Blairsville is a city in and the county seat of Union County, on the northern border of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

, United States. It was founded near the Nottely River, which was dammed in 1942 as part of the

Tennessee Valley Authority The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federally owned electric utility corporation in the United States. TVA's service area covers all of Tennessee, portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, and small areas of Georgia, North Carolin ...

project, forming Lake Nottely. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 616.

History

During the 1830s, the United States conducted Indian Removal of the

Cherokee Nation The Cherokee Nation ( or ) is the largest of three list of federally recognized tribes, federally recognized tribes of Cherokees in the United States. It includes people descended from members of the Cherokee Nation (1794–1907), Old Cheroke ...

and other Southeast tribes, to what was designated as

Indian Territory Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United States, ...

west of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

. This area along the Nottely River was part of the large Cherokee territory and the leader

Goingsnake Goingsnake (c. 1758 – March 1, 1840), also spelled Going Snake; in Cherokee, ''I-na-du-na-i'', ᎢᎾᏚᎾᎢ) (Cherokee) was a respected warrior, gifted orator, and prominent political leader of his people. He was born in the vicinity of pres ...

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 directl ...

designated Blairsville as the Union County seat. The town is named after

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

veteran James Blair. The neighboring city of

Dahlonega Dahlonega ( ) is the county seat of Lumpkin County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 5,242, and in 2018 the population was estimated to be 6,884. Dahlonega is located at the north end of Georgia h ...

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 was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, under the President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

administration, the Nottely River was selected as part of the

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. Blairsville's newspaper, the ''

North Georgia News The ''North Georgia News'' is one of the highest-circulation weekly newspapers in North Georgia. It covers Blairsville, Georgia, and Union County. The newspaper launched in 1909. Its first publisher was F.A. Miller. The ''North Georgia News'' ...

'', was first published in 1909. United Community Banks, Inc., one of the largest financial institutions in the Southeast U.S., was founded in Blairsville in 1949.

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 jus ...

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

Murphy Murphy is an Irish surname meaning "Sea Warrior". Origins and variants The surname is a variant of two Irish surnames: "Ó Murchadha"/"Ó Murchadh" (descendant of "Murchadh"), and "Mac Murchaidh"/" Mac Murchadh" (son of "Murchadh") derived ...

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

and south to

. U.S. 76 and GA-515 run through the city together, leading northeast to Young Harris and west to Blue Ridge.

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

is to the south via U.S. 19. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Climate

Blairsville has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

, 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 In meteorology, diurnal temperature variation is the variation between a high air temperature and a low temperature that occurs during the same day. Temperature lag Temperature lag, also known as thermal inertia, is an important factor in diur ...

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

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 652 people living in the city. The population density was . The racial makeup of the city was:

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

alone - 577 (88.5%),

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

- 30 (4.6%),

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

- 30 (4.6%), two or more other races - 10 (1.5%), American Indian alone - 4 (0.6%), Asian - 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 recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

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 Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $13,865. About 16.8% of families and 26.3% 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 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 bicolor'', commonly called sorghum () and also known as great millet, broomcorn, guinea corn, durra, imphee, jowar, or milo, is a species in the Poaceae, grass genus ''Sorghum (genus), Sorghum'' cultivated for its grain. The grain i ...

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 Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests. Formed in 1942 by ...

is a

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 The Appalachian Trail, also called the A.T., is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian Tra ...

in Georgia has elevations that vary from about 2500 to , with many steep climbs. It extends some through the

Chattahoochee National Forest The Chattahoochee River () is a river in the Southeastern United States. It forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida and Georgia border. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a rela ...

. The only place where the Appalachian Trail passes through a man-made structure, the Walasi Yi Center, is located in Blairsville. 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

has a series of winding trails. Visitors may hike through scenic mountains, and by rushing rivers, and cascading waterfalls. Vogel state park

Brasstown Bald Brasstown Bald is the highest point in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is located in the northeastern part of the state in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the border between Towns and Union counties south of the city of Hiawassee. The mountain is kn ...

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 Vogel State Park is a or 94 hectares state park located at the base of Blood Mountain in the Chattahoochee National Forest. It became one of the first two parks in Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia when it founded a state park system in 1931. Muc ...

is a park located on Highway 19/129 approximately south of Blairsville. It is centered around Lake Trahlyta. Amenities: *Approximately 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 ...

has a campus in town.

Young Harris College Young Harris College is a Private college, private Methodist-affiliated Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Young Harris, Georgia, United States. History Origins The school was founded in 1886 by Artemas Le ...

in Young Harris, and the

University of North Georgia The University of North Georgia (UNG) is a public university with multiple campuses in Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. It is part of the University System of Georgia. The university was established on January 8, 2013, through a m ...

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

Notable people

Jonathan Davenport Jonathan Lee Davenport (born October 31, 1983), nicknamed Superman, is an American professional Dirt track racing, dirt track and stock car racing driver. He currently competes full-time in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, driving the No. 4 ...

- Dirt Super Late Model and former

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...

driver

Infrastructure

Transportation

U.S. Route 76 U.S. Route 76 (US 76) is an east–west U.S. highway in the Southeastern United States that travels for . Its western terminus is at U.S. Route 41 in Tennessee, US 41 and the eastern terminus of U.S. Route 72 in Tennessee, US 72 (Broad Street) in ...

and Zell Miller Mountain Parkway (GA 515) are the main highways that run through Blairsville. U.S. 76 and GA-515 lead northeast from the city to Young Harris and west to Blue Ridge. U.S. Routes 19 and 129 also run through the city together, leading north to

and south to

is south via U.S. 19/129. Blairsville Airport 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 ''

'' 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

. WCVP-AM (600), WCNG-FM (102.7), and WKRK-AM (1320) are based in

, North Carolina. 95.1-FM ( WJRB) is based in Young Harris, Georgia, while 105.1-FM (WNGA) and 89.9-FM (WTFH) are based in Helen. 1230-AM/97.7-FM ( WJUL) is based in

Hiawassee Hiawassee is the county seat of Towns County, Georgia, United States. The population was 981 at the 2020 census. Its name is derived from the Cherokee—or perhaps Creek—word ''Ayuhwasi'', which means meadow, (A variant spelling, "Hiwassee, ...

. 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)