Quitman is a city in and the county seat of Brooks 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 3,850 at the 2010 census. The Quitman Historic District 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 ...

. Quitman was a home of James Pierpont, author of the song "

Jingle Bells "Jingle Bells" is one of the best-known and most commonly sung American songs in the world. It was written by James Lord Pierpont (1822–1893) and published under the title "The One Horse Open Sleigh" in September 1857. It has been claimed t ...

" (1857), and uncle of American financier J.P. Morgan. Pierpont was organist for the First Presbyterian Church. A local Quitman ordinance prohibits chickens from crossing the road. It is called the "

Camellia ''Camellia'' (pronounced or ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalayas east to Japan and Indonesia. There are more than 220 described species, with some controv ...

City", as the tree grows in profusion around the area.

History

Quitman was designated county seat of newly formed Brooks County in 1858. It was incorporated as a town in 1859 and as a city in 1904. As the county seat, it was the center of trading in the county, which was devoted to cotton plantations before and after the American Civil War. The community was named for John A. Quitman, a hero of the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

Geography

Quitman is located in southern Georgia at . U.S. Routes 84 and 221 pass through the center of the city. US 84 leads west 121 miles to

Dothan, Alabama Dothan () is a city in Dale, Henry, and Houston counties and the Houston county seat in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is Alabama's eighth-largest city, with a population of 71,072 at the 2020 census. It is near the state's southeastern corner ...

, while US 221 leads south to Greenville, Florida, and to Interstate 10. US 84 and US 221 together lead east to

Interstate 75 Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from St ...

and to Valdosta. 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 t ...

, Quitman has a total area of , of which , or .50%, is water.

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 4,064 people, 1,476 households, and 836 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 in ...

of 2000, there were 4,638 people, 1,707 households, and 1,131 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,034 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 30.98%

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 o ...

, 66.36%

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 ...

, 0.13% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 1.06% 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 1.10% from two or more races.

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 forme ...

or Latino of any race were 2.18% of the population. There were 1,707 households, out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.9% were married couples living together, 30.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.26. In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.1% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 78.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 68.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $20,924, and the median income for a family was $24,154. Males had a median income of $22,727 versus $17,391 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 $10,594. About 31.2% of families and 34.2% 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 46.7% of those under age 18 and 20.9% of those age 65 or over.

Industry

The prevalent industries in Quitman are farming and automotive. Cass Burch Automotive Group is located in downtown Quitman, with both Dodge Chrysler Jeep & Ram and Chevrolet dealerships represented.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Quitman has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Quitman, Georgia
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Education

Schools for Quitman are Quitman Elementary School, Brooks County Middle School, and

Brooks County High School Brooks County High School is a high school serving Quitman, Georgia, United States. It won several Georgia Interscholastic Association state football championships. The school offers community service clubs, technology and career clubs, and honors ...

Media

Radio station WGOV-FM 96.7 is licensed to broadcast from Quitman. The ''Quitman Free Press,'' a weekly newspaper, is the official legal publication for Brooks County. It has been in operation since 1876.

Notable people

Nellie Weldon Cocroft Ellen "Nellie" Weldon Cocroft (November 4, 1885 – June 27, 1986) was an American musical composer. Early life Ellen Estelle Weldon was born on November 4, 1885 in Quitman, Georgia, the daughter of Richard Weldon and Virginia (Massey) Weldo ...

- ragtime composer, born in Quitman * Edna Cain Daniel, writer, journalist, long-time publisher of the Quitman ''Free Press'' * Dana A. Dorsey - Banker, realtor, business executive, and philanthropist. Child of freed slaves. *

Henry L. Reaves Henry Lee Reaves (August 7, 1919 – April 2, 2007) was an American farmer, cattleman, and politician. He was a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from 1963 to 2001. Early life Reaves was born August 7, 1919, in Kissimmee, Florida ...

- politician, farmer, and cattleman *

James Lord Pierpont James Lord Pierpont (April 25, 1822 – August 5, 1893)Lewis, DaveJames Pierpont Biography, AllMusic, retrieved December 16, 2011 was an American songwriter , arranger, organist, Confederate States soldier, and composer, best known for writing ...

- songwriter of

, church organist, taught at the Quitman Academy. Uncle of J.P. Morgan.

References

External links

{{authority control Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) Cities in Brooks County, Georgia County seats in Georgia (U.S. state) Cities in the Valdosta metropolitan area