Brooks County, Georgia

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Not to be confused with Brooks, Georgia.
Brooks County, Georgia
Quitman GA crths01.jpg
Map of Georgia highlighting Brooks County
Location in the U.S. state of Georgia
Map of the United States highlighting Georgia
Georgia's location in the U.S.
Founded 1858
Named for Preston Brooks
Seat Quitman
Largest city Quitman
Area
 • Total 498 sq mi (1,290 km2)
 • Land 493 sq mi (1,277 km2)
 • Water 4.8 sq mi (12 km2), 1.0%
Population
 • (2010) 16,243
 • Density 33/sq mi (13/km²)
Congressional district 8th
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website www.brookscountyga.us

Brooks County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 16,243.[1] The county seat is Quitman.[2] The county was created in 1858 from portions of Lowndes and Thomas counties by an act of the Georgia General Assembly and is named in honor of U.S. Representative Preston Brooks.

Brooks County is included in the Valdosta, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Early Indians in the area were the Apalachee and the Lower Creek.[3] The first Europeans, in what is now Brooks County, were Spanish missionaries from Florida who arrived around 1570. Brooks County was formed from parts of Lowndes and Thomas counties and was named for Preston Brooks, a member of Congress prior to the Civil War who is perhaps most famous for his assault on the anti-slavery Senator Charles Sumner. During the Civil War, the county was the main producer of food for the confederacy and became known as the "Breadbasket of the South."[citation needed] Brooks County is in the Plantation Trace tourist region.

Historical sites

  • Brooks County Courthouse

Located at 1 E. Screven St., Quitman, the Brooks County Courthouse was constructed in 1864 and designed by John Wind. The county's courthouse was constructed in 1864. Brooks County officials paid for the structure with $14,958 in Confederate money, a fortunate circumstance for the county, since this currency was soon to become useless

  • Brooks County Museum and Cultural Center

Located at 121 N. Culpepper, Quitman, it was originally a library. The Cultural Center provides a series of music, art, and culinary events throughout the year.

  • Mary Turner and the Lynchings of 1918

In May 1918, a white plantation owner in Brooks County was killed by one of his African-American workers. In retaliation, white mobs hunted down and murdered at least eleven African-Americans, including twenty-year-old and eight months pregnant Mary Turner and her husband. After her husband was murdered by the white lynch mob, Mary Turner, on May 19, 1918, publicly condemned the murder of her husband and threatened to identify the perpetrators to law enforcement authorities. For this she was abducted by enraged whites, who hanged her by her ankles from a tree near Folsom's Bridge, burned the clothes from her body, cut her fetus from her womb, killed the fetus, and then riddled Ms. Turner's body with bullets. Following the murder of Mary Turner and her unborn baby, several other bodies were found in the area, and the perpetrator of the plantation owner's murder was killed in an exchange of gunfire with police. A white mob mutilated the corpse and dragged it through the streets by a rope around the neck for several miles, and finally burned it. Subsequently, as many as 500 African-Americans fled Lowndes and Brooks counties in fear for their lives.[4] Mary Turner's lynching drew widespread condemnation nationally, and formed the impetus for the Anti-Lynching Crusaders campaign for the 1922 Dyer Bill, which sought to make lynching a federal crime.[5] In 2010, a historical marker encaptioned "Mary Turner and the Lynching Rampage" was installed at Folsom's Bridge to remind the public of these atrocities.[6]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 498 square miles (1,290 km2), of which 493 square miles (1,280 km2) is land and 4.8 square miles (12 km2) (1.0%) is water.[7]

The eastern boundary of the county are the Little River (Withlacoochee River) and the Withlacoochee River which together meander along a distance of over 100 miles (160 km) to form that boundary. These river boundaries are shared with Cook and Lowndes counties. The southern boundary of the county has a mutual east-west interface of about 25 miles (40 km) with Florida, although it is not continuous. The county is actually discontinuous along the Florida border with the easternmost section about a mile east of the rest of the county. This section presently consists of only one parcel recorded as 350 acres (1.4 km2) although it has a border with Florida of almost 2 miles (3.2 km). The county shares a north-south boundary with Thomas county to the west about 26 miles (42 km) in length. It also shares an east-west boundary of 10 miles (16 km) and a north-south boundary of 3 miles (4.8 km) with Colquitt county to the northwest. The county has over 10,000 parcels of land with 19 over 2,000 acres (8.1 km2) and two over 5,000 acres (20 km2). The county is home to several endangered plant and animal species including the Pond Spicebush, the Wood Stork, and the Eastern Indigo snake.

The majority of Brooks County, including the northwestern portion, all of central Brooks County, and the southeastern corner, is located in the Withlacoochee River sub-basin of the Suwannee River basin. Most of the southern edge of the county is located in the Aucilla River sub-basin of the larger Aucilla-Waccasassa basin. The county's northeastern portion, centered on Morven and including Barney, is located in the Little River sub-basin of the same Suwannee River basin.[8]

Adjacent counties

Transportation

Major highways

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Railroads

GA Bike Route 10

Georgia State Bicycle Route 10 is one of 14 bike routes across Georgia. Route 10 is 246 miles (396 km) long and goes from Lake Seminole in the west to Jekyll Island in the east. It runs a west-east route, of approximately 27.3 miles (43.9 km), through the County and passes through downtown Quitman.

Airport

BROOKS CO (4J5) Runway length 5000' Lights, CTAF 122.9 FSS Macon 122.4 [10]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1860 6,356 —
1870 8,342 31.2%
1880 11,727 40.6%
1890 13,979 19.2%
1900 18,606 33.1%
1910 23,832 28.1%
1920 24,538 3.0%
1930 21,330 −13.1%
1940 20,497 −3.9%
1950 18,169 −11.4%
1960 15,292 −15.8%
1970 13,739 −10.2%
1980 15,255 11.0%
1990 15,398 0.9%
2000 16,450 6.8%
2010 16,243 −1.3%
Est. 2014 15,418 [11] −5.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[12]
1790-1960[13] 1900-1990[14]
1990-2000[15] 2010-2013[1]

2000 census

As of the census[16] of 2000, there were 16,450 people, 6,155 households, and 4,370 families residing in the county. The population density was 33 people per square mile (13/km²). There were 7,118 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 57.36% Caucasian, 39.34% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.76% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. 3.07% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,155 households out of which 31.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.30% were married couples living together, 18.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.00% were non-families. 25.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.00% 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 3.11.

In the county the population was spread out with 26.90% under the age of 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 26.90% from 25 to 44, 22.30% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $26,911, and the median income for a family was $32,382. Males had a median income of $26,303 versus $18,925 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,977. About 19.10% of families and 23.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.40% of those under age 18 and 20.10% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 16,243 people, 6,457 households, and 4,379 families residing in the county.[17] The population density was 32.9 inhabitants per square mile (12.7/km2). There were 7,706 housing units at an average density of 15.6 per square mile (6.0/km2).[18] The racial makeup of the county was 59.9% white, 35.3% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 2.9% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.3% of the population.[17] In terms of ancestry, 16.3% were American, 8.3% were Irish, 6.4% were English, and 5.9% were German.[19]

Of the 6,457 households, 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were married couples living together, 16.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.2% were non-families, and 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.06. The median age was 40.3 years.[17]

The median income for a household in the county was $41,309 and the median income for a family was $47,599. Males had a median income of $38,791 versus $25,006 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,346. About 14.7% of families and 17.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.5% of those under age 18 and 22.3% of those age 65 or over.[20]

Education

The Brooks County School District offers pre-school to grade twelve. There are two elementary schools, a middle school and a high school, Brooks County High School.[21] The district has 167 full-time teachers and over 2,563 students.[22]

Government

The Government consists of a five-member Board of Commissioners. Under the guidelines of the Commissioners is a County Administrator, a Sheriff and Tax Commissioner, the Judicial System and other Boards and Authorities.

Recreation

Brooks County is well known for its wildlife. Quail, dove, ducks, and deer abound in the fields and forests. Brooks County also offers excellent fishing in its many lakes and streams, which are open to the public.

Hospital

Brooks County Hospital, a part of Archbold Medical Center, a 25-bed facility[23] was established in 1935 and has 24-hour emergency facilities.

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated communities

See also

References

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  9. ↑ http://www.dot.state.ga.us/maps/Documents/railroad/Georgia_Rail_Map_plain.pdf
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  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Georgia Board of Education, Retrieved May 31, 2010.
  22. ↑ School Stats, Retrieved May 31, 2010.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

 Colquitt County Cook County
Thomas County Lowndes County
  Brooks County, Georgia  
Jefferson County, Florida Madison County, Florida

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