Montgomery County
County
Montgomery County Courthouse (built 1907) in Mount Vernon
Montgomery County Courthouse (built 1907) in Mount Vernon
Map of Georgia highlighting Montgomery County
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Map of the United States highlighting Georgia
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 32°10′N 82°32′W / 32.17°N 82.53°W / 32.17; -82.53
Country United States
State Georgia
FoundedDecember 19, 1793; 231 years ago (1793)
Named forRichard Montgomery
SeatMount Vernon
Largest cityMount Vernon
Area
 • Total245 sq mi (630 km2)
 • Land240 sq mi (600 km2)
 • Water5.2 sq mi (13 km2)  2.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total8,610
 • Density36/sq mi (14/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district12th
Websitemontgomerycountyga.gov

Montgomery County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,610.[1] The county seat is Mount Vernon.[2] Montgomery County is part of the Vidalia, GA micropolitan statistical area.

History

Montgomery County is named in honor of Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general killed in 1775 while attempting to capture Quebec City, Canada. It was created on December 19, 1793, from a southern portion of Washington County, Georgia.[3]

Arthur Lott's Plantation was designated the first county seat in 1797.

In 1801, Tattnall County, Georgia was formed from the southern part of Montgomery County. The dividing line between Tatnall and Montgomery ran from the mouth of Limestone Creek on the Oconee River, just below modern Mount Vernon, Georgia, to the mouth of Wolf Creek on the Canoochee River below Metter, Georgia.

The Great Revision

On December 11, 1811, the county lines between Washington County, Montgomery County, and Laurens County were adjusted by the Georgia General Assembly. The northern section of Montgomery between the Oconee River and the Ohoopee River was transferred to Laurens. On December 10, 1812, the county line of Montgomery was significantly adjusted as part of the creation of Emanuel County. Its new boundaries became from the then Laurens and Telfair county line on the Oconee River to the north prong of the Little Ocmulgee River (near present Chauncey, Dodge County, Georgia) down the Little Ocmulgee River as it meanders to its confluence with the Ocmulgee River then downstream as it meanders to the Oconee River, then North 30 degrees to Milligan's Creek in Tatnall County, and then with it to the Montgomery County line.[4] Pendleton Creek (in modern Treutlen and Toombs counties) was used as the border between Montgomery and Emanuel. Because of these transitions Montgomery regained part of the land it had lost in the creation of Tatnall County in 1801 (land along the lower Oconee River), but also lost land along the upper Oconee River to Laurens County.

The creation of Emanuel County put the old county seat within Emanuel's border. On December 12, the Georgia General Assembly appointed the justices of the inferior court of Montgomery county to a commission to designate a new county seat and called for county business to be held until then at the home of James Alston. In 1813, the General Assembly recognized Mount Vernon as the new county seat.

The county line between Telfair County and Montgomery was adjusted once again in 1820 by the Georgia Genera Assembly. The new line differed in the upstream portion of the Little Ocmulgee River and better defined the line and gave Montgomery a small border with Pulaski County, Georgia and Telfair County some land on the northeast side of the Little Ocmulgee River. The line was to go upstream to its fork then to Browning's mill, a straight line to the mouth of Joiner's Creek (Near modern McRae, Georgia) at the second fork of the Little Ocmulgee River, and then up the second prong to Pulaski County Line.[5]

The land gained by Telfair County from Montgomery County on the northeast side of the Little Ocmulgee River was reversed by the Georgia General Assembly on December 18, 1833.[6]

American Civil War

At the time of the 1850 United States Census, Montgomery had 1,541 whites, 613 slaves. By the 1860 census, there were 2,014 whites, 977 slaves, and 6 Free people of color. The pine barrens and soil quality outside of the river lands made the area unsuitable for slave-heavy cotton producing plantation culture. Montgomery's status as a majority white county led the region developing different attitudes about secession from other areas of Georgia.

On January 22, 1861, Montgomery County representatives, Thomas M. McRae and Solon Homer Latimer, were among the 89 delegates who voted no to Georgia's immediate secession from the Union at the state secession convention. In addition, McRae and Latimer were among the 6 delegates who voiced their protest by against the Ordinance of Secession in the published document.

In the interior of the county around Gum Swamp (Modern Chauncey, Georgia) near the Pulaski County, Telfair County, and Montgomery County lines a deserter gang fought against Confederate forces.[7]

Additional counties created

On August 18, 1905, Montgomery County gained and lost some territory during the creation of Toombs County. On August 14, 1912, the parts of Montgomery County between the Little Ocmulgee River and the Oconee River became Wheeler County. On August 21, 1917, Montgomery lost additional territory during the creation of Treutlen County, Georgia.

Modern

More recently, the county was noted for its practice of organizing segregated proms, a practice that had continued since integration of its schools in the 1970s.[8][9][10] Following publicity about this practice, Montgomery County students took the initiative to integrate the prom in 2010.[11]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 245 square miles (630 km2), of which 240 square miles (620 km2) is land and 5.2 square miles (13 km2) (2.1%) is water.[12]

The southeastern quarter of Montgomery County is located in the Altamaha River sub-basin of the larger river basin by the same name. The western half of the county, from Tarrytown south, is located in the Lower Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The northeastern quarter of Montgomery County, northeast of a line from Tarrytown to Higgston, is located in the Ohoopee River sub-basin of the same Altamaha River basin.[13]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Communities

Cities

Towns

Unincorporated community

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18003,180—
18102,954−7.1%
18201,869−36.7%
18301,269−32.1%
18401,61627.3%
18502,15433.3%
18602,99739.1%
18703,58619.7%
18805,38150.1%
18909,24871.9%
190016,35976.9%
191019,63820.0%
19209,167−53.3%
193010,0209.3%
19409,668−3.5%
19507,901−18.3%
19606,284−20.5%
19706,099−2.9%
19807,01115.0%
19907,1632.2%
20008,27015.5%
20109,12310.3%
20208,610−5.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[14]
1790-1880[15] 1890-1910[16]
1920-1930[17] 1930-1940[18]
1940-1950[19] 1960-1980[20]
1980-2000[21] 2010[22]
Montgomery County racial composition as of 2020[23]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 5,665 65.8%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 2,120 24.62%
Native American 11 0.13%
Asian 34 0.39%
Other/Mixed 209 2.43%
Hispanic or Latino 571 6.63%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 8,610 people, 3,097 households, and 2,102 families residing in the county.

Politics

United States presidential election results for Montgomery County, Georgia[24]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 2,960 74.60% 980 24.70% 28 0.71%
2016 2,670 74.66% 847 23.69% 59 1.65%
2012 2,662 69.41% 1,135 29.60% 38 0.99%
2008 2,521 70.16% 1,045 29.08% 27 0.75%
2004 2,150 67.82% 1,007 31.77% 13 0.41%
2000 1,465 58.39% 1,013 40.37% 31 1.24%
1996 1,163 43.31% 1,233 45.92% 289 10.76%
1992 1,009 38.56% 1,185 45.28% 423 16.16%
1988 1,228 57.49% 903 42.28% 5 0.23%
1984 1,365 58.96% 950 41.04% 0 0.00%
1980 948 35.91% 1,663 62.99% 29 1.10%
1976 626 28.00% 1,610 72.00% 0 0.00%
1972 1,370 80.26% 337 19.74% 0 0.00%
1968 352 15.38% 503 21.98% 1,433 62.63%
1964 1,409 61.61% 878 38.39% 0 0.00%
1960 381 20.80% 1,451 79.20% 0 0.00%
1956 271 20.48% 1,052 79.52% 0 0.00%
1952 290 14.16% 1,758 85.84% 0 0.00%
1948 117 6.91% 1,048 61.90% 528 31.19%
1944 94 14.03% 575 85.82% 1 0.15%
1940 75 9.78% 686 89.44% 6 0.78%
1936 81 7.83% 945 91.39% 8 0.77%
1932 17 1.90% 868 97.20% 8 0.90%
1928 98 22.53% 337 77.47% 0 0.00%
1924 87 19.21% 353 77.92% 13 2.87%
1920 148 46.69% 169 53.31% 0 0.00%
1916 66 6.06% 1,002 92.01% 21 1.93%
1912 22 2.37% 854 92.03% 52 5.60%

See also

References

  1. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Montgomery County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 150. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
  4. ^ Acts of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia, Passed at Milledgeville, at an Annual Session, in November and December, 1812. Vol. 1. pp. 83, 119.
  5. ^ Acts of the Georgia State General Assembly of the State of Georgia, Passed at Milledgeville, at an Annual Session, in November and December, 1820. Vol. 1. Milledgeville, Georgia. p. 75.
  6. ^ Acts of the General Assembly of the state of Georgia, Passed in Milledgeville, at an Annual Session in November and December, 1833. Vol. 1. Milledgeville, Georgia. p. 55.
  7. ^ Wetherington, Mark V. (2005). Plain Folk's Fight: The Civil War and Reconstruction in Piney Woods Georgia. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: The University of North Carolina Press. p. 223.
  8. ^ Shapiro, Dana (May 2003). "Separate but equal?". Spin. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
  9. ^ Sara Corbett (May 21, 2009). "A Prom Divided". The New York Times.
  10. ^ Leonard Doyle (June 21, 2009). "Segregated high school proms divide Georgia's students". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved March 17, 2010.
  11. ^ Kelley, Brooke (2010). "Montgomery County to have first integrated prom". WTOC Savannah). Retrieved January 28, 2018.
  12. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  13. ^ "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  14. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". United States Census Bureau.
  15. ^ "1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
  16. ^ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1910.
  17. ^ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930.
  18. ^ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1940.
  19. ^ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia -" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1950.
  20. ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
  21. ^ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000.
  22. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  23. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  24. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 22, 2018.

32°10′N 82°32′W / 32.17°N 82.53°W / 32.17; -82.53

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