Putnam 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 ...

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 t ...

. As of the 2010 census, the population was 21,218. 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 ...

is Eatonton. Since the early 21st century, the county has had a housing boom. It has proximity to Lake Oconee, a recreation site, as well as to major employment centers such as Atlanta, Athens, and Macon.

History

Putnam County is named in honor of

Israel Putnam Israel Putnam (January 7, 1718 – May 29, 1790), popularly known as "Old Put", was an American military officer and landowner who fought with distinction at the Battle of Bunker Hill during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). He als ...

, a hero of the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the st ...

and a general in the

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 ...

. It was settled by European Americans after the war, as migrants moved down from the Upper South. The county was created on December 10, 1807, by an act of 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 ...

. Following the invention of the

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 ...

, which could profitably process short-staple cotton, the county was developed for cotton cultivation of that type. It thrived in the upland areas, where plantations were developed and worked by the field labor of thousands of African-American slaves. During the 1919 Red Summer there were many incidents of racial violence including an arson attack where almost a dozen black community buildings were burnt down in late May 1919. ''The Wheeling Intelligencer'' claimed the buildings were burnt down because of a "minor racial clash at Dennis Station." During this time armed black and white mobs patrolled the area in fear of each other. In the first half of the 20th century, thousands of blacks left the state during the Great Migration from 1920 to 1960. The county population dropped by more than half during this period following mechanization of agriculture and as rural workers moved into cities. Since the late 20th century, population has increased. The white population of the county has grown since the turn of the 21st century: in 2010 African Americans comprised 26 percent of the county population, a drop from nearly 42% in 2000. In the 21st century, dairy farming is more important to Putnam County than cotton. It annually holds the nationally known Dairy Festival.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (4.4%) is water. The entirety of Putnam 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 join ...

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 empti ...

basin. The county is located in the

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

region of the state, with rolling hills, farms, and lakes covering a majority of the county.

Major highways

U.S. Route 129 * Business plate

U.S. Route 129 Business * US 441

U.S. Route 441 U.S. Route 441 (US 441) is a auxiliary route of U.S. Route 41. It extends from US 41 in Miami, Florida to US 25W in Rocky Top, Tennessee. Between its termini, US 441 travels through the states of Florida, Georgia, North ...

U.S. Route 441 Business * Georgia 16

State Route 16 * Georgia 24

State Route 24 * Georgia 24 Business

State Route 24 Business * Georgia 44

State Route 44 * Georgia 142

State Route 142 * Georgia 212

State Route 212

Adjacent counties

* Morgan County (north) * Greene County (northeast) *

Hancock County Hancock County is the name of ten counties in the United States. All are named for John Hancock who was a leader in the American Revolution. The counties are: * Hancock County, Georgia * Hancock County, Illinois * Hancock County, Indiana * Hancock ...

(east) * Baldwin County (southeast) * Jones County (southwest) *

Jasper County Jasper County is the name of eight counties in the United States of America. All are named in honor of Sergeant William Jasper, a hero of the Revolutionary War. Five counties share a boundary with a Newton County, named for John Newton John ...

(west)

National protected area

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, ...

(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 18,812 people, 7,402 households, and 5,477 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 10,319 housing units at an average density of 30 per square mile (12/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 51.45%

White White is the lightness, 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 diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 41.90%

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 ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.20% Native American, 0.66% Asian, 0.04%

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 Ocea ...

, 0.82% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. 2.16% 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 for ...

or Latino of any race. There were 7,402 households, out of which 28.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.80% 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, 12.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.00% were non-families. 22.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.90. In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.20% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 27.00% from 25 to 44, 28.00% from 45 to 64, and 14.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.40 males. The median income for a household in the county was $36,956, and the median income for a family was $43,262. Males had a median income of $30,900 versus $21,823 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 $20,161. About 10.50% of families and 14.60% 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 20.80% of those under age 18 and 9.80% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 21,218 people, 8,601 households, and 6,075 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 12,804 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 67.9% white, 26.0% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 4.1% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 6.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 27.2% were American, 26.0% African American, 10.7% were Irish, 9.9% were English, and 5.9% 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 **Ger ...

. Of the 8,601 households, 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.8% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.4% were non-families, and 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 43.5 years. The median income for a household in the county was $41,529 and the median income for a family was $49,814. Males had a median income of $31,915 versus $30,857 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,576. About 9.3% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the

, including 17.0% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 22,047 people, 8,937 households, and 6,282 families residing in the county.

Communities

* Crooked Creek * Eatonton * Willard

Education

The

Putnam County Charter School System The Putnam County Charter School System (PCCSS), is a public school district in Putnam County, Georgia, United States, based in Eatonton. Schools The Putnam County School District has one primary school, one elementary school, one middle sc ...

serves the community.

Politics

Bibliography

;Notes ;References * - Total pages: 368 *

External links

LostWorlds.org , Rock Eagle
{{Coord, 33.32, -83.37, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-GA_source:UScensus1990 1807 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) Counties in the Atlanta metropolitan area Georgia (U.S. state) counties Populated places established in 1807