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Hahira, Georgia

Coordinates:30°59′26″N83°22′17″W/ 30.99056°N 83.37139°W/30.99056; -83.37139
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Hahira, Georgia
City
Hahira City Hall
Hahira City Hall
Flag of Hahira, Georgia
Flag
Official logo of Hahira, Georgia
Logo
Location in Lowndes County and the state of Georgia
Location inLowndes Countyand the state ofGeorgia
Coordinates:30°59′26″N83°22′17″W/ 30.99056°N 83.37139°W/30.99056; -83.37139
CountryUnited States
StateGeorgia
CountyLowndes
Area
[1]
• Total2.80 sq mi (7.26 km2)
• Land2.69 sq mi (6.97 km2)
• Water0.11 sq mi (0.29 km2)
Elevation
225 ft (69 m)
Population
(2020)
• Total3,384
• Density1,257.53/sq mi (485.48/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5(Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)UTC-4(EDT)
ZIP code
31632
Area code229
FIPS code13-36052[2]
GNISfeature ID0315009[3]
Websitewww.hahiraga.gov

Hahira(/heɪˈhaɪrə/) is a city in northwestLowndes County,Georgia,United States. The population was 3,384 at the 2020 census,[4]up from 1,626 at the 2000 census.

Hahira has a mayor-council form of elected government. As of 2023, the city is led by Mayor Bruce Cain and the four members of the City Council, who are elected from single-member districts.[5]

The city is mentioned in several songs by the American singer and comedianRay Stevens,most notably in the song "Shriner's Convention."[6]

History[edit]

According to legend, the town of Hahira was named after a local cotton plantation. The planter was said to have named his estate after a West African village, Hairaairee, which was described to him by an English traveler.[7][8]The name may be derived fromPi-HaHiroth,a place mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.[9]According to a local legend, the name originated with a locomotive engineer called Hira, who was hailed by friends with, "Hey, Hira."

TheGeorgia General Assemblyincorporated Hahira in 1891, with Henry Briggs Lawson serving as the first mayor until 1907.[10]By the time of its incorporation, several stores had already been established due to an influx of residents in the mid-1880s. In 1904, a bank was opened, followed by a newspaper in 1906. Prior to 1904, there was one practicing doctor in the town during the 1890s.

As a predominantly agricultural area, Hahira residents largely relied on their own vegetable gardens, raised hogs for meat, and owned milk cows. The primarycash cropwas cotton, which remained so until the early 1920s when aBoll weevilinfestation devastated the crop.[11]Subsequently,tobaccobecame the main source of income for farmers despite traditionally only been grown inVirginiaandNorth Carolina.[12]

In the late 1920s, a group of tobacco businessmen in Hahira established a cigarette manufacturing facility instead of shipping their products to the northern U.S. Their cigarette packs featured aNative Americanman on the front and awigwamon the back. However, during theGreat Depression,the cigarette manufacturers sold their shares in the company to the Julep Cigarette Company. Hahira then became the manufacturing site for nationally distributed "Happy Days" cigarettes for several years. The cigarette factory was situated alongside theNorfolk Southern Railroadon Coleman Road and remained in operation until 1998. In 2002, the building was demolished, and many of its old bricks, as well asheart pinelumber from its foundation beams and flooring, were salvaged for reuse.

Additionally, timber and its by-products played a significant role in the local economy, with woodlands abundant in largeyellow pineor heart pine trees. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Hahira also gained prominence in theboxingscene through local fight promotions.

Hahira Square entrance

This period also marked the growth of thebeekeepingindustry in the area.[13]When settlers first arrived in South Georgia, there were no honeybees to pollinate their crops. Beekeeping was introduced by W. L. Morgan inTroupville.Theblack beewas brought from Germany or Holland, while the yellow bee originated from Italy. J. E. Williams established anapiaryin the region that is nowCook County,nearSparks, Georgia,and became the first recorded commercial beekeeper in Lowndes County. The Puett Co. and Garnett Puett Sr. are recognized as pioneers in the Hahira beekeeping industry.

Hahira has largely remained an agricultural community, with tobacco cultivation continuing as one of its main crops, though production has fallen significantly since its peak in the 20th century.

Geography[edit]

Hahira is located at30°59′26″N83°22′17″W/ 30.99056°N 83.37139°W/30.99056; -83.37139(30.990537, -83.371433).[14]U.S. Route 41passes through the center of town as Church Street, leading north 4 miles (6 km) toCeciland south 14 miles (23 km) toValdosta,thecounty seat.Interstate 75passes through the west side of Hahira, with access from Exit 29 (Georgia State Route 122). I-75 leads north 33 miles (53 km) toTiftonand south past Valdosta 74 miles (119 km) toLake City, Florida.State Route 122 is Hahira's Main Street and leads east 18 miles (29 km) toLakelandand west 22 miles (35 km) toPavo.

According to theUnited States Census Bureau,Hahira has a total area of 2.80 square miles (7.26 km2), of which 2.69 square miles (6.97 km2) are land and 0.11 square miles (0.29 km2), or 4.00%, are water.[15]Franks Creek runs through the westernmost part of the city and is part of theLittle River–Withlachoochee River–Suwannee Riverwatershed, flowing to theGulf of Mexico.

Demographics[edit]

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1900365—
1910346−5.2%
192040115.9%
19304204.7%
194053727.9%
19501,01088.1%
19601,29728.4%
19701,3635.1%
19801,53412.5%
19901,353−11.8%
20001,62620.2%
20102,73768.3%
20203,38423.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[16]

In 2000, there were 1,626 people, 643 households, and 448 families residing in the city.[2]The population density was 739.4 inhabitants per square mile (285.5/km2). There were 715 housing units at an average density of 325.1 units per square mile (125.5 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 73.49%White,22.32%African American,0.92%Native American,0.31%Asian,1.97% fromother races,and 0.98% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoof any race were 4.43% of the population.

There were 643 households, out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% weremarried couplesliving together, 18.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.3% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% 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 3.08.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.4% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,946, and the median income for a family was $37,188. Males had a median income of $27,121 versus $18,981 for females. Theper capita incomefor the city was $12,899. About 13.9% of families and 17.6% of the population were below thepoverty line,including 23.1% of those under age 18 and 19.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education[edit]

Students in Hahira are part of theLowndes County School District.The following schools are in Hahira:

TheSouth Georgia Regional Libraryoperates the Walter R. & Dorothy Salter Hahira Library. For years, the public library of Hahira consisted of a few thousand books in a small room in City Hall, operated by Jackie Matthews and open only on Thursday afternoons. The state of Georgia then launched a grant program to its cities, promising funds that would pay 90 percent of construction and furnishings to local governments that matched funds and provided land. Hahira citizens were divided, torn between serious water and sewage issues and their own public library. Ultimately, Hahira, which was known during the 1920s as the Queen Bee Capital of the World, built a library, which opened on March 12, 1989.

The library acquired its name from Walter R. Salter, a former mayor, councilman, and local business owner who had long desired a library for the community. Upon his death in 1984, his wife Dorothy came forward with a gift of $30,000. Dorothy was present at the library's formal dedication and Clara Vinson was named as its first manager. Salter Hahira Library is widely used by educators and home school families in the community. The Salter Hahira Library has earned a reputation of friendliness and hospitality. It serves as a community center for Hahira, and a touchstone for local storytelling.[17]In 2010, the library received an $80,000 renovation, completed by Cauthan Construction Company, of the exterior and interior.[18]

  • Walter R. & Dorothy Salter Hahira Library
    Walter R. & Dorothy Salter Hahira Library
  • Hahira Elementary School
    Hahira Elementary School
  • Hahira Middle School
    Hahira Middle School

Clothing ordinance[edit]

Citing public safety concerns, in March 2008, the Hahira City Council, with a vote by the mayor, passed a clothing ordinance that bans residents fromwearing pants that have a top falling below the waistin fit and reveal skin or undergarments. The council was split 2–2, and their tie was broken by the mayor in favor of the ordinance.[19]

Notable people[edit]

Hahira Honey Bee Festival[edit]

Hahira Honeybee Festival

The Hahira Honeybee Festival is an annual event held in the city during the first week of October. Established in 1981 by Mamie Sorrell and Adeline Landrum, its aim was to revitalize Hahira through an event including arts, crafts, food, entertainment, abeauty pageant,and a parade.[20]Since its inception, the festival has grown from a single weekend into a week-long event. It has become one of the largest festivals of its kind in South Georgia. Attendance estimates for the parade and the festival's street activities include as many as 36,000 visitors, making it a significant attraction for the town.

Often, the festival has an annual theme. For example, in 2022, the theme was "Living a Life Without Limits: Honoring Those WithSpecial Abilitiesin Our Community, "and the theme for 2023 honoredlineworkers.[21]In 2024, the festival will honorschool bus drivers.

In October 2022, Georgia GovernorBrian Kempbecame the first governor to serve as grand marshal in the festival's parade.[22]

Great Hahira Pick-In[edit]

From the early 1980s to the mid-1990s, Wilby and Gloria Coleman of Valdosta, together with family and friends, sponsored an annualbluegrassfestival in Hahira. The Pick-In featured a weekend of bluegrass bands on the mountain stage as well as pickers and grinners in camp sites throughout the city. Citing falling revenues, organizers ended the Pick-Ins in the mid-1990s. In the Fall of 2009,Harvey's Supermarketsponsored a "Great Hahira Pick-In," before building a store on the traditional site of the festival.[23]

References[edit]

  1. ^"2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedDecember 18,2021.
  2. ^ab"U.S. Census website".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedJanuary 31,2008.
  3. ^"US Board on Geographic Names".United States Geological Survey.October 25, 2007.RetrievedJanuary 31,2008.
  4. ^Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment Office."2020 Census Count by City and Town"(PDF).
  5. ^"Mayor & Council".www.hahiraga.gov.RetrievedJune 6,2023.
  6. ^McKeown, Trevor W."Ray Stevens' Shriner's Convention".freemasonry.bcy.ca.RetrievedMarch 30,2018.
  7. ^[1]- Hahira, official municipal website
  8. ^University of Georgia Press (1996).The New Georgia Guide.University of Georgia Press. p. 557.ISBN9780820317991.RetrievedDecember 3,2013.
  9. ^Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975).Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins(PDF).Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 101.ISBN0-915430-00-2.
  10. ^Acts and Resolutions of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia.Clark & Hines, State Printers. 1892. p. 819.
  11. ^Boyd, Thressea (September 18, 2017)."Hahira: Respecting Its Past, Embracing the Future".South Georgia Magazine.RetrievedJune 6,2023.
  12. ^"History".www.hahiraga.gov.RetrievedJune 6,2023.
  13. ^"WTXL Road Trip: A History of Hahira".WTXL ABC 27 Tallahassee News.July 6, 2015.RetrievedJune 6,2023.
  14. ^"US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990".United States Census Bureau.February 12, 2011.RetrievedApril 23,2011.
  15. ^"U.S. Gazetteer Files: 2019: Places: Georgia".U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division.RetrievedDecember 16,2019.
  16. ^"Census of Population and Housing".Census.gov.RetrievedJune 4,2015.
  17. ^"Salter Hahira Library".South Georgia Regional Libraries.RetrievedNovember 25,2020.
  18. ^"Salter Hahira Library."South Georgia Regional Library.Retrieved on May 10, 2017.
  19. ^Fulton, Malynda (March 6, 2008)."Hahira passes clothing ordinance".Valdosta Daily Times.RetrievedJune 9,2023.
  20. ^"History".hahirahoneybeefest.RetrievedJune 6,2023.
  21. ^"About".hahirahoneybeefest.RetrievedJune 6,2023.
  22. ^[email protected], Brittanye Blake (October 1, 2022)."Gov. Kemp grand marshal in the Hahira Honey Bee Festival".Valdosta Daily Times.RetrievedJune 6,2023.
  23. ^Fulton, Malynda (November 8, 2009)."The Great Hahira Pick-In".RetrievedMarch 30,2018.

External links[edit]

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