Johnson County, Georgia Explained

County:Johnson County
State:Georgia
Seat Wl:Wrightsville
Largest City Wl:Wrightsville
Area Total Sq Mi:307
Area Land Sq Mi:303
Area Water Sq Mi:3.6
Area Percentage:1.2%
Census Yr:2020
Pop:9189
Density Sq Mi:30
Time Zone:Eastern
Web:www.johnsonco.org/
District:10th
Ex Image:JOHNSON COUNTY COURTHOUSE.jpg
Ex Image Cap:Johnson County Courthouse in Wrightsville

Johnson County is a county located along the Oconee River in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,189.[1] The county seat is Wrightsville.[2] Johnson County is part of the Dublin, Georgia, micropolitan statistical area.

History

Johnson county was created by the Georgia legislature December 11, 1858, from parts of Emanuel, Laurens, and Washington counties. Johnson County was named for Georgia governor, senator, and U.S. vice-presidential candidate Herschel Vespasian Johnson.[3]

In 1919, a deputy driving Jim Waters, a black prisoner accused of rape, out of the county was stopped by a group of 150 men at a bridge over the Ohoopee River. The men tied Waters to a tree and shot him numerous times. The case was closed without any investigation.[4]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (1.2%) is water.[5]

The vast majority of Johnson County is located in the Ohoopee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. Tiny portions of the northeastern borders of the county are located in the Upper Ogeechee River sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin, while the western corner of Johnson County is located in the Lower Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin.[6]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated community

Demographics

2020 Census

Johnson County, Georgia – Racial and ethnic composition
!Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)!Pop 2000[7] !Pop 2010[8] ![9] !% 2000!% 2010!
White alone (NH)5,3076,219style='background: #ffffe6; 5,80062.00%62.31%style='background: #ffffe6; 63.12%
Black or African American alone (NH)3,1313,461style='background: #ffffe6; 3,01736.58%34.68%style='background: #ffffe6; 32.83%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)1117style='background: #ffffe6; 230.13%0.17%style='background: #ffffe6; 0.25%
Asian alone (NH)1022style='background: #ffffe6; 280.12%0.22%style='background: #ffffe6; 0.30%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)13style='background: #ffffe6; 150.01%0.03%style='background: #ffffe6; 0.16%
Other race alone (NH)17style='background: #ffffe6; 140.01%0.07%style='background: #ffffe6; 0.15%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)2165style='background: #ffffe6; 1750.25%0.65%style='background: #ffffe6; 1.90%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)78186style='background: #ffffe6; 1170.91%1.86%style='background: #ffffe6; 1.27%
Total8,5609,980style='background: #ffffe6; 9,189100.00%100.00%style='background: #ffffe6; 100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 9,189 people, 3,393 households, and 2,208 families residing in the county.

Government

The county is governed by a five-member board of commissioners. A county manager handles the daily operation of the county.

The county is part of the Dublin Judicial Circuit along with Twiggs County, Treutlen County, and Laurens County.

Board of commissioners
DistrictCommissionerParty
District 1Felice PullenDemocratic
District 2James McAfee Jr. [CHAIR]Republican
District 3Jerronney DarrisawDemocratic
District 4Larry PopeRepublican
District 5Mike KeeneRepublican
[10]

Education

In 1970, Johnson County schools integrated peacefully due to careful planning by the county's board of education and firm management by superintendent Buren Claxton.

The county's public schools are located in Wrightsville. The school mascot is the Trojan, and the school colors are blue and white. The school fight song is the theme from the movie Hang 'Em High.

Sports

Herschel Walker, a Johnson County native, played on the county's only state championship football team in 1979.Walker went on to play for the University of Georgia and won the Heisman Trophy. In 2004 Johnson County High School named its football field for Walker.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Census - Geography Profile: Johnson County, Georgia. United States Census Bureau. December 27, 2022.
  2. Web site: Find a County . June 7, 2011 . National Association of Counties . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150509170006/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx . May 9, 2015 .
  3. Book: The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States . Govt. Print. Off. . Gannett, Henry . 1905 . 169.
  4. Book: McWhirter, Cameron. Red Summer: The Summer of 1919 and the Awakening of Black America. 2011. Henry Holt and Company. 978-1-4299-7293-2. 52.
  5. Web site: US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990. United States Census Bureau. April 23, 2011. February 12, 2011.
  6. Web site: Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience . Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission . November 20, 2015 . October 3, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181003004639/http://www.gaswcc.org/maps/ . dead .
  7. Web site: P004 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Johnson County, Georgia. United States Census Bureau.
  8. Web site: P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Johnson County, Georgia. United States Census Bureau.
  9. Web site: P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Johnson County, Georgia. United States Census Bureau.
  10. https://www.johnsonco.org/commissioners