Americusis the county seat ofSumter County,Georgia,United States.[4]As of the2020 census,the city had a population of 16,230. It is the principal city of theAmericus Micropolitan Statistical Area,amicropolitan areathat coversSchleyand Sumter counties[5]and had a combined population of 36,966 at the2000 census.[2]
Americus | |
|---|---|
 Municipal Building in Americus | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location inSumter Countyand the state ofGeorgia | |
| Coordinates:32°4′31″N84°13′36″W/ 32.07528°N 84.22667°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Sumter |
| Area | |
• Total | 11.57 sq mi (29.96 km2) |
| • Land | 11.35 sq mi (29.40 km2) |
| • Water | 0.22 sq mi (0.57 km2) |
| Elevation | 479 ft (146 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 16,230 |
| • Density | 1,429.96/sq mi (552.13/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5(Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4(EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 31709, 31710, 31719 |
| Area code | 229 |
| FIPS code | 13-02116[2] |
| GNISfeature ID | 0331037[3] |
| Website | cityofamericus.net |
Habitat for Humanitywas founded in Americus and its international headquarters is there, as well asThe Fuller Center for Housing's international headquarters,Georgia Southwestern State University,theWindsor Hotel,The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers,[6]and many other organizations. The city is notable for its rich history, including a large business and residential historic district, being one of the 29 places whereMartin Luther Kingwas jailed, the infamousLeesburg Stockadeincident, and its close proximity toJimmy Carter National Historic Site,Andersonville National Historic Site,andKoinonia Farm.
History
editAmericus Historic District | |
 Windsor Hotelfaçade | |
| Location | Irregular pattern along Lee St. with extensions to Dudley St., railroad tracks, Rees Park, and Glessner St. (original), E. Church St. and Oak Grove Cemetery (increase), Americus, Georgia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 32°4′2″N84°14′5″W/ 32.06722°N 84.23472°W |
| Built | 1859 (increase) |
| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival, Late Gothic Revival, Romanesque |
| NRHP referenceNo. | 76000648(original) 79003319[7](increase) |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | January 1, 1976 |
| Boundary increase | September 3, 1979 |
Early years
editFor 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 20th 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 charteredelectric street carsystem 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 ofantebellumandVictorian architecturewhen local capitalists opened theWindsor Hotelin 1892. A five-story Queen Anne edifice, it was designed by a Swedish architect,Gottfried L. Norrman,inAtlanta.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 theNational Register of Historic Placesas the Americus Historic District. The district boundaries were extended in 1979.[7]
Into the 20th century
editFor the local minority community, Rev. Dr. Major W. Reddick established theAmericus Institute(1897–1932).Booker T. Washingtonwas 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 colleges were also established in Americus, the Third District Agricultural and Mechanical School in 1906 (nowGeorgia Southwestern State University), and the South Georgia Trade and Vocational School in 1948 (nowSouth Georgia Technical College). South Georgia Technical College is located on the original site of Souther Field.[8]
InWorld War I,anArmy Air Servicetraining facility, Souther Field (nowJimmy 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 forWorld War II,Souther Field was used forRAFpilot training (1941–1942)[9]as well as US pilot training before ending the war as a Germanprisoner-of-warcamp. The town was incorporated in 1832, and the name Americus was picked out of a hat.[10]
Shoeless Joe Jacksonserved 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.
Race relations and the civil rights movement
editIn 1913, a young black man named Will Redding was lynched by a white mob. Redding refused the Chief of Police's order to stop loitering, was arrested, a struggle ensued, and ultimately Redding grabbed the Chief's gun and shot him. He was then chased down, shot, and put in jail. An angry mob went into the jail and tore down the door to Redding's cell, dragged him out onto Forsyth street, and beat him to death with crow bars and hammers.[11]
Koinonia Farm,an interracial Christian community, was organized near Americus in 1942 byClarence Jordan.Its interracial nature occasioned much opposition from local residents. A terrorist campaign of violence, intimidation, vandalism, and harassment by theKu Klux Klanand others went on for the next 25 years, as well a boycott of Koinonia's products, such that by the late 1960s the once-thriving community was practically depopulated and essentially defunct. In the late 1960sMillardand Linda Fuller, with Clarence Jordan, revived Koinonia Farm and it thrived again. Miller and Fuller foundedHabitat for Humanity Internationalat Koinonia in 1976 before moving it into Americus the following year. In 2005, they foundedThe Fuller Center for Housing,also in Americus. Koinonia Farm remains in operation and is currently located southwest of Americus on Highway 49.[12]
Thecivil rights erain Americus was a time of great turmoil. An uptown store which had refused to honor the Koinonia boycott was bombed in 1957.[13]TheStudent Nonviolent Coordinating Committee(SNCCC) organized the peaceful protests and a voter registration drive, theAmericus Movement.Rev. Dr.Martin Luther King Jr.spent a weekend in the courthouse jail in 1961, after an arrest in Albany.
In 1963 occurred theLeesburg Stockadeincident. A group of African-American girls aged 12 to 15 were arrested in Americus after trying to buy movie tickets at a theatre's whites-only window, as a form of civil protest. At least fourteen girls were taken to a filthy "hellhole",[14]an isolated prison inLeesburg, Georgiawhere they were held incommunicado for at least 45 days, in appalling conditions, without right of correspondence or legal representation, and with their families not knowing where they had been or disappeared to. Some weeks later, the girls were surreptitiously photographed byDanny Lyonwho had learned the girls' location. The publishing of Lyon's photograph in the black press eventually brought the situation to national attention, and the girls were released some weeks later without ever having been charged with any crime.[15][16][17]
In the same year of 1963, the local Sumter Movement to endracial segregationwas organized and led by Rev. Joseph R. Campbell. Four of its activists were arrested under Georgia's 1871 Anti-Treason Act. A federal court ruled the law unconstitutional, establishing that peaceful protests could not be punishable by execution.[18][19]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 aMarshall Fradyarticle, "Discovering One Another in a Georgia Town", inLifemagazine. The portrayal of the city's school integration was relatively benign, especially considering the community's history of troubled race relations.
2007 tornado
editAmericus was hit by an EF3 tornado around 9:15 pm onMarch 1, 2007.The tornado was up to 1 mi-wide (1.6 km), and carved a 38 mi (61 km) path of destruction through the city and surrounding residential areas.[20]It destroyed parts ofSumter 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, faced major reconstruction issues and was eventually torn down. A new hospital, Phoebe Sumter, opened at a new location on the corner of US 19 and Highway 280 in December 2011.
GeorgiaGovernorSonny Perduesaid, "It was worse that [sic] 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. "[21]Over 500 homes were affected, with around 100 completely destroyed. Several businesses throughout the town were seriously damaged or destroyed as well.
President George W. Bush visited the area on March 3, calling what he saw "tough devastation."
Geography
editAmericus is located at32°4′31″N84°13′36″W/ 32.07528°N 84.22667°W(32.075221, -84.226602).[22]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau,the city has a total area of 10.7 square miles (28 km2), of which 10.5 square miles (27 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) (1.87%) is water.
Climate
edit| Climate data for Americus, Georgia, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1891–2005 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 85 (29) |
84 (29) |
93 (34) |
95 (35) |
102 (39) |
108 (42) |
108 (42) |
110 (43) |
111 (44) |
98 (37) |
90 (32) |
86 (30) |
111 (44) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 59.0 (15.0) |
62.6 (17.0) |
69.8 (21.0) |
76.5 (24.7) |
84.2 (29.0) |
89.0 (31.7) |
90.8 (32.7) |
90.4 (32.4) |
86.5 (30.3) |
77.9 (25.5) |
68.1 (20.1) |
61.0 (16.1) |
76.3 (24.6) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 46.9 (8.3) |
50.2 (10.1) |
56.4 (13.6) |
63.0 (17.2) |
71.4 (21.9) |
77.7 (25.4) |
80.4 (26.9) |
79.8 (26.6) |
75.3 (24.1) |
65.5 (18.6) |
55.1 (12.8) |
49.1 (9.5) |
64.2 (17.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 34.7 (1.5) |
37.8 (3.2) |
43.0 (6.1) |
49.6 (9.8) |
58.7 (14.8) |
66.4 (19.1) |
70.0 (21.1) |
69.2 (20.7) |
64.1 (17.8) |
53.1 (11.7) |
42.0 (5.6) |
37.1 (2.8) |
52.1 (11.2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 3 (−16) |
4 (−16) |
14 (−10) |
28 (−2) |
40 (4) |
45 (7) |
55 (13) |
57 (14) |
39 (4) |
28 (−2) |
12 (−11) |
2 (−17) |
2 (−17) |
| Averageprecipitationinches (mm) | 4.69 (119) |
4.72 (120) |
4.68 (119) |
4.78 (121) |
3.12 (79) |
4.79 (122) |
5.95 (151) |
4.62 (117) |
4.40 (112) |
2.71 (69) |
3.50 (89) |
5.39 (137) |
53.35 (1,355) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.2 (0.5) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 9.5 | 8.8 | 8.6 | 7.4 | 6.8 | 11.3 | 12.1 | 10.7 | 7.4 | 5.6 | 7.6 | 9.3 | 105.1 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| Source 1: NOAA[23] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[24] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
edit| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 3,259 | — | |
| 1880 | 3,635 | 11.5% | |
| 1890 | 6,398 | 76.0% | |
| 1900 | 7,674 | 19.9% | |
| 1910 | 8,063 | 5.1% | |
| 1920 | 9,010 | 11.7% | |
| 1930 | 8,760 | −2.8% | |
| 1940 | 9,281 | 5.9% | |
| 1950 | 11,389 | 22.7% | |
| 1960 | 13,472 | 18.3% | |
| 1970 | 16,091 | 19.4% | |
| 1980 | 16,120 | 0.2% | |
| 1990 | 16,512 | 2.4% | |
| 2000 | 17,013 | 3.0% | |
| 2010 | 17,041 | 0.2% | |
| 2020 | 16,230 | −4.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[25] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White(non-Hispanic) | 4,382 | 27.0% |
| Black or African American(non-Hispanic) | 10,079 | 62.1% |
| Native American | 17 | 0.1% |
| Asian | 394 | 2.43% |
| Pacific Islander | 4 | 0.02% |
| Other/mixed | 345 | 2.13% |
| HispanicorLatino | 1,009 | 6.22% |
As of the2020 United States census,there were 16,230 people, 6,162 households, and 3,557 families residing in the city.
Economy
editLargest employers
editAccording to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[27]the largest employers in the area were:
| # | Employer | # of employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sumter County Schools | 950 |
| 2 | Eaton Cooper Lighting | 600 |
| 3 | Habitat for Humanity | 400 |
| 4 | Wal-Mart | 399 |
| 5 | PhoebeSumter Medical Center | 396 |
| 6 | Magnolia Manor | 375 |
| 7 | Georgia Southwestern State University | 280 |
| 8 | Southern Star Community Services | 253 |
| 9 | Sumter County | 235 |
| 10 | City of Americus | 195 |
Education
editPrimary and secondary schools
editTheSumter County School Districtholds grades pre-school to twelfth, which consist of one primary school and one elementary school, two middle schools, and two high schools.[28]The district has 353 full-time teachers and over 5,774 students.[29]
Elementary schools:
- Sumter County Primary School
- Sumter County Elementary School
- Sumter County Intermediate School
Secondary schools:
- Sumter County Middle School
- Americus-Sumter Ninth Grade Academy
- Americus-Sumter County High School
K-12 charter school:
- Furlow Charter School
K-12 private school:
Higher education
editAll schools and colleges are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
Public libraries
edit
The community has the Lake Blackshear Regional Library, a part of theLake Blackshear Regional Library System.It was temporarily relocated to a shirt factory warehouse also located in Americus after the tornado in 2007, but, once the reconstruction of the library finished around 2012, it was moved back to its original place.
Tourism
edit- Georgia Rural Telephone Museum- Leslie
- Georgia Veterans State Park-Lake Blackshear
- Jimmy Carter National Historic Site- Plains
- Habitat for Humanity Global Village and Discovery Center[32]- Americus
Baseball
editThere have been eightminor leagueteams that have represented the city of Americus during 20 seasons spanning 1906–2002. Since classification of the minors began, seven of them have been labeled as class D loops and one played in an independent league. Several ballplayers for Americus teams subsequently played in themajor leagues.
Notable people
edit- Griffin Bell
- Mike Cheokas- politician[33]
- Brent Cobb
- Howell Cobb
- Philip Cook
- Charles F. Crisp
- Charles R. Crisp
- Cassandra Pickett Durham
- Lonne Elder III
- Millard Fuller
- Chan Gailey
- Jimmy Garrison
- Victor Green
- Dr. Shirley Green-Reese
- Kent Hill
- George Hooks
- Alonzo Jackson
- Eddie Jackson
- Otis Leverette
- Angel Martino
- Joanna Moore
- Ruby Muhammad
- James Nabrit Jr.
- Leonard Pope
- Dan Reeves
- Mo Sanford
- Emma Lane - Inventor of theLane Cake
Gallery
edit-
The Russell Thomas, Jr. Public Safety Building houses the Americus police and fire departments.
References
edit- ^"2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedDecember 18,2021.
- ^ab"U.S. Census website".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedJanuary 31,2008.
- ^"US Board on Geographic Names".United States Geological Survey.October 25, 2007.RetrievedJanuary 31,2008.
- ^"Find a County".National Association of Counties. Archived fromthe originalon May 31, 2011.RetrievedJune 7,2011.
- ^MICROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS AND COMPONENTSArchivedJune 29, 2007, at theWayback Machine,Office of Management and Budget,2007-05-11. Accessed 2008-07-27.
- ^"Rosalynn Carter Institute".
- ^ab"National Register Information System".National Register of Historic Places.National Park Service.March 13, 2009.
- ^Souther Field
- ^Gilbert S. Guinn,The Arnold Scheme: British Pilots, The American South and the Allies Daring Plan,History Press, 2007
- ^Watson, Stephanie; Lisa Wojna (2008).Weird, Wacky, and Wild Georgia Trivia.Blue Bike Books. p. 59.ISBN978-1-897278-44-4.
- ^Anderson, Alan (July 30, 2006).Remembering Americus Georgia: Essays on Southern Life.History Press (SC). pp. 73–74https://books.google.com/books?id=svf_7DV9i6UC&pg=PA129&lpg=PA129&dq=remembering+americus+georgia+essays&source=bl&ots=8fJVoP2Xbf&sig=Z4YA9QeYHCJoQkww6tZLuGRoLv4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=J64cVLmbAoGZyAS8lIHYDg&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=remembering%20americus%20georgia%20essays&f=false.ISBN9781596291317.
- ^"Koinonia Farm".New Georgia Encyclopedia.RetrievedSeptember 18,2023.
- ^Amanda Moore (April 25, 2017)."Facing Down the KKK: The Story of Koinonia Farm and Christian Hospitality".Sojourners.RetrievedSeptember 18,2023.
- ^Bradley George, Grant Blankenship (August 15, 2016)."The Girls Of The Leesburg Stockade".GBP (Georgia Public Broadcasting).RetrievedSeptember 18,2023.
- ^Nedra Rhone, Rosalind Bentley (March 21, 2019)."Leesburg's legacy".Atlanta Journal-Constitution.RetrievedSeptember 18,2023.
- ^Tulani Salahu-Din."Hidden Herstory: The Leesburg Stockade Girls".Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.RetrievedSeptember 18,2023.
- ^Randi Kaye, Anne Clifford (September 17, 2023)."Stolen Girls: The untold story of the Leesburg Stockade Girls".CNN.RetrievedSeptember 18,2023.
- ^Glenn Robins (2020)."Americus Movement".New Georgia Encyclopedia.RetrievedSeptember 18,2023.
- ^"Sumter County in the Civil Rights Movement".Georgia Historical Society.RetrievedSeptember 18,2023.
- ^"PRELIMINARY DAMAGE REPORT FOR 1 MARCH 2007 TORNADO OUTBREAK".Archived fromthe originalon February 11, 2009.
- ^"Sumter hospital shows tornado's worst punch".Archived fromthe originalon July 12, 2018.RetrievedDecember 20,2018.
- ^"US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990".United States Census Bureau.February 12, 2011.RetrievedApril 23,2011.
- ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Americus, GA".National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.RetrievedMarch 4,2023.
- ^ "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Atlanta".National Weather Service.RetrievedMarch 4,2023.
- ^"Census of Population and Housing".Census.gov.RetrievedJune 4,2015.
- ^"Explore Census Data".data.census.gov.RetrievedDecember 15,2021.
- ^"City of Americus 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on July 23, 2011.RetrievedFebruary 23,2011.
- ^Georgia Board of Education[permanent dead link],Retrieved June 26, 2010.
- ^School Stats,Retrieved June 26, 2010.
- ^Georgia Southwestern State UniversityArchived2010-07-06 at theWayback Machine,Retrieved June 26, 2010.
- ^South Georgia Technical CollegeArchivedJuly 20, 2011, at theWayback Machine,Retrieved June 26, 2010.
- ^Habitat for Humanity Global Village and Discovery Center
- ^"Mike Cheokas' Biography".Vote Smart.RetrievedMarch 5,2021.
External links
edit- City website
- Community website
- AmericusArchivedFebruary 1, 2013, at theWayback Machine(in theNew Georgia Encyclopedia)
- The Americus Newsletter
- Americus Sumter Chamber of Commerce
- South Georgia Historic Newspapers Archive,Digital Library of Georgia
- Americus Movement,Civil Rights Digital Library
- "City of Americus Home Page".city-of-americus.