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Stephens County, Georgia
Stephens County, Georgia courthouse
Stephens County Courthouse in Toccoa
Map of Georgia highlighting Stephens County
Location in the state of Georgia (U.S. state)
Map of the U.S
Georgia's location in the U.S.
Founded August 18, 1905; 119 years ago (1905)
Named for Alexander Stephens
Seat Toccoa
Largest city Toccoa
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

184 sq mi (477 km²)
179 sq mi (464 km²)
5.1 sq mi (13 km²), 2.8%
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

26,784
146/sq mi (56/km²)
Congressional district 9th
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4

Stephens County is a county in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia, in the Piedmont and near the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is bounded by the Tugaloo River and Lake Hartwell on the east. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,784.[1] The county seat is Toccoa.[2]

Stephens County comprises the Toccoa, Georgia Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History[]

The county was long inhabited by indigenous peoples. People of the South Appalachian Mississippian culture developed a village and a platform mound on Tugaloo Island about 800 CE. The village and mound, both known as Tugaloo, were later occupied by other peoples until about 1700. Numerous other villages also developed along the river and its tributaries. Descendants of the Mississippians have been identified as the proto-Creek (Muscogee people). Allied with them in historic times were the Yuchi, who occupied the village known as Tugaloo, where they were replaced by the Cherokee.

While Cherokee began to move into this area from Tennessee under pressure by European Americans during and after the Revolutionary War, the Muscogee Creek continued to dominate the southern part of the county until they ceded their land to the United States in a treaty of 1794.

United States era[]

Alexander Stephens

Alexander Stephens, namesake of Stephens County

It was not until after the American Revolutionary War that European Americans began to settle here. The first were veterans who had been given land grants in lieu of pay; they migrated up the Savannah River and the Tugaloo River after the war.

The county was created on August 18, 1905, from parts of Franklin and Habersham counties, and was named for Alexander Stephens, U.S. representative, Vice President of the Confederate States of America, and fifty-third governor of Georgia.

Toccoa was designated as the county seat and was the site of the county's two courthouses. The first courthouse was built in 1907, and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The second was built in 2000.[3] The former courthouse is now used for county offices.

Despite the Great Depression, more industry developed in the county in the 1930s. J&P Coats Company purchased the Capps Cotton Mill in 1937 and operated it for nearly 70 years, before textile manufacturing jobs moved offshore to cheaper labor markets. In 1938 industrialist R.G. LeTourneau opened a manufacturing plant for earth-moving equipment. Later that year the Toccoa Airport was constructed. During World War II, the LeTourneau plant produced equipment for use by the military, employing 2000 people in this effort. In addition the US Army developed Camp Toccoa here, for training paratroopers.[4]

Beginning in 1950, planning began for what was called the Hartwell Project, which envisioned dams on the Savanna and tributary rivers for flood control and hydropower generation. In addition, a large reservoir would be created, known as Lake Hartwell.

Prior to the flooding of this area by Lake Hartwell, produced behind the Hartwell Dam on the Savannah River, archeological studies were conducted in 1958 of known prehistoric and historic sites in the area. Among them, the Tugaloo Mound and village site by a team from the University of Georgia. The mound is still visible above the water, and a historic marker on Highway 123 at the Georgia-South Carolina border helps mark this spot.[4]

On November 6, 1977, the earthen Kelly Barnes Dam collapsed after a period of heavy rainfall. The resulting flood swept through the campus of Toccoa Falls College, killing 39 people and causing $2.8 million in damage.[5][6]

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 184 square miles (480 km2), of which 179 square miles (460 km2) is land and 5.1 square miles (13 km2) (2.8%) is water.[7] The county is located mainly within the upper Piedmont region of the state, with western portions of the county having the highest elevations and located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The northern half of Stephens County is located in the Tugaloo River sub-basin of the Savannah River basin. Lake Hartwell was created as a reservoir on the river after the construction of Hartwell Dam on the Savannah, completed in 1962. The southern half of the county is located in the Broad River sub-basin of the same Savannah River basin.[8]

Major highways[]

  • US 123 U.S. Route 123
  • Georgia 17 State Route 17
  • Georgia 17 Alternate State Route 17 Alternate
  • Georgia 63 State Route 63
  • Georgia 105 State Route 105
  • Georgia 106 State Route 106
  • Georgia 145 State Route 145
  • Georgia 184 State Route 184
  • Georgia 328 State Route 328
  • Georgia 365 State Route 365

Adjacent counties[]

National protected area[]

  • Chattahoochee National Forest (part)

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1910 9,728
1920 11,215 15.3%
1930 11,740 4.7%
1940 12,972 10.5%
1950 16,647 28.3%
1960 18,391 10.5%
1970 20,331 10.5%
1980 21,763 7.0%
1990 23,257 6.9%
2000 25,435 9.4%
2010 26,175 2.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11]
1990-2000[12] 2010-2020[1]

2020 census[]

Stephens County Racial Composition[13]
Race Num. Perc.
White 21,323 79.61%
Black or African American 2,936 10.96%
Native American 73 0.27%
Asian 225 0.84%
Pacific Islander 9 0.03%
Other/Mixed 1,361 5.08%
Hispanic or Latino 857 3.2%

As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 26,784 people, 9,543 households, and 6,783 families residing in the county.

2010 census[]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 26,175 people, 10,289 households, and 7,236 families residing in the county.[14] The population density was 146.1 inhabitants per square mile (56.4 /km2). There were 12,662 housing units at an average density of 70.7 per square mile (27.3 /km2).[15] The racial makeup of the county was 85.1% white, 10.9% black or African American, 0.7% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 1.0% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.4% of the population.[14] In terms of ancestry, 14.7% were American, 9.1% were Irish, 8.1% were German, and 7.4% were English.[16]

Of the 10,289 households, 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.7% were non-families, and 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age was 40.7 years.[14]

The median income for a household in the county was $34,938 and the median income for a family was $41,768. Males had a median income of $35,814 versus $24,834 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,285. About 12.3% of families and 18.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.9% of those under age 18 and 16.0% of those age 65 or over.[17]


Communities[]

  • Avalon
  • Eastanollee
  • Martin
  • Toccoa (county seat)

Politics[]

United States presidential election results for Stephens County, Georgia[18]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 9,367 78.81% 2,386 20.08% 132 1.11%
2016 7,686 78.31% 1,837 18.72% 292 2.98%
2012 7,221 75.74% 2,131 22.35% 182 1.91%
2008 7,689 72.87% 2,705 25.63% 158 1.50%
2004 6,904 71.37% 2,714 28.05% 56 0.58%
2000 5,370 64.11% 2,869 34.25% 137 1.64%
1996 3,890 48.77% 3,072 38.51% 1,015 12.72%
1992 4,047 47.65% 2,976 35.04% 1,470 17.31%
1988 4,329 66.09% 2,185 33.36% 36 0.55%
1984 4,057 64.10% 2,272 35.90% 0 0.00%
1980 2,045 30.56% 4,529 67.68% 118 1.76%
1976 1,340 19.42% 5,560 80.58% 0 0.00%
1972 3,773 81.24% 871 18.76% 0 0.00%
1968 1,295 25.23% 1,035 20.17% 2,802 54.60%
1964 1,371 28.24% 3,483 71.76% 0 0.00%
1960 815 20.89% 3,087 79.11% 0 0.00%
1956 684 20.86% 2,595 79.14% 0 0.00%
1952 661 15.74% 3,539 84.26% 0 0.00%
1948 278 21.01% 912 68.93% 133 10.05%
1944 212 15.47% 1,158 84.53% 0 0.00%
1940 90 7.61% 1,084 91.71% 8 0.68%
1936 68 5.61% 1,142 94.22% 2 0.17%
1932 18 1.71% 1,026 97.53% 8 0.76%
1928 270 38.14% 438 61.86% 0 0.00%
1924 40 6.68% 523 87.31% 36 6.01%
1920 252 37.78% 415 62.22% 0 0.00%
1916 15 2.61% 500 86.96% 60 10.43%
1912 15 3.09% 409 84.33% 61 12.58%
1908 261 43.94% 306 51.52% 27 4.55%



Further reading[]

  • Cooksey, Elizabeth B. "Stephens County." New Georgia Encyclopedia. October 14, 2014. Web. May 18, 2016.

See also[]

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Stephens County, Georgia
  • North Georgia Technical College
  • Toccoa Falls College

References[]

  1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/13/13257.html. 
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  3. ^ Hellmann, Paul T. (May 13, 2013). Historical Gazetteer of the United States. Routledge. pp. 250. ISBN 978-1135948597. https://books.google.com/books?id=REtEXQNWq6MC&pg=PA250. 
  4. ^ a b "History (Stephens County)". Stephens County, GA. n.d.. https://www.stephenscountyga.com/history.cfm. 
  5. ^ "TFC Remembers the Flood | Toccoa Falls College". January 8, 2016. http://www.tfc.edu/tfc-remembers-the-flood/. 
  6. ^ USGS, Brian McCallum. "USGS South Atlantic Water Science Center - The 1977 Toccoa Flood, Report of Failure of Kelly Barnes Dam Flood and Findings" (in en). https://www2.usgs.gov/water/southatlantic/ga/flood/toccoa/index.html. 
  7. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html. 
  8. ^ "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. http://www.gaswcc.org/maps/. 
  9. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html. 
  10. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  11. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ga190090.txt. 
  12. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf. 
  13. ^ "Explore Census Data". https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US13257&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2. 
  14. ^ a b c "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US13257. 
  15. ^ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US13257. 
  16. ^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US13257. 
  17. ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US13257. 
  18. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 

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This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Stephens County, Georgia. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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