Dahlonega, Georgia

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Coordinates: 34°31′50″N 83°59′5″W / 34.53056, -83.98472
Dahlonega, Georgia, USA
Historic Lumpkin County Courthouse, which now houses the Dahlonega Gold Museum Historic Site
Nickname: Azalea City
Location in Lumpkin County and the state of Georgia
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Lumpkin
Government
- Mayor	Gary McCullough
Area
- Total	6.4 sq mi (16.6 km²)
- Land	6.4 sq mi (16.6 km²)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0 km²)
Elevation	1,450 ft (442 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	3,638
- Density	568.1/sq mi (219.5/km²)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	30533, 30597
Area code(s)	706
FIPS code	13-21240^[1]
GNIS feature ID	0355420^[2]
Website: http://www.cityofdahlonega.com/

Dahlonega in 1879

Dahlonega is a city in Lumpkin County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat^[3]. As of the 2000 census, it had a total population of 3,638.

Dahlonega is located at the north end of Georgia 400, which connects Atlanta to many affluent suburbs to the north.

Dahlonega is a popular tourist attraction for residents of metro Atlanta, about an hour's drive away.

Dahlonega is consistently named as a best place to retire by many different publications, due to its low cost of living, vibrant activities, continuing education for seniors, festivals, and beautiful setting.

The Dahlonega Gold Museum Historic Site sits in the exact middle of the town square, housed in the old Lumpkin County Courthouse built in 1836. From its steps in 1849, Dahlonega Mint assayor Dr. M. F. Stephenson tried to persuade miners to stay instead of joining the California Gold Rush, saying "thar's gold in them thar hills" and "there's millions in it."

1 History
2 Historical marker
3 Geography
4 Demographics
5 Education
6 Famous residents
7 References
8 Suggested reading
9 External links

[edit] History

Dahlonega, Georgia was the site of the first gold Rush in the USA. Dahlonega was a boom town in the Georgia Gold Rush and became the site of a United States Mint branch mint between 1838 and 1861, when the facility was turned over to the Confederate Treasury Department and operations continued until June 1, 1861. Numerous gold mines were scattered around the area, a major reason the Cherokee people were forced to Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears.^[4] The city's name since 1833 comes from the Cherokee-language word "Talonige" or "Dalonige", meaning "yellow money" or "gold." The city is just east of Auraria, and each city claims to be the authentic site of the first discovery of gold. Senator John Calhoun of South Carolina (7^th Vice President of the United States) also owned the Calhoun Mine, just south of the City Square.

The Dahlonega Mint, like the one established in 1838 in Charlotte, North Carolina, only minted gold coins, in denominations of $1.00, $2.50 (quarter eagle), $3.00 (1854 only) and $5.00 (half eagle). The Dahlonega Mint was a small operation, usually accounting for only a small fraction of the gold coinage minted annually, and it was deemed unnecessary to reestablish the facility after the Civil War. As a result, surviving Dahlonega coinage is today highly prized in American numismatics. The mint building burned in 1878 - but the North Georgia College campus built Price Memorial Hall on its foundation.^[5] The building is clearly identifiable by the gold leaf steeple. In recent years, Dahlonega and Lumpkin County have been recognized as "the heart of Georgia Wine Country." The county features three vineyards and wineries that are attracting many tourists. The quaint Dahonega Square is a popular tourist destination and features gift shops, restaurants art galleries and artist's studios. Dahlonega's local festivals also draw many tourists. Bear on the Square, which marks the day that a black bear wandered onto the square, is a large arts and crafts festival. Larger than that, Gold Rush Days attract over 200,000 people for the two day event every year on the third weekend in October.

[edit] Historical marker

Located on the old Courthouse Square in Dahlonega, Georgia WPA Historical Marker 19 B-7, explains:

This court house, built in 1836, replaced the small log structure used since the establishment of Lumpkin County in 1832. The town was named Dahlonega in October, 1833, for the Cherokee word "Talonega" meaning "golden." From its steps in 1849, Dr. M.F. Stephenson, assayor [sic] at the Mint, attempted to dissuade Georgia miners from leaving to join the California Gold Rush. His oration gave rise to the sayings: "There's millions in it," and ["]Thar's gold in them thar hills."^[6]

[edit] Geography

Dahlonega is located at 34°31′50″N, 83°59′5″W (34.530471, -83.984705)^[7].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.4 square miles (16.6 km²), all of it land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 3,638 people, 1,060 households, and 568 families residing in the city. The population density was 568.1 people per square mile (219.5/km²). There were 1,181 housing units at an average density of 184.4/sq mi (71.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.94% White, 4.95% African American, 0.44% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 2.56% from other races, and 1.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.57% of the population.

There were 1,060 households out of which 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.1% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.4% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the city the population was spread out with 13.5% under the age of 18, 42.9% from 18 to 24, 19.0% from 25 to 44, 13.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there were 73.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 69.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,636, and the median income for a family was $44,904. Males had a median income of $30,500 versus $22,917 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,572. About 11.4% of families and 24.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.4% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Education

Dahlonega is home to North Georgia College and State University, which includes the Military College of Georgia. The campus has a building topped with a spire, which is covered in gold leaf from the town. The rotunda dome of the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta is also covered in Dahlonega gold.

These are some of the public schools in Dahlonega

Lumpkin County Elementary School
Long Branch Elementary School
Blackburn Elementary School
Lumpkin County Middle School
Lumpkin County High School

Other educational facilities in Dahlonega include:

Hidden Lake Academy, a boarding school.
Wahsega 4-H Center, an environmental education center and summer camp owned by the University of Georgia and administered through the UGA Cooperative Extension Service Georgia 4-H program.
Camp Glisson, a year-round retreat camp owned by the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church.

[edit] Famous residents

John 'JB' Bell, Widespread Panic Guitarist & Lead Singer
Jennifer Nettles, Sugarland Lead Singer
Amy Ray, Indigo Girls Guitarist & Lead Singer
Max Burns, Former United States House of Representatives Member
Bob Kauffman, 3-time NBA All-Star & Detroit Pistons Coach & GM
Dallas Kinney, Pulitzer Prize winning photographer, journalist & author
Sara Christian, NASCAR 1st Female Driver

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
^ James Loewen, (1996).
^ Price Memorial Building State Historical Marker (accessed October 27, 2006)
^ Georgia Historical Markers (accessed October 27, 2006)
^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.

[edit] Suggested reading

"Gold-Mining in Georgia." Harper's New Monthly Magazine 59, Issue 352 (September 1879): 517-519. Available here

I Remember Dahlonega: Memories of Growing Up in Lumpkin County, by Anne Dismukes Amerson (Chestatee Publishing: 1993)

Williams, David (1993). The Georgia Gold Rush: Twenty-Niners, Cherokees, and Gold Fever. Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press. ISBN 1-57003-052-9.