The city of Sandersville is the county seat[4] of Washington County, Georgia, United States. The population was 5,813 in 2020. It is also a part of the Central Savannah River Area. Sandersville is known as the "Kaolin Capital of the World" due to its abundance of kaolin.[5]
Sandersville, Georgia | |
|---|---|
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nickname: Kaolin Capital of the World | |
 Location in Washington County and the state of Georgia | |
| Coordinates: 32°58′55″N 82°48′35″W / 32.98194°N 82.80972°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Washington |
| Founded | 1796 |
| Incorporated | 1812 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-Mayor |
| • Mayor | James W. Andrews |
| Area | |
• Total | 12.99 sq mi (33.65 km2) |
| • Land | 12.87 sq mi (33.34 km2) |
| • Water | 0.12 sq mi (0.32 km2) |
| Elevation | 446 ft (136 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 5,813 |
| • Density | 451.64/sq mi (174.38/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 31082 |
| Area code | 478 |
| FIPS code | 13-68208[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0322445[3] |
| Website | www |
History
editEstablished by British settlers in Creek territory in the 18th century, shortly after the American Revolution, the town of Sandersville became the county seat of Washington County in 1796.[6][7] Creek leaders had not yet ceded their territory when Sandersville was settled. According to a book on Georgia place names, the city was named after M. Saunders, a local store owner.[8] The settlement was located at an intersection of Native American Indian trails, and later the site of Saunders' general store.
The town appears on Anthony Finley's 1827 map of Georgia.[9]
In 1864, during the Civil War, General William T. Sherman skirmished and then paused in Sandersville during his March to the Sea. Brief resistance to the advancing Union forces was centered on the courthouse. As they left, Sherman's troops burned both it and the jail, but left the rest of the town intact.[10] A new Washington County Courthouse was built in 1869.
The Sandersville Railroad was built in 1893 as a part of the Central of Georgia Railway, but still operates today as a privately owned shortline that connects to Norfolk Southern Railway's Georgia Division Savannah District at Tennille, Georgia, 4 miles to the south.
According to the U.S. National Archive, Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad grew up in Sandersville in the 1890s and 1900s.[11] He is reported to have said that, in Sandersville, he witnessed three lynchings before the age of 10.
Geography
editAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.45 square kilometres (4.03 sq mi), of which 9.1 square miles (24 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) (0.87%) is water. The area is along the "Fall Line" that separates the Piedmont Plateau and the Atlantic Coastal Plain and is characterized by rolling hills, red clay, pine and hardwood forest, swamplands, and sand beds. The area tapers off from north to south and becomes more flat. Heading north it becomes more hilly with higher elevations.
Climate
edit| Climate data for Sandersville, Georgia, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1914–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 82 (28) |
85 (29) |
90 (32) |
94 (34) |
98 (37) |
107 (42) |
109 (43) |
102 (39) |
102 (39) |
99 (37) |
87 (31) |
83 (28) |
109 (43) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 73.5 (23.1) |
76.9 (24.9) |
83.4 (28.6) |
86.7 (30.4) |
91.4 (33.0) |
95.7 (35.4) |
97.6 (36.4) |
96.9 (36.1) |
92.7 (33.7) |
86.3 (30.2) |
79.8 (26.6) |
75.0 (23.9) |
98.7 (37.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 57.9 (14.4) |
61.3 (16.3) |
68.7 (20.4) |
76.0 (24.4) |
83.1 (28.4) |
88.5 (31.4) |
91.6 (33.1) |
89.9 (32.2) |
85.0 (29.4) |
76.3 (24.6) |
66.9 (19.4) |
59.7 (15.4) |
75.4 (24.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 46.3 (7.9) |
49.0 (9.4) |
55.8 (13.2) |
63.0 (17.2) |
71.0 (21.7) |
77.8 (25.4) |
81.3 (27.4) |
80.0 (26.7) |
74.8 (23.8) |
64.6 (18.1) |
54.5 (12.5) |
48.4 (9.1) |
63.9 (17.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 34.7 (1.5) |
36.7 (2.6) |
42.8 (6.0) |
50.0 (10.0) |
58.8 (14.9) |
67.2 (19.6) |
70.9 (21.6) |
70.0 (21.1) |
64.5 (18.1) |
52.9 (11.6) |
42.1 (5.6) |
37.2 (2.9) |
52.3 (11.3) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 19.0 (−7.2) |
22.7 (−5.2) |
28.3 (−2.1) |
36.0 (2.2) |
45.7 (7.6) |
58.6 (14.8) |
64.2 (17.9) |
62.3 (16.8) |
52.3 (11.3) |
37.7 (3.2) |
28.8 (−1.8) |
23.9 (−4.5) |
17.0 (−8.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −3 (−19) |
7 (−14) |
14 (−10) |
26 (−3) |
36 (2) |
45 (7) |
50 (10) |
55 (13) |
35 (2) |
24 (−4) |
18 (−8) |
4 (−16) |
−3 (−19) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.40 (112) |
4.13 (105) |
4.83 (123) |
3.25 (83) |
3.16 (80) |
4.29 (109) |
4.41 (112) |
5.14 (131) |
4.49 (114) |
3.07 (78) |
2.88 (73) |
4.56 (116) |
48.61 (1,236) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.0 (0.0) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.5 (1.25) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.9 | 8.8 | 8.5 | 7.3 | 7.5 | 10.3 | 10.4 | 10.1 | 7.5 | 6.7 | 6.5 | 9.2 | 102.7 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| Source 1: NOAA[12] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[13] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
edit| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 1,279 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,760 | 37.6% | |
| 1900 | 2,023 | 14.9% | |
| 1910 | 2,641 | 30.5% | |
| 1920 | 2,695 | 2.0% | |
| 1930 | 3,011 | 11.7% | |
| 1940 | 3,566 | 18.4% | |
| 1950 | 4,480 | 25.6% | |
| 1960 | 5,425 | 21.1% | |
| 1970 | 5,546 | 2.2% | |
| 1980 | 6,137 | 10.7% | |
| 1990 | 6,290 | 2.5% | |
| 2000 | 6,144 | −2.3% | |
| 2010 | 5,912 | −3.8% | |
| 2020 | 5,813 | −1.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[14] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1,861 | 32.01% |
| Black or African American | 3,675 | 63.22% |
| Native American | 3 | 0.05% |
| Asian | 32 | 0.55% |
| Other/Mixed | 132 | 2.27% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 110 | 1.89% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,813 people, 2,213 households, and 1,425 families residing in the city.
Economy
editThe economy of Sandersville was based on agriculture, particularly cotton, for many years. In the 1950s, an industry developed based on the mining and processing of kaolin found in the area.[10]
Education
editWashington County School District
editThe Washington County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of a primary and elementary school, a middle school, and a high school.[16] The district has 220 full-time teachers and over 3,821 students.[17]
- Ridge Road Primary School
- Ridge Road Elementary School
- T. J. Elder Middle School
- Washington County High School
Private education
edit- Brentwood School (grades K-3 through 12)
Higher education
edit- Oconee Fall Line Technical College- Main Campus [North Campus ]
- Georgia Military College- Extension Centre[18]
Sports
editSandersville was home to the minor league baseball teams, the Sandersville Giants (1955–1956) and Sandersville Wacos (1953–1954). Sandersville played in the Class D Georgia State League (GSL) from 1953 to 1956 and played at Sandersville Baseball Park. Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Willie McCovey played for the Sandersville Giants in 1955. The team folded along with the Georgia State League following the 1956 season. Sandersville was an affiliate of the Milwaukee Braves (1953) and New York Giants (1955–1956).[citation needed]
Newspaper
editSandersville has two newspapers: The Sandersville Progress and "The Spotlight". They both are published weekly. The Sandersville Progress began publication in 1870.
Notable people
edit- Nathan Deal, 82nd Governor of Georgia
- Doris Duke, soul singer
- Robert Edwards, professional football player[19]
- Terrence Edwards, professional football player[20]
- Thomas W. Hardwick, lawyer and 63rd Governor of Georgia
- Herbert Jefferson Jr., actor
- Marvin Lane, professional baseball player[21]
- Greg Minor, professional basketball player [22]
- Elijah Muhammad, Leader of the Nation of Islam[23]
- Takeo Spikes, professional football player[24]
- Coot Veal, professional baseball player[25]
- Allisha Gray, professional basketball player
See also
edit
- Central Savannah River Area hometown of Private Willie Duckworth Inventor of the military cadence
References
edit- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "Kaolin Capital of the World". City of Sandersville, GA. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
- ^ State of Georgia. "City of Sandersville". Retrieved September 1, 2009.
- ^ Haveman, Christopher D. (August 7, 2009). "The Removal of the Creek Indians from the Southeast, 1825-1838".
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 197. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
- ^ "Georgia". Klokan Technologies GmbH. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
- ^ a b Hollingsworth, Brenda. "Washington County". Retrieved September 1, 2009.
- ^ "Elijah Muhammad". National Archives. August 25, 2016. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
- ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Sandersville, GA". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ^ "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Atlanta". National Weather Service. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
- ^ Georgia Board of Education, Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- ^ School Stats, Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- ^ Georgia Military College- Campus Locations, Retrieved June 29, 2010
- ^ "Robert Edwards". nfl.com. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
- ^ "Terrence Edwards". nfl.com. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
- ^ "Marvin Lane Baseball Stats by Baseball Almanac". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved January 23, 2010.
- ^ "Greg Minor NBA & ABA Statistics". www.basketball-reference.com. Retrieved January 23, 2010.
- ^ "Honorable Elijah Muhammad". August 14, 2013.
- ^ "Takeo Spikes". nfl.com. Retrieved January 23, 2010.
- ^ "Coot Veal Statistics and History - Baseball-Reference.com". www.baseball-reference.com. Retrieved January 23, 2010.