Statesboro, Georgia

Coordinates: 32°26′43″N 81°46′45″W / 32.44528°N 81.77917°W / 32.44528; -81.77917
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Statesboro, Georgia
City
From top to bottom left to right: The Bulloch County Courthouse and Averitt Center for the Arts, Splash in the Boro Water Park, Campus Georgia Southern University, the Emma Kelly Theater
From top to bottom left to right: The Bulloch County Courthouse and Averitt Center for the Arts, Splash in the Boro Water Park, Campus Georgia Southern University, the Emma Kelly Theater
FIPS code
13-73256[2]
GNIS feature ID0323541[3]
WebsiteCity of Statesboro

Statesboro is the most populous city in and county seat of Bulloch County, Georgia, United States.[4] Located in the southeastern part of the state, its population was 33,438 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Statesboro micropolitan area, which had 81,099 residents, and is part of the Savannah–Hinesville–Statesboro combined statistical area.

The city was chartered in 1803, starting as a small trading community providing basic essentials for surrounding

land grant college that eventually developed into Georgia Southern University
.

Statesboro inspired the blues song "

Allman Brothers Band.[5] In 2017, Statesboro was selected in the top three of the national America's Best Communities competition and was named one of nine Georgia "live, work, play" cities by the Georgia Municipal Association.[6][7]

History

Bulloch County Courthouse

In 1801, George Sibbald of Augusta donated a 9,301-acre (37.64 km2) tract for a centrally located county seat for the growing agricultural community of Bulloch County. The area was developed by white planters largely for cotton plantations that were worked by black slave labor. In December 1803, the Georgia legislature created the town of Statesborough. The community most likely was named after the notion of states' rights, an issue central in the 1800 United States presidential election.[8] In 1866 the state legislature granted a permanent charter to the city, changing the spelling of its name to the present "Statesboro."

During the

sharecroppers and tenant farmers
.

Following the Reconstruction era, racial violence of whites against blacks increased. In the era from 1880 to 1930, Georgia had the highest rate of lynchings of any state in the nation.[10] Among them were three black men who were lynched and burned to death on August 16, 1904, near Statesboro. A fourth man was lynched later in the month in Bulloch County. After a white farm family was killed, the white community spread unfounded rumors of black clergy urging blacks to violence against whites, and more than twelve black men were arrested in this case.[11]

all-white jury and sentenced to death on August 16, 1904, but they were abducted that day from the courthouse by a lynch mob and brutally burned to death. Handy Bell, another suspect, was lynched and burned by a mob that night.[12] White violence against blacks did not end; both men and women were physically attacked on the streets. Area newspaper coverage of the trial and lynching had been sensationalized, arousing anger, and two more black men were lynched in August 1904: Sebastian McBride in Portal, another town in Bulloch County, and A.L. Scott in Wilcox County.[13][14][11]

Statesboro City Hall, located downtown in the renovated Jaeckel Hotel
building. The hotel served as the center of local social life in the early part of the 20th century.

To escape oppression and violence, many African Americans left Statesboro and Bulloch County altogether, causing local businessmen to worry about labor shortages in the cotton and turpentine industries.[13] African Americans made a Great Migration from the rural South to northern cities in the first half of the 20th century.[11] Local effects can be seen in the drop in Statesboro population growth from 1910 to 1930 on the census tables below in the "Demographics" section.

Around the turn of the century, new businesses in Statesboro included stores and banks built along North, East, South, and West Main streets. In 1908, Statesboro led the world in sales of long-staple

Low Country. Mechanization of agriculture decreased the need for some farm labor. After the boll weevil destroyed the cotton crop in the 1930s, farmers shifted to tobacco. The insect had invaded the South from the west, disrupting cotton cultivation throughout the region. By 1953, however, more than 20 million pounds of tobacco passed through warehouses in Statesboro, then the largest market of the "Bright Tobacco Belt" spanning Georgia and Florida
.

The 1906 First District Agricultural & Mechanical School at Statesboro was developed as a

Georgia Southern College in 1959. After this period, it became racially integrated and with development of graduate programs and research in numerous fields, since 1990 it has had university status as Georgia Southern University
.

Geography

Statesboro is located at 32°26′43″N 81°46′45″W / 32.44528°N 81.77917°W / 32.44528; -81.77917 (32.445147, -81.779234).[15] The city is located in southeastern Georgia along U.S. Routes 80, 25, and 301. US 80 runs northwest to southeast through the city, leading southeast 58 mi (93 km) to Savannah and west-northwest 37 mi (60 km) to Swainsboro. US 25 and 301 run concurrently through the center of town and split upon their junction with US 80, leading south 12 mi (19 km) to Interstate 16 at exit 116. US 25 leads north 29 mi (47 km) to Millen and US 301 north 24 mi (39 km) to Sylvania.

According to the

sweetgum
, and a variety of other trees can be found in the area.

Climate

Statesboro has a

Köppen classification. The city experiences very hot and humid summers with average July highs of about 91 degrees and lows around 70. Afternoon thunderstorms associated with the summer heat and humidity can spawn from time to time. Winters are mild with average January highs of 58 degrees and lows of 36 degrees.[17] Winter storms are rare, but they happen periodically, the most recent being an ice storm in January 2018. On February 12, 2010, approximately two inches of snow fell on the city.[18]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
187033—
188029−12.1%
18904251,365.5%
19001,197181.6%
19102,529111.3%
19203,80750.5%
19303,9965.0%
19405,02825.8%
19506,09721.3%
19608,35637.1%
197014,61674.9%
198014,8661.7%
199015,8546.6%
200022,69843.2%
201028,42225.2%
202033,43817.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[19]
Statesboro racial composition as of 2020[20]
Race Num. Perc.
White
(non-Hispanic) 		16,323 48.82%
Black or African American
(non-Hispanic) 		13,282 39.72%
Native American
 66 0.2%
Asian
 634 1.9%
Pacific Islander
 34 0.1%
Other/Mixed
 1,169 3.5%
Latino
 1,930 5.77%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 33,438 people, 10,214 households, and 4,569 families residing in the city.

Economy

Emma Kelly Theater

The economy of Statesboro is based on education, manufacturing, and agribusiness sectors. Statesboro serves as a regional economic hub and has more than one billion dollars in annual retail sales.[21] Georgia Southern University is the largest employer in the city, with 6,700 regional jobs tied directly and indirectly to the campus.[citation needed]

Agriculture is responsible for $100 million in annual farm gate revenues.[22]

Statesboro is home to multiple manufacturing facilities. Statesboro Briggs & Stratton Plant is the third-largest employer in the region with 950 employees.[23]

The Development Authority of Bulloch County retains over 100 acres of GRAD (Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development) land at the Gateway Industrial Park. Southern Gateway Park is a newly developed 200-acre tract located at the intersection of U.S. 301 and Interstate 16 in close proximity to the Court of Savannah. Southern Gateway is served by municipal water, sewer and natural gas lines.[24]

GAF, the largest privately owned roofing manufacturer in North America, relocated to Statesboro in the early 21st century.[22]

Arts and culture

Averitt Center for the Arts

The culture of Statesboro reflects a blend of both its southern heritage and college town identity.[25]

The city has developed a unique culture, common in many college towns, that coexists with the university students in creating an art scene, music scene and intellectual environment. Statesboro is home to numerous restaurants, bars, live music venues, bookstores and coffee shops that cater to its creative college town climate.[26]

The Statesboro Regional Library, part of the Georgia PINES library network

Statesboro's downtown was named one of eight "Renaissance Cities" by Georgia Trend magazine.[27] The downtown area is currently undergoing a revitalization. The Old Bank of Statesboro and Georgia Theater have been adapted with renovation for the David H. Averitt Center for the Arts.[28] It houses the Emma Kelly Theater, named after the local singer, known as the "Lady of 6,000 Songs".[5] The center also contains art studios, conference rooms and an exhibition area. Downtown Statesboro has been featured in several motion pictures including Now and Then (1995) as well as 1969.[29] Georgia Southern offers a variety of cultural options available both for the university and the wider community: the Georgia Southern Symphony, the Georgia Southern Planetarium, Georgia Southern Museum, and the Botanical Gardens at Bland Cottage.[30] Touring groups appear at the Performing Arts Center, and also featured are shows put on by Georgia Southern students and faculty.

Mill Creek Regional Park is a large outdoor recreational facility with athletic fields and a water park, Splash in the Boro.[31]

Sports

Paulson Stadium

Georgia Southern Eagles

The Georgia Southern University Eagles field 17 varsity teams in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and are members of the NCAA Division I Sun Belt Conference.[32]

Prior to joining the Sun Belt Conference in 2014, the Eagles were members of the Trans America Athletic Conference (presently known as the

ASUN Conference) and the Southern Conference. During their time at the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS/I-AA) level, the Eagles football team won an unprecedented six national championships
.

Tormenta FC

Optim Sports Medicine Field at Tormenta Stadium. The club won the USL League One championship in the 2022 season.[33]

Education

Higher education

Sweetheart Circle on Georgia Southern University's campus

land grant college, open only to white students. On July 1, 1990, it became the fifth university of the University System, and as of 2015 is a comprehensive residential university of nearly 20,000 students. The university's graduate programs are offered on campus, at satellite centers, and by distance and on-line delivery. For the past decade, the university has combined a capital building program with beautification of the nearly 700-acre (2.8 km2) campus. The university facilities include a museum of cultural and natural history, a botanical garden, and a center for wildlife education located within the campus grounds. The university's Division I athletic teams, the Georgia Southern Eagles, compete in the Sun Belt Conference
.

Two community colleges are also located in Statesboro. East Georgia State College (EGSC), a USG institution based in nearby Swainsboro, operates a satellite center within the campus of Georgia Southern. Ogeechee Technical College (OTC) is a part of the Technical College System of Georgia, providing technical and adult education to area students; OTC is located on U.S. Highway 301 South, outside of the city limits and approximately 4 miles (6 km) southwest of Georgia Southern's campus.

Bulloch County School District

The Bulloch County Board of Education runs the

Charter Conservatory for Liberal Arts and Technology, part of the CCAT public school district
, is a charter school located within the city limits. In 2016 CCAT was renamed Statesboro STEAM - College, Careers, Arts, & Technology Academy.

Media

Statesboro is served by a variety of media outlets in print, radio, television, and the Internet. Statesboro Magazine is the community's premier quality of life publication. The local newspaper is the

WHKN, WMCD, WPMX, WPTB, WWNS, and WVGS
. Statesboro Business Magazine offers Statesboro and area business news, articles, features, jobs, real estate listings and other area business information and reviews.

StatesboroHerald.com has received numerous state[34] and national awards[35] from the newspaper industry for online innovation.

Infrastructure

Hospitals

Transportation

Airports

Approximately 3 miles (5 km) outside of Statesboro is the

control tower or commercial flights. Most travelers use the nearby Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, which is located 45 miles (72 km) to the east and is served by eight commercial airlines. Statesboro is about three hours by highway from the major Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport
.

Highways

Highway 301 Bypass
and Highway 25 Bypass) forms a near circle around the city.

U.S. Routes:

  • U.S. Route 25
  • U.S. Route 80
  • U.S. Route 301

State Routes:

Pedestrians and cycling

  • S&S Greenway Trail

Rail

Rail service for freight is provided by Norfolk Southern Railway.

Notable people

Points of interest

References

  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  2. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  5. ^ a b Statesboro, Georgia Convention and Visitors Bureau Archived March 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Taisha White; Tandra Smith. "Statesboro places in America's Best Communities contest". Thegeorgeanne.com. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  7. ^ [1] [dead link]
  8. ISBN 0-915430-00-2
    .
  9. ^ "Bullochhistory - Timeline". Bullochhistory.com. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ a b c Charlton Moseley and Frederick Brogdon, Review: "A Lynching at Statesboro: The Story of Paul Reed and Will Cato", The Georgia Historical Quarterly Vol. 65, No. 2 (Summer, 1981), pp. 104-118, via JSTOR; accessed 29 July 2016
  12. ^ Pittsburg Press, 17 August 1904; accessed 29 July 2016
  13. ^ a b Jenel Few, "Racial strife" Archived 2015-06-01 at the Wayback Machine, Savannah Morning News, 20 August 2000; accessed 29 July 2016
  14. ^ Ralph Ginzburg, 100 Years of Lynching, Black Classic Press (1967/reprint paperback 1996); W. Fitzhugh Brundage, Lynching in the New South, Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1993
  15. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  16. ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Statesboro city, Georgia". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  17. ^ "Average Weather for Statesboro, GA - Temperature and Precipitation". Weather.com. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  18. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 30, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  19. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  20. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  21. ^ "Statesboro, Bulloch County: Good Timing", Georgia Trend, July 2010
  22. ^ a b "Statesboro/Bulloch County: Brisk Business - Georgia Trend". Georgiatrend.com. June 30, 2012.
  23. ^ "Existing Industries". Archived from the original on April 20, 2015. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
  24. ^ Shivers, David. " Statesboro | Bulloch County: History Meets High-Tech", Georgia Trend, March 1, 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  25. ^ "Georgia Southern - Graduate Admissions". Cogs.georgiasouthern.edu. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  26. ^ "Visit Statesboro". Statesboro Convention and Visitors Bureau. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  27. ^ "Georgia's Renaissance Cities - Georgia Trend". Georgiatrend.com. February 2013.
  28. ^ "New arts center opens today in Statesboro : Savannah Morning News". Savannahnow.com. September 8, 2004. Archived from the original on September 17, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  29. ^ "Now and Then (1995)". IMDb.com.
  30. ^ "Attractions", Georgia Southern University [dead link]
  31. ^ "Mill Creek Regional Park" Archived October 9, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  32. ^ "Georgia Southern at a Glance | Newsroom | Georgia Southern University". University Newsroom. May 24, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  33. ^ "Champions – Tormenta rules League One". stateborohearald.com. November 7, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  34. ^ "Georgia Press Association". Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
  35. ^ "Inland Press Association > Contests > Contest Results". April 15, 2013. Archived from the original on April 15, 2013.
  36. ^ "Statesboros Sharma Lewis makes history". www.statesboroherald.com. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  37. ^ Bastin, Bruce (1995). Red River Blues: The Blues Tradition in the Southeast. University of Illinois Press. p. 129.
    ISBN 978-0-252-06521-7. "Statesboro, Georgia was my real home." McTell to John Lomax
    in 1940 interview
  38. ^ Barone, Michael; Ujifusa, Grant (1987). The Almanac of American Politics 1988. p. 291. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)

External links

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