Douglas, Georgia

City of Douglas, Georgia
—  City  —
Motto: Working Together to Serve You Better
Location in Coffee County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 31°30′27″N 82°51′3″W / 31.5075°N 82.85083°W / 31.5075; -82.85083Coordinates: 31°30′27″N 82°51′3″W / 31.5075°N 82.85083°W / 31.5075; -82.85083
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Coffee
Government
- City Mayor	Jackie Wilson
- City Manager	Terrel Jacobs
Area
- Total	12.9 sq mi (33.5 km2)
- Land	12.9 sq mi (33.4 km2)
- Water	0.1 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation	253 ft (77 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	10,639
- Density	825.7/sq mi (318.9/km2)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	31533-31535
Area code(s)	912
FIPS code	13-23872[1]
GNIS feature ID	0313591[2]
Website	http://www.cityofdouglas.com/

Douglas is a city in Coffee County, Georgia, United States. The population was 10,639 at the 2000 census and 11,413 as of estimates conducted by the United States Census Bureau for a 12-month period ending 1 July 2008.^[3] Douglas is the county seat of Coffee County^[4] and the core city of the Douglas, Georgia Micropolitan Statistical Area which has a population of 48,708 as of the 2008 census estimates.^[5]

History

Douglas was established in 1858 on 50 acres (200,000 m²) of land donated by J.S. Pearson at the confluence of Twenty Mile Creek and Seventeen Mile Creek. It was named for Senator Stephen A. Douglas, a renowned stump speaker and Congressman who was the presidential challenger to Abraham Lincoln in the Election of 1860. Douglas was chartered as a town in 1895 and as a city in 1897. In 1895, the railroad came to Douglas and the community began to boom.^[6] In 1909, the Georgia and Florida Railway located its offices in Douglas. The Eleventh District Agricultural & Mechanical School was established in Douglas in 1906. In 1927, South Georgia College became Georgia's first state supported junior college. During the 1920s and 1930s, Douglas became one of the major tobacco markets in the state. Much of this history is depicted in the Heritage Station Museum, which is located in the old Georgia and Florida Railway train station on Ward Street in downtown Douglas.

Douglas has two areas listed on the National Register of Historic Places: downtown and Gaskin Avenue historic districts. They were added to the list in 1989.^[7]

Geography

Douglas is located at 31°30′27″N 82°51′3″W / 31.5075°N 82.85083°W / 31.5075; -82.85083 (31.507413, -82.850799)^[8]. Douglas is 62 miles (100 km) driving distance NE of Valdosta, Georgia, 116 miles (187 km) driving distance NW of Jacksonville, Florida, and 205 miles (330 km) driving distance SE of Atlanta, Georgia.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.9 square miles (33 km²), of which, 12.9 square miles (33 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) of it (0.46%) is water. Major water bodies include Twenty Mile Creek, Seventeen Mile Creek, and Hilliard's Pond, which was once the ski show park "Holiday Beach."

Demographics

Location of the Douglas Micropolitan Statistical Area in Georgia

Douglas is the principal city of the Douglas Micropolitan Statistical Area, a micropolitan area that covers Atkinson and Coffee counties^[9] and had a combined population of 45,022 at the 2000 census.^[1]

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 10,639 people, 3,977 households, and 2,656 families residing in the city. The population density was 825.7 people per square mile (318.9/km²). There were 4,692 housing units at an average density of 364.2 per square mile (140.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 48.41% White, 45.33% African American, 0.27% Native American, 1.09% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.80% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.92% of the population.

There were 3,977 households out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were married couples living together, 21.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 83.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,946, and the median income for a family was $36,349. Males had a median income of $26,551 versus $20,145 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,652. About 17.9% of families and 24.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.2% of those under age 18 and 22.0% of those age 65 or over.

Infrastructure

Highways

• U.S. Route 221 (runs north-south)
• U.S. Route 441 (runs north-south)
• Georgia State Route 31 (runs north-south)
• Georgia State Route 32 (runs east-west)
• Georgia State Route 135 (runs north-south)
• Georgia State Route 158 (runs east-west)
• Georgia State Route 206 (runs east-west)

Airport

Douglas Municipal Airport

Utilities

• The Electric Department, locally-owned and a member of Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia, services Douglas with power.^[10]
• The Natural Gas Department, member of both Georgia & American Public Gas Association and the Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia, provides gas to the area.^[11]
• Water and sewer service is conducted by the city's Water Department.^[12]
• The Public Works Department handles yard clippings, junk items, and animal control for the city.^[13]

Economy

Major employers

Wal-Mart is the biggest employer in the area, with a retail store in Douglas and a distribution center which employs over 1,600 people. The distribution center was built in 1987 using $10 million in government funding. American Insulated Wire Fleetwood Mobile Homes Corporation PCC Airfoils Pilgrim's Pride Agriculture Farming plays a large role in the area's economy. Major agricultural products from the town and surrounding county include peanuts, corn, tobacco, and cotton. Chicken is also considered a major part of the economy. [1] In February 2009, It was announced that Pilgrim's Pride, a chicken processing plant employing 900 workers, would shut down. [2] This led to a significant economic downturn in the town, causing more businesses to close. [3] In 2010, it was announced that Pilgrim’s Pride expects to be in operation by January of next year and in full production by the summer of 2011, according to a press release from the Governor’s Office. Tourism Douglas is home to Heritage Station Museum which displays artifacts of the city's history. The WWII Aviation Museum, Broxton Rocks, and the Ashley-Slater House are also popular tourist attractions in the area. All three were recently named among "Georgia's Hidden Treasures" in a segment on WSB-TV. Douglas has ten public parks that offer year-round activities for all ages and interest groups. Also, there are four golf courses in and around the city. Nearby, the 1,490 acres (6.0 km2) General Coffee State Park draws more than 100,000 visitors a year and is the most popular tourist attraction in the area. Healthcare Coffee Regional Medical Center Coffee Regional Walk-In Clinic Media Dixie Country 106.7 (WOKA) WULS Radio 103.7 FM WDMG Radio 97.9 FM 860 AM WPNG Radio Shine 101.9 The Douglas News The Douglas Enterprise Education Coffee County School District The Douglas-Coffee County area is serviced by the Coffee County Board of Education. The Coffee County School District holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, that consists of nine elementary schools, a middle school, and two high schools.[14] The district has 438 full-time teachers and over 8,000 students.[15] Pre-K Center Ambrose Elementary School Broxton Mary-Hayes Elementary School Eastside Elementary School Indian Creek Elementary School Nicholls Elementary School Satilla Elementary School West Green Elementary School Westside Elementary School Coffee Middle School George Washington Carver Freshman Campus Coffee High School Private schools Citizens Christian Academy and Faith Christian Academy are both K-12. First United Methodist Church provides Pre-Kindergarten First Baptist Church provides Pre-Kindergarten Higher Education South Georgia College is a public two-year institution of the University System of Georgia. Adjoining SGC, is a satellite campus of Wiregrass Georgia Technical College, which has four campuses: Ben Hill-Irwin Campus, Coffee County Campus, Cook County Workforce Development Center, and the Valdosta Campus. Two extended campuses include the Wilcox Learning Center in Rochelle and a Moody Air Force Base location in Valdosta. Notable residents and natives Jennifer Nettles, one-half of the country music duo Sugarland, is a native of Douglas. Maureen Tucker, drummer and occasional singer of Sixties and Seventies rock group The Velvet Underground lives in Douglas. Greg Walker, former first baseman and current hitting coach for the 2005 World Champion Chicago White Sox, is a native of Douglas. Dr. Wayne Clough, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and former president of Georgia Institute of Technology (1994–2008), spent his early years in Douglas. His father served as mayor. James Brown, singer, lived here for a short time while working at a local saw mill. Bobby Bowden, Former FSU football coach, first head coaching job was with the football team at South Georgia College. Greg Holland, country singer Matt Childers, MLB player for the Milwaukee Brewers and Atlanta Braves. References ^ a b c "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.  ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.  ^ Table 4: Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Georgia, Listed Alphabetically: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008 U.S. Census Bureau, 2009. Retrieved 01 July 2009. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07.  ^ Table 1. Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008, U.S. Census Bureau, 2009. Retrieved 01 July 2009. ^ City of Douglas - A Georgia City of Excellence. Retrieved 13 May 2008. ^ georgia.gov - City of Douglas. Retrieved 14 March 2008. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.  ^ MICROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS AND COMPONENTS, Office of Management and Budget, 2007-05-11. Accessed 2008-07-27. ^ Public Utilities - Electric, City of Douglas - A Georgia City of Excellence. Copyright 2002-7. Retrieved 17 February 2009. ^ Public Utilities - Natural Gas, City of Douglas - A Georgia City of Excellence. Copyright 2002-7. Retrieved 17 February 2009. ^ Public Utilities - Water Department, City of Douglas - A Georgia City of Excellence. Copyright 2002-7. Retrieved 17 February 2009. ^ Public Utilities - Public Works Department, City of Douglas - A Georgia City of Excellence. Copyright 2002-7. Retrieved 17 February 2009. ^ Georgia Board of Education, Retrieved June 4, 2010. ^ School Stats, Retrieved June 4, 2010. External links City of Douglas - A Georgia City of Excellence Douglas-Coffee County Chamber of Commerce georgia.gov - City of Douglas Mainstreet Douglas The Douglas News