Carroll County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the northwestern part of the

State of Georgia Georgia is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee and North Carolina; to the northeast by South Carolina; to the southeast by the Atlantic Ocean; to the south by Florida; and to the west by ...

. As of the 2020 census, its population was 119,148. Its

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 ...

is the city of Carrollton. Carroll County is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area and is also adjacent to

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

on its western border.

History

The lands of Lee,

Muscogee 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 WoodlandsTroup,

Coweta Coweta is a city in Wagoner County, Oklahoma, United States, a suburb of Tulsa. As of 2010, its population was 9,943. Part of the Creek Nation in Indian Territory before Oklahoma became a U.S. state, the town was first settled in 1840.ceded The act of cession is the assignment of property to another entity. In international law it commonly refers to land transferred by treaty. Ballentine's Law Dictionary defines cession as "a surrender; a giving up; a relinquishment of jurisdictio ...

by the

Creek people 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 WoodlandsTreaty of Indian Springs (1825) The Treaty of Indian Springs, also known as the Second Treaty of Indian Springs and the Treaty with the Creeks, is a treaty concluded between the Muscogee and the United States on February 12, 1825 at what is now the Indian Springs Hotel Museum ...

. This was a huge amount of land in Georgia and Alabama, the last remaining portion of the Creeks' territory, and it was ceded by

William McIntosh William McIntosh (1775 – April 30, 1825),Hoxie, Frederick (1996)pp. 367-369/ref> was also commonly known as ''Tustunnuggee Hutke'' (White Warrior), was one of the most prominent chiefs of the Creek Nation between the turn of the nineteenth cen ...

, the chief of the Lower Creek and a member of the National Council. This cession violated the Law, the Code of 1818 that protected communal tribal land. The Creek National Council ordered the execution of McIntosh and other signatories to the treaty for what it considered treason. McIntosh was killed at his plantation home, at what has been preserved as the

McIntosh Reserve McIntosh Reserve is an outdoor recreation area along the Chattahoochee River located in Carroll County, Georgia, Carroll County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The park is operated by the Carroll County Recreation Department and supports outdoor ...

Menawa Menawa, first called ''Hothlepoya'' (c. 1765 – c. 1836-40), was a Muscogee (Creek) chief and military leader. He was of mixed race, with a Creek mother and a fur trader father of mostly Scots ancestry. As the Creek had a matrilineal syst ...

and a force of 100-150 Law Defenders from Upper Town lands ceded in this treaty carried out the executions of two other men, including Samuel Hawkins, one of McIntosh's sons-in-law. Benjamin Hawkins Jr., another son-in-law, was also named for execution but he escaped, and soon moved to East Texas with his wife and family. Both of the Hawkins brothers were sons of

Benjamin Hawkins Benjamin Hawkins (August 15, 1754June 6, 1816) was an American planter, statesman and a U.S. Indian agent He was a delegate to the Continental Congress and a United States Senator from North Carolina, having grown up among the planter elite ...

, the longstanding US Indian Supervisor of the Creek. The boundaries of Carroll County were created by 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 ...

on June 9, 1826, but the county was not named until December 14, 1826. It was named for

Charles Carroll of Carrollton Charles Carroll (September 19, 1737 – November 14, 1832), known as Charles Carroll of Carrollton or Charles Carroll III, was an Irish-American politician, planter, and signatory of the Declaration of Independence. He was the only Catholic sign ...

, at that time the last surviving signer of the

U.S. Declaration of Independence The United States Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America, is the pronouncement and founding document adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting at Pennsylvania State House (l ...

, as was Carrollton, the county seat. When the county was first organized, the legislature designated the county seat as Old Carrollton, Georgia, but in 1830 it was moved to Carrollton. This county originally extended from the

Chattahoochee River The Chattahoochee River forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida - Georgia border. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chatta ...

to the Alabama state line on the east and on the west, with its northern boundary at 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 ...

, just north of present-day

Interstate 20 Interstate 20 (I‑20) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I-20 runs beginning at an interchange with Interstate 10, I-10 in Scroggins Draw, Texas, and ending at an interchange with Interstate 95, I-95 in Flo ...

. As population increased, this land was divided into Carroll,

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals *Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking *Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil W ...

, and Heard counties, and parts of Haralson and Troup counties. The portion that became Douglas County was once Campbell County which no longer exists (it was divided between Douglas and

Fulton Fulton may refer to: People * Robert Fulton (1765–1815), American engineer and inventor who developed the first commercially successful steam-powered ship * Fulton (surname) Given name * Fulton Allem (born 1957), South African golfer * Fult ...

counties). Because the county had few slaves compared to counties developed for cotton plantations, it was called the ''Free State of Carroll'' during the 1850s. Even before the cession of territory by the Cherokee in the late 1830s, some white settlers lived in the northern part of the county in the area of Villa Rica. Carroll County was the site of Georgia's first Gold Rush. For a time Carroll County was the home of

Horace King (architect) Horace King (sometimes Horace Godwin) (September 8, 1807 – May 28, 1885) was an African-American architect, engineer, and bridge builder. King is considered the most respected bridge builder of the 19th century Deep South, constructing dozen ...

. King helped build Moore's Bridge over the

at Whitesburg. Moores Bridge was burned by Union soldiers during the Civil War. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, the county provided the Bowdon Volunteers and the Carroll Boys, which were a part of

Cobb's Legion Cobb's Legion (also known as the Georgia Legion) was an American Civil War unit that was raised on the Confederate side from the State of Georgia by Thomas Reade Rootes Cobb during the summer of 1861. A "legion" consisted of a single integrated ...

. On August 21, 1995,

Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529 Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529 was an Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia aircraft that crashed near Carrollton, Georgia, on August 21, 1995. Nine of the 29 passengers and crew on board were killed as a result of the accident. The accident bore si ...

crashed in a field near

Carrollton, Georgia Carrollton, Georgia is a city in the northwest region of Georgia, about 45 miles (72 km) west of Atlanta near the Alabama state line. It is the county seat of Carroll County, which is included in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area. Historically, ...

. Nine of the 29 passengers and crew were killed in the crash. In February 2008 several tornadoes hit Carroll County, destroying several homes and damaging many more. On May 11, 2008 (Mother's Day) some of the same areas were hit by more tornadoes. The Mother's Day tornadoes destroyed and damaged many homes and businesses. On September 21, 2009, portions of Carroll County were flooded after eight days of heavy rainfall, resulting in multiple death. The flooding initially closed more than 60

highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks. In some areas of the United States, it is used as an equivalent term to controlled-access ...

s and roads, and it destroyed a number of bridges. Early estimates of the damage totaled $22 million.

Geography

According to the

U.S. 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 ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.9%) is water. The western two-thirds of Carroll County, in a line from Roopville northeast to Villa Rica, is located in the Upper

Tallapoosa River The Tallapoosa River runs U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 27, 2011 from the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains in Georgia, United States, southward and wes ...

sub-basin of the

ACT River Basin The Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin (ACT River Basin) is a drainage basin (watershed) in the Southeastern United States. This area is classified as a sub-region by the USGS hydrological code system. Sub-regions This sub-region consists of tw ...

(Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin), while the eastern third, east of that same line, is located in the Middle

Lake Harding Lake Harding, also known as ''Bartlett's Ferry Lake,'' is a reservoir on the Chattahoochee River. The lake is formed by Bartlett's Ferry Dam, and the lake is located in Harris County, Georgia with some portions of the lake going into Alabama. L ...

sub-basin of the

ACF River Basin The ACF River Basin is the drainage basin, or watershed, of the Apalachicola River, Chattahoochee River, and Flint River, in the Southeastern United States. This area is alternatively known as simply the Apalachicola Basin and is listed by t ...

(Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin).

Adjacent counties

Paulding County Paulding County is the name of two counties in the United States of America: * Paulding County, Georgia * Paulding County, Ohio Paulding County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was about 18 ...

– north * Douglas County – east *

Fulton County Fulton County is the name of eight counties in the United States of America. Most are named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the first practical steamboat: *Fulton County, Arkansas, named after Governor William Savin Fulton *Fulton County, Georgia *F ...

– east *

Coweta County Coweta County is a county located in the west central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is part of Metro Atlanta. As of the 2020 census, the population was 146,158. The county seat is Newnan. Coweta County is included in the Atlanta- ...

– southeast *

Heard County Heard County is a county located in the west central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. At the 2020 census, the population was 11,412, down from 11,834 in 2010. The county seat is Franklin. The county was created on December 22, 1830. Hear ...

– south *

Randolph County Randolph County is the name of eight counties in the United States: *Randolph County, Alabama *Randolph County, Arkansas *Randolph County, Georgia *Randolph County, Illinois *Randolph County, Indiana *Randolph County, Missouri *Randolph County, Nort ...

– southwest (Central Time border) * Cleburne County,

– west (Central Time border) *

Haralson County Haralson County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 29,919, up from 28,780 2010. The county seat is Buchanan. The county was created on January 26, 1856, and was ...

– northwest

Transportation

Major roads

U.S. Route 27 U.S. Route 27 (US 27) is a north–south United States Highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus is at US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 (I-69) in Fort Wayne, Indiana. F ...

U.S. Route 27 Alternate * U.S. Route 27 Business * US 78

U.S. Route 78 U.S. Route 78 (US 78) is an east–west United States highway that runs for 715 miles (1,151 km) from Memphis, Tennessee, to Charleston, South Carolina. From Byhalia, Mississippi to Birmingham, Alabama, US 78 is concurrent with Interstate 2 ...

State Route 1 * Georgia 1 Business

State Route 1 Business * Georgia 5

State Route 5 * Georgia 8

State Route 8 * Georgia 16

State Route 16 * Georgia 61

State Route 61 * Georgia 100

State Route 100 * Georgia 101

State Route 101 * Georgia 113

State Route 113 * Georgia 166

State Route 166 * State Route 166 Connector * Georgia 274

State Route 274 * Georgia 402

State Route 402 (unsigned designation for I-20)

Pedestrians and cycling

* Carrollton Greenbelt * UWG Nature Trails

Railroads

The Southern Railway ran several daily passenger trains, including the ''

Kansas City-Florida Special Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

,'' the ''Sunnyland'' and an Atlanta-Birmingham section of the ''

Piedmont Limited The ''Piedmont Limited'' was a named passenger train operated by the Southern Railway in the southern United States. For most of its life it was a New York—New Orleans train, operating over the same route as the more famous '' Crescent Li ...

,'' making full stops in

Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state consis ...

. These trains made flag or signal stops in Villa Rica as well. The last trains made stops in 1967.

Demographics

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 incl ...

of 2000, there were 87,268 people, 31,568 households, and 23,013 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 34,067 housing units at an average density of 68 per square mile (26/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 80.5%

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 ...

, 16.3% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 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 ...

, <0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 1.1% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.1% from two or more races. 2.6% of the population were

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 ...

of any race. There were 31,568 households, out of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% 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, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.1% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.09. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.9% under the age of 18, 12.9% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.50 males. The median income for a household in the county was $38,799, and the median income for a family was $44,642. Males had a median income of $33,102 versus $22,538 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 county was $17,656. About 10.0% of families and 13.7% 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 t ...

, including 15.4% of those under age 18 and 16.0% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

, there were 110,527 people, 39,187 households, and 27,923 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 44,607 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 75.6% white, 18.2% black or African American, 0.8% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 2.8% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 6.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 23.0% were

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 the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

, 11.2% were

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

, 8.7% were

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, and 7.0% were

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

. Of the 39,187 households, 37.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.7% were non-families, and 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.16. The median age was 33.5 years. The median income for a household in the county was $45,559 and the median income for a family was $53,703. Males had a median income of $42,188 versus $32,043 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,523. About 12.5% of families and 17.3% of the population were below the

, including 20.3% of those under age 18 and 14.4% of those age 65 or over.

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 119,148 people, 42,798 households, and 30,346 families residing in the county.

Education

Sports

* Georgia Storm FC -

National Premier Soccer League The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is an American men's association football, soccer league. The NPSL is a semi-professional league, comprising some teams that have paid players and some that are entirely amateur. The league is officially ...

- Carrollton - Formed in 2020 and competes in the Southeast Region of the NPSL. Home games are played at

University of West Georgia The University of West Georgia is a public university in Carrollton, Georgia. The university offers a satellite campus in Newnan, Georgia, select classes at its Douglasville Center, and off-campus Museum Studies classes at the Atlanta History Ce ...

soccer field. "Georgia's on Their Mind: Storm Soccer Academy to play in NPSL in 2021". https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2020/09/17/georgias-on-their-mind-storm-soccer-academy-to-play-in-npsl-in-2021/. September 17, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2021.

Communities

Cities

* Bowdon * Carrollton (county seat) * Mount Zion *

Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

* Villa Rica

Towns

* Roopville * Whitesburg

Unincorporated community

* Bowdon Junction

History

Geography

Adjacent counties

Transportation

Major roads

Pedestrians and cycling

Railroads

Demographics

2000 census

2010 census

2020 census

Education

Sports

Communities

Cities

Towns

Unincorporated community

Politics

See also

References

Further reading