Jasper County, Georgia
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Jasper County is a
county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers 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 central portion of the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
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 ...
. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,588, up from 13,900 in 2010. 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 ...
is
Monticello Monticello ( ) was the primary plantation of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, who began designing Monticello after inheriting land from his father at age 26. Located just outside Charlottesville, V ...
. Jasper County is part of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.


History

This area was inhabited by indigenous peoples for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans. At the time of European-American settlement, it was inhabited by the
Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...
and
Muscogee 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 WoodlandsFive Civilized Tribes The term Five Civilized Tribes was applied by European Americans in the colonial and early federal period in the history of the United States to the five major Native American nations in the Southeast—the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek ...
of the Southeast. The county was created on December 10, 1807, by an act of the Georgia General Assembly with land that was originally part of Baldwin 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 ...
. It became part of the new area of upland settlement through the South eventually known as the Black Belt, and a center of large
plantations A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Th ...
for short-staple cotton. Invention of the cotton gin in the late 18th century had made processing of this type of cotton profitable, and it was cultivated throughout the inland areas. As migration continued to the west, the county population rapidly rose and fell through the nineteenth century. Georgia settlers pushed Congress for the
Indian Removal Act The Indian Removal Act was signed into law on May 28, 1830, by United States President Andrew Jackson. The law, as described by Congress, provided "for an exchange of lands with the Indians residing in any of the states or territories, and for ...
of 1830, which eventually forced most of the Native Americans west of the
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...
. Jasper County was originally named Randolph County (after the
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
n John Randolph). Because of Randolph's opposition to U.S. entry into the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...
, the General Assembly changed the name of Randolph County to Jasper County on December 10, 1812, to honor Sergeant William Jasper, an
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 a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
hero from South Carolina. However, Randolph's reputation eventually was restored, and in 1828, the General Assembly created a new
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 ...
. Newton County was created from a part of the original Jasper County in 1821. The Jasper County, Georgia courthouse was shown and used for filming the courthouse scenes in the motion picture comedy "My Cousin Vinny", starring Joe Pesci. Although the setting of the movie is in Beechum County, Alabama (a fictitious place), near the end of the movie, Sheriff Farley (played by veteran actor Bruce McGill), actually mentions Jasper County, Georgia by name.


Government

The county has a five-member county commission, elected from single-member districts. The commission elects a chairman and vice-chairman to aid in conducting business. The county is protected by a combined Fire Rescue Department providing EMS and Fire Services. The department operates out of seven fire stations with the majority of their manpower being volunteers. The department employs 50 personnel, which include full-time, part-time, and volunteer employees, and is headed by a Fire Chief Christopher Finch.


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 (1.4%) is water. The western portion of Jasper County, west of a line formed by State Route 11 to northwest of
Monticello Monticello ( ) was the primary plantation of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, who began designing Monticello after inheriting land from his father at age 26. Located just outside Charlottesville, V ...
, then along the eastern border of the
Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge established in 1939 and located in central Georgia. It is primarily an upland forest dominated by loblolly pine on the ridges with hardwoods found along the creek bottoms and in scatt ...
, is located in the Upper
Ocmulgee River The Ocmulgee River () is a western tributary of the Altamaha River, approximately 255 mi (410 km) long, in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the westernmost major tributary of the Altamaha.
sub-basin of the
Altamaha River The Altamaha River is a major river in the U.S. state of Georgia. It flows generally eastward for 137 miles (220 km) from its origin at the confluence of the Oconee River and Ocmulgee River towards the Atlantic Ocean, where it empt ...
basin. The eastern portion of the county is located in the Upper
Oconee River The Oconee River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map Accessed April 21, 2011 river in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its origin is in Hall County and it terminates where it joins ...
sub-basin of the same
Altamaha River The Altamaha River is a major river in the U.S. state of Georgia. It flows generally eastward for 137 miles (220 km) from its origin at the confluence of the Oconee River and Ocmulgee River towards the Atlantic Ocean, where it empt ...
basin.


Major highways

* State Route 11 * State Route 16 * State Route 83 * State Route 142 * State Route 212 * State Route 380


Adjacent counties

* Morgan County - northeast * Putnam County - east * Jones County - south *
Monroe County Monroe County may refer to seventeen counties in the United States, all named for James Monroe: * Monroe County, Alabama *Monroe County, Arkansas * Monroe County, Florida * Monroe County, Georgia *Monroe County, Illinois *Monroe County, Indian ...
- southwest * Butts County - west * Newton County - northwest


National protected areas

*
Oconee National Forest Oconee may refer to: Places in the United States *Oconee, Georgia *Oconee, Illinois *Oconee, Nebraska *Oconee County, Georgia *Oconee County, South Carolina *Oconee River, Georgia *Oconee Township, Shelby County, Illinois *Oconee Township, Nebraska ...
(part) *
Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge established in 1939 and located in central Georgia. It is primarily an upland forest dominated by loblolly pine on the ridges with hardwoods found along the creek bottoms and in scatt ...
(part)


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 in ...
of 2000, there were 11,426 people, 4,175 households, and 3,122 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 4,806 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile (5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 70.95%
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 o ...
, 27.26%
Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
or
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 ...
, 0.21% Native American, 0.16%
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 ...
, 0.02%
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 O ...
, 0.61% 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 0.79% from two or more races. 2.07% of the population were
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 forme ...
or
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 4,175 households, out of which 34.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.80% were married couples living together, 13.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.20% were non-families. 21.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.14. In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.20% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 11.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.00 males. The median income for a household in the county was $39,890, and the median income for a family was $43,271. Males had a median income of $32,351 versus $21,785 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 $19,249. About 10.90% of families and 14.20% 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 19.20% of those under age 18 and 13.50% 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 servi ...
, there were 13,900 people, 5,044 households, and 3,778 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 6,153 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 73.9% white, 21.8% black or African American, 0.4% American Indian, 0.2% Asian, 2.0% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 14.2% 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 ...
, 12.2% 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 ...
, 11.9% 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 ...
, and 6.6% 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 5,044 households, 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 25.1% were non-families, and 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.15. The median age was 39.0 years. The median income for a household in the county was $42,081 and the median income for a family was $52,177. Males had a median income of $40,323 versus $27,491 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,263. About 13.2% of families and 19.1% 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 28.7% of those under age 18 and 18.0% 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 14,588 people, 5,171 households, and 3,807 families residing in the county.


Communities

* Hillsboro *
Monticello Monticello ( ) was the primary plantation of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, who began designing Monticello after inheriting land from his father at age 26. Located just outside Charlottesville, V ...
(county seat) * Shady Dale


Notable people

* Susan Holmes - American politician born in Jasper County. 2001 Jasper County Citizen of the Year. * Roy "Buckshot" Jones -
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. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...
driver. *
Odell Thurman Odell Lamar Thurman (born July 9, 1983) is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia. Early years Odell Thurman attended Jas ...
- NFL player. *
Trisha Yearwood Patricia Lynn Yearwood (born September 19, 1964) is an American singer, actress, author and television personality. She rose to fame with her 1991 debut single " She's in Love with the Boy," which became a number one hit on the ''Billboard'' c ...
-
Country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
artist. In 2005, she released a studio album titled '' Jasper County''.


See also

*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Jasper County, Georgia This is a list of properties and districts in Jasper County, Georgia that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Current listings References {{Commons category, National Register of Historic Places in Jasp ...


References


External links


Jasper County Sheriff's Office

Jasper County
historical marker
The Old Loyd Place
historical marker {{Coord, 33.32, -83.69, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-GA_source:UScensus1990 Georgia (U.S. state) counties 1807 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) Populated places established in 1807
Jasper Jasper, an aggregate of microgranular quartz and/or cryptocrystalline chalcedony and other mineral phases,Kostov, R. I. 2010. Review on the mineralogical systematics of jasper and related rocks. – Archaeometry Workshop, 7, 3, 209-213PDF/ref> ...