Ball Ground is a city in

Cherokee County, Georgia Cherokee County is located in the US state of Georgia. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 266,620. The county seat is Canton. The county Board of Commissioners is the governing body, with members elected to office. Cherokee County is inc ...

, United States. The city was originally

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, th ...

territory before they were removed from the land and it was given to white settlers. A railroad was built in 1882 and a town was formed around the resulting railroad stop. The town was incorporated on January 1, 1883, and became an industrial-based economy largely centered around its marble industry until around the mid-20th century when the industries began to leave and the city started to decline. From 2000 onwards the city saw rapid growth; as of the 2020 census the city had a population of 2,560, which is over three times the city's population of 730 in 2000.

History

Early history and settlement

The area that encompasses Ball Ground was originally inhabited by both the

and the

Muscogee Creek 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 WoodlandsBattle of Taliwa, which took place in what later became Ball Ground in 1755, between the Cherokee and the Muscogee Creek, ending with a Cherokee victory and forcing the Creek out of the territory. Following the passing of 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 ...

in 1830, the Cherokee were slowly relocated out of Cherokee County, including the Ball Ground area. The area of Ball Ground and the surrounding Cherokee County was distributed to European-Americans via the 1832 Georgia Land Lotteries, though the lands were not settled by them until the 1835 Treaty of New Echota caused the Cherokee to fully leave North Georgia and relocate west of the Mississippi River as part of the

Cherokee removal Cherokee removal, part of the Trail of Tears, refers to the forced relocation between 1836 and 1839 of an estimated 16,000 members of the Cherokee Nation and 1,000–2,000 of their slaves; from their lands in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carol ...

out of North Georgia. The name Ball Ground was initially given by settlers to refer to an area of land, not for the town or community. Native Americans would use the area as a ballground to play a game similar to

town ball Town ball, townball, or Philadelphia town ball, is a bat-and-ball, safe haven game played in North America in the 18th and 19th centuries, which was similar to rounders and was a precursor to modern baseball. In some areas—such as Philadelph ...

, and settlers named the town Ball Ground in reference to this. Over time details were added to the story of why the town was named Ball Ground. One such story was that the site was so named because it was the location of a 1532 game of ball between Native Americans playing against

Hernando de Soto Hernando de Soto (; ; 1500 – 21 May, 1542) was a Spanish explorer and ''conquistador'' who was involved in expeditions in Nicaragua and the Yucatan Peninsula. He played an important role in Francisco Pizarro's conquest of the Inca Empire ...

and his men, in a game umpired by the owner of the

Fountain of Youth The Fountain of Youth is a mythical spring which allegedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks or bathes in its waters. Tales of such a fountain have been recounted around the world for thousands of years, appearing in the writings of Herod ...

. When a fight broke out during the game, the umpire was killed, taking the secret of the location of the Fountain of Youth with him. Another story attested as "local folklore" by the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce says that the site is named Ball Ground because of a game of stickball played between the Cherokee and Creek "for the prize of a thousand square miles of land". After acquisition from the Cherokee in the 1830s, Ball Ground was originally settled as farmland and had few people living in the area. By 1847, the Ball Ground area had a post office, which was one of ten post offices within Cherokee County. In 1882, just before the town was established, Ball Ground had six homes and two country stores. Meetings were held in 1875 in various areas including Ball Ground to discuss the possibility of a railroad being built through Ball Ground and other nearby areas. In 1881 work began on a railroad to Ball Ground using

chain gang A chain gang or road gang is a group of prisoners chained together to perform menial or physically challenging work as a form of punishment. Such punishment might include repairing buildings, building roads, or clearing land. The system was not ...

s for labor and grading on the railroad's path was completed in Ball Ground that same year. The resulting track was part of the Marietta and North Georgia Railroad and was completed in 1882. Upon completion the terminus of the railroad was the newly constructed depot in Ball Ground. A town was built around the Ball Ground depot using surrounding land that was donated by thirteen nearby landowners for the express purpose of establishing a town. The deed of transfer to the railroad company noted that “The consideration moving each of us in the establishing of this town is the enhanced value to our lands within and adjacent to the said town, and the general benefit to the country, by which we shall be benefited.” The donated land was split into 200 lots and sold via an auction held in Ball Ground on April 18, 1883, along with other additional properties including a farm and a nearby mill. The next year in 1884, the town had approximately 300 residents.

Incorporation as a town

Ball Ground was incorporated as a town by

town charter A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document (''charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages. Traditionally the granting of a charter ...

on September 27, 1883, 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 direct ...

. The town limits were set as "one half mile in every direction from the present railroad crossing on the Gilmer Ferry road; that it shall be known and distinguished as the town of Ball Ground." In January 1896 a judge approved the sale of the Marietta and North Georgia railroad to the Atlanta, Knoxville, and Northern railway due to nonpayment of loans by the former railroad. The property to be sold included the depots along the railroad route which included the Ball Ground depot. The plaintiffs in the case were those owed money by the railroad and gave loans that were taken out to charter the railroad, but the scheduled April 1896 sale of the railroad was subsequently delayed through the courts by order of the same judge that initially approved the sale. That same month the Marietta and North Georgia railroad missed their payment deadline and the sale moved forward. On November 1, 1896, the Marietta and North Georgia Railroad was purchased by and turned over to the Atlanta, Knoxville, and Northern railway. Atlanta, Knoxville, and Northern was sold to the

Louisville and Nashville Railroad The Louisville and Nashville Railroad , commonly called the L&N, was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States. Chartered by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1850, the road grew into one of t ...

in 1902. An amendment to the town's charter was passed in 1903 to change the election times, clarifying the issuance of liquor licenses and set a price for said license at "not less than $500". The amendment also clarified how ''ad valorem'' taxes were to be collected. A further amendment in 1905 changed the 1903 amendment's $500 liquor license fee to $5,000. An updated charter passed by an act of the Georgia General Assembly in 1911 greatly expanded the powers of the municipal government, including the ability to pass municipal ordinances, and established a school district within Ball Ground. In 1961 a Ball Ground Improvement Association was formed to add improvements to the city including new paint, a city park, and street lights.

Revitalization

A television documentary aired in December 1971 on North Georgia's Channel 11 that focused on the city of Ball Ground and described it as a city in decline, and interviewed Ball Grounders about "the slow deterioration of the town." Two weeks after the broadcast of the documentary, the city's merchants announced that they had organized the Ball Ground Merchants Association to promote trade and to function as a Chamber of Commerce for the city. The Ball Ground Community Association was formed in early 1972 to promote the town and to organize festivals and cultural events. The first event the association organized was the May 1972 spring festival and parade, which included a delegation from the Cherokee Nation. This marked the first time the Cherokee returned to the area in any official capacity since they were removed from the area during the 1830s. As part of the festival, two Cherokee teams played a game of stickball against one another, and then-Lieutenant Governor

Lester Maddox Lester Garfield Maddox Sr. (September 30, 1915 – June 25, 2003) was an American politician who served as the 75th governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1967 to 1971. A populist Democrat, Maddox came to prominence as a staunch segregatio ...

served as the parade's

grand marshal Grand marshal is a ceremonial, military, or political office of very high rank. The term has its origins with the word "marshal" with the first usage of the term "grand marshal" as a ceremonial title for certain religious orders. The following ...

. Later that year in November 1972, in part because of the festival and other improvements to the city, Ball Ground won the "1972 Stay & See Georgia" contest, which was a program designed to help highlight and expand tourism within the State of Georgia. The spring festival was held annually until 1989. In 1997 developers began building new homes and communities within Ball Ground. Because of the growth of the city, residents and city officials began discussing the need for an improved sewer system to help modernize the septic systems of older homes and to attract new growth for the city. In 1998 a plan was put in place to begin work on a $2.8 million sewage system. The sewage system was completed in Fall 2003 amid ongoing development in and around Ball Ground.

Geography

Ball Ground is located at the foothills of the North Georgia mountains in the northeastern portion of Cherokee County. The city is northeast of the city of

Canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ente ...

and south of Nelson. It is the northernmost city in Cherokee County that is fully within the county limits, as the city of Nelson is partially within Pickens County. Ball Ground is north of Georgia's capital city of

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

's northernmost city limits and from downtown Atlanta. Ball Ground lies within the Upper Piedmont Physiographic Province in a narrow band of land called the Hightower-Jasper Ridge District, which has a different land structure and

lithology The lithology of a rock unit is a description of its physical characteristics visible at outcrop, in hand or core samples, or with low magnification microscopy. Physical characteristics include colour, texture, grain size, and composition. Li ...

than the surrounding areas. The bedrock underneath the city consists of

igneous Igneous rock (derived from the Latin word ''ignis'' meaning fire), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or ...

and

metamorphic rock Metamorphic rocks arise from the transformation of existing rock to new types of rock in a process called metamorphism. The original rock (protolith) is subjected to temperatures greater than and, often, elevated pressure of or more, caus ...

s such as

gneiss Gneiss ( ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. Gneiss forms at higher temperatures a ...

and

schist Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock showing pronounced schistosity. This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a low-power hand lens, oriented in such a way that the rock is easily split into thin flakes ...

. The land in and around Ball Ground is rich in

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...

deposits as well as

talc Talc, or talcum, is a clay mineral, composed of hydrated magnesium silicate with the chemical formula Mg3Si4O10(OH)2. Talc in powdered form, often combined with corn starch, is used as baby powder. This mineral is used as a thickening agent a ...

pyrite The mineral pyrite (), or iron pyrite, also known as fool's gold, is an iron sulfide with the chemical formula Iron, FeSulfur, S2 (iron (II) disulfide). Pyrite is the most abundant sulfide mineral. Pyrite's metallic Luster (mineralogy), lust ...

, and

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...

. 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 th ...

as of 2020, Ball Ground has a total area of , of which , or 0.63%, is water. The city's elevation averages around above sea level, ranging from just over in the valleys to around on several hilltops within the city. Unlike most other parts of Cherokee County, Ball Ground is not in a floodplain and has no typically flood prone areas. To protect the water and surrounding lands, the city government has ordinances in place for stream buffer protection,

watershed Watershed is a hydrological term, which has been adopted in other fields in a more or less figurative sense. It may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, called a "watershe ...

protection, and

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (Anoxic waters, anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in t ...

protection.

Climate

The climate of Ball Ground, as with most of the southeastern United States, is

humid subtropical A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(Cfa) according to the

Köppen classification Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author an ...

, with four seasons including hot, humid summers and cool winters. July and August are generally the warmest months of the year with an average high of around . The coldest month is January which has an average high of around . Ball Ground receives rainfall distributed fairly evenly throughout the year as typical of southeastern U.S. cities, with March on average having the highest average precipitation at , and May typically being the driest month with .

Demographics

The results of the

2000 United States census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 c ...

showed that Ball Ground had shrunk in population in the previous ten years, going from a population of 905 in 1990 to 730 in 2000. After the improvements to the sewage infrastructure and the development of homes and businesses in and around Ball Ground in the 2000s, the city began to see large amounts of growth. During the 2010 census the population had grown 96.3% to 1,433, and in 2020 had grown an additional 78.6% to 2,560. 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 off ...

, there were 2,560 people, 838 households, and 626 families residing in the city. The population density was . According to the 2020

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...

, there were 838 households, out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.1% 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 ...

living together, 1.2% had a male householder with no spouse present, 7% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 24.7% were non-families. 17.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.03. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 32.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110 males. The median income for a household in the city was $81,900, and the median income for a family was $92,690. Males had a median income of $51,393 versus $40,893 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 $18,147. About 4% of the population was 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 6.2% of those under age 18 and 0.8% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

When Ball Ground was first established, a large portion of its economy was based on agriculture and the railroad that passed through town, which brought marble from Tate, Georgia to be processed and

finished Finished may refer to: * ''Finished'' (novel), a 1917 novel by H. Rider Haggard * ''Finished'' (film), a 1923 British silent romance film * "Finished" (short story), a science fiction short story by L. Sprague de Camp See also *Finishing (disa ...

by marble companies in Ball Ground. In the early 1900s the city built up a ginery, saw mill, and a marble mill to mine the marble that was abundant in the area. Beginning in 1898 with the opening of the first marble company in the city, the marble industry became a large part of early Ball Ground's economy and in the 1920s the city had four independent marble finishing mills. The marble industry and other agricultural industrial facilities had largely died down or relocated out of Ball Ground by 1959. Several companies operated plants in Ball Ground before later relocating.

The Coca-Cola Company The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation founded in 1892, best known as the producer of Coca-Cola. The Coca-Cola Company also manufactures, sells, and markets other non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups ...

opened a bottling plant in Ball Ground in 1903 which operated for 30 years, closing in 1933.

Tyson Foods Tyson Foods, Inc. is an American multinational corporation, based in Springdale, Arkansas, that operates in the food industry. The company is the world's second-largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork after JBS S.A. It annually ...

operated a feed mill in Ball Ground from 1965 to 1998, when it moved to a larger facility in

Bartow County Bartow County is located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 108,901, up from 100,157 in 2010. The county seat is Cartersville. Traditionally considered part of northwest Georgia, ...

. The city has an industrial area called the River Mill Industrial Park, which is a area with railroad access. In May 2015, Universal Alloy Corporation (UAC) announced it was building a new factory in Ball Ground to supply

Boeing The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and ...

with parts for aircraft wing assemblies. Universal Alloy (UAC) is one of the largest employers in Cherokee County. UAC completed their Ball Ground facility in 2017. UAC is one of Cherokee County's largest employers, with over 500 employees.

Arts and culture

The

Sequoyah Regional Library System The Sequoyah Regional Library System (SRLS) is a library system serving three counties in North Georgia: Cherokee, Pickens, and Gilmer. Funding is provided by the cities and counties in Cherokee and Pickens, and by the board of education in Gilm ...

has a branch in Ball Ground called the Ball Ground Library, a facility with approximately 30,000 books in its collection. In 1985, the Alfred W. Roberts House was 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 ...

. It is the only house in Cherokee County that has this recognition. In 2009, the Ball Ground Historic District was listed on the NRHP, for its significance to Native American and early national history. Many homes still present in Ball Ground were built during the 1880s–1920s and are regarded as historic. In 2010, following the State of Georgia passing a law allowing for city governments to establish historic commissions to handle historic preservation efforts within their cities, Ball Ground's city government passed an ordinance establishing an historic preservation commission to encourage historic preservation efforts and to help regulate the status, treatment, and repairs of objects and buildings within the city that are designated as historic.

Annual cultural events

Since 2014 Ball Ground has held an annual Christmas parade called the March of the Toys Parade, which helps benefit the

Toys for Tots Toys for Tots is a program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve which distributes toys to children whose parents cannot afford to buy them gifts for Christmas. The program was founded in 1947 by reservist Major Bill Hendricks. Th ...

program. It was estimated that approximately 5,000 people attended the event in 2017, where attendees are asked to bring unwrapped presents to donate to Toys for Tots. In the summers, Ball Ground's City Park hosts weekly movies and concerts. During

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Many ...

celebrations, the city hosts annual fireworks shows around the areas of City Park and Calvin Farmer Park in downtown Ball Ground.

Parks and recreation

Ball Ground has several dedicated parks and recreational facilities within the city that are managed by the city's parks and recreation department. These include several parks, including a park, baseball fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, ponds, open fields, and wooded areas. Several of the parks also have walking trails and areas for fishing. There are two

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

s in Ball Ground. Ball Ground Botanical Gardens is a free-admission botanical garden that includes a butterfly-shaped walking trail. Gibbs Gardens is a property in Ball Ground that spans over and includes sixteen individual gardens including several ponds, bridge crossings, and waterfalls. In 2020 Business Jet Traveler ranked Gibbs Gardens #2 on its list of "13 best U.S. botanical gardens". Gibbs Gardens has over 20 million

daffodil ''Narcissus'' is a genus of predominantly spring flowering perennial plants of the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae. Various common names including daffodil,The word "daffodil" is also applied to related genera such as '' Sternbergia'', ''Is ...

s that bloom in the spring. outside of Ball Ground's city limits in unincorporated Ball Ground is the McGraw Ford Wildlife Management Area, a

wildlife management area A Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is a protected area set aside for the conservation of wildlife and for recreational activities involving wildlife. New Zealand There are 11 Wildlife Management Areas in New Zealand: * Horsham Downs Wildlife Man ...

along the

Etowah River The Etowah River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 27, 2011 waterway that rises northwest of Dahlonega, Georgia, north of Atlanta. On Matthew Carey's 179 ...

that is managed by the

Georgia Department of Natural Resources The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is an administrative agency of the U.S. state of Georgia. The agency has statewide responsibilities for managing and conserving Georgia’s natural, cultural, and historical resources, and has fiv ...

with various multi-purpose trails along with fishing and hunting areas.

Government

Since the incorporation of the town in 1883, the city has been managed by a mayor and city council consisting of five council-members, which meet on the second Thursday of each month. The city government also consists of a

city clerk A clerk is a senior official of many municipal governments in the English-speaking world. In some communities, including most in the United States, the position is elected, but in many others, the clerk is appointed to their post. In the UK, a Tow ...

city attorney A city attorney is a position in city and municipal government in the United States. The city attorney is the attorney representing the municipality. Unlike a district attorney or public defender, who usually handles criminal cases, a city att ...

, and a

city manager A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a "Mayor–council government" council–manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief exec ...

. The city has a

municipal court City court or municipal court is a court of law with jurisdiction limited to a city or other municipality. It typically addresses "violations of city ordinances and may also have jurisdiction over minor criminal cases...and over certain civil ca ...

which is held on the third Friday of each month. With the exception of a small police department managed by the city, most services are provided by Cherokee County, including animal control, building inspections, planning and zoning, parks and recreation, and jail operations. Cherokee County Fire Department is responsible for fire protection in Ball Ground, and Cherokee County Fire Station #2 is located in Ball Ground. In the

United States House of Representatives 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 ...

, Ball Ground is split between

Georgia's 9th congressional district Georgia's 9th congressional district is a congressional district in the north of the U.S. state of Georgia. The district is represented by Republican Andrew Clyde, who succeeded fellow Republican Doug Collins. The district is mostly rural an ...

and

Georgia's 11th congressional district Georgia's 11th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Georgia. The district is currently represented by Republican Barry Loudermilk. The district's boundaries have been redrawn following the 2010 census, whic ...

. For representation in the state government, Ball Ground is part of the Georgia State Senate's 21st district, and the 22nd district for the

Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republicans have had a majority in the chamber since 2005 ...

Education

Public education for students in Ball Ground is administrated by the Cherokee County School District and students within the city attend Ball Ground Elementary School, Creekland Middle School, and Creekview High School. High School students in Ball Ground also have the option of attending Mountain Education Charter High School (MECHS), an

alternative school An alternative school is an educational establishment with a curriculum and methods that are nontraditional. Such schools offer a wide range of philosophies and teaching methods; some have strong political, scholarly, or philosophical orientati ...

program that offers evening classes for obtaining a high school diploma. While MECHS has eighteen campuses throughout the North Georgia area, the Cherokee County classes of MECHS are held at the Etowah High School campus in

Woodstock, Georgia Woodstock is a city in Cherokee County, Georgia, United States. The population was 33,039 as of 2019 according to the US Census Bureau. Originally a stop on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, Woodstock is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. ...

. TLE Christian Academy at Gospel Outreach Inc is the only

private school Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

in Ball Ground and is a private K-12 school with a 2021 enrollment of 30 students. The nearest college or university to Ball Ground is

Reinhardt University Reinhardt University is a private university in Waleska, Georgia. The university has an off-campus center in Alpharetta and offers some programs in Cartersville, Marietta, and Canton, and online. Reinhardt is affiliated with the United Methodi ...

in Waleska, Georgia in Cherokee County, from Ball Ground.

Media

As part of the North Georgia area, Ball Ground's primary network-affiliated television stations are

WXIA-TV WXIA-TV (channel 11) is a television station in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Tegna Inc. alongside MyNetworkTV affiliate WATL (channel 36). Both stations share studios at One Monroe Place on the north ...

(NBC), WANF (CBS),

WSB-TV WSB-TV (channel 2) is a television station in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is the flagship television property of locally based Cox Media Group, which has owned the station since its inception, and is sister to ...

(ABC), and

WAGA-TV WAGA-TV (channel 5) is a television station in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, airing programming from the Fox network. Owned and operated by the network's Fox Television Stations division, the station maintains studios and transmitter facil ...

(Fox). WGTV is the local station of the statewide Georgia Public Television network and is a PBS member station. The city is served by the ''

Atlanta Journal-Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...

'' which serves the metro-Atlanta area including all of Cherokee County and by the ''Cherokee Tribune & Ledger-News'', which serves as Cherokee County's legal organ.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Interstate 575 passes through Ball Ground in a southwest-to-northeast direction and the interstate's exit 27, which is also within the city limits, exits onto Howell Bridge Road in Ball Ground. Ball Ground's Exit 27 is the last northbound exit on 575 before the interstate's northern terminus. Portions of Howell Bridge Road are also named State Route 5 Business, which runs through the city in a general west-to-east direction, and intersects with Georgia State Route 5 (also called Ball Ground Highway) within the city. State Route 5 runs parallel to Interstate 575 within the city limits in a similar southwest-to-northeast direction.

Georgia State Route 372 State Route 372 (SR 372) is a state highway in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Georgia. It begins at an intersection with SR 140 in the western part of Alpharetta, Georgia and travels to the north through Fulton and ...

(which within the city limits is also named Ball Ground Road, Gilmer Ferry Road, and then A W Roberts Drive) runs through Ball Ground from the southeast, through the center of town before merging with State Route 5/Ball Ground Highway to travel north out of the city. The nearest airport is the Cherokee County Regional Airport, a small public-use airport with a single

asphalt Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term ...

runway located in unincorporated Ball Ground from downtown Ball Ground, roughly halfway between the cities of Ball Ground and Canton. The closest major airport is

Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport , also known as Atlanta Hartsfield–Jackson International Airport, Atlanta Airport, Hartsfield, Hartsfield–Jackson and, formerly, as the Atlanta Municipal Airport, is the primary internatio ...

, which is from Ball Ground. Georgia Northeastern Railroad is a

freight rail Rail freight transport is the use of railroads and trains to transport cargo as opposed to human passengers. A freight train, cargo train, or goods train is a group of freight cars (US) or goods wagons (International Union of Railways) hauled ...

that runs through and has a stop in Ball Ground. The Ball Ground rail stop is a dedicated

team track A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line, branch line, or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end. Sidings often have lighte ...

within the city.

Utilities

The city's water department manages the water supply via a pumped well system. Sewage treatment within the city is also managed by the city government.

Municipal solid waste Municipal solid waste (MSW), commonly known as trash or garbage in the United States and rubbish in Britain, is a waste type consisting of everyday items that are discarded by the public. "Garbage" can also refer specifically to food waste ...

is handled by

Waste Management Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment and disposal of waste, together with monitorin ...

, a private company under contract with the city government.

Health care

There is a Northside Hospital-affiliated specialty care facility in Ball Ground. Within the city of Ball Ground there is one pharmacy, a

drug rehabilitation Drug rehabilitation is the process of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and street drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, heroin or amphetamines. The general intent i ...

center, and two veterinarians. The closest hospital is Northside Hospital Cherokee, from Ball Ground

Notable people

* Keith R. Blackwell, former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia * Russ Lyon, professional baseball player * Garland F. Pinholster, Oglethorpe University coach and Georgia State legislator

References

External links

{{authority control Cities in Cherokee County, Georgia Cities in Georgia (U.S. state)