Blairsville is a city and the county seat of Union County, on the northern border of Georgia, United States. It was founded near the Nottely River, which was dammed in 1942 as part of the Tennessee Valley Authority project, forming Lake Nottely. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 616.

History

Old Union County Jail, Blairsville (Union County, Georgia)

During the 1830s, the United States conducted

Indian Removal Indian removal was the United States government policy of forced displacement of self-governing tribes of Native Americans from their ancestral homelands in the eastern United States to lands west of the Mississippi Riverspecifically, to a de ...

of the

Cherokee Nation The Cherokee Nation (Cherokee: ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ ''Tsalagihi Ayeli'' or ᏣᎳᎩᏰᎵ ''Tsalagiyehli''), also known as the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. It ...

and other Southeast tribes, to what was designated as Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River. This area along the Nottely River was part of the large Cherokee territory and the leader Goingsnake was born here in 1758. After American settlers moved into this area, in 1835 the

Georgia General Assembly The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each of the General Assembly's 236 members serve two-year terms and are directly ...

designated Blairsville as the Union County seat. The town is named after American Revolutionary War veteran

James Blair James Blair may refer to: *James Blair (Australian judge) (1870–1944), Australian judge, lawyer, and politician *James Blair (cricketer) (1900–1961), Australian-born New Zealand cricketer * James Blair (farmer) (1825–1901), Scottish-born farm ...

. The neighboring city of Dahlonega was known as the first site of gold in the United States, but the Blairsville area was known to have the purest gold in the mountains of northern Georgia. Assayers in Washington, D.C. could tell by looking that gold ore was from the Coosa Mines because it was “the yellowest gold” submitted and its brilliant color set it apart. This area of northern Georgia was still rural and isolated before World War II. During the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, under the President Franklin D. Roosevelt administration, the Nottely River was selected as part of the Tennessee Valley Authority projects. The river was dammed in order to form a reservoir to generate hydroelectric power. It also created a lake with recreational opportunities. This was one of the projects that produced electrification in a rural area.

Geography

U.S. Routes 19 and 76, as well as

Georgia State Route 515 State Route 515 (SR 515) is a four-lane C-shaped state highway in the northern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. It uses a blue state route designation because it is part of the Appalachian Development Highway System. It begins just ...

(Zell Miller Mountain Parkway), are the main highways through the city. U.S. 19 leads north to

Murphy Murphy () ( ga, Ua Murchadha) is an Irish surname and the most common surname in the Republic of Ireland. Origins and variants The surname is a variant of two Irish surnames: "Ó Murchadha"/"Ó Murchadh" (descendant of "Murchadh"), and "Mac ...

, North Carolina and south to Dahlonega. U.S. 76 and GA-515 run through the city together, leading northeast to

Young Harris Young Loftin Gerdine Harris (1812 – April 28, 1894) was an American lawyer, businessman, politician, judge, and philanthropist. He is best known as the early benefactor of Young Harris College in the U.S. state of Georgia, after whom the schoo ...

and west to Blue Ridge. Atlanta is to the south via U.S. 19. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Climate

Blairsville has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

, yet due to its elevation of , typically records far lower temperatures at night than what is encountered in much of the Southeastern U.S., and has slightly higher precipitation totals ( annually) than most locations in the state; the average diurnal temperature variation exceeds in each of the spring and autumn months. Snow usually occurs several times every year. The average annual snowfall is 4 inches. The monthly daily mean temperature ranges from in January to in July. There are 7.6 days of highs and 4.6 days where the high fails to rise above freezing annually.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 616 people, 230 households, and 110 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 652 people living in the city. The population density was . The racial makeup of the city was: White alone - 577 (88.5%), African American - 30 (4.6%), Hispanic - 30 (4.6%), two or more other races - 10 (1.5%), American Indian alone - 4 (0.6%),

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

- 1 (0.2%). There were 226 households, out of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.4% 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, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 54.9% were non-families. 50.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.95 and the average family size was 2.92. In the city, the population was spread out, with 14.3% under the age of 18, 15.2% from 18 to 24, 39.0% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 151.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 167.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $14,120, and the median income for a family was $24,712. Males had a median income of $21,953 versus $28,125 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,865. About 16.8% of families and 26.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.2% of those under age 18 and 23.7% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Annual cultural events

* The Sorghum Festival is held every year on the second and third weekends in October, celebrating the

sorghum ''Sorghum'' () is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the grass family (Poaceae). Some of these species are grown as cereals for human consumption and some in pastures for animals. One species is grown for grain, while many othe ...

harvest and showcasing rural mountain culture, including bluegrass music and clogging. * The Spring Arts and Crafts Festival is held every year during the last weekend in May. Assorted artists from all over North Georgia participate, as well as local artists, restaurants and businesses. Held on the historic town square, there are activities for children and musical acts that will appeal to everyone. * The Green Bean Festival is held annually on the last weekend in July. It features beauty pageants, green bean pizza eating contests, a canning contest, a green bean recipe contest, a tractor parade, fresh produce, crafts, and many activities for children.

Points of interest

Nearby

Lake Nottely Lake Nottely (also called Nottely Reservoir) is one of many reservoirs of the Tennessee Valley Authority. It is located entirely in Union County, Georgia in the United States and within the Chatahoochee-Oconee National Forests. Formed in 1942 by t ...

is a Tennessee Valley Authority reservoir. In addition to helping generate hydroelectric power, the lake serves as a local recreational resource. It was created by damming the Nottely River as part of a regional, large-scale project for rural electrification and development. The Appalachian Trail in Georgia has elevations that vary from about 2500 to , with many steep climbs. It extends some through the Chattahoochee National Forest. Butternut Creek Golf Course is an 18-hole mountainside public golf course located within the city limits. Encompassing nearly two-thirds of the county, the Chattahoochee National Forest has a series of winding trails. Visitors may hike through scenic mountains, and by rushing rivers, and cascading waterfalls. Vogel state park

Brasstown Bald is the highest mountain peak in Georgia. It has a park with a picnic area and a small observation tower near the peak. This features a movie chronicling the change of seasons and the effects of pollution on the mountain. The peak may be reached by bus or by walking from a point halfway to the top, beyond which private vehicles are not allowed. Vogel State Park is a park located on Highway 19/129 approximately eleven miles (18 km) south of Blairsville. It is centered around

Lake Trahlyta Lake Trahlyta is a reservoir in Union County, Georgia. The lake is located in Vogel State Park near Blairsville, Georgia which is one of the first two original state parks in the state of Georgia. The lake is named for Princess Trahlyta of the E ...

. Amenities: *Approximately five miles (8 km) of hiking trails *Access to the Appalachian Trail *Paddleboat rentals and fishing *Miniature golf course *35 rental cabins *103 campsites The park has seasonal programs: *Fall Festival *Pioneer Christmas *Kids Fishing Rodeo *Summer Saturday music events *September All-Day Mountain Music Festival

Education

Blairsville is in proximity to several colleges.

North Georgia Technical College North Georgia Technical College (NGTC) is a public technical college in Clarkesville, Georgia, with additional campuses in Toccoa (known as the Currahee campus, named after nearby Currahee Mountain) and Blairsville. It is part of the Technical C ...

has a campus in town. Young Harris College in

, and the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega are nearby. The public education system for Blairsville is supervised by the Union County School District, a relatively small school district, which manages the five schools in the system. The Union County School District conducts classes for pre-school to grade twelve. Its facilities consist of two elementary schools, a middle school, and two high schools. The district has 172 full-time teachers and over 2,598 students. *Union County Elementary School *Union County Primary School *Union County Middle School * Union County High School * Woody Gap High/Elementary School Blairsville is home to one alternative school, the Mountain Education Center High School, which is an evening school. Union County schools are acclaimed for their excellence and influencing the local community through their excellence and dedication. The Union County Public Library is part of the Mountain Regional Library System, which manages four libraries in the region. It is a member of Georgia Library PINES (the

Public Information Network for Electronic Services The Public Information Network for Electronic Services (or PINES) is the nearly statewide library consortium and its online library catalog of the Georgia Public Library Service. By June 2017, the catalog consisted of books from 284 library faci ...

) along with Mountain Regional Library in Young Harris, Towns County Public Library in Hiawassee, and Fannin County Public Library in Blue Ridge. There are some private schools nearby as well: *The Mountain Area Christian Academy, in Morganton, Georgia *Eastgate Life Academy, in Hiawassee, Georgia *Murphy Adventist Christian School, in Murphy, North Carolina

Infrastructure

Transportation

U.S. Route 76 and

Zell Miller Mountain Parkway State Route 515 (SR 515) is a four-lane C-shaped state highway in the northern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. It uses a blue state route designation because it is part of the Appalachian Development Highway System. It begins jus ...

(GA 515) are the main highways that run through Blairsville. U.S. 76 and GA-515 lead northeast from the city to

and west to Blue Ridge. U.S. Routes 19 and 129 also run through the city together, leading north to

, North Carolina and south to Dahlonega. Atlanta is south via U.S. 19/129.

Blairsville Airport Blairsville Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) southwest of the central business district of Blairsville, a city in Union County, Georgia, United States. It is included in the National Pla ...

is located in the city.

Media

The Blairsville area is served by a few local television stations, one newspaper, magazines, and numerous local radio stations. They broadcast several genres of music, and sports, news, and talk radio. The ''North Georgia News'' is the primary newspaper and legal organ for the area. A member of the Georgia Press Association, the NGN is Blairsville's only accredited media outlet. ''Montefino Magazine'' is an aspirational publication based in Blairsville; it covers lifestyle and social news for Blairsville, Union County, and surrounding areas. Blairsville has 12 local radio stations. WUCG-FM 93.1 is based in Blairsville, 1210-AM (WDGR), 89.5-FM (WNGU), and 104.3-FM (WZTR) are based in Dahlonega. WCVP-AM (600), WCNG-FM (102.7), and WKRK-AM (1320) are based in

, North Carolina. 95.1-FM ( WJRB) is based in

, Georgia, while 105.1-FM (WNGA) and 89.9FM (WTFH) are based in

Helen Helen may refer to: People * Helen of Troy, in Greek mythology, the most beautiful woman in the world * Helen (actress) (born 1938), Indian actress * Helen (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) Places * Helen, ...

. 1230-AM/97.7FM (

WJUL WJUL (1230 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a Classic Hits format. Licensed to Hiawassee, Georgia, United States, the station is currently owned by WJUL Radio, LLC. WJUL is the former callsign of what is now WUML, the student run radio outle ...

) is based in

Hiawassee Hiawassee is the county seat of Towns County, Georgia, United States. The community's population was 880 at the 2010 census. Its name is derived from the Cherokee—or perhaps Creek—word ''Ayuhwasi'', which means meadow, (A variant spelling, ...

. 103.9-FM (WPPL) is based in Blue Ridge. The local television station is W50AB (channel 50), based in Hiawassee.

References

External links

Blairsville, GA City Website

Blairsville, GA Website

Blairsville Chamber of Commerce

Blairsville Downtown Development Authority

Vogel State Park
Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites
Stories and Events from the North Georgia News

Montefino Magazine
{{authority control Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) Cities in Union County, Georgia County seats in Georgia (U.S. state)