Griffin, Georgia

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Griffin, Georgia
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settlement_type = City
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map_caption = Location in Spalding County and the state of Georgia


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Georgia
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Spalding
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area_total_km2 = 37.8
area_land_km2 = 37.6
area_water_km2 = 0.2
area_total_sq_mi = 14.6
area_land_sq_mi = 14.5
area_water_sq_mi = 0.1
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population_as_of = 2000
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population_total = 23451
population_density_km2 = 620.4
population_density_sq_mi = 1606.2
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timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
latd = 33 |latm = 14 |lats = 51 |latNS = N
longd = 84 |longm = 16 |longs = 15 |longEW = W
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 298
elevation_ft = 978
postal_code_type = ZIP codes
postal_code = 30223-30224
area_code = 770
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 13-35324GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0356111GR|3
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Griffin is a city in Spalding County, Georgia, United States. The population was 23,451 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Spalding CountyGR|6. Western legend Doc Holliday who fought with Wyatt Earp at the OK Corral, was born and established his dental practice in Griffin before moving west for health reasons.

Geography

Griffin is located at coor dms|33|14|51|N|84|16|15|W|city (33.247602, -84.270891)GR|1. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.6 square miles (37.8 km²), of which, 14.5 square miles (37.6 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.55%) is water.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 23,451 people, 8,876 households, and 5,955 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,615.0 people per square mile (623.6/km²). There were 9,636 housing units at an average density of 663.6/sq mi (256.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 46.98% White, 49.88% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.99% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.98% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.22% of the population.

There were 8,876 households out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.1% were married couples living together, 24.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.7% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 86.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,088, and the median income for a family was $33,963. Males had a median income of $30,488 versus $21,352 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,563. About 17.7% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.4% of those under age 18 and 16.0% of those age 65 or over.

Citizens of Note

Doc Holliday was born in Griffin.

Hall of Fame offensive tackle Rayfield Wright was born in Griffin.

Thomas Jefferson Byrd III A veteran actor of Screen and Stage. He starred in such movies as Set it off, Ray, He Got Game and countless others. Some of his stage credits include Spunk, Home, The Piano Lesson and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom were in 2006 he returned to the role of Toledo while making his Broadway debut alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Charles Dutton. He also has appeared in numerous T.V shows and made for T.V movies.

Wyomia Tyus, an American athlete, and the first woman to retain the Olympic title in the 100 m was born in Griffin.

Josh Pace - Played guard for Syracuse University during the school's first National Championship in 2003. Currently, he plays professional basketball overseas.

Edward Andrews, star of screen and television was born in Griffin.

Raymond Head First African-American mayor and Civil Rights Leader in Griffin, GA.

Samuel F. Driver, Current US Army Officer and first African-American AH-64 Apache Pilot from Griffin, GA. First African American inducted into Griffin High School Army JROTC Hall of Fame.

Willie Gault (born September 5, 1960) is a former American football wide receiver and Olympic athlete. Gault played in the National Football League for 11 seasons for the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Raiders. He was a member of the Bears team that won Super Bowl XX, and was also a member of the U.S. Olympic team that boycotted the 1980 Olympics.He is currently pursuing a career as an actor.Gault was born in Griffin, Georgia. A star in both football and track at the University of Tennessee, Gault was part of a world record-setting 4 x 100 meter relay team, a 110 meter hurdler who would have gone to the 1980 Summer Olympics if the United States had not boycotted the event and a bobsledder (he made the American Olympic team on one occasion).He was an All-American wide receiver in 1982.

Eve Thomas, has published "Alone in the Iris City", about her experiences growing up in Griffin.

Tim Beckham, first overall pick in the 2008 Major League Baseball draft, was born in Griffin and attended Griffin High School.

Nic Clemons, American football defensive end for the Denver Broncos

Chris Clemons, is an American football defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles. Brother of Nic Clemons.

Jonathan Sullivan, played for the New Orleans Saints and the New England Saints.

Military Service

panish American War

*Griffin raised two batteries of Field Artillery for the Spanish-American War, Batteries A and B, Georgia Volunteer Light Artillery, which was organized as follows:

*Mustered In: 13-15 May 1898 at Griffin, Georgia
*Mustered Out: 17 October 1898 at Griffin, Georgia
*Mustered In: ::Officers: 8 ::Enlisted Men: 246
*Mustered Out: ::Officers: 7 ::Enlisted Men: 308
*Total Number Accounted for on Muster Out Roll: ::Officers: 8 ::Enlisted Men: 333

*One of the Officers resigned before the unit was mustered out. Three of the Enlisted Men transferred to other units, six were discharged for disability, Ten were discharged for various reasons, Two died of disease, and Four deserted.

*Neither unit actually left Griffin.

Source: US ARMY CENTER OF MILITARY HISTORYHISTORICAL RESOURCES BRANCHSPANISH-AMERICAN WAR:VOLUNTEER FORCES

Griffin in fiction

*A book recently published "Alone in the Iris City" by Eve Thomas, tells about her life, growing up in Griffin.
*Griffin has also been featured in several movies, including "Driving Miss Daisy" and "The Fighting Temptations".

References

External links

* [http://www.cityofgriffin.com Official web site]
* [http://www.griffinchamber.com Griffin Spalding Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.mainstreetgriffin.com Historic Downtown Griffin]
* [http://www.griffindirectory.com GriffinDirectory.com] Griffin Georgia Online Community (locally owned)