Thomaston is a city in and the county seat of Upson 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. The population was 9,170 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of and is included in the Thomaston, Georgia Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Atlanta - Sandy Springs (GA) - Gainesville (GA) - Alabama (partial)

Combined Statistical Area Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...

History

Thomaston was incorporated on January 1, 1825, and designated as the seat of Upson County. The town was named for General

Jett Thomas Jett Thomas (May 13, 1776 – January 6, 1817) was an American military officer, politician, and builder who served as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives and participated in the early construction of the University of Georgia. Ea ...

, an Indian fighter in the War of 1812.

Geography

Thomaston is located near the center of Upson County at 32.90 N, -84.333333 W (32° 54′ 0″ N, 84° 20′ 0″ W). The city is located in the west central

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

region of the state.

U.S. Route 19 U.S. Route 19 (US 19) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the Eastern United States. Despite encroaching Interstate Highways, the route has remained a long-haul road, connecting the Gulf of Mexico with Lake Erie. The highway's southern ...

is the main north-south route through the city, leading north 16 mi (26 km) to

Zebulon Zebulun (; also ''Zebulon'', ''Zabulon'', or ''Zaboules'') was, according to the Books of Book of Genesis, Genesis and Book of Numbers, Numbers,Genesis 46:14 the last of the six sons of Jacob and Leah (Jacob's tenth son), and the founder of the ...

and south 28 mi (45 km) to

Butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some a ...

. Georgia State Routes 36 and 74 are the main east-west routes through the city. GA-36 leads northeast 17 mi (27 km) to Barnesville and southwest 18 mi (29 km) to

Woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (see ...

. GA-74 leads east 12 mi (19 km) to Yatesville and northwest 19 mi (31 km) to

Woodbury Woodbury may refer to: Geography Antarctica *Woodbury Glacier, a glacier on Graham Land, British Antarctic Territory Australia * Woodbury, Tasmania, a locality in Australia England * Woodbury, Bournemouth, an area in Dorset *Woodbury, East Devo ...

Demographics

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 9,816 people, 3,333 households, and 1,779 families residing in the city.

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 9,411 people, 3,862 households, and 2,386 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,152 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 62.75%

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 ...

, 35.30%

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 ...

, 0.28% Native American, 0.61%

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 ...

, 0.01%

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 ...

, 0.53% 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 0.53% 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 ...

of any race were 1.77% of the population. There were 3,862 households, out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.0% 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, 21.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.2% were non-families. 35.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 3.00. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.3% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 77.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 71.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $24,695, and the median income for a family was $33,093. Males had a median income of $31,168 versus $20,420 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 city was $18,193. About 18.4% of families and 22.5% 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 37.3% of those under age 18 and 13.9% of those age 65 or over.

Health care

Its principal hospital is the Upson Regional Medical Center at 801 West Gordon Street.

Industry

Industry in the city is driven primarily by manufacturing which makes up 36.5%. The second largest industry is educational, health, and social service comprising 21.0%. The third largest industry is retail trade at 11.6% of the total industry in Thomaston. The remaining portions of industry include agriculture, construction, wholesale trade, transportation, information, finance, management, administration, arts and entertainment, food service, recreation, accommodation, and public administration.

Arts and culture

National Register of Historic Places

The Upson County courthouse was built in 1908, and is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. * Pettigrew-White-Stamps House * Silvertown Mill District

Annual events

Thomaston hosts an annual Emancipation Proclamation Celebration each May. It is the nation's oldest and longest running emancipation celebration of its kind.

Parks and recreation

Sprewell Bluff Park Sprewell Bluff Park, formerly Sprewell Bluff State Park, is a 1,372 acre (5.55 km2) Upson County, Georgia , park located between Roland and Crest. The park's location on the Flint River makes it a great place for swimming, fishing, kayakin ...

, located on the

Flint River The Flint River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 15, 2011 river in the U.S. state of Georgia. The river drains of western Georgia, flowing south from the u ...

* The Greatest Generation Recreational Park

Education

Thomaston-Upson County School District

The Thomaston-Upson County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 279 full-time teachers and over 5,009 students. *Upson-Lee Elementary School *Upson-Lee Primary School *

Upson-Lee Middle School The Thomaston-Upson County School District is a public school district in Upson County, Georgia, United States, based in Thomaston. It serves the communities of Hannahs Mill, Lincoln Park, Salem, Sunset Village, The Rock, Thomaston, and ...

Upson-Lee High School Upson-Lee High School is a secondary school in Thomaston, Georgia, United States. It is the only high school in Upson County. It is a combination of the former R. E. Lee Institute and Upson High School, both previously located in Upson County. ...

* Upson-Lee Pre-k *Upson-Lee Alternative School

Colleges and universities

Southern Crescent Technical College Southern Crescent Technical College is a public community college with two main campuses in Georgia, one in Griffin and one in Thomaston. The McDonough campus of the Henry County Center has the second-largest student enrollment behind the Griffin ...

is located in Thomaston, and is a two-year technical school.

Notable people

* Dr. John H. Carter - Led effort to create MLK Memorial in Washington DC *

Dallas Raines Dallas Raines is an American chief meteorologist at KABC-TV in Los Angeles and was also certified by the American Meteorological Society (AMS). He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University where he studied broadcast ...

- Weather personality at KABC in Los Angeles *

Elia Goode Byington Elia Goode Byington (, Goode; March 24, 1856/58 – February 3, 1936) was an American journalist. With her husband, she was joint proprietor, editor, and manager of the Columbus ''Evening Ledger''. Byington served as President of the Georgia Women ...

(1858–1936), journalist *

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Kentavious Tannell Caldwell-Pope (; born February 18, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was named a McDonald's All-American as one of the top high school b ...

- shooting guard for the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

Mike Cavan Mike Cavan (born April 15, 1948) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Valdosta State University (1986–1991), East Tennessee State University (1992–1996) and Southern Methodist University (1997–2001) ...

- football player at Univ. of Ga. and former head coach at SMU *

Wayne Cochran Talvin Wayne Cochran (May 10, 1939 – November 21, 2017) was an American singer, known for his outlandish outfits and white pompadour hairstyle. He was sometimes referred to as The White Knight of Soul. Cochran is best known today for writ ...

- musician (Wayne Cochran and the C.C. Riders) * Ivylyn Girardeau - medical missionary in Pakistan *

John Brown Gordon John Brown Gordon () was an attorney, a slaveholding plantation owner, general in the Confederate States Army, and politician in the postwar years. By the end of the Civil War, he had become "one of Robert E. Lee's most trusted generals." A ...

- one of Robert E. Lee's most trusted Confederate generals during the American Civil War; governor of Georgia 1886-1890 *

Frank Gordy Walter Frank Gordy (born 9 February 1904, Thomaston, Upson County, Georgia, USA; died 18 June 1983) was the founder of The Varsity chain of restaurants, which includes the world's largest drive-in restaurant on North Avenue near Georgia Tech i ...

(1904-1983) - founder of The Varsity restaurant chain * William Guilford (1844–1909) - businessman and state legislator *

Bill Hartman William Coleman Hartman, Jr. (March 17, 1915 – March 16, 2006) was an American football running back in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins before World War II. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 1937 with a B. ...

- football running back for the

Georgia Bulldogs The Georgia Bulldogs are the athletic teams that represent the University of Georgia. The female athletic teams are sometimes referred to as Lady Bulldogs. The Bulldogs compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference ( ...

and

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

before World War II *

John Holliman John Holliman (October 23, 1948 – September 12, 1998) was an American broadcast journalist. He was a member of the original reporting corps for CNN, serving as its agriculture correspondent after serving in the same capacity for Associa ...

- broadcast journalist best known as one of CNN's "Boys of Baghdad" during the first Persian Gulf War *

Marion Montgomery Marion Montgomery (November 17, 1934 – July 22, 2002)

- poet, novelist, educator, and critic; close friend and critic of

Flannery O'Connor Mary Flannery O'Connor (March 25, 1925August 3, 1964) was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist. She wrote two novels and 31 short stories, as well as a number of reviews and commentaries. She was a Southern writer who often ...

* Cedric Smith - African American painter *

Coy Bowles Coy Bowles is best known as a member of three-time Grammy Award-winning Zac Brown Band. He joined the Zac Brown Band in 2007, and plays guitar, slide guitar, dobro, piano and organ. He also contributes as a songwriter, and has writing credits on ...

- Grammy award-winning country artist

Zac Brown Band Zac Brown Band is an American country music band based in Atlanta, Georgia. The lineup consists of Zac Brown (lead vocals, guitar), Jimmy De Martini ( fiddle, vocals), John Driskell Hopkins (bass guitar, guitar, baritone guitar, banjo, ukulel ...

Travon Walker Yury Travon Walker (; born December 18, 2000) is an American football outside linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia, winning the 2022 National Championship with them ...

- 1st overall pick in the

2022 NFL draft The 2022 NFL Draft was the 87th edition of the National Football League's annual draft and was held from April 28–30, 2022, at the Caesars Forum on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The first round was held on Thursday, April 28, and w ...

, selected by the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...

References

External links

Official City of Thomaston, Georgia Government Website
Portal style website, Government, Business, Library, Recreation and more

Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Thomaston
{{authority control Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) Micropolitan areas of Georgia (U.S. state) Cities in Upson County, Georgia County seats in Georgia (U.S. state) 1825 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)