Rabun County, Georgia
Rabun County | |
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UTC−4 (EDT) | |
Congressional district | 9th |
Website | www |
Rabun County (
History
As early as 1760, explorers came to the area now known as Rabun County. In the 18th century, the population of
Despite the prominence of the Cherokee, evidence exists that other
Explorer and naturalist William Bartram was one of the early visitors to Rabun County. According to his journal entries for May 1775, Bartram crossed the Chattooga River into Georgia near its confluence with Warwoman Creek. He later went through a junction of Cherokee trails called Dividings (which would later become Clayton), and then traveled north to an area called Passover (which would later become Mountain City). During his visit to the area, he also climbed Rabun Bald. His travels in Rabun County are memorialized today by the Georgia portion of the hiking trail known as the Bartram Trail.
The Georgia General Assembly passed an act to create the county on December 21, 1819, becoming Georgia's forty-seventh county. The northern border of the county was established as latitude 35°N, which is the boundary between Georgia and North Carolina. Due to irregularities in an early survey mission, the Georgia-North Carolina border at Rabun County's northeast corner was erroneously set several hundred yards north of the 35th parallel, giving this location at Ellicott's Rock the distinction of being the State of Georgia's northernmost point. The county is named for William Rabun, who served as the 11th Governor of Georgia from his election in 1817 until his death in 1819. In 1828, the Georgia General Assembly transferred a portion of Habersham County to Rabun County. In 1838, the legislature redefined the Rabun-Habersham county line. In 1856, the legislature used portions of Rabun and Union Counties to create Towns County.[6]
During the U.S. Civil War, Rabun County was one of only five Georgia counties that did not declare secession from the Union.[7] Although the county was largely untouched by the Civil War, the area did border on anarchy during that time. The county was described by some as being "almost a unit against secession." One of the county's residents recalled in 1865 that "You cannot find a people who were more averse to secession than were the people of our county." He stated that "I canvassed the county in 1860–61 myself and I know that there were not exceeding twenty men in this county who were in favor of secession."[8] Despite its overall loyalty to the Union, Rabun County did field two regiments for the Confederate cause: Rabun 24th Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Company E, Rabun Gap Riflemen; and Rabun 52nd Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Company F, Beauregard Braves.
In 1898, the
Starting in the 1920s, many of the improvements in the county can be attributed to the establishment, growth and expansion of the
Deliverance (1972), a highly popular film about a group of city men taking a canoe trip in north Georgia, was filmed largely in Rabun County. After the film's release, Rabun County experienced an increase in tourism, with the number of visitors going from hundred to tens of thousands. By 2012, 40 years later, tourism was the largest source of revenue in the county.[9] According to the US Census, the population has doubled since 1970.
By 2012 rafting had developed as a $20 million industry in the region.[9]
Because of the scenery, people with money have built vacation and second homes around the area's lakes.[9] In June 2012, Rabun County held a Chattooga River Festival to encourage preservation of the river and its environment. It also noted the 40th anniversary of the filming of Deliverance in the area, an aspect which aroused controversy in planning for the festival.[9]
Law and Government
The county is governed by a five-member Board of Commissioners. In addition to the Rabun County Sheriff's Office, the towns of Clayton, Mountain City, Dillard, Sky Valley, and Tallulah Falls all have their own police departments.
Rabun County is protected by a volunteer fire department, which is made up of 12 stations, 14 engines, 11 tankers, three boats, and 250 volunteers.[10] Two of the stations (Scaly Mountain/Sky Valley and Tallulah Falls) are separate organizations from Rabun County Fire Services.[citation needed] The county also has an EMA station which is completely volunteer, which provides emergency technical rescue services which include wilderness and urban search and rescue, technical rope rescue, swift-water rescue, confined space rescue, and dive rescue.[10]
Politics
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 7,474 | 78.07% | 1,984 | 20.72% | 116 | 1.21% |
2016 | 6,287 | 78.12% | 1,444 | 17.94% | 317 | 3.94% |
2012 | 5,754 | 77.08% | 1,559 | 20.88% | 152 | 2.04% |
2008 | 5,487 | 71.89% | 2,001 | 26.22% | 145 | 1.90% |
2004 | 4,650 | 70.00% | 1,918 | 28.87% | 75 | 1.13% |
2000 | 3,451 | 64.61% | 1,776 | 33.25% | 114 | 2.13% |
1996 | 2,213 | 46.42% | 1,943 | 40.76% | 611 | 12.82% |
1992 | 1,902 | 41.15% | 1,878 | 40.63% | 842 | 18.22% |
1988 | 2,278 | 63.14% | 1,301 | 36.06% | 29 | 0.80% |
1984 | 2,191 | 63.36% | 1,267 | 36.64% | 0 | 0.00% |
1980 | 1,070 | 30.62% | 2,327 | 66.58% | 98 | 2.80% |
1976 | 591 | 19.77% | 2,398 | 80.23% | 0 | 0.00% |
1972 | 1,477 | 80.14% | 366 | 19.86% | 0 | 0.00% |
1968 | 680 | 25.38% | 592 | 22.10% | 1,407 | 52.52% |
1964 | 551 | 23.48% | 1,796 | 76.52% | 0 | 0.00% |
1960 | 464 | 23.02% | 1,552 | 76.98% | 0 | 0.00% |
1956 | 413 | 22.89% | 1,391 | 77.11% | 0 | 0.00% |
1952 | 449 | 25.38% | 1,320 | 74.62% | 0 | 0.00% |
1948 | 165 | 17.03% | 747 | 77.09% | 57 | 5.88% |
1944 | 185 | 12.92% | 1,247 | 87.08% | 0 | 0.00% |
1940 | 82 | 7.86% | 958 | 91.85% | 3 | 0.29% |
1936 | 162 | 14.58% | 948 | 85.33% | 1 | 0.09% |
1932 | 78 | 7.97% | 893 | 91.22% | 8 | 0.82% |
1928 | 306 | 34.15% | 590 | 65.85% | 0 | 0.00% |
1924 | 117 | 19.73% | 454 | 76.56% | 22 | 3.71% |
1920 | 147 | 32.03% | 312 | 67.97% | 0 | 0.00% |
1916 | 87 | 9.66% | 633 | 70.26% | 181 | 20.09% |
1912 | 16 | 3.50% | 323 | 70.68% | 118 | 25.82% |
1908 | 171 | 41.01% | 233 | 55.88% | 13 | 3.12% |
1904 | 121 | 24.74% | 364 | 74.44% | 4 | 0.82% |
1900 | 70 | 22.22% | 244 | 77.46% | 1 | 0.32% |
1896 | 101 | 19.54% | 404 | 78.14% | 12 | 2.32% |
1892 | 81 | 15.14% | 448 | 83.74% | 6 | 1.12% |
1888 | 43 | 9.82% | 386 | 88.13% | 9 | 2.05% |
1884 | 5 | 2.14% | 229 | 97.86% | 0 | 0.00% |
1880 | 2 | 0.37% | 532 | 99.63% | 0 | 0.00% |
Geography
According to the
Features
The county's three major lakes were created in the early 20th century by
The Eastern Continental Divide runs through the county, roughly from southwest to northeast, also representing a portion of the Tennessee Valley Divide. The county's eastern border with South Carolina is formed by the Chattooga River, the largest tributary of the Tugaloo River and then Savannah River (which forms the rest of the border of the two states). The north-central portion of Rabun County is in the watershed of the Little Tennessee River, which flows northward from Mountain City. The high elevation along the divide gives Rabun County the most snow of any in county in Georgia. This also gives it mild weather throughout the warmer months of the year, leading to the county's slogan, Where Spring Spends the Summer. Rabun County is the only county in Georgia with three state parks: Black Rock Mountain, Moccasin Creek, and Tallulah Gorge.
Mountains
Mountains dominate the topography of Rabun County. The Eastern Continental Divide provides Rabun County with the second and third highest peaks in Georgia: Rabun Bald at 4,696 feet (1,431 m) and Dick's Knob at 4,620 feet (1,410 m). The county has eight peaks that are higher than 4,000 feet (1,200 m) and over 60 peaks that are between 3,000 and 4,000 feet (1,200 m).
- *For more information, see: List of Summits and Ridges in Rabun County, Georgia
Waterfalls
Rabun County has a number of picturesque
Hiking trails
The county has numerous hiking trails. Most notably, a portion of the Appalachian Trail winds through the county and the county is home to a 37-mile (60 km) portion of the Bartram Trail.
Major highways
US 23 and US 441 run concurrent, following a south–north route through the county, and US 76 runs west–east. SR 246 begins at Dillard and connects to Sky Valley. SR 28 runs for an extremely short distance in the northeastern tip, between the Carolinas.
Adjacent counties
- Macon County, North Carolina - north
- Oconee County, South Carolina - east
- Habersham County - south
- Towns County - west
- Clay County, North Carolina - northwest
Flora and fauna
Rabun County is home to several endangered and threatened species as reported by the US Fish & Wildlife Service[15] and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.[16]
Animals
- The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) has been removed from the list of endangered species in the US, but is considered to be an endangered species in Georgia.
- The bog turtle (Clemmys muhlenbergii) is considered to be a threatened species in both the US and Georgia.
- Three fish found in the county still have their status pending on the US endangered species list, but are protected in Georgia: the highscale shiner(threatened in Georgia) and the olive darter (threatened in Georgia).
Plants
There are 15 plants that are protected in Rabun County, including two that are on the Federal endangered species list:
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1820 | 524 | — | |
1830 | 2,176 | 315.3% | |
1840 | 1,912 | −12.1% | |
1850 | 2,448 | 28.0% | |
1860 | 3,271 | 33.6% | |
1870 | 3,256 | −0.5% | |
1880 | 4,634 | 42.3% | |
1890 | 5,606 | 21.0% | |
1900 | 6,285 | 12.1% | |
1910 | 5,562 | −11.5% | |
1920 | 5,746 | 3.3% | |
1930 | 6,331 | 10.2% | |
1940 | 7,821 | 23.5% | |
1950 | 7,424 | −5.1% | |
1960 | 7,456 | 0.4% | |
1970 | 8,327 | 11.7% | |
1980 | 10,466 | 25.7% | |
1990 | 11,648 | 11.3% | |
2000 | 15,050 | 29.2% | |
2010 | 16,276 | 8.1% | |
2020 | 16,883 | 3.7% | |
2023 (est.) | 17,442 | [17] | 3.3% |
U.S. Decennial Census[18] 1790-1880[19] 1890-1910[20] 1920-1930[21] 1930-1940[22] 1940-1950[23] 1960-1980[24] 1980-2000[25] 2010[26] 2020[26] |
2020 census
Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2000[27] | Pop 2010[26] | Pop 2020[28] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
White alone (NH)
|
14,023 | 14,468 | 14,625 | 93.18% | 88.89% | 86.63% |
Black or African American alone (NH)
|
118 | 144 | 107 | 0.78% | 0.88% | 0.63% |
Alaska Native alone (NH)
|
50 | 53 | 28 | 0.33% | 0.33% | 0.17% |
Asian alone (NH) | 57 | 114 | 60 | 0.38% | 0.70% | 0.36% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0.00% | 0.04% | 0.01% |
Other race alone (NH) | 5 | 10 | 35 | 0.03% | 0.06% | 0.21% |
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 114 | 179 | 575 | 0.76% | 1.10% | 3.41% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 683 | 1,301 | 1,452 | 4.54% | 7.99% | 8.60% |
Total | 15,050 | 16,276 | 16,883 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 16,883 people, 6,662 households, and 4,220 families residing in the county.
2010 census
As of the
Of the 6,780 households, 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.2% were non-families, and 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.85. The median age was 45.8 years.[29]
The median income for a household in the county was $34,406 and the median income for a family was $50,410. Males had a median income of $35,951 versus $23,025 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,471. About 12.7% of families and 18.5% of the population were below the
2000 census
As of the
There were 6,279 households, out of which 26.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.40% were married couples living together, 8.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.70% were non-families. 26.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.80% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 25.30% from 25 to 44, 27.70% from 45 to 64, and 18.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 97.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,899, and the median income for a family was $39,992. Males had a median income of $28,105 versus $21,164 for females. The
Economy
As of early 2006, the county's two largest employers are textile manufacturers: Rabun Apparel, with over 900 jobs, and National Textiles, with 410.[34] In March 2006, Fruit of the Loom announced it would close the Rabun Apparel plant and lay off all 930 employees. National Textiles has also announced layoffs, but so far, those have only targeted plants in North Carolina and Tennessee.[35]
Education
The Rabun County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of a primary school, an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school.[36] The district has 140 full-time teachers and over 2,221 students.[37]
- Rabun County Primary School
- Rabun County Elementary School
- Rabun County Middle School
- Rabun County High School
Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School, a private residential and day school, also operates in the county. It serves boarding students in grades 6–12 and day students pre-K–12.
Communities
Cities
- Clayton (county seat)
- Dillard
- Sky Valley
Towns
Unincorporated communities
In popular culture
- In 2012, producer Cory Welles and director Kevin Walker decided to make the documentary, The Deliverance of Rabun County, to explore the effects of the landmark 1972 film on people in the county. They heard a wide range of opinions, particularly resentment at how the country people were portrayed. Others are pragmatic and looking at the benefits of increased tourism and related businesses.[9]
- Rabun was the primary shooting location for the 1972 film Deliverance and used many locals as extras, including Billy Redden. While the setting for the movie is suggested as in the north Georgia mountains, Rabun is not specifically mentioned in the film.
- Larry Burkett's 1991 fantasy novel The Illuminati (1991) is set partly in Rabun County. It and the county seat of Clayton become the refuge of the book's protagonists after forces take control over the American economy; Clayton is safe due to the antiquated analog communications gear and general isolation underlying stereotypes of the area.
- Rabun County is one of the battlegrounds where humans fight the alien books.
- Rabun County is the setting for the play Foxfire, which had its Broadway premiere in 1982 starring Jessica Tandy and her husband Hume Cronyn. The play was later made into a Hallmark TV movie, starring Tandy, Cronyn, and John Denver. In both the play and the movie, there are several references to Rabun County and the surrounding area.
- Rabun County is the home of the magazine Foxfire. In 1966, Eliot Wigginton and his students in an English class at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School initiated a project to engage students in writing.[38][39] The class decided to publish a magazine over the course of the semester. Its articles were the product of the students' interviewing their relatives and local citizens about how lifestyles had changed over the course of their lives and dealt with traditions in the rural area. First published in 1966, the magazine covers topics of the lifestyle, culture, crafts, and skills of people in southern Appalachia.
See also
References
- ^ a b "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 6, 2011. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ NOAA Mean Annual Precipitation 1961-1990
- ^ "Roadside Georgia's Archives of Rabun County". Archived from the original on June 14, 2006. Retrieved August 28, 2006.
- ^ Rabun County Historical Population Profile Archived September 16, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Rabun County Comprehensive Plan - Chapter 7 - Historical Cultural Archived July 24, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Foner, Eric (March 1989). "The South's Inner Civil War: The more fiercely the Confederacy fought for its independence, the more bitterly divided it became. To fully understand the vast changes the war unleashed on the country, you must first understand the plight of the Southerners who didn't want secession". American Heritage. Vol. 40, no. 2. American Heritage Publishing Company. p. 2. Archived from the original on January 3, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e Cory Welles, "40 years later, 'Deliverance' causes mixed feelings in Georgia", Marketplace, August 22, 2012, accessed August 27, 2014
- ^ a b "Rabun County Fire Department". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
- ^ "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. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
- ^ "The Northeast Georgia Lakes". North Georgia Internet Magazine. Archived from the original on January 18, 2006. Retrieved February 4, 2006.
- ^ "US Fish & Wildlife Service Listed Species in Rabun County as of May, 2004". Archived from the original on February 17, 2007. Retrieved September 25, 2006.
- ^ Georgia Department of Natural Resources List of Georgia Rare Species in Rabun County Archived August 20, 2004, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
- ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
- ^ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1910.
- ^ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930.
- ^ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1940.
- ^ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia -" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1950.
- ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
- ^ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000.
- ^ a b c "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Rabun County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "P004 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Rabun County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Rabun County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ a b c "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
- ^ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
- ^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
- ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Rabun County Major Employers". Rabun County, Georgia Chamber of Commerce. Archived from the original on March 16, 2006. Retrieved March 26, 2006.
- ^ Fraser, Donald (March 23, 2006). "Fruit closing, 930 jobs lost". Clayton Tribune. Retrieved March 26, 2006.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Georgia Board of Education[permanent dead link], Retrieved June 25, 2010.
- ^ School Stats, Retrieved June 25, 2010.
- ^ Mendonca, Adrienn (September 16, 2005). "Foxfire". New Georgia Encyclopedia. University of Georgia Press. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved January 23, 2010.
- ^ "History of RGNS". RGNS. Archived from the original on February 17, 2009. Retrieved January 23, 2010.
External links
- Archives of Rabun County on Roadside Georgia Archived June 14, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- Georgia Place Names by Kenneth K. Krakow
- Cherokee Indian Tribe on Access Genealogy – Indian Tribal RecordsArchived
- History of Chattahoochee National Forest Archived August 13, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- Rabun County Sheriff's Office