Cherokee County, Georgia

Information about Cherokee County, Georgia

Cherokee County, Georgia
Map
Enlarge picture
Map of Georgia highlighting Cherokee County

Location in the state of Georgia

Georgia's location in the USA
Statistics
Founded1831
SeatCanton
Largest CityWoodstock
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water
434 sq mi (1,124 km)
424 sq mi (1,097 km)
10 sq mi (27 km), 2.38%
Population
 - (2006)
 - Density
195,327
335/sq mi (129/km)
Time zoneEastern: UTC-5/-4
Website: www.cherokeega.com
Cherokee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 141,903. The 2006 Census Estimate placed the population at 195,327 [1]. The county seat is Canton, Georgia6.

Cherokee County is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Original territory

Enlarge picture
1822 map of Cherokee lands in Georgia
Originally, Cherokee County was more like a territory than a county, covering everything northwest of the Chattahoochee River and Chestatee River except for Carroll County. This county was created December 26, 1831 by the state legislature. It was named after the Cherokee Indians who lived in the area at that time. Several other counties were carved out of these Cherokee lands as part of the Cherokee Land Lottery of 1832. [2]

Enlarge picture
1834 map of counties created from Cherokee land
An act of the Georgia General Assembly passed on December 3rd of that year created the counties of Forsyth, Lumpkin, Union, Cobb, Gilmer, Murray, Cass (now Bartow), Floyd, and Paulding. [3] The forcible (sometimes at gunpoint) removal of the Cherokee people, leading up to the notorious Trail of Tears, began in this area the year before, later accelerated by the discovery of gold in local streams.

The first county seat was at Harnageville, originally called Marble Works. Since 1880 that town has been called Tate, and it is now (since 1853) in Pickens County. Part of that county was taken directly from Cherokee, the other via Gilmer (itself earlier taken from Cherokee).

Remaining county

In 1857, part of the southeastern corner of the county was ceded by the General Assembly to form Milton County (now the city of Milton in the county of Fulton. In the 1890s, The Atlanta & Knoxville Railroad (later renamed the Marietta & North Georgia Railroad when it could not be completed to Knoxville) built a branch line up through the middle of the county. When this line was bought by the Louisville & Nashville Railroad the following decade, the L&N built train depots at Woodstock and other towns.

Famous citizens

  • Joseph E. Brown, who was elected governor of Georgia in 1857 and later served as U.S. Senator from Georgia. Brown's primary residence and law practice were in Canton, and he owned a farm believed to be near the Sutallee community.
  • Dean Rusk, U.S. Secretary of State was born in Cherokee County.
  • Robert Rechsteiner, also known as Rick Steiner, ex-professional wrestler who is now a part of the school board for the county. He also sells homes in the county as a real estate agent.
  • Josh Holloway, actor and model, most famous for his role as James "Sawyer" Ford on Lost. He attended Cherokee High School in Canton.

Development

Cherokee County is now a part of the Atlanta metro area. It is bisected by Interstate 575, which runs from Marietta north through Woodstock, Lebanon, Holly Springs, Canton, the county seat, and Ball Ground, ending at the Pickens County line into Georgia 515, the Appalachian Parkway developmental highway. The Georgia Northeastern Railroad also operates freight service on the former L&N tracks, roughly parallel to this route, and it could potentially serve commuter rail to Atlanta eventually. Population growth follows the same general pattern as well, with new suburbs in the south following the highway toward exurbs further north.

As in similar counties, such rapid construction and consumption of land has strained the local ecology, as well as relations between developers and residents, even between the governments of the county and its cities. Impact fees, zoning decisions, and environmental damage have all been sources of contention, with some developers trying to circumvent the county laws by asking the cities for annexation.

One situation occurring in the county is the fact that at least two of its cities (Canton and Holly Springs) annex alongside roads for new subdivisions, but do not annex the roads themselves. This can be seen by the many subdivisions which have city limits signs right at their entrances from main roads. This means that the cities take the new tax revenue, but leave the county with the burden which the developments create on the roads.

There has also been a highly contentious issue with annexation by the city of Holly Springs eastward toward the community of Hickory Flat. The county land-use plan called for low-density in that area, as the residents wanted it, however it was learned in 2006 that the city was considering ignoring this and taking it in order to allow a new Wal-Mart. In October 2007, the county lost a lawsuit against the city that claimed the previous annexation of 21 parcels (including the huge Harmony on the Lakes project in 2003) were illegal, therefore making impossible any attempt to take Hickory Flat (as it would be discontiguous).

Another recent issue is the contention between the school board and the county commission. In 2007, the commission voted to refuse to pay for road improvements at new public schools, saying it was the board's responsibility. The board shot back, noting that the only reason the schools were needed was because the commission kept approving new housing developments.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,124 km² (434 mi²). 1,097 km² (424 mi²) of it is land and 27 km² (10 mi²) of it (2.38%) is water. much of which is Lake Allatoona in the southwest. The lake is fed by the Etowah and Little rivers (the county's primary waterways), and other large streams such as Noonday Creek. Much of the northern part of the county begins to rise toward the foothills, and most of it is in the Coosa River watershed.

Mountains

There are nine summits listed by the USGS GNIS as being in the county. From tallest to lowest, they are:
  1. Bear Mountain - 2,297 feet (700 m) - 34°18'48N, 84°38'53"W
  2. Pine Log Mountain - 2,260 feet (689 m) - 34°19'15"N, 84°38'29"W
  3. Oakey Mountain - 1,686 feet (514 m) - 34°22'56"N, 84°33'51"W
  4. Dry Pond Mountain - 1,644 feet (501 m) - 34°22'29"N, 84°33'23"W
  5. Hickory Log Mountain - 1,545 feet (471 m) - 34°17'05"N, 84°30'10"W
  6. Polecat Mountain - 1,503 feet (458 m) - 34°16'27"N, 84°31'31"W
  7. Byrd Mountain - 1,358 feet (414 m) - 34°17'16"N, 84°31'04"W
  8. Garland Mountain - 1,348 feet (411 m) - 34°21'48"N, 84°35'52"W
  9. Posey Mountain - 1,306 feet (398 m) - 34°24'35"N, 084°36'40"


These mountains are in the still-rural northern and western parts of the county. However, if considered part of metro Atlanta, Bear Mountain is the tallest in the metro area.

Highways

Major roads

  • Bell's Ferry Road (former Georgia 205)
  • East Cherokee Drive
  • Towne Lake Parkway
  • Arnold Mill Road
  • Yellow Creek Road
  • Upper and Lower Burris Road
  • Alabama Road
  • Wade Green Road
  • Kellogg Creek Road
  • Canton Highway (former Georgia 5)
  • Marietta Highway (former Georgia 5)
  • Ball Ground Highway (former Georgia 5)
  • Old Marietta Road (former Georgia 20)
  • Hickory Flat Road (Georgia 140)

Adjacent counties

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 141,903 people, 49,495 households, and 39,200 families residing in the county. The population density was 129/km² (335/mi²). There were 51,937 housing units at an average density of 47/km² (123/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.41% White, 2.48% Black or African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.80% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.61% from other races, and 1.29% from two or more races. 5.42% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 49,495 households out of which 41.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.20% were married couples living together, 8.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.80% were non-families. 16.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.10% 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 28.30% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 35.80% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 6.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 100.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $60,896, and the median income for a family was $66,419. Males had a median income of $44,374 versus $31,036 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,871. About 3.50% of families and 5.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.50% of those under age 18 and 9.80% of those age 65 or over.

Incorporated cities

  • Ball Ground (north-northeast) - site of old gold mines along the Etowah River
  • Canton (central; county seat) - Interstate 575 intersects with Georgia 140/20/5 here.
  • Holly Springs (just south of Canton) - east of Interstate 575
  • Mountain Park (southeast) - mostly (about 80%) in Fulton County
  • Nelson (far north-northeastern) - mostly (about 60%) in Pickens County
  • Waleska (western) - home to Reinhardt College
  • Woodstock (south-central) - east of Interstate 575.

Unincorporated communities

  • Avery (eastern Cherokee)
  • Batesville (southeast Cherokee)
  • Buffington (east of Canton)
  • Clayton (north of Canton)
  • Creighton (northeast Cherokee)
  • Free Home (eastern Cherokee)
  • Gold Ridge (southwest of Canton)
  • Greeley (northwest Cherokee)
  • Hickory Flat (east of Holly Springs)
  • Keithsburg (northeast of Canton)
  • Lake Arrowhead (southwest of Waleska)
  • Lathemtown (eastern Cherokee)
  • Lebanon / Toonigh (south of Holly Springs)
  • Macedonia (eastern Cherokee)
  • Mica (northeast Cherokee)
  • Oak Grove (southwest Cherokee)
  • Ophir (eastern Cherokee)
  • Orange (east Cherokee)
  • Salacoa (northwest Cherokee)
  • Sharp Top (northern Cherokee)
  • Sixes (west of Holly Springs)
  • Sutallee (western Cherokee)
  • Towne Lake (west of Woodstock)
  • Union Hill (eastern Cherokee)
  • Univeter (south of Canton)
  • Victoria (southwest Cherokee)

External links

Local Newspapers

 •  • [ e]
Atlanta Metropolitan Area
Central CityAtlanta
Enlarge picture
Map of the Atlanta Metropolitan area
Largest cities
(over 20,000 in 2000)		Alpharetta • Candler-McAfee (CDP) • College Park • Douglasville • Duluth • Dunwoody (CDP) • East Point • Forest Park • Gainesville • Griffin • Johns Creek • Kennesaw • Lawrenceville • Mableton (CDP) • Marietta • North Atlanta (CDP) • Peachtree City • Redan (CDP) • Roswell • Sandy Springs • Smyrna • Stockbridge • Tucker (CDP)
Largest towns and villages
(over 10,000 in 2000)		Acworth • Belevedere Park • Buford • Carrollton • Cartersville • Conyers • Covington • Decatur • Druid Hills • Fayetteville • Lilburn • Milton • Monroe • Mountain Park, Gwinnett County • Newnan • North Decatur (CDP) • North Druid Hills • Panthersville • Powder Springs • Riverdale • Snellville • Sugar Hill • Union City • Winder • Woodstock
CountiesFulton • Gwinnett • DeKalb • Cobb • Clayton • Cherokee • Henry • Forsyth • Douglas • Paulding • Coweta • Carroll • Fayette • Bartow • Newton • Rockdale • Hall • Walton • Spalding • Barrow • Pickens • Haralson • Meriwether • Butts • Dawson • Lamar • Pike • Jasper • Heard
 •  • [ e]
State of Georgia
Atlanta (capital)
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Largest cities Albany | Atlanta | Athens-Clarke County | Augusta | Columbus | Johns Creek | Macon | Marietta | Roswell | Sandy Springs | Savannah | Warner Robins
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Coordinates:
State of Georgia

Flag of Georgia Seal of Georgia
Nickname(s): Peach State, Empire State of the South
Motto(s): Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation

Official language(s) English

Capital Atlanta

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Motto
"In God We Trust"   (since 1956)
"E Pluribus Unum"   ("From Many, One"; Latin, traditional)
Anthem
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Units

Units for measuring surface area include:
square metre = SI derived unit

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square mile is an imperial and US unit of area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. It should not be confused with the archaic miles square, which refers to the number of miles on each side squared.
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Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol km², is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of surface area, the square metre, one of the SI derived units. 1 km² is equal to:
  • 1,000,000 m²
  • 100 ha (hectare)
Conversely:
  • 1 m² = 0.

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Biological population densities


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United States of America

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State of Georgia

Flag of Georgia Seal of Georgia
Nickname(s): Peach State, Empire State of the South
Motto(s): Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation

Official language(s) English

Capital Atlanta

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A county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there.
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Canton, Georgia
Location in Cherokee County in the state of Georgia
Coordinates:
Country United States
State Georgia
County Cherokee
Government
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Atlanta, Georgia
Downtown Atlanta

Flag
Nickname: Hotlanta,[1] The A-T-L[1]
Location in Fulton and DeKalb counties and the state of Georgia
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Sandy Springs, Georgia
Location in Fulton County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates:
Country United States
State Georgia
County Fulton
Government
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Marietta, Georgia, USA
Location in Cobb County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates:
Country United States
State Georgia
County Cobb
Government
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urbanized area—a contiguous area of relatively high population density. The counties containing the core urbanized area are known as the central counties of the MSA.
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Chattahoochee River runs from the Chattahoochee Spring in the mountains of northeast Georgia, southwestward past Atlanta and through its suburbs, then turns southward to form the southern half of the Georgia/Alabama state line.
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Carroll County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 87,268. The 2006 Census Estimate shows a population of 107,325 [1] . The county seat is Carrollton, Georgia6.
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Cherokee ( ah-ni-yv-wi-ya in the Cherokee language) are a people from North America, who at the time of European contact in the 1600s, inhabited what is now the Eastern and Southeastern United States. Most were forcibly moved westward to the Ozark Plateau.
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18th century - 19th century - 20th century
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Georgia General Assembly

Type Bicameral
Houses Senate
House of Representatives
President of the Senate Casey Cagle, R
since January 2007
Speaker of the House Glenn Richardson, R
since January 2006

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