers at Eagle's Landing First Baptist Church, where the band plays during services.
holds grades pre-school to grade twelve. The district has twenty eight elementary schools, nine middle schools, and ten high schools. The district has 1,543 full-time teachers and over 27,734 students.
has a Regional Academic Center in McDonough. The center, opened in 2003, offers programs through the university's College of Continuing and Professional Studies.
Henry County, Georgia
Henry County is a growing suburban county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 119,341. As of 2010, the county's population swelled to 203,922, up 70.9% from the previous census and becoming Georgia's 8th most populous county and the 10th fastest growing...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 22084 at the 2010 census
2010 census
The following countries conducted a census in 2010:* Sixth National Population Census of the People's Republic of China* Russian Census * 2010 United States Census...
. Inclusion of the unincorporated neighborhoods surrounding McDonough, which are not part of a town/city, raises the population to approximately 30,000 from an estimate in 2008. The city is the county seat of Henry County
Henry County, Georgia
Henry County is a growing suburban county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 119,341. As of 2010, the county's population swelled to 203,922, up 70.9% from the previous census and becoming Georgia's 8th most populous county and the 10th fastest growing...
. It is the home of AM radio station Classic Country 1410 WKKP
WKKP
WKKP Classic Country 1410 broadcasts on 1410 kHz at a power of 2.5 kilowatts from a tower located on Racetrack Road in McDonough, Georgia, a southern suburb of Atlanta. The station is owned by Henry County Radio Co Inc. and originates from studios located on Brownlee Road in Jackson, Georgia...
and SCB-TV cable Channel 15 television station.
The census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
of Blacksville
Blacksville, Georgia
Blacksville is a census-designated place in Henry County, Georgia, United States. The 2000 census population was 4.Blacksville is an unincorporated community named after the local demographics of McDonough, Georgia, during the era of legal segregation. McDonough is where whites lived;...
and the unincorporated communities
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
of Flippen
Flippen, Georgia
Flippen is an unincorporated community in Henry County, Georgia, United States. Flippen is within the postal limits of McDonough, Georgia and as such, most residents list McDonough as their city.-Major highways:* Interstate 75* U.S...
, Kelleytown
Kelleytown, Georgia
Kelleytown is an unincorporated community in Henry County, Georgia, United States. Kelleytown is within the postal limits of McDonough, GA and as such, most residents list McDonough as their city. The community is located just eight miles northeast of the historic downtown McDonough Square...
, and Ola
Ola, Georgia
Ola is an unincorporated community in Henry County, Georgia, United States. Ola is within the postal limits of McDonough, Georgia and as such, most residents list McDonough as their city.Ola received its name from the winner of a raffle...
are located near McDonough, and addresses in those communities have McDonough postal addresses.
Major highways
Interstate 75Interstate 75Interstate 75 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. It travels from State Road 826 and State Road 924 in Hialeah, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at the Ontario, Canada, border...
U.S. Highway 23
Georgia State Route 20Georgia State Route 20State Route 20 is an abnormally-oriented route in roughly the shape of a capital J rotated ninety degrees to the left. Its counterclockwise terminus is at the Alabama state line in Floyd County, and its clockwise terminus occurs in the middle of an overpass over US 19/US 41 and SR 3 in Hampton in...
Georgia State Route 42Georgia State Route 42State Route 42 is a Georgia state highway that runs in a generally north–south orientation from a short distance northeast of Atlanta in DeKalb County to Byron in Peach County.-Routing:...
Georgia State Route 81Georgia State Route 81State Route 81 is a diagonal route oriented generally from southwest to northeast. Its southwest terminus is at U.S. 19/U.S. 41 in Henry County, and its northeast terminus is at U.S. 29 Business in Winder in Barrow County...
Georgia State Route 155Georgia State Route 155State Route 155 begins at U.S. 19/U.S. 41/S.R. 3, just south of Griffin, Georgia, and ends at Buford Highway in DeKalb County as Clairmont Road.-Spalding County:-Henry County:-DeKalb County:...
Georgia State Route 351
Georgia State Route 401
History
Named for naval officer Commodore Thomas MacDonoughThomas MacDonough
Thomas Macdonough was an early-19th-century American naval officer noted for his roles in the first Barbary War, and the War of 1812. He was the son of a revolutionary officer, Thomas Sr. who lived close to Middleton, Delaware. Being the sixth child born, he came from a large family of ten...
and founded in 1823 around a traditional town square
Town square
A town square is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town used for community gatherings. Other names for town square are civic center, city square, urban square, market square, public square, and town green.Most town squares are hardscapes suitable for open markets,...
design. The buildings surrounding the square are intact although there are some vacancies. The county courthouse and historic jail building are on the north side near the Welcome Center in a historically maintained Standard Oil
Standard Oil
Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
service station 1920 prototype. The station also houses the Main Street Program Office and Hospitality and Tourism Office. In the center of the square is a monument to Henry County's Confederate dead. One block east of the square, the town's original cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
warehouse
Warehouse
A warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
has been replaced with the Henry County Judicial Center. In the same area the Henry County Courthouse Annex has an original oil on canvas "Cotton Gin" (4½ by 11 feet) by Jean Charlot. He painted this oil in 1942 for the town post office. His works can be found all over the world in everything from children's books to large murals.
The town was a relay station on the New York to New Orleans stagecoach line and was connected by other stage lines with Fayetteville and Decatur, and with Macon by way of Jackson.
In 1900, a washout
Washout
A washout is the sudden erosion of soft soil or other support surfaces by a gush of water, usually occurring during a heavy downpour of rain or other stream flooding. These downpours may occur locally in a thunderstorm , or over a large area, such as following the landfall of a tropical cyclone...
during a thunderstorm
Thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
caused a train wreck
Train wreck
A train wreck or train crash is a type of disaster involving one or more trains. Train wrecks often occur as a result of miscommunication, as when a moving train meets another train on the same track; or an accident, such as when a train wheel jumps off a track in a derailment; or when a boiler...
about 1½ miles (2.4 km) north of town. The runoff undermined about 100 feet (30.5 m) of the Southern Railway
Georgia Southern Railroad
The Georgia Southern Railroad was formed in 1875 to assume the operations of the bankrupt Selma, Rome and Dalton Railroad. The Georgia Southern was in turn absorbed by the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad in 1880....
(Macon
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
division) prior the accident, and the passenger train subsequently caught fire, killing 35. http://www3.gendisasters.com/georgia/7634/mcdonough-ga-train-wreck-jun-1900
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 12.9 square miles (33.4 km²), of which 12.7 square miles (32.9 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) (1.6%) is water.
Notable natives
- Darrell ArmstrongDarrell ArmstrongDarrell Eugene Armstrong is a former American professional basketball player, who played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association...
— former NBA player; lives in McDonough - Erasmus W. BeckErasmus W. BeckErasmus Williams Beck was a U.S. Representative from Georgia.Born in McDonough, Henry County, Georgia, Beck attended the local schools of his native county, a private school, and Mercer University, Macon, Georgia, for two years.In 1855, on account of ill health, returned to McDonough and began the...
— United States Congressman; born in McDonough in 1833. - Herman CainHerman CainHerman Cain is a candidate for the 2012 U.S. Republican Party presidential nomination.Cain has a background as a business executive, syndicated columnist, and radio host from Georgia. He served as chairman and CEO of Godfather's Pizza from 1986 to 1996...
— businessman and candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nominationRepublican Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2012The 2012 Republican presidential primaries are the selection processes in which voters of the Republican Party will choose their nominee for President of the United States in the 2012 presidential election. The primary contest began with a fairly wide field, and is the first presidential primary...
; lives in McDonough - Jason HeywardJason HeywardJason Alias Heyward , nicknamed J-Hey and J-Hey-Kid, is a Major League Baseball right fielder for the Atlanta Braves. He throws and bats left-handed....
— Atlanta BravesAtlanta BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
prospect and first-round selection in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft2007 Major League Baseball DraftThe 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, and was held on June 7 and June 8, 2007...
. - James T. HoltzclawJames T. HoltzclawJames Thadeus Holtzclaw was an Alabama lawyer, railroad commissioner, and general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He played a prominent role of several major engagements of the Army of Tennessee in the Western Theater.-Early life and career:James T...
— ConfederateConfederate States ArmyThe Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
general in the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe 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...
; born in McDonough in 1833. - Kristal MarshallKristal MarshallKristal Marshall is an American model, beauty queen, and former professional wrestler best known for her work in World Wrestling Entertainment on its SmackDown! brand and in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion working as Kristal Lashley the kayfabe wife of Bobby Lashley and his real life...
— former WWE DivaWWE DivaDiva is a term used by World Wrestling Entertainment , an American professional wrestling promotion, to refer to its female talent. The term is applied to women who appear as wrestlers, managers or valets, backstage interviewers, or ring announcers....
. - Matt MurtonMatt MurtonMatthew Henry Murton is an outfielder for the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan...
— Oakland AthleticsOakland AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
outfielder; went to high school in McDonough. - J.R. Pinnock — George Washington ColonialsGeorge Washington ColonialsThe George Washington Colonials are the athletic teams of George Washington University. The school sponsors 21 varsity sports , the majority of which compete in the Division I Atlantic 10 Conference. The men's and women's water polo teams compete in the Collegiate Water Polo Association and the...
guard; went to high school in McDonough. - Renford ReeseRenford ReeseRenford R. Reese is a professor in the political science department and founder/director of the Colorful Flags program at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona...
, Ph.D. — son of pioneer sports writer Earnest Reese (Atlanta Journal Constitution); professor, author, founder, Colorful Flags program at Cal Poly Pomona University; grew up/went to high school in McDonough (graduated 1985). http://www.answers.com/Renford+Reese. - Andrew SloanAndrew SloanAndrew Sloan was a U.S. Representative from Georgia.Born in McDonough, Henry County, Georgia, Sloan attended the common schools, Marshall College in Griffin, Georgia, and Bethany College in Bethany, West Virginia. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1866 and practiced. He served as...
— United States Congressman; born in McDonough in 1845. - James W. WiseJames W. WiseJames Walter Wise was a U.S. Representative from Georgia.Born near McDonough, Henry County, Georgia, Wise attended the common schools.He studied law at Emory College, Oxford, Georgia....
— United States Congressman; born in McDonough in 1868. - The EmotronThe EmotronThe Emotron is a one-man musical group influenced by Atom and his Package and GG Allin. He performs original material in a karaoke-esque style, using a Yamaha QY700 sequencer among other instruments....
— (b. Jason Kyle Knight); one man punk and electronic band; from McDonough and played many shows at the McDonough American Legion.
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 8,493 people, 3,069 households, and 2,102 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 1,093.8 people per square mile (422.6/km²). There were 3,234 housing units at an average density of 416.5 per square mile (160.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 61.4% White, 34.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 1.8% 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% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.7% of the population.
There were 3,069 households out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% 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, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 34.1% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,482, and the median income for a family was $46,818. Males had a median income of $34,669 versus $28,318 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 $19,029. About 9.6% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.3% of those under age 18 and 18.3% of those age 65 or over.
Although it is considered to be located in Stockbridge, many of the Eagle's Landing Country Club's homes are within McDonough's 30253 zip code.
Geranium Festival
The city hosts a Geranium Festival each springtime on the third Saturday in May, celebrating the locally grown flowers and community. The one day festival serves as a showcase of local artistry and talent through the open-air craft markets and live musical performances. The festival is sponsored by the McDonough Lions Club, and held on the McDonough Square. 2009 marks the 32nd anniversary of the festival.Sports
The city is home to the annual AABC Roberto Clemente World Series for seven- and eight-year-old baseball players.Movies
- Scenes for the 1977 movie "Smokey and the BanditSmokey and the BanditSmokey and the Bandit is a 1977 American film starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Reed, Pat McCormick, Paul Williams, and Mike Henry. It inspired several other trucking films, including two sequels, Smokey and the Bandit II, and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3...
" were filmed in the town. - Scenes for the 1989 Oscar winning civil war epic, "Glory" were filmed in the town.
- A pilot episode for the WB show "RoswellRoswell (TV series)Roswell is an American science fiction television series developed, produced, and co-written by Jason Katims. The series debuted on October 6, 1999 on The WB and moved to UPN for the third season. The last episode aired May 14, 2002...
" were filmed on the city square at the old Phillips 66 service station. - A scene from the movie "We Are MarshallWe Are MarshallWe Are Marshall is a 2006 American drama film directed by Joseph McGinty Nichol about the aftermath of the 1970 plane crash that killed 37 football players on the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team as well as five coaches, two athletic trainers, the athletic director, 25 boosters and...
" was filmed on Hw. 155 near Miller's Mill. - "The McDonough Road" is mentioned by one of the characters in the 1939 classic, Gone with the WindGone with the WindThe slaves depicted in Gone with the Wind are primarily loyal house servants, such as Mammy, Pork and Uncle Peter, and these slaves stay on with their masters even after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 sets them free...
.
Music
Members of the Christian Band Casting CrownsCasting Crowns
Casting Crowns is a Grammy Award and Dove Award winning Contemporary Christian/Christian Rock band. Casting Crowns was started in 1999 by youth pastor Mark Hall at First Baptist Church in Downtown Daytona Beach, Florida as part of a youth group. He now serves as a lead vocalist...
are ministers at Eagle's Landing First Baptist Church, where the band plays during services.
Henry County School District
The Henry County School DistrictHenry County School District
The Henry County School District is a public school district in Henry County, Georgia, USA, based in McDonough, Georgia. It serves the communities of Blacksville, Flippen, Hampton, Kelleytown, Locust Grove, McDonough, Ola, and Stockbridge, Georgia.-Schools:...
holds grades pre-school to grade twelve. The district has twenty eight elementary schools, nine middle schools, and ten high schools. The district has 1,543 full-time teachers and over 27,734 students.
McDonough Public Schools
- Eagle's Landing High School
- Henry County Evening Academy
- Henry County High School
- Ola High SchoolOla High SchoolOla High School is a public high school near McDonough, Georgia. Ola High School has a student body consisting of about 1500 students in grades 9–12. The Ola Middle School is adjacent to the high school...
- Union Grove High SchoolUnion Grove High SchoolUnion Grove High School is a public institution within the Henry County School System in McDonough, Georgia and hosts students from ninth through twelfth grades. Current enrollment hovers around 1,700 students...
Private schools
- Eagle's Landing Christian AcademyEagle's Landing Christian AcademyEagle's Landing Christian Academy is a large private Christian school about 25 miles south of Atlanta in McDonough, Georgia, United States. Eagle's Landing Christian Academy ranks sixth in the Atlanta Business Chronicle of Atlanta's 75 Largest Private Schools....
- Lake Dow Christian AcademyLake Dow Christian AcademyLake Dow Christian Academy is a private Christian school in McDonough, Georgia. Approximately 100 students are enrolled in the institution, which has the mission of "teaching Christian family values."...
- Living Word Christian
- McDonough Christian Academy
- The Sharon School
- Community Christian School
- Strong Rock Christian School
- New Creation Center
- Creekside Christian Academy
Higher Education
Mercer UniversityMercer University
Mercer University is an independent, private, coeducational university with a Baptist heritage located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Mercer is the only university of its size in the United States that offers programs in eleven diversified fields of study: liberal arts, business, education, music,...
has a Regional Academic Center in McDonough. The center, opened in 2003, offers programs through the university's College of Continuing and Professional Studies.
External links
- City of McDonough
- Henry Herald
- Henry County School System
- The Henry County Times Newspaper
- Geranium Festival
- Taste of Henry
- Kelleytown, GA
- A Friend's House
- Community Gardens of Henry County
- The Hack Line Learn about what goes on in Henry County, GA