McRae–Helena is a city in the U.S. state 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 ...

, formed on January 1, 2015, by the merger of the two cities of McRae and Helena. McRae–Helena is 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 ...

of Telfair County. It is the largest city in Telfair County, with a population of 6,253 in 2020. This includes the population held as inmates at

McRae Correctional Institution McRae Correctional Facility is a privately managed, low-security prison for men, owned and operated by the CoreCivic since 2000 under contract with the Federal Bureau of Prisons for federal prisoners. The maximum capacity of the prison is 2275 ...

History

On January 1, 2015, McRae and the adjacent town of Helena merged to form McRae–Helena. This merge was initiated when Helena discovered it could no longer manage its wastewater supply. While it seemed to make sense to have nearby McRae take over Helena's water services, it would have not only reduced Helena's revenue, but left Helena with only two municipal services. The cities were united under House Bill 967, sponsored by Representative Jimmy Pruett of the 149th district. It was signed into law by Governor

Nathan Deal John Nathan Deal (born August 25, 1942) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 82nd governor of Georgia from 2011 to 2019. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic Party in 1992 a ...

on April 10, 2014.

Geography

McRae–Helena is located in northern Telfair County at (32.064508, -82.898251). 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 ...

, the city has a total area of . The

Little Ocmulgee River The Little Ocmulgee River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 21, 2011 tributary of the Ocmulgee River in the U.S. state of Georgia Georgia most commonly refers t ...

flows just northeast of the city limits, while Sugar Creek passes through the southwest border of the city.

Transportation

Several highways travel through McRae–Helena Area. U.S. Route 23 (US 23), along with US 341/ SR 27 travel through the city as a

one-way pair A one-way pair, one-way couple, or couplet refers to that portion of a bi-directional traffic facilitysuch as a road, bus, streetcar, or light rail linewhere its opposing flows exist as two independent and roughly parallel facilities. Descriptio ...

using Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (formerly Railroad Street), heading northwest to Eastman and Oak Street heading southeast to Hazlehurst, while US 280/ US 319/ US 441/ SR 30/ SR 31 travel through as Third Avenue, crossing US 23/US 341/SR 27 in the center of the city. US 280/SR 30 heads northeast to Vidalia and west to Cordele, while US 319/US 441/SR 31 heads south to the small town of

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

and north to

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

. Major railroad lines include the former

Macon and Brunswick Railroad The Macon and Brunswick Railroad ran from Macon, Georgia to Brunswick, Georgia. Its construction was interrupted by the American Civil War, and initially only ran from Macon to Cochran, Georgia. The gauge line was completed and extended to the G ...

, now the Brunswick Division of

Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31 ...

which passes through both former cities, and a former

Seaboard Air Line Railroad The Seaboard Air Line Railroad , which styled itself "The Route of Courteous Service," was an American railroad which existed from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime rival, t ...

line now owned by the

Heart of Georgia Railroad The Heart of Georgia Railroad is a shortline railroad created in 1999 to lease and operate of track owned by the Georgia Department of Transportation between Mahrt, Alabama and Vidalia, Georgia, in the United States. The railroad has since expan ...

that passed only through Helena. A junction between these lines exists in the former Helena.

Sites of interest

Located in downtown McRae–Helena is Liberty Square, home of a

Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; French: ''La Liberté éclairant le monde'') is a List of colossal sculpture in situ, colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City, in the U ...

replica that is one-twelfth the size of the original. The square is also the site of a replica of the

Liberty Bell The Liberty Bell, previously called the State House Bell or Old State House Bell, is an iconic symbol of American independence, located in Philadelphia. Originally placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House (now renamed Independence ...

and a marble memorial to Telfair County residents who died in military service. On the outskirts of McRae–Helena is the Talmadge Home. This historic home was occupied by two former Georgia governors,

Eugene Talmadge Eugene Talmadge (September 23, 1884 – December 21, 1946) was an attorney and American politician who served three terms as the 67th governor of Georgia, from 1933 to 1937, and then again from 1941 to 1943. Elected to a fourth term in November ...

and Herman Eugene Talmadge. McRae–Helena was the birthplace of

Marion B. Folsom Marion Bayard Folsom (November 23, 1893 – September 27, 1976) was an American government official and businessman. He served as the U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare from 1955 to 1958 under President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Biogra ...

(1893–1976), a longtime executive of the

Eastman Kodak Company The Eastman Kodak Company (referred to simply as Kodak ) is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in analogue photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorpor ...

who served as the

United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare The United States secretary of health and human services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all health matters. The secretary is ...

during the

Eisenhower administration Dwight D. Eisenhower's tenure as the 34th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1953, and ended on January 20, 1961. Eisenhower, a Republican from Kansas, took office following a landslide victory ov ...

. Famous

railfan A railfan, rail buff or train buff (American English), railway enthusiast, railway buff or trainspotter (Australian/British English), or ferroequinologist is a person who is recreationally interested in trains and rail transport systems. Rail ...

photographer William B. Folsom is buried in McRae–Helena.

Education

Telfair County School District

The Telfair County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of one elementary school, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 112 full-time teachers and over 1,648 students. * Telfair County Elementary School * Telfair County Middle School * Telfair County High School * Telfair County Pre-K

Higher education

Oconee Fall Line Technical College Oconee Fall Line Technical College (OFTC) is a public community college with its main campuses in Sandersville and Dublin, Georgia. It is part of the Technical College System of Georgia and provides education services for an eleven-county servic ...

- McRae–Helena Campus

Demographics

In 2015 it was estimated there were 8,754 people, including the population held as inmates at

, residing in the city. McRae-Helena as Telfair County's largest city is the cultural and economic center of the county. The city of McRae-Helena has a Trading Area of 25,000 people.

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 6,253 people, 1,989 households, and 1,456 families residing in the city.

Economy

Major employers in McRae–Helena include: * Husqvarna *

* City of McRae–Helena *

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...

Bottling Plant * Golden Peanut Company *

Telfair State Prison Telfair State Prison is a Georgia Department of Corrections state prison for men located on 210 Long Bridge Road, Helena, Telfair County, Georgia, United States. The facility opened in 1992 and currently has a capacity of 1420 prisoners. Betwe ...

Little Ocmulgee State Park Little Ocmulgee State Park & Lodge is a Georgia state park located north of McRae-Helena on the Little Ocmulgee River. Part of the park was initially built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression, around the natural divers ...

* Cook Petro * Griffins Warehouse–McRae, LLC

Arts and culture

Museums and other points of interest

The Telfair County museum of history

References

External links

City of McRae–Helena official website

''Telfair Enterprise'' newspaper
{{DEFAULTSORT:McRae-Helena, Georgia Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) Cities in Telfair County, Georgia Cities in Wheeler County, Georgia County seats in Georgia (U.S. state) Populated places established in 2015