Brooks is a town in Fayette 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 the ...

, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 524.

Geography

Brooks is located in southern Fayette County, south of Fayetteville, the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

, southeast of

Peachtree City Peachtree City is the largest city in Fayette County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 34,364. Peachtree City is located in South Metro Atlanta. Peachtree City is noted for its extensive use o ...

, and west of

Griffin The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (Ancient Greek: , ''gryps''; Classical Latin: ''grȳps'' or ''grȳpus''; Late Latin, Late and Medieval Latin: ''gryphes'', ''grypho'' etc.; Old French: ''griffon'') is a legendary creature with the body, tail ...

. Brooks is south of downtown

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 498,715 ...

. 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. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, Brooks has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.38%, is water.

Demographics

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 incl ...

of 2010, there were 524 people, 195 households, and 165 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 208 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.18%

White White is the 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 reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, .57%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.18% Native American, .57%

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, and 1.72% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

people of any race were 3.82% of the population. There were 195 households, out of which 40.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.4% 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, 4.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.9% were non-families. 12.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.08. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.8% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $65,000, and the median income for a family was $70,625. Males had a median income of $47,841 versus $22,000 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 town was $28,199. About 1.6% of families and 2.0% 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 t ...

, including none of those under age 18 and 1.9% of those age 65 or over.

History

Before white settlers came to the area,

Creek Indians The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language), are a group of related indigenous (Native American) peoples of the Southeastern WoodlandsCivil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, the town sent many young men to fight in the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

. Several of these men were killed during the war.

Economy

Past

By the 1900s Brooks began to grow due to the railroad. According to Daniel Langford Jr. several stores were built, including a bank, a drugstore,

cotton gin A cotton gin—meaning "cotton engine"—is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, enabling much greater productivity than manual cotton separation.. Reprinted by McGraw-Hill, New York and London, 1926 (); a ...

grist mill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...

s, and

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...

shops. Although businesses were on the rise in the small town, the main source of economy for the town was farming.

Cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...

was the number one crop for a long time until 1921 when the

boll weevil The boll weevil (''Anthonomus grandis'') is a beetle that feeds on cotton buds and flowers. Thought to be native to Central Mexico, it migrated into the United States from Mexico in the late 19th century and had infested all U.S. cotton-growing ...

appeared, quickly destroying crops, placing the town into an economic depression, and causing it to lose its charter. By the time the Great Depression struck the country, Brooks had been suffering for eight years. The town began to come out of the depression in 1939 after electricity was installed in the town. Around this time Brooks received its town charter again. Another factor in the growth of the town was due to the rise in the airline industry. Airline employees from

began to buy large tracts of farmland. Farming also changed as the focus switched from cotton to cattle.

Present

Today Brooks is still considered rural, but agriculture is no longer the main driver of the economy. Much of the town is being divided into lots ready for the construction of homes. Brooks is now a residential area that many people are moving to since it is still considered to be rural. Many townspeople commute to work in Fayetteville or even Atlanta. Stores in town now include a women's hair salon and tanning shop, a barber shop, a deer processor, a storage center, and several convenience stores.

Education

Brooks' education falls under the Fayette County Board of Education. Middle school students attend Whitewater Middle, and high school students attend Whitewater High in Fayetteville, both of which are of recent construction. Liberty Tech Charter school is using the old Brooks Elementary School building; there has been a school at this location since 1909. Brooks Elementary closed in 2013.

Activities

Besides activities at churches and schools, there is a youth recreational park which has baseball fields and football fields for the Brooks youth league. Brooks' roadways are often filled with bike riders, and many bicycle races come through the area. Other recreational activities in the area include horse riding, riding ATVs, fishing, and hunting.

References

External links

Town of Brooks official website
{{authority control Towns in Fayette County, Georgia Towns in Georgia (U.S. state)