Columbia County, Georgia
Encyclopedia
Columbia County is a county located in the US state of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

 along the Savannah River
Savannah River
The Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. Two tributaries of the Savannah, the Tugaloo River and the Chattooga River, form the northernmost part of the border...

. As of 2010 the population was 124,054 a growth of 39% from the 2000 census figure of 89,288. The de jure
De jure
De jure is an expression that means "concerning law", as contrasted with de facto, which means "concerning fact".De jure = 'Legally', De facto = 'In fact'....

county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 is Appling
Appling, Georgia
Appling is an unincorporated community in and the county seat of Columbia County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area....

. Appling is an unincorporated area, making Columbia one of only three counties in Georgia to have an unincorporated county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

. The de facto county seat, the location of Columbia County's government and courts, is Evans
Evans, Georgia
Evans is a census-designated place in Columbia County, Georgia, United States. It is an affluent suburb of Augusta and is part of the Augusta - Richmond County Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 17,727 at the 2000 census and, in 2006, the population was 20,681.Evans, possibly named...

, also an unincorporated area.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 307.78 square miles (797.1 km²), of which 290.01 square miles (751.1 km²) (or 94.23%) is land and 17.76 square miles (46 km²) (or 5.77%) is water. Columbia County is also located just north of the Augusta-Richmond county.

Major highways

  • Interstate 20
    Interstate 20 in Georgia
    In Georgia, Interstate 20 runs from the Alabama border to the Savannah River, which the Georgia-South Carolina border straddles. It passes through the heavily congested Atlanta metropolitan area and exits the state at Augusta...

  • U.S. Route 78
    U.S. Route 78
    U.S. Highway 78 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 715 miles from Memphis, Tennessee, to Charleston, South Carolina. Between Memphis and Birmingham, Alabama, it is being upgraded to become Interstate 22....

  • U.S. Route 221
    U.S. Route 221
    U.S. Route 221 is a spur of U.S. Route 21. It runs for 734 miles from Perry, Florida at US Routes 19/98/ALT 27 to Lynchburg, Virginia at U.S. Route 29 . It passes through the states of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia...

  • U.S. Route 278
    U.S. Route 278
    U.S. Route 278 is a parallel route of U.S. Route 78. It currently runs for 1,074 miles from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina to Wickes, Arkansas at U.S. Highway 71/U.S. Highway 59. It might be notable that it is longer than its parent highway, US Hwy-78. US Hwy-278 passes through the states of...

  • State Route 10
  • State Route 28
  • State Route 47
  • State Route 104
  • State Route 150
  • State Route 223

Adjacent counties

  • Richmond County
    Richmond County, Georgia
    Richmond County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is one of the original counties of Georgia, created February 5, 1777. As of 2010, the population was 200,549. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 199,486....

     (southeast)
  • McDuffie County
    McDuffie County, Georgia
    McDuffie County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on October 18, 1870. As of 2000, the population was 21,231. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 21,551. The county seat is Thomson....

     (west)
  • Lincoln County
    Lincoln County, Georgia
    Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia, with the Savannah River forming its northeastern border. Located above the fall line, it is part of the Central Savannah River Area and a member of the CSRA Regional Development Center. The county was created on February 20, 1796. ...

     (northwest)
  • McCormick County, South Carolina (north)
  • Edgefield County, South Carolina (northeast)

Bodies of water

  • Clarks Hill Lake
    Lake Strom Thurmond
    Lake Strom Thurmond, known in Georgia as Clarks Hill Lake, is a reservoir at the border between Georgia and South Carolina in the Savannah River Basin. It was created by the J. Strom Thurmond Dam during 1951 and 1952 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers near the confluence of the "Little River" and...

     (Strom Thurmond Lake)
  • Savannah River
    Savannah River
    The Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. Two tributaries of the Savannah, the Tugaloo River and the Chattooga River, form the northernmost part of the border...

  • Kiokee Creek
  • Little Kiokee Creek
  • Euchee Creek
  • Steiner Creek
  • Tudor Branch
  • Greenbrier Creek
  • Boggy Gut Creek
  • Cobb Creek
  • Crawford Creek
  • Reed Creek

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 89,288 people, 31,120 households, and 25,362 families residing in the county. The population density was 308 people per square mile (119/km²). There were 33,321 housing units at an average density of 115 per square mile (44/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 82.67% White
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...

, 11.21% Black
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...

 or African American
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...

, 0.32% Native American
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...

, 3.36% Asian
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...

 (0.6% of the Asians are of South Asian descent), 0.09% Pacific Islander
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...

, 0.80% 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 1.56% from two or more races. 2.59% of the population were Hispanic
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...

 or Latino
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...

 of any race.

There were 31,120 households out of which 44.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.50% were married couples living together, 10.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.50% were non-families. 15.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the county the population was spread out with 29.60% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 31.00% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 8.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 95.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $65,507, and the median income for a family was $72,891. Males had a median income of $45,577 versus $28,190 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,578. About 4.20% of families and 5.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.60% of those under age 18 and 8.10% of those age 65 or over.

History

Columbia County, the 12th county formed in Georgia, was created by an act of the Legislature of Georgia
Georgia General Assembly
The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, being composed of the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia Senate....

 on December 10, 1790 from Richmond County
Richmond County, Georgia
Richmond County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is one of the original counties of Georgia, created February 5, 1777. As of 2010, the population was 200,549. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 199,486....

.

Prehistory and the colonial era

This area along the Savannah River had been inhabited for thousands of years by various cultures of indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....

. The area had been home to the historic Muscogee
Muskogean languages
Muskogean is an indigenous language family of the Southeastern United States. Though there is an ongoing debate concerning their interrelationships, the Muskogean languages are generally divided into two branches, Eastern Muskogean and Western Muskogean...

-speaking Creek
Creek people
The Muscogee , also known as the Creek or Creeks, are a Native American people traditionally from the southeastern United States. Mvskoke is their name in traditional spelling. The modern Muscogee live primarily in Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida...

; Yuchi
Yuchi
For the Chinese surname 尉迟, see Yuchi.The Yuchi, also spelled Euchee and Uchee, are a Native American Indian tribe who traditionally lived in the eastern Tennessee River valley in Tennessee in the 16th century. During the 17th century, they moved south to Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina...

, people speaking a language isolate; and Iroquoian-speaking Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...

 for years prior to European colonization. The Yuchi had moved south from Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...

 because of pressure from the Cherokee, who continued to move into the Piedmont and soon dominated the Native American tribes. One of the oldest archaeological sites in the nation can be found on Stallings Island
Stallings Island
Stallings Island is an archeological site with shell mounds, located in the Savannah River near Augusta, Georgia, and the namesake for the Stallings culture of the Late Archaic period and for Stallings fiber-tempered pottery, the oldest pottery in North America.Stallings Island was identified as an...

.

During the Colonial era, settlement of what would become Columbia County occurred primarily due to colonists settling at the second city in Georgia, Augusta
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...

, located on the fall line
Fall line
A fall line is a geomorphologic unconformity between an upland region of relatively hard crystalline basement rock and a coastal plain of softer sedimentary rock. A fall line is typically prominent when crossed by a river, for there will often be rapids or waterfalls...

. When the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...

 Province of Georgia
Province of Georgia
The Province of Georgia was one of the Southern colonies in British America. It was the last of the thirteen original colonies established by Great Britain in what later became the United States...

 became a crown colony
Crown colony
A Crown colony, also known in the 17th century as royal colony, was a type of colonial administration of the English and later British Empire....

 in 1755 and was divided into parishes, the area around Augusta became St. Paul's Parish. The primary areas of settlement were Augusta; Wrightsboro (a Quaker settlement named for James Wright
James Wright (governor)
James Wright was an American colonial lawyer and jurist who was the last British Royal Governor of the Province of Georgia. He was the only Royal Governor of the Thirteen Colonies to regain control of his colony during the American Revolutionary War.James Wright was born in London to Robert Wright...

, the royal governor); and Brownsborough, which was near the present-day location of North Columbia Elementary School. Brownsborough was settled by Scots
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...

, mainly from northern Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 and the Orkney Islands
Orkney Islands
Orkney also known as the Orkney Islands , is an archipelago in northern Scotland, situated north of the coast of Caithness...

, brought over as indentured workers by Thomas "Burnfoot" Brown
Thomas Brown (loyalist)
Thomas 'Burnfoot' Brown was an English Loyalist during the American Revolution.Intending to become a quiet colonial landowner, he lived instead a turbulent and combative career...

.

Because the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...

 was the established church in the province, it was against the law for anyone to preach contrary to its doctrines. Influenced by the Great Awakening
Great Awakening
The term Great Awakening is used to refer to a period of religious revival in American religious history. Historians and theologians identify three or four waves of increased religious enthusiasm occurring between the early 18th century and the late 19th century...

 in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...

, in 1772 Daniel Marshall established Kiokee Baptist Church
Kiokee Baptist Church
The Kiokee Baptist Church in Appling, Georgia is a building from 1808. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978....

, the first Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...

 church in Georgia. The church was located below Brownsborough along the Kiokee Creek in present-day Appling. Born in Connecticut
Connecticut Colony
The Connecticut Colony or Colony of Connecticut was an English colony located in British America that became the U.S. state of Connecticut. Originally known as the River Colony, it was organized on March 3, 1636 as a haven for Puritan noblemen. After early struggles with the Dutch, the English...

, Marshall had been raised as a Presbyterian
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...

. He had become a Baptist and preached in the Carolinas
The Carolinas
The Carolinas is a term used in the United States to refer collectively to the states of North and South Carolina. Together, the two states + have a population of 13,942,126. "Carolina" would be the fifth most populous state behind California, Texas, New York, and Florida...

 before coming to Georgia, where he was arrested. Baptist preachers and their converts continued to flourish, and in Virginia their influence helped shape the young James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...

's ideas on religious freedom, which he incorporated into the new Constitution. Marshall later served in the militia during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...

. During the 19th century and the Second Great Awakening
Second Great Awakening
The Second Great Awakening was a Christian revival movement during the early 19th century in the United States. The movement began around 1800, had begun to gain momentum by 1820, and was in decline by 1870. The Second Great Awakening expressed Arminian theology, by which every person could be...

, the Baptists became well established in Georgia and other southern states. The Baptists offered congregational participation to slaves and approved them and free blacks as preachers, leading to the growth in black membership in the church.

American Revolutionary War

Two small battles occurred in what would become the County during the Revolutionary War between Patriot
Patriot (American Revolution)
Patriots is a name often used to describe the colonists of the British Thirteen United Colonies who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution. It was their leading figures who, in July 1776, declared the United States of America an independent nation...

 Militia and Tories; the area was then primarily frontier
Frontier
A frontier is a political and geographical term referring to areas near or beyond a boundary. 'Frontier' was absorbed into English from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"--the region of a country that fronts on another country .The use of "frontier" to mean "a region at the...

 and loyalties were badly divided. Legend has it that a small band of Patriots sought refuge from marauding Tories at the County's most dramatic geological feature, Heggie's Rock. One of these fights occurred on September 11, 1781, between the forces of Elijah Clarke
Elijah Clarke
Elijah Clarke , born in Anson County, North Carolina, was a soldier and officer with the Continentals and considered a hero of the American Revolutionary War. Afterward he was elected to the Georgia legislature. In 1794 he organized the Trans-Oconee Republic, several settlements in counties of...

 and a band of Tories and British Regular soldiers.

George Walton
George Walton
George Walton signed the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Georgia and also served as the second Chief Executive of that state.-Life and work:...

, the Virginia-born statesman who signed the Declaration of Independence
Declaration of independence
A declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...

, resided in what would become Columbia County, as did William Few
William Few
William Few, Jr. was an American politician and a farmer, and a businessman and a Founding Father of the United States. William represented the U.S. state of Georgia at the Constitutional Convention....

 and Abraham Baldwin
Abraham Baldwin
Abraham Baldwin was an American politician, Patriot, and Founding Father from the U.S. state of Georgia. Baldwin was a Georgia representative in the Continental Congress and served in the United States House of Representatives and Senate after the adoption of the Constitution.-Minister:After...

. They were delegates to the Federal Convention
Philadelphia Convention
The Constitutional Convention took place from May 14 to September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to address problems in governing the United States of America, which had been operating under the Articles of Confederation following independence from...

 that framed the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...

.

Formation of Columbia County

Just before and immediately after the Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...

, numerous Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

ns and North Carolinians
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

 migrated to the frontier of Georgia above Augusta, including the area around Brownsborough. After the Revolution, residents disagreed as to whether Augusta or Brownsborough should be the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 of Richmond County. At the insistence of William Few, the county was partitioned. The new county formed from Richmond was named "Columbia" (for the origin of the name see Columbia); this did not end the controversy about location of the county seat. The citizens of Columbia County turned to arguing among themselves. Supporters built one courthouse in Brownsborough, and those of Cobbham built another. The courthouse at Cobbham was used; and Brownsborough in short order ceased to exist. In 1793, part of the County was taken, combined with part of Wilkes County
Wilkes County, Georgia
Wilkes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 10,687. The 2007 Census estimate shows a population of 10,262. The county seat is the city of Washington. Referred to as "Washington-Wilkes", the county seat and county are commonly treated as a...

, and formed into Warren County
Warren County, Georgia
Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 19, 1793. As of 2000, the population was 6,336. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 5,908...

.

Around 1799, William Appling deeded a tract of land to the county for the purpose of building a courthouse. It was near Kiokee Creek and the Baptist Church which Marshall had founded. A courthouse was constructed, and served the county until around 1808. The small town that existed around the church and courthouse came to be known as "Columbia Courthouse." In 1809, the Baptist congregation left the town and constructed a new meeting house (a building which survives) several miles away near the junction of Kiokee and Greenbrier creeks. That same year, construction began on a new courthouse, which was completed in 1812. In 1816, Columbia Courthouse was chartered as the Town of Appling
Appling, Georgia
Appling is an unincorporated community in and the county seat of Columbia County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area....

, named for the Appling family who had donated the land to the county, and for Colonel John Appling, a local resident who died in a campaign against the Seminole
Seminole
The Seminole are a Native American people originally of Florida, who now reside primarily in that state and Oklahoma. The Seminole nation emerged in a process of ethnogenesis out of groups of Native Americans, most significantly Creeks from what is now Georgia and Alabama, who settled in Florida in...

.

Early 19th century

Appling was the political, educational, social, and religious center of the county. Near Appling were located Mt. Carmel Academy and Columbia Institute. Mt. Carmel Academy was run by the famous Southern educator, Moses Waddel
Moses Waddel
Moses Waddel was an American educator and minister in antebellum Georgia and South Carolina. Famous as a teacher during his life, Moses Waddel was author of the bestselling book Memoirs of the Life of Miss Caroline Elizabeth Smelt.- Life and work:Born in 1770 in Rowan County, North Carolina,...

; it was here that John C. Calhoun
John C. Calhoun
John Caldwell Calhoun was a leading politician and political theorist from South Carolina during the first half of the 19th century. Calhoun eloquently spoke out on every issue of his day, but often changed positions. Calhoun began his political career as a nationalist, modernizer, and proponent...

 and William H. Crawford
William H. Crawford
William Harris Crawford was an American politician and judge during the early 19th century. He served as United States Secretary of War from 1815 to 1816 and United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1816 to 1825, and was a candidate for President of the United States in 1824.-Political...

 were educated. Columbia Institute was started by a certain gentleman going by the surname Bush; he was none other than the Bushnell
David Bushnell
David Bushnell , of Westbrook, Connecticut, was an American inventor during the Revolutionary War. He is credited with creating the first submarine ever used in combat, while studying at Yale University in 1775. He called it the Turtle because of its look in the water...

 of Revolutionary War submariner
Submariner
Submariner can mean:*A sailor who is a crewman of a submarine*Namor the Sub-Mariner, a comic-book character in the Marvel Comics Universe*Rolex Submariner, a make of diver's watch*Submariner an album by Experimental rock band The Dead Science...

 fame. During the Georgia Gold Rush
Georgia Gold Rush
The Georgia Gold Rush was the second significant gold rush in the United States. It started in 1828 in the present day Lumpkin County near county seat Dahlonega, and soon spread through the North Georgia mountains, following the Georgia Gold Belt. By the early 1840s, gold became harder to find...

 of the 1820s, some successful prospecting and mining occurred in Columbia County.

The 1830s were a period of major infrastructure
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...

 projects and the coming of the railroad. When the Georgia Railroad
Georgia Railroad and Banking Company
The Georgia Railroad and Banking Company is a historic railroad and banking company that operated in the U.S. state of Georgia.- History :It was originally chartered in 1833 in Augusta, Georgia. In 1835, the charter was amended to include banking...

 was established, the judges determined that having trains' passing near Appling would disturb their proceedings; they insisted that the railway line that was built in the county from Atlanta to Augusta pass well below Appling. Construction of the Augusta Canal
Augusta Canal
The Augusta Canal is a historic canal located in Augusta, Georgia. The canal connects two points of the Savannah River. It was devised to harness the power of the fall line of the Savannah River for mills, to provide transportation of goods, and to provide drinking water for the city...

 in the 1830s required Columbia County's cooperation, as the beginning of the canal and the locks were within the county.

In 1855, the Courthouse in Appling received a major overhaul, and after the remodeling was complete, the building was in more or less its present form. Despite the extensive project, builders retained the shell of the 1809–1812 building.

American Civil War

Plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...

 agriculture based on slave labor was the major force of the economy in the county prior to the American Civil War
American Civil War
The 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...

. Cotton production had expanded dramatically after the invention of the cotton gin, which enabled the cultivation of short-staple cotton in the upland areas. Numerous vast plantations existed, the central houses of some of which still exist. Thousands of slaves were brought to the county for labor. At times the slave
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...

 population outnumbered the free white population.

When Georgia seceded from the United States, George Walker Crawford
George W. Crawford
George Walker Crawford was a Georgia politician during the nineteenth century. He served as the 38th Governor of Georgia from 1843 to 1847 and United States Secretary of War 1849 to 1850. He was the cousin of William H...

, a native son of Columbia County, presided over the Secession Convention
Ordinance of Secession
The Ordinance of Secession was the document drafted and ratified in 1860 and 1861 by the states officially seceding from the United States of America...

. He had previously been elected as the only Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...

 governor of the State. Men from the county served in several companies, among them the Hamilton Rangers and the Ramsey Guards, some in the 48th Georgia Volunteer Infantry Regiment, and some in the 22nd; almost all in Wright's Brigade. The troops assembled in front of the courthouse, then boarded trains at the depots: Berzelia, Sawdust, Dearing, and Thomson. No fighting occurred in the County during the war; nor was it directly in General Sherman's path. According to some family stories, some Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...

 cavalry scouts or bummers entered the county. Near the war's end, the remnants of the Confederate treasury were taken through Columbia County from Augusta to where the Chennault Raid occurred in neighboring Lincoln County
Lincoln County, Georgia
Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia, with the Savannah River forming its northeastern border. Located above the fall line, it is part of the Central Savannah River Area and a member of the CSRA Regional Development Center. The county was created on February 20, 1796. ...

.

The war took a heavy toll on the white male population of the county; a plaque behind the bench in the main Courtroom bears the names of Columbia County's Confederate dead. During Reconstruction, the County was subject to military occupation. Because of significant Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...

 violence in the late 1860s, it was attached to a special district including Warren, Wilkes, and Oglethorpe
Oglethorpe County, Georgia
Oglethorpe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the largest county in Northeast Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 12,635. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 13,963...

 counties. Additional Union forces were sent there to try to suppress the insurgents and their vigilante
Vigilante
A vigilante is a private individual who legally or illegally punishes an alleged lawbreaker, or participates in a group which metes out extralegal punishment to an alleged lawbreaker....

 crimes against freedmen. They had been steadily reported by the Freedman's Bureau, whose reports included a mob lynching
Lynching
Lynching is an extrajudicial execution carried out by a mob, often by hanging, but also by burning at the stake or shooting, in order to punish an alleged transgressor, or to intimidate, control, or otherwise manipulate a population of people. It is related to other means of social control that...

 of a freedman in Appling in July 1866.

Late 19th century

The railroad brought increased trade and population to Thomson. In 1870, part of Columbia County (including Thomson, Dearing
Dearing, Georgia
Dearing is a town in McDuffie County, Georgia, United States. The population was 441 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area.-Geography:Dearing is located at ....

, and Wrightsboro) was combined with part of Warren County
Warren County, Georgia
Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 19, 1793. As of 2000, the population was 6,336. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 5,908...

 to form McDuffie County
McDuffie County, Georgia
McDuffie County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on October 18, 1870. As of 2000, the population was 21,231. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 21,551. The county seat is Thomson....

, which was named after South Carolina US Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

 George McDuffie
George McDuffie
George McDuffie was the 55th Governor of South Carolina and a member of the United States Senate.Born of modest means in Columbia County, Georgia, McDuffie's extraordinary intellect was noticed while clerking at a store in Augusta, Georgia...

. Thomson was made county seat of the new county.

During the 1870s, Appling suffered severe damage during a tornado. It never regained its former wealth and position in the county before the Civil War.

During Reconstruction, the legislature passed an act to establish a public school system for the first time. Like the rest of the state, the county developed segregated schools. The new communities of Harlem
Harlem, Georgia
Harlem is a city in Columbia County, Georgia and is part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area. The population was 1,814 at the 2000 census...

 and Grovetown
Grovetown, Georgia
Grovetown, Georgia is a city in Columbia County, in the United States state of Georgia. It is part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area as well as the Central Savannah River Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 11,216. The mayor of Grovetown is George W...

 grew up. Harlem arose in the 1880s when a disgruntled railroad employee named Hicks, angered by saloon
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...

s and Sabbath breaking in Sawdust, moved along the tracks one mile east and set up a rival town, complete with its own depot. Sawdust was eclipsed by Harlem, losing its depot and being absorbed by the newer town in the 1920s. The city was named after Harlem, New York. Grovetown, named for Grove Baptist Church, developed as a summer resort in the 1880s for wealthy Augustans.

20th century

The 20th century brought many changes to the county, with new technologies and modernization. In 1917, Harlem was badly damaged by fire. Bringing electricity to the county began. Men from Columbia County answered the call of duty and served in both World Wars. Prior to World War II, the County was still primarily agricultural; it had escaped the boll weevil
Boll weevil
The boll weevil is a beetle measuring an average length of six millimeters, which feeds on cotton buds and flowers. Thought to be native to Central America, it migrated into the United States from Mexico in the late 19th century and had infested all U.S. cotton-growing areas by the 1920s,...

 infestation that destroyed cotton crops in Mississippi and other parts of the South. The US Army built Camp (later Fort) Gordon
Fort Gordon
Fort Gordon, formerly known as Camp Gordon, is a United States Army installation established in 1917. It is the current home of the United States Army Signal Corps and Signal Center and was once the home of "The Provost Marshal General School" . The fort is located in Richmond, Jefferson, McDuffie,...

, taking over a large portion of Richmond County and parts of Columbia, McDuffie, and Jefferson. The Army's keeping the fort after WWII created a new population and economic center for the county. During the 1950s, the Clark Hill Dam
Lake Strom Thurmond
Lake Strom Thurmond, known in Georgia as Clarks Hill Lake, is a reservoir at the border between Georgia and South Carolina in the Savannah River Basin. It was created by the J. Strom Thurmond Dam during 1951 and 1952 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers near the confluence of the "Little River" and...

 was constructed, submerging considerable land in northern Columbia County under the new reservoir. It prompted new residential development around the lake.

Between 1950 and 1990, the population increased dramatically. Agriculture declined, as farmland was redeveloped as suburban housing and community centers for persons employed in Augusta. Numerous personnel stationed at Fort Gordon eventually settled in Columbia County. During the 1960s, the schools were integrated
Racial integration
Racial integration, or simply integration includes desegregation . In addition to desegregation, integration includes goals such as leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of race, and the development of a culture that draws on diverse traditions, rather than merely...

 largely without incident under the leadership of Superintendent John Pierce Blanchard. The unincorporated communities of Martinez
Martinez, Georgia
Martinez is a census-designated place in Columbia County, Georgia, United States. It is an affluent suburb of Augusta, Georgia and is part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area...

 (formerly Lulaville, named after a Cuban doctor) and Evans
Evans, Georgia
Evans is a census-designated place in Columbia County, Georgia, United States. It is an affluent suburb of Augusta and is part of the Augusta - Richmond County Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 17,727 at the 2000 census and, in 2006, the population was 20,681.Evans, possibly named...

 (possibly named after Confederate General Clement A. Evans
Clement A. Evans
Clement Anselm Evans was a Confederate infantry general in the American Civil War. He was also a noted politician, preacher, historian and prolific author....

) became the population centers of the county, since they were located nearest to Augusta.

During the 1980s and 1990s and demographic shifts, Evans gradually became the de facto county seat, as the Columbia County Government Center and the Government Complex Addition were built there to serve the growing population in the county's eastern areas. Court functions remained in Appling since Georgia state law required that superior court sessions must be held at the county seat and courthouse of each county at least twice a year. In 1998, the legislature changed the law to allow counties with unincorporated county seats to hold court sessions at annexes or satellite courthouses. With the 1993 passage of legislation requiring incorporated cities to provide at least three municipal services, Appling was not able to maintain its status as an incorporated city. (There was question as to whether it was ever incorporated.) Appling was one of 187 inactive cities in Georgia that lost its charter on June 1, 1995. Today it is nearly a dead town. Following these changes, the county proceeded to build an expansive Courthouse Annex in Evans, completed in 2001. Appling retains its status as de jure county seat, but all governmental functions are carried out in Evans.

Historic sites in Appling include the Courthouse and Jail, the Marshall Monument, and various places associated with Kiokee Baptist Church. Other sites in the county include Stevens Creek Dam and Canal Locks, the birthplace of the comedian Oliver Hardy
Oliver Hardy
Oliver Hardy was an American comic actor famous as one half of Laurel and Hardy, the classic double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted nearly 30 years, from 1927 to 1955.-Early life:...

 in Harlem, and various cemeteries.

Moves toward incorporation

For more than a decade, there have been discussions by county officials to incorporate the county into a city. This issue first became moot in 1996 when the city of Augusta and Richmond County consolidated their governments. A state law mandating three mile buffer zones between cities effectively halted any efforts for Columbia County to incorporate, as it was contiguous to Augusta-Richmond County
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...

.

In 2005, talks of incorporating the county into a city resurfaced when the Georgia state legislature abolished the three mile buffer zone, thus allowing Sandy Springs
Sandy Springs, Georgia
Sandy Springs is a city in north Georgia, United States. It is a northern suburb of Atlanta. With a 2010 population of 93,853, Sandy Springs is the sixth-largest city in the state and the second-largest city in Metro Atlanta. Sandy Springs is located in north Fulton County, Georgia, just south of...

 in North Fulton County
Fulton County, Georgia
Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat is Atlanta, the state capital since 1868 and the principal county of the Atlanta metropolitan area...

 to become a city. Columbia County Commission Chairman, Ron Cross, led a campaign to bring the idea of county incorporation back to life. However, it was referred to as "consolidation," since counties in Georgia alone cannot incorporate, but can rather consolidate with an existing municipality within the county. The plan was to hold a referendum to incorporate Evans
Evans, Georgia
Evans is a census-designated place in Columbia County, Georgia, United States. It is an affluent suburb of Augusta and is part of the Augusta - Richmond County Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 17,727 at the 2000 census and, in 2006, the population was 20,681.Evans, possibly named...

 into a city (currently a census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...

 and home to most county government offices) and then simultaneously consolidate it with Columbia County.

The initiative drew strong opposition from officials in Harlem
Harlem, Georgia
Harlem is a city in Columbia County, Georgia and is part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area. The population was 1,814 at the 2000 census...

 and Grovetown
Grovetown, Georgia
Grovetown, Georgia is a city in Columbia County, in the United States state of Georgia. It is part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area as well as the Central Savannah River Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 11,216. The mayor of Grovetown is George W...

, the county's only municipalities, citing that it would keep their cities from growing. The word "consolidation" also had an immediate negative connotation with many residents of Columbia County, seeing the example of the Augusta-Richmond County
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...

 plagued with unintended consequence
Unintended consequence
In the social sciences, unintended consequences are outcomes that are not the outcomes intended by a purposeful action. The concept has long existed but was named and popularised in the 20th century by American sociologist Robert K. Merton...

s. A straw poll conducted during the county Republican Party primary election, showed strong opposition to the idea countywide. The County Commission Chairman Ron Cross has vowed to keep the issue alive, but based on the negative sentiment from voters, it appears that at least for now, the idea of incorporation is back in hibernation.

Education

Columbia county is served by the Columbia County Public Schools
Columbia County School System
The Columbia County School System is an award-winning school district that is based in Columbia County, Georgia. It is run by the Columbia County Board of Education with superintendent Charles Nagle...

 as well as Augusta Christian Schools
Augusta Christian Schools
The Augusta Christian Schools , is a Christian school located in Martinez, Georgia. The school offers a kindergarten, elementary, junior and senior high school...

 and Augusta Preparatory Day School
Augusta Preparatory Day School
Augusta Preparatory Day School is a non-sectarian private school in Martinez, Georgia.It accepts students from Preschool through Twelfth Grade.-APDS:...

, both in Martinez
Martinez, Georgia
Martinez is a census-designated place in Columbia County, Georgia, United States. It is an affluent suburb of Augusta, Georgia and is part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area...

.

Elementary Schools

  • Baker Place Elementary School (opening Fall 2011)
  • Bel-Air Elementary School
  • Blue Ridge Elementary School
  • Brookwood Elementary School
  • Cedar Ridge Elementary School
  • Euchee Creek Elementary School
  • Evans Elementary School
  • Greenbrier Elementary School
  • Grovetown Elementary School
  • Lewiston Elementary School
  • Martinez Elementary School
  • North Columbia Elementary School
  • North Harlem Elementary School
  • River Ridge Elementary School
  • Riverside Elementary School
  • South Columbia Elementary School
  • Stevens Creek Elementary School
  • Westmont Elementary School

Middle Schools

  • Columbia Middle School
  • Evans Middle School
  • Greenbrier Middle School
  • Grovetown Middle School
  • Harlem Middle School
  • Lakeside Middle School
  • Riverside Middle School
  • Stallings Island Middle School

High Schools

  • Evans High School
  • Greenbrier High School
  • Grovetown High School
  • Harlem High School
  • Lakeside High School

Other Education

  • Crossroads Academy (Alternative School)
  • Augusta Christian Schools (Private)
  • Augusta Preparatory Day School (Private)

Cities and towns

Columbia County contains only two small incorporated cities and 91 percent of the population lives in unincorporated areas.

Major cities and towns

  • Evans
    Evans, Georgia
    Evans is a census-designated place in Columbia County, Georgia, United States. It is an affluent suburb of Augusta and is part of the Augusta - Richmond County Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 17,727 at the 2000 census and, in 2006, the population was 20,681.Evans, possibly named...

     (unincorporated)
  • Grovetown
    Grovetown, Georgia
    Grovetown, Georgia is a city in Columbia County, in the United States state of Georgia. It is part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area as well as the Central Savannah River Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 11,216. The mayor of Grovetown is George W...

  • Harlem
    Harlem, Georgia
    Harlem is a city in Columbia County, Georgia and is part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area. The population was 1,814 at the 2000 census...

  • Martinez
    Martinez, Georgia
    Martinez is a census-designated place in Columbia County, Georgia, United States. It is an affluent suburb of Augusta, Georgia and is part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area...

     (unincorporated)
  • Appling
    Appling, Georgia
    Appling is an unincorporated community in and the county seat of Columbia County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area....

     (unincorporated)

Smaller or historical communities

  • Leah
  • Phinizy
  • Pumpkin Center
  • Central
  • Lewiston
  • Bullards Corner (Mistletoe Junction)
  • Winfield
  • Winfield Hills
  • Lamkin
  • Griffith Siding
  • Snead
  • Roper's Crossing
  • Forrest
  • Berzelia
  • Sawdust
  • Campania
  • Pollards Corner
  • Rosemont

Notable residents

Some notable persons either born in or who resided in Columbia County include: Oliver Hardy
Oliver Hardy
Oliver Hardy was an American comic actor famous as one half of Laurel and Hardy, the classic double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted nearly 30 years, from 1927 to 1955.-Early life:...

 (comedian, born in Harlem), Paul Hamilton Hayne
Paul Hamilton Hayne
Paul Hamilton Hayne was a nineteenth century Southern American poet, critic, and editor.-Biography:Paul Hamilton Hayne was born in Charleston, South Carolina on January 1, 1830. After losing his father as a young child, Hayne was reared by his mother in the home of his prosperous and prominent...

 (poet and author), Henry Louis Benning
Henry L. Benning
Henry Lewis Benning was a lawyer, legislator, judge on the Georgia Supreme Court, and a Confederate general during the American Civil War. He is also noted for the U.S...

 (Confederate general for whom Fort Benning
Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...

 is named), William Few, Abraham Baldwin, George Walton, George W. Crawford, William H. Crawford
William H. Crawford
William Harris Crawford was an American politician and judge during the early 19th century. He served as United States Secretary of War from 1815 to 1816 and United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1816 to 1825, and was a candidate for President of the United States in 1824.-Political...

 (presidential candidate in 1824), Thomas Watson
Thomas E. Watson
Thomas Edward "Tom" Watson was an American politician, newspaper editor, and writer from Georgia. In the 1890s Watson championed poor farmers as a leader of the Populist Party, articulating an agrarian political viewpoint while attacking business, bankers, railroads, Democratic President Grover...

 (populist leader and Georgia senator born in Thomson when it was still in Columbia County), George McDuffie (South Carolina governor and senator in the early 19th century), Jesse Mercer (a long-time preacher in the county for whom Mercer University
Mercer University
Mercer University is an independent, private, coeducational university with a Baptist heritage located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Mercer is the only university of its size in the United States that offers programs in eleven diversified fields of study: liberal arts, business, education, music,...

 is named).

See also


External links

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