Webster 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 west 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 sover ...
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
2010 Census reflected a population of 2,799,
making it the third-least populous county in Georgia. 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
Preston.
History
Webster County was created 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 ...
on December 16, 1853, as Kinchafoonee County.
[Weston Woman's Club: ''History of Webster County, Georgia'', W. H. Wolfe Associates, Roswell, Ga., 1980, pp. 16-19.] A subsequent legislative act on February 21, 1856, changed the name to Webster.
The land for the county came from eastern portions of
Stewart County.
The county is named for
Daniel Webster
Daniel Webster (January 18, 1782 – October 24, 1852) was an American lawyer and statesman who represented New Hampshire and Massachusetts in the U.S. Congress and served as the U.S. Secretary of State under Presidents William Henry Harrison, ...
,
U.S. representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
of
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
and U.S. representative and
U.S. senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
of
. Webster County's original name of Kinchafoonee came from the
Kinchafoonee Creek Kinchafoonee Creek ( ) is a creek in southwest Georgia. It originates near Buena Vista and flows southeasterly for to the Flint River near Albany, Georgia.
Its name comes from the Creek word for "mortar nutshells", which refers to a type of nu ...
which runs through the county.
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 (0.5%) is water.
The majority of Webster County, bordered to the southwest by
State Route 520, is located in the
Kinchafoonee-
Muckalee 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). The southwestern corner of the county is located in the
Ichawaynochaway Creek Ichawaynochaway Creek is a creek in southwest Georgia. It rises near Weston
Weston may refer to:
Places Australia
* Weston, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra
* Weston, New South Wales
* Weston Creek, a residential district o ...
sub-basin of the same ACF River Basin. A tiny edge of the southwestern border, just south of
State Route 520, is located in the Middle
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 ...
-
Walter F. George Lake
The Walter F. George Lake, named for Walter F. George (1878–1957), a United States senator from Georgia, is formed on the Chattahoochee River along the state line between Alabama and Georgia. It is also widely known by the name, Lake Eufaula – ...
sub-basin of the same ACF River Basin.
Major highways
*
U.S. Route 280
*
State Route 27
*
State Route 41
The following highways are numbered 41:
International
* AH41, Asian Highway 41
* European route E41
Australia
* Olympic Highway
* Mid-Western Highway
Canada
* Alberta Highway 41
* British Columbia Highway 41
* Manitoba Highway 41
* Newfoundlan ...
*
State Route 45
*
State Route 153
*
State Route 520
Adjacent counties
*
Marion County – north
*
Sumter County – east
*
Terrell County – 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
*
Stewart County – west
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 2,390 people, 911 households, and 675 families living in the county. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 11 people per square mile (4/km
2). There were 1,115 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile (2/km
2). The racial makeup of the county was 50.50%
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 ...
, 47.03%
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 have o ...
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 ...
, 0.08%
Native American, 1.59% 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. 2.76% 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 ...
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 911 households, out of which 31.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.90% 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, 16.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.90% were non-families. 23.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.20% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 14.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 101.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $27,992, and the median income for a family was $32,462. Males had a median income of $26,444 versus $19,125 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 $14,772. About 17.20% of families and 19.30% 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 26.00% of those under age 18 and 19.40% 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 2,799 people, 1,119 households, and 788 families living in the county.
The population density was . There were 1,523 housing units at an average density of .
The racial makeup of the county was 54.0% white, 42.3% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 2.4% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.5% of the population.
In terms of ancestry, 18.6% 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 ...
, 9.9% 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 ...
, 8.0% 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 ...
, and 5.3% 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 ...
.
Of the 1,119 households, 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 16.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.6% were non-families, and 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age was 40.6 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $25,708 and the median income for a family was $40,441. Males had a median income of $29,669 versus $27,745 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,295. About 16.9% of families and 23.6% 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 25.8% of those under age 18 and 21.9% 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 2,348 people, 1,140 households, and 724 families residing in the county.
Education
Webster County School District operates public schools.
Communities
*
Archery
Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...
*
Preston
*
Weston
Weston may refer to:
Places Australia
* Weston, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra
* Weston, New South Wales
* Weston Creek, a residential district of Canberra
* Weston Park, Canberra, a park
Canada
* Weston, Nova Scotia
* ...
Politics
Webster County was reliably Democratic throughout the 20th century. However, the margins tightened in the 2000 election and in 2004, John Kerry only won this county very narrowly as Bush won Georgia's electoral votes easily. Webster County is the only county in Georgia that flipped to McCain's column in 2008 after voting for Kerry in 2004.
See also
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Webster County, Georgia
References
External links
Consolidated Government of Webster CountyIncluding the City of Preston, Weston, and Webster County
Webster County Board of Educationa School system serving the City of Preston and Weston
Webster County Sheriff's Departmentis the primary law enforcement agency for the entire county, and is an integral part of the county's system of justice.
County's Official SiteWebster Countyin the
New Georgia Encyclopedia
The ''New Georgia Encyclopedia'' (NGE) is a web-based encyclopedia containing over 2,000 articles about the state of Georgia. It is a program of Georgia Humanities (GH), in partnership with the University of Georgia Press, the University System o ...
.
{{Coord, 32.05, -84.55, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-GA_source:UScensus1990
Georgia (U.S. state) counties
1853 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
Populated places established in 1853
Majority-minority counties in Georgia