Blairsville, Georgia
Encyclopedia
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 659 people, 226 households, and 101 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 619.7 people per square mile (240.0/km²). There were 261 housing units at an average density of 245.4 per square mile (95.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.04% White, 2.00% African American, 0.10% Asian, 2.12% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.64% of the population.
There were 226 households out of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 54.9% were non-families. 50.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 22.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.95 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city the population was spread out with 14.3% under the age of 18, 15.2% from 18 to 24, 39.0% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 151.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 167.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $14,120, and the median income for a family was $24,712. Males had a median income of $21,953 versus $28,125 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $13,865. About 16.8% of families and 26.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.2% of those under age 18 and 23.7% of those age 65 or over.
Annual cultural events
- The Sorghum Festival is held every year, on the second and third weekends in October, celebrating the sorghumSweet sorghumSweet sorghum is any of the many varieties of sorghum which have a high sugar content. Sweet sorghum will thrive better under drier and warmer conditions than many other crops and is grown primarily for forage, silage, and syrup production....
harvest and showcasing rural mountain culture and skills such as bluegrass music and clogging. - The Green Bean Festival is held every year during the last weekend in July. Look for beauty pageants,Green Bean Pizza eating contests, a canning contest, a Green Bean Recipe contest, tractor parade, fresh produce, crafts, and lots of stuff for the kids.
Points of interest
Nearby Lake NottelyLake Nottely
Lake Nottely is one of many reservoirs of the Tennessee Valley Authority. It is located entirely in Union County, Georgia in the United States. Formed in 1942 by the damming of the Nottely River, Nottely Reservoir extends 20 miles upstream to the town of Blairsville.Construction of Nottely Dam...
is a TVA
Tennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority is a federally owned corporation in the United States created by congressional charter in May 1933 to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley, a region particularly affected...
reservoir that is a local recreational resource.
The Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
in Georgia has elevations that vary from about 2500 to 4500 feet (1,371.6 m) with many steep climbs and extends some 75 miles (120.7 km) through the Chattahoochee National Forest.
Butternut Creek Golf Course is an 18-hole mountainside public golf course located within the city limits.
Encompassing nearly two-thirds of the county, the Chattahoochee National Forest has winding trails that lead visitors through scenic mountains, rushing rivers, and cascading waterfalls. This is where you can step back in time with nature and walk where the Cherokee Indians' once lived.
Brasstown Bald is the highest mountain peak in Georgia. It has a park with a picnic area and a small observation tower near the peak with a movie chronicling the change of seasons and the impact of pollution on the mountain. The peak may be reached by bus or by walking from a point halfway to the top beyond which private vehicles are not allowed.
The Mountain's Address: Highway 180, Blairsville, GA.
Vogel State Park is a park located on Highway 19/129 approximately eleven miles (18 km) south of Blairsville. It is centered around Lake Trahlyta.
Amenities:
- Approximately five miles (8 km) of hiking trails
- Access to the Appalachian Trail
- Paddleboat rentals and fishing
- Miniature golf course
- 35 rental cabins
- 103 campsites
The park has seasonal programs:
- Fall Festival
- Pioneer Christmas
- Kids Fishing Rodeo
- Summer Saturday Music Events
- September All-Day Mountain Music Festival
Education
Blairsville is in close proximity to several colleges including a North Georgia Technical CollegeNorth Georgia Technical College
North Georgia Technical College is the oldest technical college in the state of Georgia, and is part of the Technical College System of Georgia. Its main campus is in Clarkesville, with additional campuses in Toccoa and Blairsville...
campus in town, Young Harris Community College in Young Harris and North Georgia College & University in Dahlonega.
The public education system for Blairsville falls under the jurisdiction of the Union County School District, which is a relatively small school district, managing five schools in the system.
The Union County School District
Union County School District (Georgia)
The Union County School District is a public school district in Union County, Georgia, USA, based in Blairsville, Georgia. It serves the communities of Blairsville and Suches, Georgia.-Schools:...
holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, that consists of two elementary schools, a middle school, and two high schools. The district has 172 full-time teachers and over 2,598 students.
- Union County Elementary School
- Union County Primary School
- Union County Middle School
- Union County High SchoolUnion County High School (Georgia)Union County High School is a secondary school located in Blairsville, Georgia.The school is located in the North Georgia Mountains. The school's mascot is the black panther...
- Woody Gap High/Elementary School
Blairsville is home to one alternative school, the Mountain Education Center High School which is an Evening School.
The Union County Public Library is part of the Mountain Regional Library System, a library system that manages four libraries in the region. Union County Public Library is a member of Georgia Library PINES (the Public Information Network for Electronic Services) along with Mountain Regional Library in Young Harris, Towns County Public Library in Hiawassee, and Fannin County Public Library in Blue Ridge.
- The Mountain Area Christian Academy, in Morganton, Georgia.
- Eastgate Life Academy, in Hiawassee, Georgia.
- Murphy Adventist Christian School, in Murphy, North Carolina
Transportation
Blairsville sits on Zell Miller Mountain ParkwayGeorgia State Route 515
State Route 515 is a four-lane highway that begins at the northern terminus of I-575 at the Cherokee –Pickens county line in northern Georgia. The route was built to give motorists in the north Georgia mountains better access to Atlanta and its outlying suburbs, as opposed to the old ST 5 and...
(GA 515) which runs from Cherokee County / Pickens County Border, to Young Harris Georgia. U.S. Route 76 also runs through Blairsville, being Cosigned to 515.
Blairsville is also intersected by U.S. Route 129, a 582 mile long stretch of highway that connects Chiefland, Florida to Knoxville, Tennessee.
Blairsville is home to Blairsville Airport
Blairsville Airport
Blairsville Airport is a city-owned public-use airport located three nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Blairsville, a city in Union County, Georgia, United States.Although most U.S...
.
Media
Blairsville and the surrounding area is served by a few local television stations, two newspapers and numerous local radio stations that serve several genres of music including sports, news and talk radio in addition to three local papers.North Georgia News is the primary newspaper for the Area.
Blairsville has 12 Local radio stations.
1210-AM(WDGR), 89.5-FM(WNGU), 104.3-FM(WZTR) are based in Dahlonega, Georgia. WCVP-AM (600), WCNG-FM (102.7), and WKRK-AM (1320) are based in Murphy, North Carolina. 95.1-FM(WACF) and 770-AM(WYHG) are based in Young Harris, Georgia while 105.1FM(WNGA) & 89.9FM(WTFH) based in Helen. 1230-AM(WNGM) & 103.9-FM(WPPL) in Hiawasee & Blue Ridge respectively.
One local television station is W50AB (Channel 50) based in Hiawassee, Georgia.
Notable citizens
- Arthur WoodyArthur WoodyArthur Woody was born in Suches, Georgia. Arthur Woody, who saw his father kill the last deer in the North Georgia mountains in 1895, is credited with bringing deer back to the North Georgia mountains...
, the "Barefoot Ranger", a forest rangerUnited States Forest ServiceThe United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
from 1911 to 1945 - Bill ElliottBill ElliottWilliam Clyde "Bill" Elliott , also known as Awesome Bill from Dawsonville or Million Dollar Bill, is a part-time driver and former champion of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Elliott was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on August 15, 2007. He won the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup...
, NASCARNASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
driver - Byron Herbert ReeceByron Herbert ReeceByron Herbert Reece was an American author of poetry and novels. During his life, he published four volumes of poetry and two volumes of fiction. He was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for Bow Down in Jericho, his second volume of poetry, and received a Guggenheim Fellowship for fiction in 1952...
, poet - Chet GrimsleyChet GrimsleyChet L. Grimsley at Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta Georgia is notably the first White American Student Athlete from the C.I.A.A. Chet Grimsley pledged, and subsequently became a member of Groove Phi Groove Social Fellowship from Johnson C. Smith University , a historically black university . ...
, Sports Hall Of Famer and author of The White Golden Bull - Joseph E. BrownJoseph E. BrownJoseph Emerson Brown , often referred to as Joe Brown, was the 42nd Governor of Georgia from 1857 to 1865, and a U.S. Senator from 1880 to 1891...
, Georgia's governor during the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...