Donalsonville, Georgia

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Coordinates: 31°2′27″N 84°52′42″W / 31.04083, -84.87833
Donalsonville, Georgia
Location in Seminole County and the state of Georgia
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Seminole
Area
- Total	4 sq mi (10.3 km²)
- Land	4 sq mi (10.3 km²)
- Water	0 sq mi (0 km²)
Elevation	148 ft (45 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	2,796
- Density	699/sq mi (271.5/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	39845
Area code(s)	229
FIPS code	13-23368^[1]
GNIS feature ID	0331568^[2]

Donalsonville is a city in Seminole County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,796 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Seminole County^[3].

1 History
2 Geography
3 Demographics
4 Economy
5 Culture
6 Education
7 Religion
8 References
9 External links

[edit] History

It was incorporated on December 8, 1897. It is named after Jonathan E. Donalson, a prominent businessman of the area. Donalsonville, Georgia was first chartered as a town in Georgia on December 8, 1897. Donalsonville was part of Decatur County and was named for John E. Donalson, who helped to form the town. It was not until January 1920 that Donalsonville became part of Seminole County. The town became the county seat of Seminole County, which was named for the Indians that first inhabited the land. Seminole County was taken from part of Decatur County; the people who lived near Donalsonville needed a town in which they could trade and the new county was formed. John E. Donalson built the first lumber company in Donalsonville, called Donalson Lumber Company. Donalson built homes and a commissary, along with the lumber company, for the workers of the mill. The lumber company paved way for the growth of this town. By August 1922, the Town of Donalsonville became known as the City of Donalsonville, with the charter passing on August 19, 1922. The county courthouse, located in Donalsonville, was erected in 1922 and is still standing today. The Seminole County Courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (Wolfe)

[edit] Geography

Donalsonville is located at 31°2′27″N, 84°52′42″W (31.040887, -84.878382)^[4].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.0 square miles (10.3 km²), of which, 4.0 square miles (10.3 km²) of it is land and 0.25% is water. Geography. Donalsonville is 3.99 square miles, with 0.01 square miles of that being water area, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The city is located just 20 minutes north of Lake Seminole, 60 miles south of Albany, Georgia, and 35 miles east of Dothan, Alabama. On the map, Donalsonville is located at 31.04 N Latitude and 84.88 W Longitude. (U.S. Census Bureau)

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 2,796 people, 1,008 households, and 697 families residing in the city. The population density was 702.8 people per square mile (271.2/km²). There were 1,116 housing units at an average density of 280.5/sq mi (108.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 37.23% White, 58.73% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 2.75% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.90% of the population.

There were 1,008 households out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.6% were married couples living together, 27.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.3% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 82.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $20,687, and the median income for a family was $25,679. Males had a median income of $24,464 versus $16,451 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,095. About 25.4% of families and 32.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 45.6% of those under age 18 and 27.6% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Economy

According to the 2000 Census of the U.S. Census Bureau, there is a total of 2,796 people living in Donalsonville, with 45.3% males and 54.7% females. There is 58.7 % African American, 37.2 % Caucasians, 3.9% Hispanic, and 4.1 % other races living in Donalsonville. Donalsonville has about a 63 % high school graduate rate with about 52 % in the work force. The biggest industries are education, health, and social services. (Georgia.gov) The average median income for households according to the U.S. Census report in 2000 was $20,687 and median family income was $25,679, with the average household size around 2 and family size around 3 people. (U.S. Census Bureau)

[edit] Culture

The Olive Theatre and the agricultural mural paintings set the cultural tone of the city. The Olive Theatre is in an old building downtown, which has been renovated and hosts the local talents. (Broome) The murals are present on a few of the downtown buildings and depict the main industry in the county. The other main attraction of the city is the Seminole County Country Club, which is the hangout for many local golfers. The Harvest Festival is a vast part of Donalsonville’s culture. The festival that is hosted each October supports the local industry of agriculture. There are other attractions, including the Christmas Tour of Homes and the PRCA Rodeo, that are held in Donalsonville.

[edit] Education

The first signs of education in Donalsonville date back to about 1892, when the first school was held in the local Masonic Lodge. Later, the Donalsonville School was expanded into a two story building, including grades one through eleven. The first recorded black school was not until the late 1920’s. By 1955, there was only one school for the blacks in Seminole County, known as the Seminole County Training School. The school was located in Donalsonville with around 540 students. In 1970, during the integration of schools, three schools were created. These were the only schools in Seminole County and included Donalsonville Elementary, which housed Kindergarten through fourth grades, Seminole County Jr. High School, which included the fifth through eighth grades, and the Seminole County Sr. High School, housing grades nine through twelve. (City-Data .com) Today, there are only two schools, the Seminole County Elementary, which includes Kindergarten through fifth grades, and the Seminole Middle/ High School, which houses grades six through twelve. There are also various Pre-K programs that have opened their doors in Donalsonville. Through the years, many sports and clubs have been incorporated into the school. Seminole County High School was once the playing grounds for one Washington Redskins player named Phillip Daniels. Phillip left Donalsonville for the University of Georgia, where he played out his college football career until he was drafted in 1996 to the Seattle Seahawks.

[edit] Religion

By the 1900s, the need for churches arose. The first church was erected in Donalsonville in 1850, which was the Friendship United Methodist Church. In the beginning the Methodist Church served as a meeting place for all dominations. Later, the First Presbyterian Church of Donalsonville was established in January 1898 with 25 members. On August 4, 1902, 18 people helped to create the First Baptist Church of Donalsonville. The Church of The Nazarene, which was first called “The Holiness Church,” was established in October 1902. The meetings of the Church of the Nazarene were actually held in a member’s house, until 1903 when a building was erected. The first black church in Donalsonville was created in 1895, founding Live Oak African Methodist Episcopal Church. The people of Donalsonville saw the need to create churches to worship and with this vision came a number of churches, eventually totaling thirteen. (City-Data.com)