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Jones County, Georgia
Jones County Courthouse, Gray, GA, US (08)
Jones County Courthouse in Gray
Map of Georgia highlighting Jones County
Location in the state of Georgia (U.S. state)
Map of the U.S
Georgia's location in the U.S.
Founded December 10, 1807; 216 years ago (1807-12-10)
Named for James Jones
Seat Gray
Largest city Gray
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

395 sq mi (1,023 km²)
394 sq mi (1,020 km²)
1.5 sq mi (4 km²), 0.4%
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

28,347
70/sq mi (60/km²)
Congressional district 8th
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website http://www.jonescountyga.org/

Jones County is a county in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,347.[1] The county seat is Gray.[2] The county was created on December 10, 1807, and named after U.S. Representative James Jones.[3]

History[]

Jones County, along with Morgan County, Putnam County, and Old Randolph, were established by an act of the Georgia General Assembly on December 10, 1807, from land that had originally been part Baldwin County in 1803 and, earlier, part of the Creek Nation. Jones County was originally bounded by a line running north 56° east to Commissioners Creek, then north 15° west to Cedar Creek, then up the creek to corner Randolph County and Putnam County, then along a line to Ocmulgee River, then down the river to where the old county line between Wilkinson County and Baldwin County was.[4] It excluded parts of what is now Bibb County east of the Ocmulgee River, including the location of Fort Benjamin Hawkins, as they were part of a reserve guaranteed to the Creek Nation. Those areas were later added to Jones County after the Treaty of Indian Springs.[5]

During the initial months of the county's existence, a town known as Albany served as the county seat.[6] The town was renamed Clinton[7] and was established as the county seat by the Georgia General Assembly on December 22, 1808.[8] Clinton was incorporated as in 1816.[9] During the 1800s Clinton grew as a center of commerce and the cotton trade.[6] Clinton remained one of the most populous cities in Georgia in the mid-1800s.[7][10]

In December 1810 Jones County gained a portion of Putnam County between Cedar Creek and their original border.[11] In December 1822 Bibb County was established and Jones County lost some of its land to that county.

During the early 19th century, Jones County had a rapid population increase. The peak came around 1835, when the county ranked third or fourth among all of the state's counties in agricultural wealth. After 1835, soil erosion and lack of funds to develop property drove many farmers to newly opened land elsewhere in Georgia.[12]

Before the American Civil War, a few factories sprang up in the county, including a cotton gin factory at Griswoldville in the southern portion of the county and a woolen factory at Wallace. Griswoldville was founded by Samuel Griswold in the 1850s. During the Civil War, the cotton gin factory was reformatted so it could produce pistols and other weapons for the Confederate Army. Griswoldville was located on the railway linking Macon to Savannah, and became a prime target in 1864 as the Union Army moved through Georgia. On November 20, 1864, the town and the factories in it were burned as part of Sherman's March to the Sea. Days later the Battle of Griswoldville took place in the area. The town of Griswoldville was not rebuilt.

Many other areas in Jones County were damaged by the Union Army during that time period. The Jarrell Plantation State Historic Site in Jones County showcases one of the few and well-preserved antebellum plantations in Georgia.

In the 1890s a railroad line owned by the Central of Georgia Railway named the Macon & Northern Railroad was built through the county and bypassed Clinton by a mile after citizens wanted the line to not pass through the town. By the early 1900s the population had shifted northeastward and the city of Gray was established. On June 27, 1905, the citizens of Jones County voted on the issues of moving the county seat from Clinton to Gray. The results were 1,289 votes in favor of moving the county seat to Gray and 51 votes for keeping the county seat at Clinton. On August 9, 1905, Gray became the new county seat of Jones County.[13]

Father and son Alonzo and James D. Green were innocent African-Americans lynched near Round Oak and Wayside, Jones County in retaliation for the murder of popular white farmer Silas Hardin Turner on July 4, 1915. A third man, William Bostick, was also lynched on this day. None of those killed received a trial.[14]

Notable people[]

  • Terrance Gore, professional baseball player with the Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs, and New York Yankees; part of the World Series team with Kansas City in 2015; currently a free agent
  • William Lee, early Alabama politician; immigrated to Jones County from England
  • Sadie Gray Mays (1900-1969), social worker and wife of college president Benjamin Mays; born in Gray
  • Otis Redding, singer, lived on a ranch he owned in Jones County during the height of his music career. A marker in downtown Gray pays tribute to Redding.[15]

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 395 square miles (1,020 km2), of which 394 square miles (1,020 km2) is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2) (0.4%) is water.[16]

The western half of Jones County, west of Gray, is located in the Upper Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The northeastern quarter of the county, north of Gray, is located in the Upper Oconee River sub-basin of the same Altamaha River basin, while the southeastern corner of Jones County is located in the Lower Oconee River sub-basin of the larger Altamaha River basin.[17]

Major highways[]

  • US 129 U.S. Route 129
  • Georgia 11 State Route 11
  • Georgia 18 State Route 18
  • Georgia 22 State Route 22
  • Georgia 44 State Route 44
  • Georgia 49 State Route 49
  • Georgia 57 State Route 57
  • Georgia 540 State Route 540 (Fall Line Freeway)

Rivers[]

  • Ocmulgee River

Adjacent counties[]

National protected areas[]

  • Oconee National Forest (part)
  • Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1810 8,597
1820 16,570 92.7%
1830 13,345 −19.5%
1840 10,065 −24.6%
1850 10,224 1.6%
1860 9,107 −10.9%
1870 9,436 3.6%
1880 11,613 23.1%
1890 12,709 9.4%
1900 13,358 5.1%
1910 13,103 −1.9%
1920 13,269 1.3%
1930 8,992 −32.2%
1940 8,331 −7.4%
1950 7,538 −9.5%
1960 8,468 12.3%
1970 12,218 44.3%
1980 16,579 35.7%
1990 20,739 25.1%
2000 23,639 14.0%
2010 28,669 21.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[18]
1790-1960[19] 1900-1990[20]
1990-2000[21] 2010-2020[1]

2020 census[]

Jones County racial composition[22]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 20,074 70.82%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 6,739 23.77%
Native American 46 0.16%
Asian 138 0.49%
Pacific Islander 7 0.02%
Other/mixed 867 3.06%
Hispanic or Latino 476 1.68%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 28,347 people, 10,701 households, and 7,670 families residing in the county.

2010 census[]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 28,669 people, 10,586 households, and 7,973 families residing in the county.[23] The population density was 72.8 inhabitants per square mile (28.1 /km2). There were 11,688 housing units at an average density of 29.7 per square mile (11.5 /km2).[24] The racial makeup of the county was 73.2% white, 24.4% black or African American, 0.7% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.1% of the population.[23] In terms of ancestry, 15.2% were American, 10.6% were Irish, 10.4% were English, and 5.4% were German.[25]

Of the 10,586 households, 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 24.7% were non-families, and 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.10. The median age was 38.7 years.[23]

The median income for a household in the county was $50,717 and the median income for a family was $56,038. Males had a median income of $44,769 versus $32,240 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,598. About 10.4% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.5% of those under age 18 and 20.3% of those age 65 or over.[26]

Education[]

Communities[]

  • Blountsville
  • Bradley
  • Clinton
  • Fortville
  • Gray (county seat)
  • Haddock
  • Round Oak
  • Wayside

Politics[]

United States presidential election results for Jones County, Georgia[27]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 9,940 66.53% 4,882 32.68% 118 0.79%
2016 8,305 65.98% 3,961 31.47% 321 2.55%
2012 7,744 63.90% 4,274 35.27% 101 0.83%
2008 7,782 62.46% 4,572 36.69% 106 0.85%
2004 6,939 63.91% 3,855 35.50% 64 0.59%
2000 4,850 60.11% 3,102 38.45% 116 1.44%
1996 3,272 46.80% 3,195 45.70% 525 7.51%
1992 2,770 38.05% 3,338 45.86% 1,171 16.09%
1988 3,618 57.41% 2,662 42.24% 22 0.35%
1984 3,401 55.01% 2,781 44.99% 0 0.00%
1980 1,828 35.02% 3,239 62.05% 153 2.93%
1976 1,317 27.51% 3,471 72.49% 0 0.00%
1972 2,483 74.25% 861 25.75% 0 0.00%
1968 693 19.42% 1,105 30.97% 1,770 49.61%
1964 1,805 56.67% 1,380 43.33% 0 0.00%
1960 489 25.68% 1,415 74.32% 0 0.00%
1956 382 24.03% 1,208 75.97% 0 0.00%
1952 278 16.30% 1,427 83.70% 0 0.00%
1948 103 9.25% 588 52.78% 423 37.97%
1944 196 22.82% 661 76.95% 2 0.23%
1940 101 14.13% 613 85.73% 1 0.14%
1936 23 4.33% 508 95.67% 0 0.00%
1932 0 0.00% 553 99.46% 3 0.54%
1928 100 19.46% 414 80.54% 0 0.00%
1924 26 5.87% 414 93.45% 3 0.68%
1920 31 26.27% 87 73.73% 0 0.00%
1916 6 1.39% 398 92.34% 27 6.26%
1912 3 0.66% 426 93.42% 27 5.92%
1908 322 43.81% 385 52.38% 28 3.81%
1904 89 14.24% 498 79.68% 38 6.08%
1900 166 28.33% 408 69.62% 12 2.05%
1896 377 41.34% 521 57.13% 14 1.54%
1892 568 43.06% 659 49.96% 92 6.97%
1888 443 45.39% 531 54.41% 2 0.20%
1884 319 39.05% 498 60.95% 0 0.00%
1880 520 50.78% 504 49.22% 0 0.00%



See also[]

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Jones County, Georgia

References[]

  1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/13/13169.html. 
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  3. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off.. pp. 170. https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ. 
  4. ^ "Acts of the State of Georgia Passed in 1807". Article An Act To lay out and identify, six new counties out of the counties of Baldwin and Wilkinson., Act No. 1 of 10 December 1807. 
  5. ^ "Acts of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia: Passed at Milledgville, At an Extra Session, In April and May, 1821". Article An Act To dispose of and distribute the lands lately acquired by the United States for the use of Georgia, of the Creek Nation of Indians, by a treaty made and concluded at the Indian Spring, on the eighth day of January, eighteen hundred and twenty-one; and to add the Reserve at Fort Hawkins to the county of Jones., Act No. 1 of 15 May 1821. 
  6. ^ a b "Jones County, Georgia." Advisory Council on Historic Preservation website. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  7. ^ a b Kenneth K. Krakow. "Clinton" entry in Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins. 3rd ed. Winship Press, 1999. p. 46. ISBN 0-915430-00-2
  8. ^ "Acts of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia: Passed at Milledgville, At An Annual Session, In November and December, 1808". Article To establish the site of public buildings in the county of JONES, and to appropriate the money arising from the sale of lots., Act of 22 December 1808. 
  9. ^ "Acts of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia: Passed at Milledgville, At An Annual Session, In November and December, 1816". Article To Incorporate the town of Clinton, in the county of Jones, and for the appointment of Commissioners for the better regulation and government of said town., Act No. 45 of 4 December 1816. 
  10. ^ William Bragg. "Jones County." New Georgia Encyclopedia. 31 October 2018.
  11. ^ "Acts of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia: Passed at Milledgville in November and December 1810". Article To add a part of Putnam county to Jones county., Act No. 29 of 15 December 1810. 
  12. ^ David D. Long (1914). "Soil Survey of Jones County, Georgia". https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MANUSCRIPTS/georgia/jonesGA1914/jonesGA1914.pdf. 
  13. ^ "Acts and Resolutions of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia 1905". Article Jones County, County Site Changed from Clinton to Gray., Act No. 64 of 9 August 1905. 
  14. ^ Rogers 2019.
  15. ^ "Otis Redding's legacy will be remembered with permanent road marker in Jones County". http://music.blog.ajc.com/2015/09/17/otis-reddings-legacy-will-be-remembered-with-permanent-road-marker-in-jones-county/. 
  16. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html. 
  17. ^ "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. http://www.gaswcc.org/maps/. 
  18. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html. 
  19. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  20. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ga190090.txt. 
  21. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf. 
  22. ^ "Explore Census Data". https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US13169&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2. 
  23. ^ a b c "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US13169. 
  24. ^ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US13169. 
  25. ^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US13169. 
  26. ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US13169. 
  27. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 

Coordinates: 33°02′N 83°34′W / 33.03, -83.57


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Jones County, Georgia. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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