Macon ( ), officially Macon–Bibb County, is a

consolidated city-county In United States local government, a consolidated city-county is formed when one or more cities and their surrounding county ( parish in Louisiana, borough in Alaska) merge into one unified jurisdiction. As such it has the governmental powers o ...

in 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 the ...

. Situated near the

fall line A fall line (or fall zone) is the area where an upland region and a coastal plain meet and is typically prominent where rivers cross it, with resulting rapids or waterfalls. The uplands are relatively hard crystalline basement rock, and the coa ...

of the

Ocmulgee River The Ocmulgee River () is a western tributary of the Altamaha River, approximately 255 mi (410 km) long, in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the westernmost major tributary of the Altamaha.

, it is located southeast 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 498,715 ...

and lies near the geographic center of the state of Georgia—hence the city's nickname, "The Heart of Georgia". Macon had a population of 157,346 in the year 2020. It is the principal city of the

Macon Metropolitan Statistical Area The Macon metropolitan area is a metropolitan area consisting of five counties in Central Georgia (Bibb, Crawford, Jones, Monroe, and Twiggs) anchored by the principal city of Macon. The Office of Management and Budget defines the area as one o ...

, which had a population of 233,802 in 2020. Macon is also the largest city in the Macon–Warner Robins

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 ...

(CSA), a larger trading area with an estimated 420,693 residents in 2017; the CSA abuts the Atlanta metropolitan area just to the north. In a 2012 referendum, voters approved the consolidation of the governments of the City of Macon and Bibb County, thereby making Macon Georgia's fourth-largest city (just after Augusta). The two governments officially merged on January 1, 2014. Macon is served by three interstate highways: I-16 (connecting the city to Savannah and coastal Georgia),

I-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 ...

(connecting the city with Atlanta to the north and Valdosta to the south), and I-475 (a city bypass highway). The city has several institutions of higher education, as well as numerous museums and tourism sites. The area is served by

Middle Georgia Regional Airport Middle Georgia Regional Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport located nine nautical miles (10 mi, 17 km) south of the central business district of Macon, a city in Bibb County, Georgia, United States. It is mostly used fo ...

and Herbert Smart Downtown Airport.

History

Macon was founded on the site of the Ocmulgee Old Fields, where the

Creek Indians 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 WoodlandsMississippian culture, built a powerful

chiefdom A chiefdom is a form of hierarchical political organization in non-industrial societies usually based on kinship, and in which formal leadership is monopolized by the legitimate senior members of select families or 'houses'. These elites form a ...

(950–1100 AD) based on the practice of agriculture. The Mississippian culture constructed earthwork

mound A mound is a heaped pile of earth, gravel, sand, rocks, or debris. Most commonly, mounds are earthen formations such as hills and mountains, particularly if they appear artificial. A mound may be any rounded area of topographically higher el ...

s for ceremonial, burial, and religious purposes. The areas along the rivers in the Southeast had been inhabited by

indigenous peoples Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

for 13,000 years before Europeans arrived. Macon was developed at the site of

Fort Benjamin Hawkins Fort Hawkins was a fort built between 1806 and 1810 in the historic Creek Nation by the United States government under President Thomas Jefferson and used until 1824. Built in what is now Georgia at the Fall Line on the east side of the Ocmulgee Ri ...

, built in 1809 at the

of the

to protect the community and to establish a trading post with Native Americans. The fort was named in honor of

Benjamin Hawkins Benjamin Hawkins (August 15, 1754June 6, 1816) was an American planter, statesman and a U.S. Indian agent He was a delegate to the Continental Congress and a United States Senator from North Carolina, having grown up among the planter elite ...

, Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the Southeast territory south of the Ohio River for more than 20 years. He lived among the Creek and was married to a Creek woman. This was the most inland point of navigation on the river from the Low Country. President

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the natio ...

forced the Creek to cede their lands east of the

and ordered the fort built. (Archeological excavations in the 21st century found evidence of two separate fortifications.) Fort Hawkins guarded the Lower Creek Pathway, an extensive and well-traveled American Indian network later improved by the United States as the Federal Road from Washington, D.C., to the ports of

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population within the city limits was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 195,111 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 cens ...

and

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

. A gathering point of the Creek and U.S. cultures for trading, it was also a center of the state militia and federal troops. The fort served as a major military distribution point during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

against Great Britain and also during the Creek War of 1813. Afterward, the fort was used as a trading post for several years and was garrisoned until 1821. It was decommissioned about 1828 and later burned to the ground. A replica of the southeast blockhouse was built in 1938 and still stands today on a hill in east Macon. Part of the fort site was occupied by the Fort Hawkins Grammar School. In the 21st century, archeological excavations have revealed more of the fort's importance, and stimulated planning for additional reconstruction of this major historical site. Mill Children in Macon 2

As many Europeans had already begun to move into the area, Fort Hawkins was renamed "Newtown." After the organization of Bibb County in 1822, the city was chartered as the county seat in 1823 and officially named Macon. This was in honor of the North Carolina statesman

Nathaniel Macon Nathaniel Macon (December 17, 1757June 29, 1837) was an American politician who represented North Carolina in both houses of Congress. He was the fifth speaker of the House, serving from 1801 to 1807. He was a member of the United States House of ...

, because many of the early residents of Georgia hailed from North Carolina. The city planners envisioned "a city within a park" and created a city of spacious streets and parks. They designated for Central City Park, and passed ordinances requiring residents to plant shade trees in their front yards. Wesleyan College, circa 1877 - DPLA - 6098fed0d90914d03c98118db843e638

Wesleyan College, circa 1877 - DPLA - 6098fed0d90914d03c98118db843e638

The city thrived due to its location on the Ocmulgee River, which enabled shipping to markets. Cotton became the mainstay of Macon's early economy, based on the enslaved labor of African Americans. Macon was in the Black Belt of Georgia, where cotton was the commodity crop. Cotton steamboats, stagecoaches, and later, in 1843, a

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

increased marketing opportunities and contributed to the economic prosperity of Macon. In 1836, the Georgia Conference of the

Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...

founded

Wesleyan College Wesleyan College is a private, liberal arts women's college in Macon, Georgia. Founded in 1836, Wesleyan was the first college in the world chartered to grant degrees to women. History The school was chartered on December 23, 1836, as the Ge ...

in Macon. Wesleyan was the first college in the United States chartered to grant degrees to women. In 1855, a referendum was held to determine a capital city for Georgia. Macon came in last with 3,802 votes. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, Macon served as the official arsenal of the Confederacy manufacturing

percussion cap The percussion cap or percussion primer, introduced in the early 1820s, is a type of single-use percussion ignition device for muzzle loader firearm locks enabling them to fire reliably in any weather condition. This crucial invention gave rise ...

friction primer A friction primer is a device to initiate the firing of muzzle-loading cannon. Each friction primer consists of a copper tube filled with gunpowder. The tube fits into the cannon touch hole burying its lower end in the gunpowder chamber. The top end ...

s, and pressed

bullet A bullet is a kinetic projectile, a component of firearm ammunition that is shot from a gun barrel. Bullets are made of a variety of materials, such as copper, lead, steel, polymer, rubber and even wax. Bullets are made in various shapes and co ...

s. Camp Oglethorpe, in Macon, was used first as a prison for captured Union officers and enlisted men. Later it held officers only, up to 2,300 at one time. The camp was evacuated in 1864. Macon City Hall, which served as the temporary state capitol in 1864, was converted to a hospital for wounded Confederate soldiers. The Union General

William Tecumseh Sherman William Tecumseh Sherman ( ; February 8, 1820February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. He served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865), achieving recognition for his com ...

spared Macon on his march to the sea. His troops had sacked the nearby state capital of Milledgeville, and Maconites prepared for an attack. Sherman, however, passed by without entering Macon. The ''

Macon Telegraph ''The Telegraph,'' frequently called The Macon Telegraph, is the primary print news organ in Middle Georgia. It is the third-largest newspaper in the State of Georgia (after the ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' and ''Augusta Chronicle''). Founded ...

'' wrote that, of the 23 companies which the city had furnished the Confederacy, only enough men survived and were fit for duty to fill five companies by the end of the war. The human toll was very high. The city was taken by Union forces during

Wilson's Raid Wilson's Raid was a cavalry operation through Alabama and Georgia in March–April 1865, late in the American Civil War. Brig. Gen. James H. Wilson led his Union Army Cavalry Corps to destroy Southern manufacturing facilities and was opposed ...

on April 20, 1865. In the twentieth century, Macon grew into a prospering town in Middle Georgia. It began to serve as a transportation hub for the entire state. In 1895, the

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

dubbed Macon "The Central City," in reference to the city's emergence as a hub for railroad transportation and textile factories.

Terminal Station A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing su ...

was built in 1916. In 1994 Tropical Storm Alberto made

landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

bringing of rain, which resulted in major flooding in Georgia. Macon was one of the cities to suffer the worst flooding. On May 11, 2008, an EF2 tornado touched down in nearby Lizella. The tornado then moved northeast to the southern shore of Lake Tobesofkee then continued into Macon and lifted near Dry Branch in Twiggs County. The tornado produced sporadic areas of major damage. Widespread straight-line wind damage was also produced along and south of the track of the tornado. The most significant damage was in Macon along Eisenhower Parkway and Pio Nono Avenue where two businesses were destroyed and several others were heavily damaged. Middle Georgia State College was also damaged by the tornado, snapping or uprooting around 50% of the campus trees and doing significant damage to several buildings on campus, with the gymnasium sustaining the worst damage. This tornado varied in intensity from EF0 to EF2 with the EF2 damage and winds up to occurring near the intersection of Eisenhower Parkway and Pio Nono Avenue. Total path length was with a path width of .

Consolidation

Bibb County Georgia Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Macon Highlighted

On July 31, 2012, voters in Macon (57.8 percent approval) and Bibb County (56.7 percent approval) passed a referendum to merge the governments of the city of Macon and most of unincorporated Bibb County, based on the authorization of House Bill 1171, passed by the Georgia General Assembly earlier in the year; four previous consolidation attempts (in 1933, 1960, 1972, and 1976) had failed.City-County Consolidation Proposals, 1921 - Present
, ''National Association of Counties''. Retrieved 2011-02-11.Consolidation pass for Macon and Bibb county in the 2012 vot
Consolidation of City and County Governments: Attempts in Five Cities
. Retrieved 2010-09-14. Under the consolidation, the governments of Macon and Bibb County were replaced with a single mayor and a nine-member countywide commission elected to office by county districts. A portion of Macon that had extended into nearby Jones County was disincorporated from Macon. Robert Reichert was the first mayor of Macon-Bibb after the election in September 2013 and a runoff with C. Jack Ellis in October.

Timeline

* 1806 - U.S. Fort Hawkins built at the present-day site of Creek Indian

Ocmulgee Old Fields The Ocmulgee River () is a western tributary of the Altamaha River, approximately 255 mi (410 km) long, in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the westernmost major tributary of the Altamaha.Bibb County created. * 1823 - Town of Macon incorporated; named after North Carolina statesman

. * 1826 ** ''

'' newspaper begins publication. ** First Presbyterian Church founded. * 1829 - Newtown becomes part of Macon. * 1833 - Steamboat in operation. * 1834 - City of Macon incorporated. * 1835 - Robert Augustus Beall elected mayor. * 1836 - Monroe Railroad Bank built. * 1838 - Monroe Railroad (

Forsyth Forsyth may refer to: Places Oceania * Forsyth Island, Queensland, Australia, one of the West Wellesley Islands (aka Forsyth Islands) * Forsyth Island, Tasmania, Australia * Forsyth Island (New Zealand), in the outer Marlborough Sounds of South I ...

-Macon) begins operating. * 1839 - Georgia Female College opens. * 1840 ** Rose Hill Cemetery established. ** Population: 3,927. * 1843 - The Central of Georgia Railway connects Savannah and Macon. * 1846 - The

Macon and Western Railroad The Macon and Western Railroad was an American railway company that operated in Georgia in the middle of the 19th century. Originally chartered as the Monroe Railroad and Banking Company in December 1833, it was not until 1838 that it opened for bus ...

connects Macon and Atlanta; the Small House (residence) built (approximate date). * 1848 - Telegraph begins operating. (Timeline) * 1851 - Georgia State Fair relocates to Macon. * 1860 ** Belgian Fair and Cotton Planters' Exposition held. ** Population: 8,247. * 1862 - "Arsenal of the Confederate Government moved to Macon" during the

. * 1864 ** July 30: Macon besieged by

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

forces. ** " City Hall made temporary State Capitol of Georgia." * 1865 - April 20: Macon occupied by Union forces. * 1866 - October 29: Equal Rights and Educational Association of Georgia meeting held in Macon. * 1871 **

Mercer University Mercer University is a private research university with its main campus in Macon, Georgia. Founded in 1833 as Mercer Institute and gaining university status in 1837, it is the oldest private university in the state and enrolls more than 9,000 ...

relocates to Macon from Penfield. ** Bibb Manufacturing Company in business. * 1874 - Public Library ( social library) established. * 1876 - Mount de Sales Academy active. * 1880 ** Telephone begins operating. ** Population: 12,749. * 1884 ** ''Macon Daily News'' begins publication. ** Academy of Music built. * 1887 ** April 6: Riverside Cemetery chartered ** August 6: Woolfolk family murdered near Macon. * 1900 - Price Library (public library) opens. * 1906 -

levee construction begins. * 1910 - Population: 40,665. * 1917 - Cox Capitol Theatre in business. * 1918 **

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. ...

Columbus branch organized (approximate date). ** Macon Art Association formed. ** Outbreak of Spanish flu. * 1919 ** Washington Memorial Library (public library) established. ** Paul Jones was lynched on November 2, 1919, after being accused of attacking a fifty-year-old white woman. He was burned alive. * 1921 -

Douglass Theatre The Douglass Theatre is a theatre in Macon, Georgia was founded in 1921 by Charles Henry Douglass, an African-American entrepreneur who was an established theatre developer well versed in the vaudeville and entertainment business. Ben Stein owned ...

and Rialto Theatre in business. * 1922 ** WMAZ

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...

begins broadcasting. ** Sherah Israel Synagogue built. * 1925 - Macon City Auditorium built. * 1929 -

Luther Williams Field Luther Williams Field is a baseball stadium in Macon, Georgia. It was built in 1929, and is the centerpiece of Central City Park in Macon. It is the home of the Macon Bacon, a wood-bat collegiate summer baseball team in the Coastal Plain League. T ...

(stadium) opens. * 1929 - Walker Business College, an African American business and vocational school opens a second campus in Macon * 1933 -

Citizens & Southern National Bank Citizens and Southern National Bank (C&S) began as a Georgia institution that expanded into South Carolina, Florida and into other states via mergers. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia; it was the largest bank in the Southeast for much of the 20th c ...

building constructed. * 1936 **

Ocmulgee National Monument Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park (formerly Ocmulgee National Monument) in Macon, Georgia, United States preserves traces of over ten millennia of culture from the Native Americans in the Southeastern Woodlands. Its chief remains are majo ...

established. ** Farmer's Market built. * 1938 - Bibb Theatre in business. * 1948 - WIBB radio begins broadcasting. * 1949 - Middle Georgia Regional Library headquartered in Macon. * 1950 - Population: 70,252. * 1952 - ''Georgia Journal'' newspaper begins publication. * 1953 -

WMAZ-TV WMAZ-TV (channel 13) is a television station in Macon, Georgia, United States, affiliated with CBS and The CW Plus. The station is owned by Tegna Inc., and maintains studios on Gray Highway on the northeast side of Macon; its transmitter is l ...

begins broadcasting. * 1955 - "Singer James Brown records his first single '

Please Please Please "Please, Please, Please" is a rhythm and blues song performed by James Brown and the Famous Flames. Written by Brown and Johnny Terry and released as a Single (music), single on Federal Records in 1956, it reached No. 6 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop So ...

' at the studio of WIBB" radio in Macon. * 1960 - "Stratford Academy founded" * 1964 - Middle Georgia Historical Society formed. * 1965 - Macon Junior College established. * 1966 - U.S. Supreme Court decides ''Evans v. Newton'' desegregation-related lawsuit. * 1967 ** December 18: Funeral of musician Otis Redding. ** Ronnie Thompson (Georgia politician), Ronnie Thompson becomes mayor. * 1970 - Population: 122,423. * 1978 - Middle Georgia Archives organized. * 1983 ** International Cherry Blossom Festival, Cherry Blossom Festival begins. ** Richard Ray becomes U.S. representative for Georgia's 3rd congressional district. * 1993 - Sanford Bishop becomes U.S. representative for Georgia's 2nd congressional district. * 1994 ** July: Tropical Storm Alberto (1994)#Georgia, Flood. ** Georgia Sports Hall of Fame relocates to Macon. * 1999 - C. Jack Ellis becomes mayor. * 2000 - Population: 97,255. * 2001 - City website online (approximate date). * 2003 - Historic Macon Foundation formed. * 2007 - Robert Reichert becomes mayor. * 2010 - Population: 91,351. * 2012 - Governments of Macon city and Bibb County Consolidated city-county, consolidated. * 2015 - Middle Georgia State University active.

Geography

The

is a major river that runs through the city. Macon is one of Georgia's three major Fall Line Cities, along with Augusta and Columbus, Georgia, Columbus. The Fall Line is where the hilly lands of the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont plateau meet the flat terrain of the coastal plain. As such, Macon has a varied landscape of rolling hills on the north side and flat plains on the south. The

, where the altitude drops noticeably, causes rivers and creeks in the area to flow rapidly toward the ocean. In the past, Macon and other Fall Line cities had many textile mills powered by the rivers. Macon is located at (32.834839, −83.651672). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.82%) is water. Macon is approximately above sea level.

Climate

Macon has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification ''Cfa''). The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from in January to in July. On average, there are 4.8 days with + highs, 83 days with + highs, and 43 days with a low at or below freezing; the average window for freezing temperatures is November 7 thru March 22, allowing a growing season of 228 days. The city has an average annual precipitation of . Snow is occasional, with about half of the winters receiving trace amounts or no snowfall, averaging ; the snowiest winter was 1972−73 with .

Surrounding cities and towns

Demographics

Map of Georgia highlighting Macon-Warner Robins-Fort Valley CSA

Macon is the largest principal city of the Macon metropolitan area, Georgia#Combined Statistical Area, Macon-Warner Robins-Fort Valley CSA, a

that includes the Macon metropolitan area, Georgia, Macon metropolitan area (Bibb, Crawford County, Georgia, Crawford, Jones, Monroe County, Georgia, Monroe, and Twiggs County, Georgia, Twiggs counties) and the Warner Robins, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area, Warner Robins metropolitan area (Houston County, Georgia, Houston, Peach County, Georgia, Peach, and Pulaski County, Georgia, Pulaski counties), which had a combined population of 411,898 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. As of the official 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Macon was 91,351. In the last official census, in 2000, there were 97,255 people, 38,444 households, and 24,219 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 44,341 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 67.94% African American (U.S. Census), African American, 28.56% White (U.S. Census), White, 0.02% Native American (U.S. Census), Native American, 0.65% Asian (U.S. Census), Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander (U.S. Census), Pacific Islander, 0.46% from Race (United States Census), other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic (U.S. Census), Hispanic or Latino (U.S. Census), Latino people of any race were 2.48% of the population. There were 38,444 households, out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.0% were Marriage, married couples living together, 25.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.08. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.9% under the age of 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 79.7 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 72.8 males.

Economy

Personal income

According to the 2010 Census, the median household income in the city was $28,366, as compared with the state average of $49,347. The median family income was $37,268. Full-time working males had a median income of $34,163 versus $28,082 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,010. About 24.1% of families and 30.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 43.6% of those under age 18 and 18.4% of those over 65.

Retail

Malls include The Shoppes at River Crossing, Macon Mall, and Eisenhower Crossing. Traditional shopping centers are in the downtown area and Ingleside Village.

Military

Robins Air Force Base, the largest single-site industrial complex in the state of Georgia, is just 10 miles south of Macon on Highway 247 next to the city of Warner Robins. The headquarters of the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Georgia Army National Guard is located in Macon.

Arts and culture

Musical heritage

Macon was home to numerous musicians/composers including Emmett Miller, The Allman Brothers Band, Randy Crawford, Mark Heard, Lucille Hegamin, Ben Johnston (composer), Ben Johnston, Otis Redding, Little Richard, Mike Mills, and Bill Berry of R.E.M., as well as more recent artists like violinist Robert McDuffie and country music, country artist Jason Aldean. Capricorn Records, run by Macon natives Phil Walden and briefly Alan Walden, made the city a center for Southern rock music production in the late 1960s and 1970s.Georgia Music Hall of Fame
"Alan Walden - Georgia Music Hall of Fame 2003 Inductee"
. Georgiamusicstore.com. Retrieved August 27, 2008. The Macon Symphony Orchestra, a youth symphony, and the Middle Georgia Concert Band perform at the Grand Opera House (Macon, Georgia), Grand Opera House in downtown Macon. The Georgia Music Hall of Fame was located in Macon from 1996 to 2011.

Festivals

* International Cherry Blossom Festival - a 10-day celebration held every mid-March in Macon * The Mulberry Street Festival - an arts and crafts festival held downtown the last weekend of March *The Juneteenth Freedom Festival - An annual June performing arts and educational celebration of the end of American slavery in 1865, celebrating black freedom and heritage both ancient and contemporary * Pan African Festival - An annual celebration of the African diaspora and culture, held in April * Ocmulgee Indian Celebration - A celebration of the original residents of the land where Macon now sits, this festival is held in September at Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. Representatives from the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek people, Creek, Seminole, and other nations come to share stories, exhibit Native art, and perform traditional songs and dance. * Skydog is a music festival celebrating the birthday, life, and music of Skydog (Duane Allman) held in November. * The Georgia Music Hall of Fame hosts Georgia Music Week in September. * Macon's annual Bragg Jam festival features an Art and Kids' Festival along the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail and a nighttime Pub Crawl. * Macon Film Festival - an annual celebration of independent films, held the third weekend in July

Points of interest

Historical sites

is a railroad station that was built in 1916, and is located on 5th St. at the end of Cherry St. It was designed by architect Alfred Fellheimer, prominent for his design of Grand Central Terminal in New York City in 1903. * Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park is located near downtown Macon. It preserves some of the largest ancient Earthworks (archaeology), earthwork mounds in Georgia built by the Mississippian culture a millennium ago, c. 950–1150. It was sacred to the historic Muscogee (Creek), Muscogee (Creek Nation) as well. Archeological artifacts reveal 13,000 years of human habitation at the site. The park features a spiral mound, funeral mound, temple mounds, burial mounds, and a reconstructed earth house, earth lodge. It is the first Traditional Cultural Property designated by the National Park Service east of the Mississippi River. *

, a major military outpost (1806-1821), was a command headquarters for the U.S. Army and Georgia militia on the boundary between U.S.-held and Native land, as well as a trading post or factory for the Creek Nation. It was a supply depot during U.S. campaigns of the

and the Creek and Seminole Wars. * Cannonball House (Macon, Georgia), Cannonball House - historic site *

* Old City Cemetery (Macon, Georgia), Old City Cemetery - one of Macon's oldest cemetery, cemeteries * Rose Hill Cemetery (Georgia), Rose Hill Cemetery - cemetery listed on the National Register of Historic Places * Sidney Lanier Cottage - historical home of the poet Sidney Lanier * Temple Beth Israel (Macon, Georgia), Temple Beth Israel - The Judaism, Jewish congregation was founded in 1859, and now occupies a domed Neoclassical architecture, Neoclassical facility built in 1902. *

- first chartered women's college in the world

Museums

* The Allman Brothers Band Museum - the "Big House" used by the Allman Brothers Band in the early 1970s, now a museum of Allman Brothers history and artifacts * The Georgia Children's Museum - interactive education, located in the downtown Museum District * Georgia Sports Hall of Fame * The Little Richard House and Museum - a museum of Little Richard's history and artifacts * Museum of Arts and Sciences (Macon), Museum of Arts and Sciences and Planetarium * Tubman Museum of African American Art, History, and Culture - the largest African American museum in the Southeast

Community

* City Hall, Georgia's capital for part of the Civil War Macon Auditorium

, named for its founder Charles Henry Douglas. An entrepreneur from a prominent black family, he was an established theatre developer well versed in the vaudeville and entertainment business. The theatre has undergone modern renovations and hosts numerous theatrical events. * The Grand Opera House (Macon, Georgia), Grand Opera House, where the Macon Symphony Orchestra performs * Johnston-Felton-Hay House, Hay House - also known as the "Johnston-Felton-Hay House," it has been referred to as the "Palace of the South" * Macon City Auditorium, City Auditorium, the world's largest true copper dome * Macon Coliseum * Macon Little Theatre, established in 1934, is the area's oldest community theatre, producing seven plays/musicals per season * Waddell Barnes Botanical Gardens * Theatre Macon, in the old Ritz Theatre; they perform around nine shows a year

Sports

Macon is home to the Mercer Bears, who compete at the NCAA Division I level in sports that include association football, soccer (men's and women's), American football, football, baseball, basketball (men's and women's), tennis, and lacrosse. Central Georgia Technical College also competes in men's and women's basketball. Wesleyan College, an all-female school, has teams in basketball, association football, soccer, cross country running, cross country, tennis, softball, and volleyball.

Former teams

Parks and recreation

The city maintains several parks and community centers. OcmulgeeRiverWalk

Central City Park, circa 1877 - DPLA - 98e6a4d7a40d9c7f6b21a448aed97c08

*Ocmulgee Heritage Trail - a green way of parks, plazas, and landmarks along the

in downtown Macon *Bloomfield Park *East Macon Park *Frank Johnson Recreation Center *Freedom Park *L.H. Williams Community School Center *Memorial Park *North Macon Park *Rosa Jackson *Senior Center *John Drew Smith Tennis Center *Tattnall Square Tennis Center *Gateway Park Otis Redding *Central City Park *Central City Skatepark

Government

Prior to 2013, the city government consisted of a mayor and city council. Robert Reichert was elected the first mayor of the consolidated Macon-Bibb County in October 2013. There are also 9 County Commissioners elected from districts within the county. On March 15, 2019, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged the former County Manager, Dale M. Walker, with fraud.

Education

Mercer University Administration Building

Public schools

Bibb County Public School District operates district public schools. Public high schools include: * Central High School (Macon, Georgia), Central High School * Howard High School (Macon, Georgia), Howard High School * Northeast Health Science Magnet High School * Rutland High School (Macon, Georgia), Rutland High School * Southwest Magnet High School and Law Academy * Westside High School (Macon, Georgia), Westside High School Georgia Academy for the Blind, operated by the state of Georgia, is a statewide school for blind students. Also operated by Bibb County Public Schools: * Elam Alexander Academy * Northwoods Academy

Private high schools

* Covenant Academy * First Presbyterian Day School * Mount de Sales Academy * Stratford Academy * Tattnall Square Academy * Windsor Academy

State public charter schools

* The Academy for Classical Education * Cirrus Academy Charter School

Colleges and universities

Approximately 30,000 college students live in the greater Macon area. * Central Georgia Technical College *

* Middle Georgia State University * Miller-Motte Technical College - satellite campus *

Media

Macon has a substantial number of local television and radio stations. It is also served by two local papers.

Newspapers and magazines

*''The 11th Hour (newspaper), The 11th Hour'' *Gateway Macon (web portal), The Local's Guide for Things To Do in Macon *''Macon Business Journal, a journal chronicling the business community in the Middle Georgia region *''Macon Community News'', a monthly positive news print newspaper *''The Mercer Cluster'' *''The Telegraph (Macon), The Telegraph'', a daily newspaper published in Macon

References in popular culture

''The Simpsons''

In "Bart on the Road", the Season 7 episode of ''The Simpsons'', character Nelson Muntz suggests the boys take a road trip to Macon. Later he reminds the group that none of their trouble would have happened had they chosen Macon over Knoxville, Tennessee.

''Gone with the Wind''

In Margaret Mitchell's novel ''Gone with the Wind (novel), Gone with the Wind'', Aunt Pittypat's coachman, Uncle Peter, protected her when she fled to Macon during William Tecumseh Sherman, Sherman's assault on Battle of Atlanta, Atlanta.

Baconsfield Park

U.S. Senator Augustus Bacon, of Georgia, in his 1911 will, devised land in Macon in trust, to be used as a public park for the exclusive benefit of white people. The park, known as Baconsfield, was operated in that manner for many years. In ''Evans v. Newton'', the Supreme Court of the United States held that the park could not continue to be operated on a racially discriminatory basis. The Supreme Court of Georgia (U.S. state), Supreme Court of Georgia thereupon declared “that the sole purpose for which the trust was created has become impossible of accomplishment” and remanded the case to the trial court, which held Cy-près doctrine, cy-près doctrine to be inapplicable, since the park's segregated character was an essential and inseparable part of Bacon's plan. The trial court ruled that the trust failed and that the property reverted to Bacon's heirs. The Supreme Court of Georgia and the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed. The 50-acre (20 ha) park was lost and commercially developed.

Telltale's ''The Walking Dead''

The city of Macon is visited in two different ''The Walking Dead'' spinoff games by Telltale Games: ''The Walking Dead (video game), The Walking Dead: Season One'' and ''The Walking Dead: 400 Days''. In ''Season One'', the city is portrayed as a small rural town and is visited by the main characters as they temporarily set up camp in the city. The city is the hometown of the game's main protagonist and the playable character throughout the game, Lee Everett. He and the other survivors barricade themselves inside his family's pharmacy as they are besieged by zombies. After one of the survivors dies, the group heads to a motel on the outskirts of Macon where they set up camp for two more episodes, before eventually deciding to leave the city for Savannah. In ''400 Days'', the city is briefly shown in the episode "Vince's Story" as a flashback to when the episode's main character, Vince, fatally shoots an unseen and unnamed resident of the city before fleeing into the night before the apocalypse began. This murder would ultimately lead to Vince's arrest and the events that occurred at the beginning of the zombie apocalypse.

Infrastructure

Hospitals

* The Medical Center, Navicent Health (a part of Atrium Health) * Atrium Health Navicent Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital (formerly The Children's Hospital Of Central Georgia) * Piedmont Health Macon (formerly Coliseum Medical Centers) ** Piedmont Macon Medical Center ** Coliseum Northside Hospital, Piedmont Macon North Hospital * The American Red Cross of Central Georgia * Central Georgia Rehabilitation Hospital

Transportation

Airports

*Macon Downtown Airport is located near downtown. It has a large number of corporate and private aviation aircraft. *

provides public air service to Macon as well as cargo flights. The airport is situated south of downtown.

Highways

Interstates: * I-16

Interstate 16 (Georgia), Interstate 16 * I-75

Interstate 75 (Georgia), Interstate 75 * I-475

Interstate 475 (Georgia), Interstate 475 * I-14 (Future)

Interstate 14 (proposed) U.S. Routes: * US 23

U.S. Route 23 (Georgia), U.S. Route 23 * US 41

U.S. Route 41 in Georgia, U.S. Route 41 * US 80

U.S. Route 80 (Georgia), U.S. Route 80 * US 129

U.S. Route 129 (Georgia), U.S. Route 129 State Routes: * Georgia 11

Georgia State Route 11, State Route 11 * Georgia 19

Georgia State Route 19, State Route 19 * Georgia 22

Georgia State Route 22, State Route 22 * Georgia 49

Georgia State Route 49, State Route 49 * Georgia 74

Georgia State Route 74, State Route 74 * Georgia 87

Georgia State Route 87, State Route 87 * Georgia 87 Connector

Georgia State Route 87 Connector (Macon), State Route 87 Connector * Georgia 247

Georgia State Route 247, State Route 247 * Georgia 401

Georgia State Route 401, State Route 401 (unsigned designation for I-75) * Georgia 404

Georgia State Route 404, State Route 404 (unsigned designation for I-16) * Georgia 408

Georgia State Route 408, State Route 408 (unsigned designation for I-475) * Georgia 540

Fall Line Freeway, State Route 540 (Fall Line Freeway)

Mass transit

The Macon Transit Authority (MTA) is Macon's public-transit system, operating the Public Transit City Bus System throughout Macon-Bibb County. As of 2022, the MTA has a total of 10 city bus routes, operating out of the

hub.

Intercity bus and rail

Greyhound Lines provides intercity bus service. In 2019, they moved from a stand-alone bus station to the Terminal Station to be in the same hub as the local mass transit busses. Macon grew as a center of rail transport after the 1846 opening of the

. Two of the most note-worthy train companies operating through the city were the Central of Georgia Railway and the Southern Railway (U.S.), Southern Railway. The city continued to be served by passenger trains at Terminal Station until 1971. The Frisco Railroad's ''Kansas City–Florida Special'' served the city until 1964. The Southern's ''Royal Palm (train), Royal Palm'' ran from Cincinnati, through Macon, to Miami, Florida until 1966. (A truncated route served to Valdosta, Georgia until 1970.) The Central of Georgia's ''Nancy Hanks (train), Nancy Hanks'' ran through Macon, from

to Savannah until 1971. Since at least 2006 Macon has been included in the proposed Georgia Rail Passenger Program to restore inter-city rail service but as of 2020, Georgia lacks any inter-city passenger rail service other than the federally funded inter-state Amtrak services. In 2022, Amtrak announced a new fifteen year plan to expand its services, which Macon was included in.

Pedestrians and cycling

*Heritage Trail *Ocmulgee Heritage Trail

Notable people

Sister cities

Macon has six sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI): * Mâcon, France * Elmina, Ghana * Kurobe, Toyama, Kurobe, Toyama Prefecture, Toyama, Japan * Ulyanovsk, Russia * Kaohsiung, Taiwan * Gwacheon, South Korea

Notes

References

Bibliography

Published in 19th century * * * * * Published in 20th century * * * * Ida Young, Julius Gholson, and Clara Nell Hargrove. History of Macon, Georgia (Macon, Ga.: Lyon, Marshall & Brooks, 1950). * John A. Eisterhold. "Commercial, Financial, and Industrial Macon, Georgia, During the 1840s", ''The Georgia Historical Quarterly,'' Winter 1969, Vol. 53 Issue 4, pp 424–441 * James H. Stone. "Economic Conditions in Macon, Georgia in the 1830s", ''The Georgia Historical Quarterly,'' Summer 1970, Vol. 54 Issue 2, pp 209–225 * Bowling C. Yates. "Macon, Georgia, Inland Trading Center 1826–1836", ''The Georgia Historical Quarterly,'' Fall 1971, Vol. 55 Issue 3, pp 365–377 * McInvale, Morton Ray "Macon, Georgia: The War Years, 1861–1865" (Ph.D. dissertation, Florida State University, 1973) * Roger K. Hux. "The Ku Klux Klan in Macon 1919–1925", ''The Georgia Historical Quarterly,'' Summer 1978, Vol. 62 Issue 2, pp 155–168 * Nancy Anderson, Macon: A Pictorial History (Virginia Beach, Va.: Donning, 1979). * Donnie D. Bellamy. "Macon, Georgia, 1823–1860: A Study in Urban Slavery", ''Phylon'' 45 (December 1984): 300–304, 308–309 * Kristina Simms. Macon, Georgia's Central City: An Illustrated History (Chatsworth, Calif.: Windsor, 1989). * Titus Brown. "Origins of African American Education in Macon, Georgia 1865–1866", ''Journal of South Georgia History,'' Oct 1996, Vol. 11, pp 43–59 * Macon: An Architectural Historical Guide (Macon, Ga.: Middle Georgia Historical Society, 1996). * Macon's Black Heritage: The Untold Story (Macon, Ga.: Tubman African American Museum, 1997). * Matthew W. Norman. "James H. Burton and the Confederate States Armory at Macon", ''The Georgia Historical Quarterly,'' Winter 1997, Vol. 81 Issue 4, pp 974–987 * Titus Brown. "A New England Missionary and African-American Education in Macon: Raymond G. Von Tobel at the Ballard Normal School, 1908–1935", ''The Georgia Historical Quarterly,'' Summer 1998, Vol. 82 Issue 2, pp 283–304 * Robert S. Davis. ''Cotton, Fire, & Dreams: The Robert Findlay Iron Works and Heavy Industry in Macon, Georgia, 1839–1912'' (Macon, Ga., 1998) * * Published in 21st century * * * * Robert Scott Davis. "A Cotton Kingdom Retooled for War: The Macon Arsenal and the Confederate Ordnance Establishment", ''The Georgia Historical Quarterly,'' Fall 2007, Vol. 91 Issue 3, pp 266–291 * Candace Dyer, Street Singers, Soul Shakers, Rebels with a Cause: Music from Macon (Macon, Ga.: Indigo Publishing Group, 2008). * Mara L. Keire. ''For Business and Pleasure: Red-Light Districts and the Regulation of Vice in the United States, 1890–1933'' (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010); 248 pages; History and popular culture of districts in Macon, Ga., and other cities *

External links

Official website

Macon-Bibb County Convention and Visitors Bureau

Macon
(the New Georgia Encyclopedia) * * *
Items related to Macon
various dates (via Digital Public Library of America) *
Rees stereograph collection from the Digital Library of Georgia
{{Authority control Macon, Georgia, Cities in Bibb County, Georgia Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) County seats in Georgia (U.S. state) Former state capitals in the United States, Georgia Cities in Jones County, Georgia Macon metropolitan area, Georgia Populated places established in 1823 Consolidated city-counties