Moultrie, Georgia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Coordinates: 31°10′13″N 83°47′1″W / 31.17028, -83.78361
Moultrie, Georgia, USA
Nickname: The City Of Southern Living
Location in Colquitt County and the state of Georgia
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Colquitt
Government
- Mayor	William M. McIntosh
Area
- Total	14.2 sq mi (36.9 km²)
- Land	14.2 sq mi (36.8 km²)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.1 km²)
Elevation	318 ft (97 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	14,387
- Density	1,013.0/sq mi (389.89/km²)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	31768, 31776, 31788
Area code(s)	229
FIPS code	13-53060^[1]
GNIS feature ID	0332427^[2]
Website: http://www.moultriega.com/

Moultrie is the county seat of Colquitt County^[3]. Moultrie is an agricultural community set in the Southern Rivers part of the State of Georgia. It is well known for its antique shops and has been styled "The Antique Capital of South Georgia."^{[citation needed]} In outlying areas of the county, there are vast farmlands and rolling area of both cotton and tobacco crops. Moultrie is also the home of US Senator Saxby Chambliss.

1 Geography
2 History
3 Demographics
4 Economics
5 Education
6 Industry
7 Religion
8 Telecommunications
9 Transportation
10 Historic sites
11 Festivals
12 Points of interest
13 References
14 External links

[edit] Geography

Located in Southwest Georgia, Moultrie is in the center of Colquitt County, 24 miles (39 km) west of Interstate 75 - about 200 miles (300 km) south of Atlanta and 60 miles (100 km) northeast of Tallahassee, Florida. The city is geographically in the middle of Albany to the NW, Tifton to the NE, Thomasville to the SW, and Valdosta to the SE. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.2 square miles (36.9 km²). Moultrie is located at 31°10′13″N, 83°47′1″W (31.170188, -83.783601)^[4].

[edit] History

Colquitt County became the 115th county in Georgia by an act of the Legislature on February 25, 1856. It was named after Walter Terry Colquittt, a minister, statesman and lawyer who was a military leader in the mid 1860's. In 1879, a charter was adopted and 50 acres (0 km²) in the center of the county was declared the county seat. It was named Moultrie, after Gen. William Moultrie, a Revolutionary War hero.

During the American Civil War Colquitt County raised several companies of Confederate troops, particularly Company H, 50th Georgia Volunteer Infantry.

Founders of naval stores started harvesting the timbers in the late 1890s. They set up turpentine stills and built tram roads, allowing for the railroad to come into the territory. The Boston & Albany line, which later became the Georgia Northern Railway, was the first through town, bringing with it growth and prosperity for the County. Practically every train brought new residents interested in supplying naval stores or working in the saw mills.

By 1900, through the work of businessmen, bankers and speculators, the county was becoming a farmer's paradise. Land was cleared and development companies began dividing the forested area into farm tracts. Experienced farmers from north Georgia and the Carolinas were invited to come and develop the land. The county's agriculture industry thrives today.

[edit] Demographics

As of the U.S. Census, 2000, there were 15,123 people, 5,663 households, and 3,505 families residing in the city. However there are large numbers of people living on the edge just outside the city limits, and in small pockets that are surrounded by the city limits. The number of people who live in or very near to the city limits exceeds 20,000. The county population is near 45,000. There were 5,663 households out of which 31.4% had children under 18 living with them, 34.0% were married couples living together, 23.5% were single mothers, 33.9% individuals, and 15.8% were people 65 years or older. Median household income is $28,539, with the per capita income Since 2004 there has been a significant increase in the number of Asians and Hispanics to Moultrie. The 2005 estimated racial makeup of the city is:

[edit] Economics

In 2002, the per capita personal income in Colquitt County was $20,107. This was an increase of 12.5% from 1997. The 2002 figure was 65% of the national per capita income, which was $30,906. As of 2002 the median household income $28,539. Colquitt is heavily agricultural, ranking 10th among Georgia's 159 counties in farm income in 1997 ($486.6 million). Cotton, peanuts and tobacco are staples and the county is a regional leader in livestock production. Two local banks have $345 million in assets, and one branch bank has $265 million.

[edit] Education

[edit] Industry

Industry for the Moultrie area grew considerably when Sanderson Farms opened a processing plant in 2006 that now currently employs over 1,000 workers, over 10 percent of the local workforce.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Religion

The religious affiliations of the people of Moultrie are:

Christian – 98%
- Protestant – 87%
  - Baptist – 55%
  - Methodist – 5%
  - Presbyterian – 5%
  - Congregational – 2%
  - Pentecostal – 5%
  - Other Protestant – 15%
- Episcopal/Anglican – 2%
- Roman Catholic – 10%
- Other Christian – 1%
Other religions – 2%

[edit] Telecommunications

There are several radio and television stations located in the Moultrie area.

Radio
- WOBB-100.3FM Country
- WMGA-1130 AM Spanish
- WMTM-1300 AM Gospel music
- WHBS-1400 AM Religious
- WMTM-93.9 FM Oldies
Television
- WSWG CBS TV
- WFXL Fox TV
- WALB NBC TV
- WTXL ABC TV
- WSWG-DT

[edit] Transportation

Moultrie is serviced by US 319, which connects to Interstate 75 and Interstate 10. State Road 37 and State Road 111 also run through Moultrie. The Chattahoochee and Gulf Railroad, and Greyhound are two transportation services provided in Moultrie. Moultrie also has two small airports, Moultrie Municipal Airport, and Moultrie Regional Industrial Park.