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Jasper County, Georgia

Coordinates: 33°19′N 83°41′W / 33.32°N 83.69°W / 33.32; -83.69
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Not to be confused with Jasper, Georgia.

Jasper County
County
Jasper County Courthouse
Jasper County Courthouse
Official seal of Jasper County
Seal
Map of Georgia highlighting Jasper County
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Map of the United States highlighting Georgia
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 33°19′N 83°41′W / 33.32°N 83.69°W / 33.32; -83.69
Country United States
State Georgia
FoundedDecember 10, 1807; 216 years ago (1807-12-10)
Named forWilliam Jasper
SeatMonticello
Largest cityMonticello
Area
 • Total373 sq mi (970 km2)
 • Land368 sq mi (950 km2)
 • Water5.3 sq mi (14 km2)  1.4%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total14,588[1]
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district10th
Websitejaspercountyga.org

Jasper County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,588,[1] up from 13,900 in 2010.[2] The county seat is Monticello.[3] Jasper County is part of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell MSA.

History

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This area was inhabited by indigenous peoples for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans. At the time of European-American settlement, it was inhabited by the Cherokee and Muscogee Creek peoples, who became known as among the Five Civilized Tribes of the Southeast.

The county was created on December 10, 1807, by an act of the Georgia General Assembly with land that was originally part of Baldwin County, Georgia.[4] It became part of the new area of upland settlement through the South eventually known as the Black Belt, and a center of large plantations for short-staple cotton. Invention of the cotton gin in the late 18th century had made processing of this type of cotton profitable, and it was cultivated throughout the inland areas. As migration continued to the west, the county population rapidly rose and fell through the nineteenth century. Georgia settlers pushed Congress for the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which eventually forced most of the Native Americans west of the Mississippi River.

Jasper County was originally named Randolph County (after the Virginian John Randolph). Because of Randolph's opposition to U.S. entry into the War of 1812, the General Assembly changed the name of Randolph County to Jasper County on December 10, 1812, to honor Sergeant William Jasper, an American Revolutionary War hero from South Carolina. However, Randolph's reputation eventually was restored, and in 1828, the General Assembly created a new Randolph County.[5]

Newton County was created from a part of the original Jasper County in 1821.

In March 1921, the bodies of at least nine Black men were found mutilated in shallow graves or local rivers. Reports indicated the men were held in peonage by a local farmer, John Williams.[6]

The Jasper County, Georgia courthouse was shown and used for filming the courthouse scenes in the motion picture comedy "My Cousin Vinny", starring Joe Pesci. Although the setting of the movie is in Beechum County, Alabama (a fictitious place), near the end of the movie, Sheriff Farley (played by veteran actor Bruce McGill), actually mentions Jasper County, Georgia by name.[7]

Government

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The county has a five-member county commission, elected from single-member districts. The commission elects a chairman and vice-chairman to aid in conducting business. The county is protected by a combined Fire Rescue Department providing EMS and Fire Services. The department operates out of seven fire stations with the majority of their manpower being volunteers. The department employs 50 personnel, which include full-time, part-time, and volunteer employees, and is headed by a Fire Chief Christopher Finch.

United States presidential election results for Jasper County, Georgia[8]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 5,822 76.13% 1,761 23.03% 64 0.84%
2016 4,360 71.86% 1,544 25.45% 163 2.69%
2012 4,136 68.45% 1,845 30.54% 61 1.01%
2008 3,916 66.25% 1,935 32.74% 60 1.02%
2004 3,157 66.56% 1,558 32.85% 28 0.59%
2000 2,298 58.28% 1,558 39.51% 87 2.21%
1996 1,423 44.00% 1,553 48.02% 258 7.98%
1992 1,153 38.14% 1,485 49.12% 385 12.74%
1988 1,474 55.08% 1,188 44.39% 14 0.52%
1984 1,431 56.05% 1,122 43.95% 0 0.00%
1980 879 35.39% 1,546 62.24% 59 2.38%
1976 689 27.12% 1,852 72.88% 0 0.00%
1972 1,289 73.57% 463 26.43% 0 0.00%
1968 456 20.57% 835 37.66% 926 41.77%
1964 1,075 55.90% 848 44.10% 0 0.00%
1960 271 22.21% 949 77.79% 0 0.00%
1956 288 23.04% 962 76.96% 0 0.00%
1952 228 17.10% 1,105 82.90% 0 0.00%
1948 87 10.06% 562 64.97% 216 24.97%
1944 86 9.97% 777 90.03% 0 0.00%
1940 72 9.44% 689 90.30% 2 0.26%
1936 33 3.45% 923 96.55% 0 0.00%
1932 14 1.77% 773 97.85% 3 0.38%
1928 140 18.13% 632 81.87% 0 0.00%
1924 68 12.95% 448 85.33% 9 1.71%
1920 42 8.92% 429 91.08% 0 0.00%
1916 6 1.08% 537 96.41% 14 2.51%
1912 8 1.20% 644 96.99% 12 1.81%

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 373 square miles (970 km2), of which 368 square miles (950 km2) is land and 5.3 square miles (14 km2) (1.4%) is water.[9]

The western portion of Jasper County, west of a line formed by State Route 11 to northwest of Monticello, then along the eastern border of the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge, is located in the Upper Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The eastern portion of the county is located in the Upper Oconee River sub-basin of the same Altamaha River basin.[10]

Major highways

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Adjacent counties

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National protected areas

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Communities

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City

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Towns

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Unincorporated communities

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18107,573—
182014,61493.0%
183013,131−10.1%
184011,111−15.4%
185011,4863.4%
186010,743−6.5%
187010,439−2.8%
188011,85113.5%
189013,87917.1%
190015,0338.3%
191016,55210.1%
192016,362−1.1%
19308,594−47.5%
19408,7722.1%
19507,473−14.8%
19606,135−17.9%
19705,760−6.1%
19807,55331.1%
19908,45311.9%
200011,42635.2%
201013,90021.7%
202014,5884.9%
2023 (est.)16,455[11]12.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[12]
1790-1880[13] 1890-1910[14]
1920-1930[15] 1930-1940[16]
1940-1950[17] 1960-1980[18]
1980-2000[19] 2010[2] 2020[1]
Jasper County racial composition as of 2020[20]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 10,771 73.83%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 2,442 16.74%
Native American 34 0.23%
Asian 22 0.15%
Pacific Islander 1 0.01%
Other/Mixed 634 4.35%
Hispanic or Latino 684 4.69%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 14,588 people, 5,171 households, and 3,807 families residing in the county.

Notable people

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c US 2020 Census Bureau report, Jasper County, Georgia
  2. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ^ - GeorgiaInfo Jasper County Courthouse history Archived April 24, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ GeorgiaInfo.com - Georgia Counties in Order of Creation Archived February 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, University of Georgia
  6. ^ "Find Nine Bodies in Georgia Peonage Inquiry" (PDF). New York Times. March 21, 1921. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  7. ^ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104952/?ref_=ttloc_loc_tt [user-generated source]
  8. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  9. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  10. ^ "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
  11. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  12. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". United States Census Bureau.
  13. ^ "1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
  14. ^ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1910.
  15. ^ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930.
  16. ^ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1940.
  17. ^ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia -" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1950.
  18. ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
  19. ^ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000.
  20. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  21. ^ "Susan Holmes' Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  22. ^ "Past Citizens of the Year - 2001 Susan D. Holmes". jaspercountycoc.com. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
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33°19′N 83°41′W / 33.32°N 83.69°W / 33.32; -83.69

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