Americus is the county seat of
Sumter County,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to t ...
, United States.
As of the
2020 census, the city had a population of 16,230. It is the principal city of the
Americus Micropolitan Statistical Area, a
micropolitan area that covers
Schley and Sumter counties and had a combined population of 36,966 at the
2000 census.
Americus is the home of
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or Habitat, is a US non-governmental, and nonprofit organization which was founded in 1976 by couple Millard and Linda Fuller. Habitat for Humanity is a C ...
's international headquarters,
Georgia Southwestern State University
Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) is a public university in Americus, Georgia. It is part of the University System of Georgia and offers bachelor's degree programs along with selected master's and specialist degree programs.
History ...
, the
Windsor Hotel,
The Fuller Center for Housing
The Fuller Center for Housing (FCH) is an ecumenical Christian, 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Americus, Georgia, that builds and repairs homes for low-income families and individuals. It is active in 60 U.S. citie ...
's international headquarters, The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, Cafe Campesino, and many other organizations. The city is notable for its rich history, including a large business and residential historic district, and its close proximity to
Jimmy Carter National Historic Site,
Andersonville National Historic Site, and
Koinonia Farm.
Geography
Americus is located at (32.075221, -84.226602).
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy
An economy is an area of th ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (1.87%) is water.
Climate
History
Early years
For its first two decades, Americus was a small courthouse town. The arrival of the railroad in 1854 and, three decades later, local attorney Samuel H. Hawkins' construction of the only privately financed railroad in state history made Americus the eighth largest city in Georgia into the 20th century. It was known as the "Metropolis of Southwest Georgia," a reflection of its status as a cotton distribution center.
In 1890, Georgia's first chartered
electric street car
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport ...
system went into operation in Americus. One of its restored cars is on permanent display at the Lake Blackshear Regional Library, a gift from the Robert T. Crabb family who acquired the street car in the 1940s.
The town was already graced with an abundance of
antebellum and
Victorian architecture
Victorian architecture is a series of architectural revival styles in the mid-to-late 19th century. ''Victorian'' refers to the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901), called the Victorian era, during which period the styles known as Victorian w ...
when local capitalists opened the
Windsor Hotel in 1892. A five-story Queen Anne edifice, it was designed by a Swedish architect,
Gottfried L. Norrman
Godfrey Leonard Norrman, (1846 – November 16, 1909) was an important architect in the southeastern United States. A number of his commissions are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and in 1897 he was made a Fellow o ...
, in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...
. Vice-President Thomas R. Marshall gave a speech from the balcony in 1917, and soon to be New York Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke in the dining room in 1928.
On January 1, 1976, the city center was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...
as the Americus Historic District. The district boundaries were extended in 1979.
[
]
Into the 20th century
For the local minority community, Rev. Dr. Major W. Reddick established the Americus Institute
Americus Institute was a secondary school that operated in Americus, Georgia, United States during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The school was established in 1897 by the Southwestern Georgia Baptist Association in order to educate African Am ...
(1897–1932). Booker T. Washington was a guest speaker there in May 1908. Rev. Alfred S. Staley was responsible for locating the state Masonic Orphanage in Americus, which served its function from 1898 to 1940. Both men engineered the unification of the General Missionary Baptist Convention of Georgia in 1915, the former as president and the latter as recording secretary. The public school named in honor of A.S. Staley was designated a National School of Excellence in 1990.
Two other colleges were also established in Americus, the Third District Agricultural and Mechanical School in 1906 (now Georgia Southwestern State University
Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) is a public university in Americus, Georgia. It is part of the University System of Georgia and offers bachelor's degree programs along with selected master's and specialist degree programs.
History ...
), and the South Georgia Trade and Vocational School in 1948 (now South Georgia Technical College). South Georgia Technical College is located on the original site of Souther Field.
In World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, an Army Air Service training facility, Souther Field (now Jimmy Carter Regional Airport
: ''see: Souther Field for the military history of the airport''
Jimmy Carter Regional Airport previously Souther Field is a public airport located four miles (6 km) northeast of the central business district of Americus, in Sumter County ...
), was commissioned northeast of the city limits. Charles A. Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, author, inventor, and activist. On May 20–21, 1927, Lindbergh made the first nonstop flight from New York City to Paris, a distance o ...
, the "Lone Eagle," bought his first airplane and made his first solo flight there during a two-week stay in May 1923. Recommissioned for World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, Souther Field was used for RAF pilot training (1941–1942) as well as US pilot training before ending the war as a German prisoner-of-war camp. The town was incorporated in 1832, and the name Americus was picked out of a hat.
Shoeless Joe Jackson served as the field manager for the local baseball team after his banishment from professional baseball. A plaque at Thomas Bell Stadium commemorates his contribution to the local baseball program.
Americus and the Civil Rights Movement
Koinonia Farm, an interracial Christian community, was organized near Americus in 1942. Founder Clarence Jordan was a mentor to Millard and Linda Fuller, who founded Habitat for Humanity International at Koinonia in 1976 before moving into Americus the following year. In 2005, they founded The Fuller Center for Housing
The Fuller Center for Housing (FCH) is an ecumenical Christian, 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Americus, Georgia, that builds and repairs homes for low-income families and individuals. It is active in 60 U.S. citie ...
, also in Americus. Koinonia Farm is currently located southwest of Americus on Hwy. 49.
The Civil Rights Era in Americus was a time of great turmoil; violent opposition to Koinonia by racist elements led to the bombing of a store uptown in 1957. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spent a weekend in the courthouse jail in 1961, after an arrest in Albany. The "Sumter Movement" to end racial segregation
Racial segregation is the systematic separation of people into racial or other ethnic groups in daily life. Racial segregation can amount to the international crime of apartheid and a crime against humanity under the Statute of the Intern ...
was organized and led by Rev. Joseph R. Campbell in 1963. As a direct result, two Georgia laws were subsequently declared unconstitutional by a federal tribunal meeting in Americus. Color barriers were first removed in 1965 when J.W. Jones and Henry L. Williams joined the Americus police force. Lewis M. Lowe was elected as the first black city councilman ten years later. With their election in 1995, Eloise R. Paschal and Eddie Rhea Walker broke the gender barrier on the city's governing body.
In 1971, the city was featured in a Marshall Frady article, "Discovering One Another in a Georgia Town", in ''Life
Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for Cell growth, growth, reaction to Stimu ...
'' magazine. The portrayal of the city's school integration was relatively benign, especially considering the community's history of troubled race relations. Americus' nadir in this respect had occurred in 1913, when a young black man named Will Redding was lynched by a white mob. A group of young African Americans were standing on the corner of Cotton Avenue and Lamar Street. One of those men was Will Redding. Police chief Barrow ordered them to move away from the corner, all complied except Redding. The chief tried to arrest him and a struggle ensued. Redding was then hit with the chief's gun, after which Redding grabbed the gun and shot the police chief. He was then chased down, shot, and put in jail. An angry mob went into the jail and tore down the door to Redding's cell. When the door was completely torn down, the mob dragged him out onto Forsyth street and beat him to death with crow bars and hammers.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 16,230 people, 6,162 households, and 3,557 families residing in the city.
2000 census
As of the census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
of 2000, there were 17,013 people, 6,374 households, and 4,149 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 7,053 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 39.05% White
White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...
, 58.26% African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
, 0.23% Native American, 0.86% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Ocea ...
, 0.90% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
or Latino people of any race were 2.49% of the population.
There were 6,374 households, out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.2% were married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 27.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.0% under the age of 18, 14.1% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 79.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 70.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,808, and the median income for a family was $32,132. Males had a median income of $27,055 versus $20,169 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $14,168. About 23.4% of families and 27.7% of the population were below the poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 44.1% of those under age 18 and 19.8% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Largest employers
According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the area were:
Education
Primary and secondary schools
The Sumter County School District holds grades pre-school to twelfth, which consist of one primary school and one elementary school, two middle schools, and two high schools.[Georgia Board of Education](_blank)
Retrieved June 26, 2010. The district has 353 full-time teachers and over 5,774 students.
Elementary schools:
*Sumter County Primary School
*Sumter County Elementary School
*Sumter County Intermediate School
Secondary schools:
*Sumter County Middle School
*Americus-Sumter Ninth Grade Academy
*Americus-Sumter County High School
K-12 charter school:
*Furlow Charter School
K-12 private school:
*Southland Academy
Southland Academy is a private, co-educational, non-sectarian Christian college preparatory day school in Americus, Georgia, United States. It enrolls 552 students in grades K through 12. It was founded in 1966 as a segregation academy.
Histor ...
Higher education
*Georgia Southwestern State University
Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) is a public university in Americus, Georgia. It is part of the University System of Georgia and offers bachelor's degree programs along with selected master's and specialist degree programs.
History ...
* South Georgia Technical College
All schools and colleges are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
Public libraries
The community has the Lake Blackshear Regional Library, a part of the Lake Blackshear Regional Library System
The Lake Blackshear Regional Library System (LBRLS) is a public library system covering the four counties of Sumter, Crisp, Dooly, Schley, Georgia, United States. The Lake Blackshear Headquarters Library is located in Americus. The system is ...
. It was temporarily relocated to a shirt factory warehouse also located in Americus after the tornado in 2007, but, once the reconstruction of the library finished around 2012, it was moved back to its original place.
2007 tornado
Americus was hit by an EF3 tornado around 9:15 pm on March 1, 2007. The tornado was up to , and carved a path of destruction through the city and surrounding residential areas. It destroyed parts of Sumter Regional Hospital Sumter may refer to:
People Given name
* Sumter S. Arnim (1904–1990), American dentist
* Sumter de Leon Lowry Jr. (1893–1985), United States Army general
Surname
* Rowendy Sumter (born 1988), Curaçaoan footballer
* Shavonda E. Sumter ...
, forcing the evacuations of all of the patients there. There were two fatalities at a Hudson Street residence near the hospital; all SRH patients were evacuated safely. The hospital, however, faced major reconstruction issues and was eventually torn down. A new hospital, Phoebe Sumter, opened at a new location on the corner of US 19 and Highway 280 in December 2011.
Georgia Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Sonny Perdue said, "It was worse I had feared. The hospital was hit, but the devastation within the area of Sumter County and Americus was more than I imagined. The businesses around the hospital are totally destroyed. Power is still not restored in many places. It's just a blessing frankly that we didn't have more fatalities than we did." Over 500 homes were affected, with around 100 completely destroyed. Several businesses throughout the town were seriously damaged or destroyed as well. Among the businesses suffering major damage were Winn Dixie supermarket, Wendy's, Zaxby's, McDonald's, Domino's Pizza, and several local businesses. The Winn Dixie was completely destroyed. Domino's Pizza has since reopened, as well as Winn Dixie, which soon closed down, a Harvey's opening in its place.
President George W. Bush visited the area on March 3, calling what he saw "tough devastation."
Notable people
* Griffin Bell
* Mike Cheokas
Mike Cheokas (born May 27, 1953) is an American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of th ...
- politician
* Brent Cobb
* Howell Cobb
* Philip Cook
* Charles F. Crisp
* Charles R. Crisp
* Cassandra Pickett Durham
* Lonne Elder III
* Millard Fuller
* Chan Gailey
* Jimmy Garrison
* Victor Green
*Kent Hill
Kent Angelo Hill (born March 7, 1957) is an American former professional footalll player who was an offensive lineman for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily for the Los Angeles Rams. He played college football for t ...
*George Hooks
George Hooks (born May 9, 1945) is a Democratic former member of the Georgia State Senate, representing the 14th District from 1991 through 2013. Previously he was a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from 1980 through 1990.
Backg ...
* Alonzo Jackson
*Eddie Jackson Eddie Jackson is the name of:
*Eddie Jackson (chef) (born 1980), American NFL safety and Food Network host
* Eddie Jackson (safety) (born 1993), American football player for the Chicago Bears
* Edward Jackson (footballer) (1925–1996), Australian ...
* Otis Leverette
*Angel Martino
Angelina Myers Martino (born April 25, 1967), now known as Angel Sims, is an American former competition swimmer, three-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder. Over her career, she won three Olympic gold medals and three bronze ...
* Joanna Moore
*Ruby Muhammad
Ruby Macie Muhammad (née Grier) ( – died March 2, 2011) was an African American religious figure and centenarian known ...
* James Nabrit Jr.
*Leonard Pope
Leonard Pope (born September 10, 1983) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia.
Pope has also played for the Kansas City Chi ...
*Dan Reeves
Daniel Edward Reeves (January 19, 1944 – January 1, 2022) was an American football running back and coach in the National Football League (NFL). During his 38 years in the NFL, Reeves participated in nine Super Bowls, the third most for an ...
* Mo Sanford
Baseball
There have been eight minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in N ...
teams that have represented the city of Americus during 20 seasons spanning 1906–2002. Since classification of the minors began, seven of them have been labeled as class D loops and one played in an independent league. Several ballplayers for Americus teams subsequently played in the major leagues.
Tourism
* Georgia Rural Telephone Museum
The Georgia Rural Telephone Museum (GRTM) is a telephone and telephone memorabilia museum located in Leslie, Georgia, United States. Housed in a renovated 1910s cotton warehouse, the GRTM is, according to 2007's ''Georgia Curiosities'', "one of ...
- Leslie
* Georgia Veterans State Park
Georgia Veterans State Park (originally the Georgia Veterans Memorial State Park) is a state park located on Lake Blackshear in Crisp County, west of Cordele, Georgia. It was established on December 4, 1946 as a memorial to U.S. Veterans. The ...
- Lake Blackshear
* Jimmy Carter National Historic Site - Plains
* Habitat for Humanity Global Village and Discovery CenterHabitat for Humanity Global Village and Discovery Center
/ref> - Americus
Gallery
File:Americus Public Safety Building.jpg, The Russell Thomas, Jr. Public Safety Building houses the Americus police and fire departments.
References
External links
City website
Community website
Americus
(in the ''New Georgia Encyclopedia'')
''The Americus Newsletter''
Americus Sumter Chamber of Commerce
South Georgia Historic Newspapers Archive
Digital Library of Georgia
Americus Movement
Civil Rights Digital Library
*
{{authority control
1832 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
Cities in Georgia (U.S. state)
County seats in Georgia (U.S. state)
Americus, Georgia micropolitan area
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Georgia (U.S. state)
Cities in Sumter County, Georgia
National Register of Historic Places in Sumter County, Georgia