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ATHENS, GEORGIA - USA
Athens or Athens-Clarke County is a city located in Clarke County, Georgia,
in the northeastern part of the state, located just off of Georgia 316. As
of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 100,266, although
this does not include all of the college students with temporary residences.
It is home to the University of Georgia, a major educational institution in
the South and a football powerhouse in the Southeastern Conference. The city
was particularly known for its music scene in the 1980s, being home to such
bands as R.E.M., The B-52's, and Widespread Panic.
History
In the late 1700s, a trading settlement on the banks of the Oconee River
called Cedar Shoals stood where Athens is located today. On January 27,
1785, the Georgia General Assembly granted a charter by Abraham Baldwin for
the University of Georgia as the first state-supported university. Sixteen
years later, in 1801, a committee from the university's board of trustees
selected a site for the university on a hill above Cedar Shoals in what was
then Jackson County. John Milledge, one of the trustees and later governer
of Georgia, bought 633 acres (2.6 km˛) from Daniel Easley on July 25, 1801,
donated it to the university. Milledge named the surrounding area Athens
after the city that was home to the academy of Plato and Aristotle in
ancient Greece.
The first building built was named Franklin College in honor of Ben Franklin
and is now called Old College. The town grew as lots adjacent to the college
were sold to raise money for the additional construction of the school. By
by the time first class graduated from the University in 1804, Athens
consisted of three homes, three stores and a few other buildings facing
Front Street, now known as Broad Street.
Athens officially became a town in December 1806 with a government made up
of a three-member commission. The university continued to grow, but so did
the town, with cotton mills fueling the industrial and commercial
development. Athens became known as the "Manchester of the South" after the
city in England known for its mills. In 1841, railroad lines were laid
through Athens, expanding the commercial development and connecting the city
with Atlanta to the south and Greenville, South Carolina to the north.
During the American Civil War, William T. Sherman's Union army concentrated
on Atlanta, cutting off the rail lines to prevent Athens from resupplying
the besieged city. After burning Atlanta, the Union army largely ignored
Athens in the March to the Sea, instead turning southeast to Savannah,
Georgia.
After the Civil War, the city became known as a center of undergraduate
education for freed slaves. Funds from the Athens Freedman's Bureau built
the Knox School in 1867, while later the Methodist School and Jeruel Academy
also opened to educate freed slaves. All three schools offered primary,
intermediate, industrial, and nurses' training. African-Americans also had a
strong presence through the press during this time with three black
newspapers - the Athens Blade, the Athens Clipper, and the Progressive Era -
in a time when it was rare for a southern town to have even one.
Athens was eventually chartered as a city on August 24, 1872 with a mayor-council
form of government. Captain Henry Beusse was the first mayor of Athens, and
the citizens elected two representatives from each of four wards to serve on
the commission.
As the post-Civil War population began to rise, so did city improvements.
The first police force of three officers was established in 1881. Bell
Telephone installed lines for thirty-five subscribers in 1882 and in 1885 a
street-paving program began to replace dirt streets with brick, granite and,
in some cases, wood. However, Athens did not provide public schools until
fall 1886, more than a decade after the more rural Clarke County. The entire
area did boast more than thirty private day schools of varying sizes by as
early as 1869.
In 1888, Athens saw its first passenger streetcars powered by mules. Broad,
College, Clayton, Lumpkin, Hancock, Pulaski, Prince, and Milledge Streets
had rails laid for the cars. After a few years, E.G. Harris bought the
streetcar line and extended and electrified the rails. A new residential
development north of Prince Avenue was purchased and lots were sold for
houses in Athens' first "streetcar subdivision" along Boulevard.
In the early 1900’s, the corner of Washington and Lumpkin Streets became
known as the "Hot Corner" for the black community. The Morton Building, as
well as the Samaritan Building and Union Hall, housed black lawyers,
dentists, doctors and other professionals. There were also poolrooms, lodge
halls, barbershops, insurance companies, and two undertakers. The two-story
opera house in the Morton Building, known for its amazing acoustics, hosted
such popular black entertainers as Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, and Duke
Ellington. Movies and other celebrations were also held in the theatre.
A new City Hall was constructed for the city in 1904 on the highest point in
the downtown business district. Soon after, in 1908, the Southern Mutual
Insurance Company completed the city’s first skyscraper - a seven-story
building that was the largest ferro concrete building in the South.
By 1923, Athens was establishing itself as a leader in the cotton industry.
The Chamber of Commerce reported that in that year, Athens was the second
largest cotton manufacturer in the state and the city stayed as such through
1950. Five rail lines came into town, and Athens also became an important
center for wholesale grocers.
During World War II, Athens was named as one of only five naval preflight
schools in the nation. Thousands of young military men filled the city while
the navy helped build several new buildings and recreational facilities on
campus and give the airport its first paved runways.
Desegregation marked 1961 as Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes became the
first two black students to enter the University of Georgia in early January.
By the time of their graduation in 1963, Athens’ city limits incorporated
thirteen square miles. Suburban sprawl hit the area, along with urban
renewal. A number of historic properties were saved from demolition during
this time, including the oldest residence in Athens, as historic
preservation became more prominent. This trend would continue through today.
Beginning in the late 1970s, the Athens music scene began to gather momentum,
eventually leading to the city’s worldwide recognition as a hotbed for
music. Bands such as R.E.M. and the B-52's became wildly popular throughout
the 1980s while scores of smaller bands continued to perform in the myriad
of Athens clubs on a nightly basis.
After unification with Clarke County was approved, Mayor Dwain Chambers
became the last person to hold the title of Mayor of the City of Athens from
1989-1991.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the balance has a total area
of 306.2 km˛ (118.2 mi˛). 305.0 km˛ (117.8 mi˛) of it is land and 1.2 km˛
(0.5 mi˛) of it is water. The total area is 0.41% water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 100,266 people, 39,239 households, and
19,344 families residing in the city. The population density is 328.8/km˛
(851.5/mi˛). There are 41,633 housing units at an average density of 136.5
persons/km˛ (353.6 persons/mi˛). The racial makeup of the city is 64.71%
White, 27.37% African American, 0.21% Native American, 3.15% Asian, 0.04%
Pacific Islander, 3.11% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races.
6.39% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 39,239 households out of which 22.3% have children under the age
of 18 living with them, 32.3% are married couples living together, 13.3%
have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 50.7% are non-families.
29.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 5.8% have someone
living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is
2.35 and the average family size is 2.95.
In the city the population is spread out with 17.8% under the age of 18,
31.6% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 15.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.0% who
are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 25 years. For every 100
females there are 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there
are 93.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $28,118, and the median
income for a family is $41,407. Males have a median income of $30,359 versus
$23,039 for females. The per capita income for the balance is $17,103. 28.6%
of the population and 15.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of
the total people living in poverty, 25.2% are under the age of 18 and 13.5%
are 65 or older.
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