Thomasville, Georgia
Thomasville, Georgia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nickname(s): "T-Ville", The City of Roses, The Rose City, Beacon Hills (original name) | |
 Location in Thomas County and the state of Georgia | |
  Thomasville, Georgia Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates: 30°50′11″N 83°58′42″W / 30.83639°N 83.97833°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Thomas |
| Area | |
| • City | 15.15 sq mi (39.23 km2) |
| • Land | 15.01 sq mi (38.88 km2) |
| • Water | 0.13 sq mi (0.34 km2) |
| Elevation | 279 ft (85 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • City | 18,881 |
| • Density | 1,257.64/sq mi (485.58/km2) |
| • Metro | 45,000 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 31792, 31799 |
| Area code | 229 |
| FIPS code | 13-76224[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0333216[3] |
| Website | http://www.thomasvillega.com https://thomasville.org/ |
Thomasville is the county seat of Thomas County, Georgia, United States. The population was 18,881 in 2020.
The city deems itself the "City of Roses" and holds an annual Rose Festival. The city features plantations open to the public, a historic downtown, a large farmer's market, and an oak tree from about 1680 at the corner of Monroe and Crawford streets.[4]
History
[edit]Thomasville was founded in 1825 as seat of the newly formed Thomas County. It was incorporated as a town in 1831 and as a city in 1889. The community was named for Jett Thomas, a general in the War of 1812.[5]
Geography
[edit]According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.9 square miles (39 km2), of which 14.9 square miles (39 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) (0.40%) is water. It is the second largest city in Southwest Georgia after Albany. The city has three U.S. Routes: 19, 84 and 319. It is located 34 miles northeast of Tallahassee, Florida, 28 miles southwest of Moultrie, 43 miles west of Valdosta, 95 miles east of Dothan, Alabama, 59 miles south of Albany and 22 miles north of Monticello, Florida.
Climate
[edit]The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Thomasville has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[6]
| Climate data for Thomasville, Georgia | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 86 (30) |
86 (30) |
96 (36) |
96 (36) |
102 (39) |
104 (40) |
106 (41) |
104 (40) |
106 (41) |
97 (36) |
89 (32) |
85 (29) |
106 (41) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 63 (17) |
68 (20) |
73 (23) |
79 (26) |
86 (30) |
90 (32) |
92 (33) |
91 (33) |
87 (31) |
81 (27) |
73 (23) |
65 (18) |
79 (26) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 39 (4) |
42 (6) |
47 (8) |
53 (12) |
61 (16) |
69 (21) |
71 (22) |
71 (22) |
67 (19) |
57 (14) |
49 (9) |
41 (5) |
56 (13) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 5 (−15) |
11 (−12) |
19 (−7) |
30 (−1) |
41 (5) |
48 (9) |
56 (13) |
53 (12) |
37 (3) |
26 (−3) |
11 (−12) |
8 (−13) |
5 (−15) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.80 (122) |
4.88 (124) |
5.67 (144) |
3.08 (78) |
3.00 (76) |
5.84 (148) |
5.68 (144) |
5.72 (145) |
4.52 (115) |
3.02 (77) |
3.44 (87) |
3.65 (93) |
53.3 (1,353) |
| Source: The Weather Channel[7] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
[edit]| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 1,651 | — | |
| 1880 | 2,555 | 54.8% | |
| 1890 | 5,514 | 115.8% | |
| 1900 | 5,322 | −3.5% | |
| 1910 | 6,727 | 26.4% | |
| 1920 | 8,196 | 21.8% | |
| 1930 | 11,733 | 43.2% | |
| 1940 | 12,683 | 8.1% | |
| 1950 | 14,424 | 13.7% | |
| 1960 | 18,246 | 26.5% | |
| 1970 | 18,155 | −0.5% | |
| 1980 | 18,463 | 1.7% | |
| 1990 | 17,457 | −5.4% | |
| 2000 | 18,162 | 4.0% | |
| 2010 | 18,413 | 1.4% | |
| 2020 | 18,881 | 2.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 7,666 | 40.6% |
| Black or African American | 9,874 | 52.3% |
| Native American | 40 | 0.21% |
| Asian | 212 | 1.12% |
| Pacific Islander | 6 | 0.03% |
| Other/Mixed | 571 | 3.02% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 512 | 2.71% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 18,881 people, 7,529 households, and 4,983 families residing in the city.
Economy
[edit]The bakery company Flowers Foods is based in Thomasville. Senior Life Insurance Company and Archbold Medical Center are also based in Thomasville.
Arts and culture
[edit]Thomasville plants and maintains more than 1,000 roses located throughout the city, as do a number of residents who have their own rose gardens. During the last week of April, rose growers from all over the world display their prize roses for a panel of judges. The Thomasville Rose Garden at Cherokee Lake Park is the largest of 85 rose beds maintained by the city, and is host to the annual rose festival.[10]
Thomasville is home to several historic and cultural organizations, including the Thomas County Historical Society and Museum of History, Thomasville Landmarks, Inc.[11] the Thomasville Center for the Arts, the Jack Hadley Black History Museum, and Pebble Hill Plantation. Daily tours and research hours are available at each institution.
An Annual MLK (Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) Walk and Festival is held there in January of each year since 2009.
Education
[edit]Thomasville City School District
[edit]The Thomasville City School District serves pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of three elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school, Thomasville High School.[12] The district has 204 full-time teachers and over 3,107 students.[13]
Thomas County School District
[edit]The Thomas County School District serves pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of three elementary schools, a middle school, and two high schools, Thomas County Central High School and Bishop Hall Charter School.[14] The district has 329 full-time teachers and over 5,466 students.[15]
Private schools
[edit]- Thomasville Christian School (Pre-K - 9)
- Brookwood School (Pre-K-12) Independent college preparatory school.
Higher education
[edit]- Thomas University - Main Campus[16]
- Southern Regional Technical College - Main Campus[17]
Media
[edit]Newspaper
[edit]- The Thomasville Times-Enterprise is a daily newspaper owned by Community Newspaper Holdings, CNHI. The newspaper publishes the glossy magazine Thomasville Scene.
Radio
[edit]Infrastructure
[edit]The city has installed a fiber optic network, known as CNS, which provides affordable, high speed Internet access. The city's network has been in place since 1999. The city transfers excess revenues from CNS services and from its other utilities to the city's general fund to pay for police and fire protection, street maintenance, and other essential services. In 2012, because of these revenues, the city was able to eliminate property fire tax for its residents and businesses.[18]
Notable people
[edit] | This section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2012) |
- William Andrews – NFL player for Atlanta Falcons[19]
- Lloyd J. Austin – U.S. Army, United States Secretary of Defense[20]
- Stephanie Bentley – country music artist[21]
- Mike Bobo – college football coach[22]
- Elbridge Bryant – singer and one of the founding members of The Temptations[23]
- Joe Burns – running back for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and NFL's Buffalo Bills[24]
- Benjamin Butterworth – U.S. Representative from Ohio[25]
- Joelle Carter – actress[26]
- Robert Carter (born 1994) - basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League[27]
- Tashard Choice – running back for Georgia Tech and NFL's Dallas Cowboys[citation needed]
- Reshard Cliett – NFL player
- Danny Copeland – NFL safety for Washington Redskins (Super Bowl XXVII championship team)[28]
- Henry Elrod – U.S. Marine captain, posthumously awarded Medal of Honor for actions on Wake Island, 1941
- Harris English – professional golfer[citation needed]
- Mary Lena Faulk – professional golfer, 1953 winner of US Women's Amateur Championship; one of the founders of the LPGA[29]
- Henry Ossian Flipper – first African American graduate of West Point in 1877[citation needed]
- Myron Guyton – NFL safety for New York Giants and New England Patriots[30]
- Raymond Hughes – conductor and Metropolitan Opera chorus master
- Clifford Ivory – NFL and CFL football player
- Shawn Jones – football player, quarterback for Georgia Tech including 1990 National Championship team, safety for the Minnesota Vikings
- Rolf Kauka – German cartoonist (died in Thomasville)
- Sam Madison – NFL defensive back for Miami Dolphins and New York Giants
- Guy McIntyre – NFL player for San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles
- Delia Owens - author[31][32]
- Marcus Stroud – NFL defensive tackle
- Edward Thomas – gridiron football player
- Brandon Thompson – NFL player
- Dina Titus – member of the U.S House of Representatives from Nevada's 1st District
- Theo Titus - Georgia state legislator, journalist, writer, and businessman
- Charlie Ward Jr. – Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback for Florida State football, basketball player for NBA's New York Knicks, assistant coach for Houston Rockets
- Bailey White – author
- Scott Wilson – actor
- Sheddrick Wilson – NFL player
- Joanne Woodward – Academy Award-winning actress, philanthropist, wife of actor Paul Newman[33]
- Andrew Young – civil rights leader, minister, ambassador to the United Nations
References
[edit]- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Southern live oak 'The Big Oak' at corner of Monroe & Crawford STS, Thomasville, Georgia, United States".
- ^ Hellmann, Paul T. (May 13, 2013). Historical Gazetteer of the United States. Routledge. p. 249. ISBN 978-1135948597. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
- ^ "Thomasville, Georgia Travel Weather Averages (Weatherbase)". Weatherbase. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
- ^ "Climate Statistics for Thomasville, Georgia". Retrieved May 23, 2012.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
- ^ Lotz, CJ (April 21, 2016). "The South's Rose City Throws a Party". Retrieved May 22, 2016.
- ^ "Thomasville Landmarks". Thomasville Landmarks. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
- ^ "Schools in Thomasville City". Georgia Board of Education. Retrieved September 5, 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "School data for Thomasville City". School-stats. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
- ^ "Schools in Thomas County". Georgia Board of Education. Retrieved September 5, 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "School data for Thomas County". School-stats. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
- ^ "Thomas University". Retrieved September 5, 2010.
- ^ "Southwest Georgia Technical College Scholars Academy (grades 6-12)". Archived from the original on August 6, 2010. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
- ^ Dozier, Patti (September 29, 2012). "City fire tax extinguished". Timenterprise.com. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
- ^ "William L. Andrews". databaseFootball.com. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
- ^ Block, Gordon (April 5, 2016). "As Gen. Lloyd Austin retires, north country remembers his Fort Drum command". Watertown Daily Times. Archived from the original on March 27, 2018.
- ^ MusicHound Country: The Essential Album Guide ISBN 978-1-578-59006-3 p. 83
- ^ "MIKE BOBO". tvillebulldogs.com. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
- ^ Simmonds, Jeremy (2012). "Elbridge 'Al' Bryant". The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars: Heroin, Handguns, and Ham Sandwiches (2nd ed.). Chicago: Chicago Review Press. p. 82. ISBN 978-1-61374-478-9.
- ^ "Joe Frank Burns". DatabaseFootball.com. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
- ^ "BUTTERWORTH, Benjamin, (1837 - 1898)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
- ^ "As Kentucky-based 'Justified' comes to an end, actress reflects on her character, Ava, and what's next". Kentucky.com. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
- ^ Fischer, Jake (June 16, 2016). "The twists, turns of Robert Carter's long NBA draft road". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on March 27, 2018.
- ^ "Danny Lamar Copeland". databaseFootball.com. Archived from the original on October 15, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
- ^ Watt, Will (April 14, 2016). "The Life of Mary Lena Faulk". Thomasville Times-Enterprise. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
- ^ "Myron Guyton". databaseFootball.com. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
- ^ Grey, Tobias (November 12, 2018). "With 'Where the Crawdads Sing,' a Debut Novel Goes Big". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
- ^ "Delia Owens". BookPage | Discover your next great book!. July 11, 2018. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
- ^ Wilson, Earl (November 27, 1969). "Small Towns Have Produced Many Big Stars". The Milwaukee Sentinel. pp. A33. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
External links
[edit]
- City of Thomasville official website
- Thomasville Welcome Page
- Thomasville Landmarks - Historic preservation organization
Municipalities and communities of Thomas County, Georgia, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Town | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| Geographic | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
