Brooks County, Georgia
Brooks County | |
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UTC−4 (EDT) | |
Congressional district | 8th |
Website | www |
Brooks County is a
In the peak lynching era, from 1880 to 1930, this county had 20 lynchings, the third-highest number of any county in Georgia, which was the state with the highest number of lynchings in the country. All of the victims in Georgia were black, including at least 13 killed in the May 1918 lynching rampage in this county, starting with the murders of Hayes Turner, and shortly after of his pregnant wife Mary Turner.
Brooks County is included in the Valdosta metropolitan statistical area.
History
Native Americans and the Spanish
Historic Native peoples occupying the area at the time of European encounter were the
Early history
The area that was to become Brooks County was first opened up to European-American settlement in 1818 when Irwin County was established. Coffee Road was built through the region in the 1820s. Lowndes County's first court session was held at the tavern owned by Sion Hall on the Coffee Road, near what is now Morven, Georgia in Brooks County.
Establishment
This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2020) |
Many residents of Lowndes County were unhappy when the
On August 9, a meeting convened in the academy building in Troupville, at which residents decided to divide Lowndes and create a new county to the west of the
On December 11, 1858, Brooks County was officially organized by the state legislature from parts of Lowndes and Thomas counties. It was named for
The county had been developed along the waterways for
Civil War
During the Civil War, the county was the main producer of food for the Confederacy; it became known as the "Smokehouse of the Confederacy."[4]
Some Confederate Army regiments were raised from the men of Brooks County. Plantation owners, county officials, and slave patrol members were exempt from military conscription, which caused some contention between the different economic classes in Brooks County.
In August 1864, a local white man named John Vickery began plotting a slave rebellion. His plan called for killing the slave owners, stealing what weapons they could find, setting fire to Quitman, going to Madison, Florida, burning the town, getting help from Union troops from the Gulf Coast, and then returning to Quitman. On the evening before the rebellion, a slave was arrested for theft and interrogated. Vickery was soon arrested as well. Vickery and four slave suspects were given a military trial by the local militia. Two Confederate deserters from Florida were also believed to have been involved, but were not caught by the time of the trial.[5]
On August 23, 1864, at 6:00 p.m., Vickery, and slaves Sam, Nelson, and George were publicly hanged in Quitman. The court could not reach a decision on the guilt of Warren, a slave held by Buford Elliot.[5]
Post-Reconstruction and imposition of Jim Crow
After the war, many
In May 1918, at least 13 African Americans were killed during
Mary Turner's lynching drew widespread condemnation nationally. It was a catalyst for the Anti-Lynching Crusaders campaign for the 1922 Dyer Bill, sponsored by
Modern history
In the 21st century, Brooks County is classified as being in the Plantation Trace tourist region.
Historical sites
- The Brooks County Courthouse was constructed in 1864 in the county seat of Quitman, Georgia. It was designed by architect John Wind. Brooks County officials paid for the structure with $14,958 in Confederate money. The currency soon became useless.
- The Brooks County Museum and Cultural Center, formerly a library, was adapted for use as a cultural center. It is the site of a series of music, art, and culinary events throughout the year.
Geography
According to the
The eastern boundary of the county is made up of the
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
Adjacent counties
- Cook County - northeast (created 1918 from Berrien County)
- Lowndes County - east (created 1825 from Irwin County)
- Madison County, Florida - southeast
- Jefferson County, Florida - southwest
- Thomas County - west (created 1825 from Early and Decatur counties)
- Colquitt County - northwest (created in 1856 from Thomas and Lowndes counties)
Communities
Cities
- Barwick (partly in Thomas County, Georgia)
- Morven
- Pavo (partly in Thomas County, Georgia)
- Quitman
Unincorporated communities
- Barney
- Dixie
- Grooverville
- Pidcock
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
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% | |
2020 | 16,301 | 0.4% | |
2023 (est.) | 16,245 | [13] | −0.3% |
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] |
Race | Num. | Perc. |
---|---|---|
White
|
9,066 | 55.62% |
Black or African American
|
5,684 | 34.87% |
Native American
|
24 | 0.15% |
Asian
|
67 | 0.41% |
Pacific Islander
|
6 | 0.04% |
Other/Mixed
|
499 | 3.06% |
Latino
|
955 | 5.86% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 16,301 people, 6,335 households, and 4,015 families residing in the county.
Racially and ethnically, as a result of the demand for slave labor to work the cotton plantations, the county was majority black from before the American Civil War well into the 20th century. Starting in the early 1900s, hundreds of blacks left the county in the
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.[24] The district has 167 full-time teachers and over 2,563 students.[25]
- North Brooks Elementary School
- Quitman Elementary School
- Brooks County Middle School
- Brooks County High School
The county is serviced by the Brooks County Public Library.
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.
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 4,261 | 60.01% | 2,791 | 39.30% | 49 | 0.69% |
2016 | 3,701 | 58.41% | 2,528 | 39.90% | 107 | 1.69% |
2012 | 3,554 | 52.62% | 3,138 | 46.46% | 62 | 0.92% |
2008 | 3,507 | 56.52% | 2,669 | 43.01% | 29 | 0.47% |
2004 | 2,912 | 56.91% | 2,193 | 42.86% | 12 | 0.23% |
2000 | 2,406 | 52.87% | 2,096 | 46.06% | 49 | 1.08% |
1996 | 1,738 | 42.87% | 1,977 | 48.77% | 339 | 8.36% |
1992 | 1,779 | 41.23% | 1,895 | 43.92% | 641 | 14.86% |
1988 | 2,136 | 58.54% | 1,500 | 41.11% | 13 | 0.36% |
1984 | 2,229 | 57.30% | 1,661 | 42.70% | 0 | 0.00% |
1980 | 1,546 | 40.40% | 2,230 | 58.27% | 51 | 1.33% |
1976 | 1,102 | 29.35% | 2,653 | 70.65% | 0 | 0.00% |
1972 | 2,430 | 79.08% | 643 | 20.92% | 0 | 0.00% |
1968 | 589 | 15.58% | 787 | 20.82% | 2,404 | 63.60% |
1964 | 2,342 | 69.50% | 1,027 | 30.47% | 1 | 0.03% |
1960 | 765 | 33.77% | 1,500 | 66.23% | 0 | 0.00% |
1956 | 534 | 21.62% | 1,936 | 78.38% | 0 | 0.00% |
1952 | 800 | 30.01% | 1,866 | 69.99% | 0 | 0.00% |
1948 | 188 | 11.21% | 975 | 58.14% | 514 | 30.65% |
1944 | 279 | 16.81% | 1,381 | 83.19% | 0 | 0.00% |
1940 | 248 | 16.01% | 1,300 | 83.93% | 1 | 0.06% |
1936 | 94 | 6.83% | 1,277 | 92.74% | 6 | 0.44% |
1932 | 75 | 4.98% | 1,426 | 94.69% | 5 | 0.33% |
1928 | 192 | 19.96% | 770 | 80.04% | 0 | 0.00% |
1924 | 128 | 9.69% | 1,179 | 89.25% | 14 | 1.06% |
1920 | 76 | 11.29% | 597 | 88.71% | 0 | 0.00% |
1916 | 25 | 2.28% | 969 | 88.33% | 103 | 9.39% |
1912 | 42 | 5.43% | 695 | 89.79% | 37 | 4.78% |
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[27] was established in 1935 and has 24-hour emergency facilities.
Transportation
Major highways
Railroads
- CSX[28]
GA Bike Route 10
Airport
BROOKS CO (4J5) Runway length 5000' Lights, CTAF 122.9 FSS Macon 122.4 [29]
See also
References
- ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Brooks County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ISBN 0871522845.
- ^ History of Brooks County Georgia 1858-1948
- ^ ISBN 978-0813028361.
- ^ Lynching in America/ Supplement: Lynchings by County[permanent dead link], 3rd Edition, 2015, p. 3
- ^ a b Meyers, Christopher C (2006). ""Killing Them by the Wholesale": A Lynching Rampage in South Georgia". The Georgia Historical Quarterly. 90 (2). JSTOR: 214–235. Retrieved May 14, 2013.
- ^ Gullberg, Greg (May 22, 2012). "South Georgia Citizens Fight To Keep Mary Turner's Story Alive". WCTV.
- ^ "Remembering Mary Turner". The Mary Turner Project. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
- ^ Armstrong, Julie. "Mary Turner and the Memory of Lynching". University of Georgia Press. Archived from the original on April 15, 2014. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
- US Census Bureau.
- US Census Bureau. 1880.
- US Census Bureau. 1910.
- US Census Bureau. 1930.
- US Census Bureau. 1940.
- US Census Bureau. 1950.
- US Census Bureau. 1980.
- US Census Bureau. 2000.
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ Georgia Board of Education[permanent dead link], Retrieved May 31, 2010.
- ^ School Stats, Retrieved May 31, 2010.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
- ^ "Brooks County Hospital (Quitman, GA) Detailed Hospital Profile". Hospital-data.com. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2011. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "4J5 - Quitman Brooks County Airport". AirNav. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
External links
- Brooks County Board of Tax Assessors
- Brooks County Public Library
- Brooks County Criminal Court
- Brooks County historical marker
- Columbia Primitive Baptist Church historical marker