West Point, Georgia
Encyclopedia
West Point is a town in Troup County
, with a small tail of the south end of town in Harris County
, in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, this town had a total population of just 3,382 people. The very small portion of this town in Harris County is part of the Columbus, Georgia Metropolitan Area
, whereas the portion of the town in Troup County is part of the LaGrange, Georgia
area.
This town's present name comes from its being near the western-most point of the Chattahoochee River
, where the river turns from its southwesterly flow from the Appalachian Mountain's towards the due south - for all practical purposes - and forms the boundary with Alabama
. The large nearby reservoir
, Lake West Point, was created by the Army Corps of Engineers by the building of the West Point Dam for water storage and hydroelectric power generation. Lake West Point stores water to be released during dry seasons to help maintain the water level of the navigable inland waterway from Columbus, Ga. south to the Gulf of Mexico
.
During the late spring of 2003, there was a flood
caused by extremely heavy rainfall and thunderstorms upstream of the West Point Dam which caused the water level in the reservoir to come close to overflowing the top of the dam. There were allegations of poor forecasting of the water levels in the reservoir by the Corps of Engineers. The flood water would have overflowed the dam had not emergency measures been taken: the release of a large amount of water though the spillway of the dam. Whereas this release avoided the catastrophic failure of the dam, the town of West Point endured a flood much more severe than any other in the time since the West Point Dam had been built. However, West Point was spared from a catastrophe.
The Atlanta & LaGrange Railroad was renamed the Atlanta & West Point Railroad, using the name of West Point, and the town of East Point, Fulton County, Ga., received its name so for being at the northeastern end of this railroad line. This railroad linked Metropolitan Atlanta with the lower reaches of the Chattanooga River, with Columbus, and thence with Montgomery, Alabama
.
corporation of South Korea
announced that an automobile
factory
would open in West Point in 2010. Elise Zeiger of the Cable News Network stated that before this announcement, West Point had become economically devastated, and it was "on the road to becoming a ghost town
."
According to the United States Census Bureau
, this town has a total area of 4.6 square miles (11.9 km²), of which, 4.4 square miles (11.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (2.86%) is water.
of 2000, there were 3,382 people, 1,354 households, and 931 families residing in this town. Its population density
was 764.3 people per square mile (294.8/km²). There were 1,515 housing units at an average density of 342.4 per square mile (132.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 40.60% White, 57.84% African American, 0.03% Native American, 0.89% Asian, 0.15% from other races
, and 0.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.62% of the population.
There were 1,354 households out of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% were married couples
living together, 26.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.2% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.07.
In this town, the population was distributed with 29.4% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 82.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.9 males.
The median income for a household in this town was $31,886, and the median income for a family was $37,797. Males had a median income of $32,271 versus $22,135 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $16,735. About 16.4% of families and 19.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.1% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over.
and the Long Cane Middle School are both located in LaGrange, Ga., and they serve the children of West Point and the surrounding area. Point University
, formerly Atlanta Christian College, a private Christian
university in East Point, Georgia
is moving their campus to West Point in 2012.
Troup County, Georgia
Troup County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2010, the population was 67,044. The county seat is LaGrange.-History:...
, with a small tail of the south end of town in Harris County
Harris County, Georgia
Harris County is located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 14, 1827. As of 2000, the population was 23,695. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 29,073. The county seat is Hamilton...
, in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, this town had a total population of just 3,382 people. The very small portion of this town in Harris County is part of the Columbus, Georgia Metropolitan Area
Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area
The Columbus, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of four counties in Georgia and one county in Alabama, anchored by the city of Columbus...
, whereas the portion of the town in Troup County is part of the LaGrange, Georgia
LaGrange, Georgia
LaGrange is a city in Troup County, Georgia, United States. It is named after the country estate near Paris of the Marquis de La Fayette, who visited the area in 1825. The population was 24,998 at the 2000 census...
area.
This town's present name comes from its being near the western-most point of the Chattahoochee River
Chattahoochee River
The Chattahoochee River flows through or along the borders of the U.S. states of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers and emptying into Apalachicola Bay in the Gulf of...
, where the river turns from its southwesterly flow from the Appalachian Mountain's towards the due south - for all practical purposes - and forms the boundary with Alabama
Alabama
Alabama 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...
. The large nearby reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
, Lake West Point, was created by the Army Corps of Engineers by the building of the West Point Dam for water storage and hydroelectric power generation. Lake West Point stores water to be released during dry seasons to help maintain the water level of the navigable inland waterway from Columbus, Ga. south to the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
.
During the late spring of 2003, there was a flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
caused by extremely heavy rainfall and thunderstorms upstream of the West Point Dam which caused the water level in the reservoir to come close to overflowing the top of the dam. There were allegations of poor forecasting of the water levels in the reservoir by the Corps of Engineers. The flood water would have overflowed the dam had not emergency measures been taken: the release of a large amount of water though the spillway of the dam. Whereas this release avoided the catastrophic failure of the dam, the town of West Point endured a flood much more severe than any other in the time since the West Point Dam had been built. However, West Point was spared from a catastrophe.
The Atlanta & LaGrange Railroad was renamed the Atlanta & West Point Railroad, using the name of West Point, and the town of East Point, Fulton County, Ga., received its name so for being at the northeastern end of this railroad line. This railroad linked Metropolitan Atlanta with the lower reaches of the Chattanooga River, with Columbus, and thence with Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
.
Economy
The Kia MotorsKia Motors
Kia Motors , headquartered in Seoul, is South Korea's second-largest automobile manufacturer, following the Hyundai Motor Company, with sales of over 1.4 million vehicles in 2010...
corporation of South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
announced that an automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
factory
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
would open in West Point in 2010. Elise Zeiger of the Cable News Network stated that before this announcement, West Point had become economically devastated, and it was "on the road to becoming a ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
."
Geography
West Point is located at 32°52′35"N 85°10′26"W (32.876452, -85.173848).According to the United States Census Bureau
United 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...
, this town has a total area of 4.6 square miles (11.9 km²), of which, 4.4 square miles (11.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (2.86%) is water.
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 3,382 people, 1,354 households, and 931 families residing in this town. Its 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 764.3 people per square mile (294.8/km²). There were 1,515 housing units at an average density of 342.4 per square mile (132.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 40.60% White, 57.84% African American, 0.03% Native American, 0.89% Asian, 0.15% 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 0.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.62% of the population.
There were 1,354 households out of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% 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, 26.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.2% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.07.
In this town, the population was distributed with 29.4% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 82.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.9 males.
The median income for a household in this town was $31,886, and the median income for a family was $37,797. Males had a median income of $32,271 versus $22,135 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 $16,735. About 16.4% of families and 19.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.1% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The Troup County High SchoolTroup County High School
Troup County Comprehensive High School, originally called Troup High School, is a public college-preparatory and tech-preparatory school in LaGrange, Georgia and a member of the Troup County Board of Education. The school is located on Hamilton Road, and the Middle school associated is Long Cane...
and the Long Cane Middle School are both located in LaGrange, Ga., and they serve the children of West Point and the surrounding area. Point University
Point University
Point University is a private, Christian, liberal arts university in East Point, Georgia, southwest of Atlanta....
, formerly Atlanta Christian College, a private Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
university in East Point, Georgia
East Point, Georgia
The city of East Point is southwest of the neighborhoods of Atlanta in Fulton County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 33,712...
is moving their campus to West Point in 2012.