Quitman County
County
Quitman County Courthouse in Georgetown
Quitman County Courthouse in Georgetown
Map of Georgia highlighting Quitman County
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Map of the United States highlighting Georgia
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 31°52′N 85°01′W / 31.86°N 85.01°W / 31.86; -85.01
Country United States
State Georgia
FoundedDecember 10, 1858; 166 years ago (1858)
Named forJohn A. Quitman
SeatGeorgetown
Largest cityGeorgetown
Area
 • Total161 sq mi (420 km2)
 • Land151 sq mi (390 km2)
 • Water9.3 sq mi (24 km2)  5.8%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total2,235
 • Density15/sq mi (6/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district2nd

Quitman County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,235,[1] making it the second-least populous county in Georgia. The county seat is Georgetown.[2] The county was created on December 10, 1858, and named after General John A. Quitman, leader in the Mexican–American War, and once Governor of Mississippi. In November 2006, residents voted to consolidate the city government of Georgetown and the county government of Quitman into a consolidated city-county.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 161 square miles (420 km2), of which 151 square miles (390 km2) is land and 9.3 square miles (24 km2) (5.8%) is water.[3] The entirety of Quitman County is located in the Middle Chattahoochee River–Walter F. George Lake sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin).[4]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Communities

City

Unincorporated community

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18603,499—
18704,15018.6%
18804,3925.8%
18904,4711.8%
19004,7015.1%
19104,594−2.3%
19203,417−25.6%
19303,82011.8%
19403,435−10.1%
19503,015−12.2%
19602,432−19.3%
19702,180−10.4%
19802,3578.1%
19902,209−6.3%
20002,59817.6%
20102,513−3.3%
20202,235−11.1%
2023 (est.)2,280[5]2.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1790-1880[7] 1890-1910[8]
1920-1930[9] 1930-1940[10]
1940-1950[11] 1960-1980[12]
1980-2000[13] 2010[14]
Quitman County racial composition as of the 2020 U.S. census[15]
Race Num. Perc.
White 1,190 53.24%
Black or African American 917 41.03%
Native American 13 0.58%
Asian 12 0.54%
Other/Mixed 72 3.22%
Hispanic or Latino 31 1.39%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,235 people, 842 households, and 577 families residing in the county.

Education

Quitman County School District operates area public schools, including Quitman County High School.

County students attended Stewart-Quitman High School (now Stewart County High School) from 1978, until Quitman County High opened,[16] in 2009.[citation needed]

Politics

United States presidential election results for Quitman County, Georgia[17]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 604 54.61% 497 44.94% 5 0.45%
2016 575 55.08% 461 44.16% 8 0.77%
2012 510 45.21% 612 54.26% 6 0.53%
2008 509 45.61% 597 53.49% 10 0.90%
2004 409 42.38% 543 56.27% 13 1.35%
2000 348 38.50% 542 59.96% 14 1.55%
1996 224 28.11% 514 64.49% 59 7.40%
1992 284 30.80% 523 56.72% 115 12.47%
1988 296 40.11% 436 59.08% 6 0.81%
1984 361 42.42% 490 57.58% 0 0.00%
1980 240 28.67% 589 70.37% 8 0.96%
1976 313 31.62% 677 68.38% 0 0.00%
1972 502 78.19% 140 21.81% 0 0.00%
1968 90 12.05% 198 26.51% 459 61.45%
1964 377 62.11% 230 37.89% 0 0.00%
1960 67 14.73% 388 85.27% 0 0.00%
1956 31 8.03% 355 91.97% 0 0.00%
1952 93 21.88% 332 78.12% 0 0.00%
1948 19 5.26% 246 68.14% 96 26.59%
1944 16 4.31% 355 95.69% 0 0.00%
1940 19 5.54% 324 94.46% 0 0.00%
1936 19 5.08% 355 94.92% 0 0.00%
1932 0 0.00% 239 98.35% 4 1.65%
1928 41 19.07% 174 80.93% 0 0.00%
1924 8 5.33% 138 92.00% 4 2.67%
1920 4 2.88% 135 97.12% 0 0.00%
1916 15 10.56% 125 88.03% 2 1.41%
1912 7 4.27% 152 92.68% 5 3.05%

From the 1940s to 1960s Joe Hurst dominated politics in Quitman County, delivering votes for statewide officials, state judges, and prosecuting attorneys, under the County unit system which gave Quitman two units, a third as many as the biggest counties in the state. He hand-delivered state welfare checks and prevented secret ballots. In 1962 he stuffed the ballot box for future President Jimmy Carter's opponent in a state senate primary. Carter won a series of court cases to remove his Democratic primary opponent's name from the general election ballot. There was no Republican candidate. Both candidates used radio ads to ask voters to vote by write-in, and Carter won the general election. Hurst was later convicted of fraud in an earlier primary, for which he had a fine and three years probation. He was also convicted of selling moonshine, for which he went to prison.[18] [19]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Quitman County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  4. ^ "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  5. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  6. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". United States Census Bureau.
  7. ^ "1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
  8. ^ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1910.
  9. ^ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930.
  10. ^ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1940.
  11. ^ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia -" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1950.
  12. ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
  13. ^ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000.
  14. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  15. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  16. ^ "Stewart - Quitman County High School is Splitting Up". WTVM. August 14, 2008. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  17. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  18. ^ Carter, Jimmy (1992). Turning point: a candidate, a state, and a nation come of age (1 ed.). New York: Times Books. pp. 74–204. ISBN 978-0-8129-2079-6.
  19. ^ Bourne, Peter G. (1997). Jimmy Carter: a comprehensive biography from Plains to postpresidency. New York: A Lisa Drew book Scribner. pp. 113–132. ISBN 978-0-684-19543-8.

External links

Places adjacent to Quitman County, Georgia
Municipalities and communities of Quitman County, Georgia, United States
State of Georgia
Authority control databases
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