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Bleckley County, Georgia

Coordinates: 32°26′N 83°20′W / 32.44°N 83.33°W / 32.44; -83.33
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Bleckley County
County
Bleckley County Courthouse in Cochran
Bleckley County Courthouse in Cochran
Map of Georgia highlighting Bleckley County
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Map of the United States highlighting Georgia
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 32°26′N 83°20′W / 32.44°N 83.33°W / 32.44; -83.33
Country United States
State Georgia
Founded1912; 112 years ago (1912)
Named forLogan Edwin Bleckley
SeatCochran
Largest cityCochran
Government
 • County CommissionerRobert Brockman
Area
 • Total
219 sq mi (570 km2)
 • Land216 sq mi (560 km2)
 • Water3.3 sq mi (9 km2)  1.5%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
12,583
 • Density58/sq mi (22/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district8th
Websitewww.bleckley.org/index.asp

Bleckley County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,583.[1] The county seat is Cochran.[2]

History

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The county was named for Logan Edwin Bleckley, a soldier and Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia.[3] The state constitutional amendment to create the county was proposed by the Georgia General Assembly on July 30, 1912, and ratified November 5, 1912. Bleckley County was formerly home to Middle Georgia College, the oldest two-year public college in the nation. In 2013 it merged with Macon State College to become Middle Georgia State University.[4]

Bleckley County High School made news in March 2010 for allowing a same-sex couple to attend its senior prom, after another same-sex couple in Mississippi were denied attendance at another senior prom.[5]

Government

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Bleckley County is one of eight remaining counties in Georgia that operates under a sole commissioner form of government, with a single county commissioner acting as the county executive and legislative branches. The current County Commissioner is Mike Davis, the Sheriff is Daniel Cape, the Fire Chief is Brock Wilcher, the Clerk of Superior Court is Dianne C. Brown, the Tax Commissioner is Paige Baggs, and the Probate Judge is Hon. Jonathan Fordham.

Bleckly County's sole commissioner form of government was discussed in Holder v. Hall,[6] decided by the United States Supreme Court on June 30, 1994.

United States presidential election results for Bleckley County, Georgia[7]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 4,329 75.81% 1,312 22.98% 69 1.21%
2016 3,719 74.77% 1,101 22.14% 154 3.10%
2012 3,587 72.91% 1,269 25.79% 64 1.30%
2008 3,657 71.93% 1,380 27.14% 47 0.92%
2004 3,167 70.83% 1,281 28.65% 23 0.51%
2000 2,436 64.98% 1,273 33.96% 40 1.07%
1996 1,632 49.33% 1,365 41.26% 311 9.40%
1992 1,570 39.69% 1,710 43.23% 676 17.09%
1988 1,950 62.14% 1,175 37.44% 13 0.41%
1984 1,912 56.62% 1,465 43.38% 0 0.00%
1980 1,261 36.66% 2,014 58.55% 165 4.80%
1976 972 27.17% 2,605 72.83% 0 0.00%
1972 2,308 85.96% 377 14.04% 0 0.00%
1968 756 20.94% 397 10.99% 2,458 68.07%
1964 2,578 72.50% 978 27.50% 0 0.00%
1960 633 26.55% 1,751 73.45% 0 0.00%
1956 136 8.13% 1,537 91.87% 0 0.00%
1952 187 10.97% 1,517 89.03% 0 0.00%
1948 71 8.47% 536 63.96% 231 27.57%
1944 213 20.72% 815 79.28% 0 0.00%
1940 100 11.26% 785 88.40% 3 0.34%
1936 69 9.58% 649 90.14% 2 0.28%
1932 37 2.69% 1,338 97.24% 1 0.07%
1928 71 9.97% 641 90.03% 0 0.00%
1924 21 5.19% 367 90.62% 17 4.20%
1920 0 0.00% 262 100.00% 0 0.00%
1916 14 3.66% 362 94.76% 6 1.57%

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 219 square miles (570 km2), of which 216 square miles (560 km2) is land and 3.3 square miles (8.5 km2) (1.5%) is water.[8] The county is located in the upper Atlantic coastal plain region of the state.

The eastern quarter of Bleckley County, roughly in a line from west of Danville running southeast, is located in the Lower Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The central quarter of the county, between Cochran and the previous line, is located in the Little Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the same Altamaha River basin. The western half of the county, west of Cochran, is located in the Lower Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the same larger Altamaha River basin.[9]

Major highways

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Adjacent counties

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Communities

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Cities

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Unincorporated communities

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  • Cary
  • Empire
  • Baileys Park
  • Brown Hill
  • Coley Station
  • Five Points
  • Fraizer
  • Goldsboro
  • Paulk
  • Porter
  • Powell
  • Rebie
  • Royal [10]

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
192010,532—
19309,133−13.3%
19409,6555.7%
19509,218−4.5%
19609,6424.6%
197010,2916.7%
198010,7674.6%
199010,430−3.1%
200011,66611.9%
201013,06312.0%
202012,583−3.7%
2023 (est.)12,465[11]−0.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[12]
1790-1880[13]1890-1910[14]
1920-1930[15] 1930-1940[16]
1940-1950[17] 1960-1980[18]
1980-2000[19]2010[20]
Bleckley County racial composition as of 2020[21]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 8,867 70.47%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 2,788 22.16%
Native American 11 0.09%
Asian 153 1.22%
Pacific Islander 8 0.06%
Other/Mixed 287 2.28%
Hispanic or Latino 469 3.73%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 12,583 people, 4,176 households, and 2,727 families residing in the county.

Education

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The only school district in the county is the Bleckley County School District.[22]

Points of interest

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  • Cochran-Bleckley Cotton & Peanut Museum
  • Cochran Motor Speedway
  • Greene Acres Farm
  • Gully Branch Tree Farm
  • Mae Chapel
  • Middle Georgia Equestrian Center
  • Ocmulgee Public Fishing Area
  • Ocmulgee Water Trail
  • Ocmulgee Wildlife Management Area
  • Terry L. Coleman Museum and Archives

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Bleckley County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 20. ISBN 0-915430-00-2. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 17, 2003.
  4. ^ "Middle Georgia State College Now a Reality". mgsc.edu. Archived from the original on February 20, 2013. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  5. ^ "Bleckley school officials allowing gay prom date - Local & State - Macon.com". Archived from the original on March 25, 2010. Retrieved March 24, 2010.
  6. ^ 512 U.S. 874 (1994)
  7. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  8. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  9. ^ "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  10. ^ "Bleckley County GA - Cities, Towns, Neighborhoods, & Subdivisions". georgia.hometownlocator.com.
  11. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  12. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
  13. ^ "1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1880.
  14. ^ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1910.
  15. ^ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1930.
  16. ^ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1940.
  17. ^ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia -" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1950.
  18. ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1980.
  19. ^ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 2000.
  20. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
  21. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  22. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Bleckly County, GA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2024. - Text list
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32°26′N 83°20′W / 32.44°N 83.33°W / 32.44; -83.33

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