Webster County is a county located in the west central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census reflected a population of 2,348,[1] making it the third-least populous county in Georgia. The county seat is Preston.[2]
Webster County | |
|---|---|
 County courthouse in Preston | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Georgia | |
 Georgia's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 32°03′N 84°33′W / 32.05°N 84.55°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Georgia |
| Founded | December 16, 1853 |
| Named for | Daniel Webster |
| Seat | Preston |
| Largest community | Preston |
| Area | |
| • Total | 210 sq mi (500 km2) |
| • Land | 209 sq mi (540 km2) |
| • Water | 1.1 sq mi (3 km2) 0.5% |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 2,348 |
| • Density | 11/sq mi (4/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | www |
History
editWebster County was created by an act of the Georgia General Assembly on December 16, 1853, as Kinchafoonee County.[3] A subsequent legislative act on February 21, 1856, changed the name to Webster.[3] The land for the county came from eastern portions of Stewart County.[4]
The county is named for Daniel Webster, U.S. representative of New Hampshire and U.S. representative and U.S. senator of Massachusetts.[5] Webster County's original name of Kinchafoonee came from the Kinchafoonee Creek which runs through the county.[3]
Geography
editAccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 210 square miles (540 km2), of which 209 square miles (540 km2) is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2) (0.5%) is water.[6]
The majority of Webster County, bordered to the southwest by State Route 520, is located in the Kinchafoonee-Muckalee sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). The southwestern corner of the county is located in the Ichawaynochaway Creek sub-basin of the same ACF River Basin. A tiny edge of the southwestern border, just south of State Route 520, is located in the Middle Chattahoochee River-Walter F. George Lake sub-basin of the same ACF River Basin.[7]
Major highways
edit
Adjacent counties
edit- Marion County – north
- Sumter County – east
- Terrell County – south
- Randolph County – southwest
- Stewart County – west
Communities
editNone of these places are incorporated, instead Webster county acts as a unified county. Preston is the county seat, despite being unincorporated.
Demographics
edit| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 5,030 | — | |
| 1870 | 4,677 | −7.0% | |
| 1880 | 5,237 | 12.0% | |
| 1890 | 5,695 | 8.7% | |
| 1900 | 6,618 | 16.2% | |
| 1910 | 6,151 | −7.1% | |
| 1920 | 5,342 | −13.2% | |
| 1930 | 5,032 | −5.8% | |
| 1940 | 4,726 | −6.1% | |
| 1950 | 4,081 | −13.6% | |
| 1960 | 3,247 | −20.4% | |
| 1970 | 2,362 | −27.3% | |
| 1980 | 2,341 | −0.9% | |
| 1990 | 2,263 | −3.3% | |
| 2000 | 2,390 | 5.6% | |
| 2010 | 2,799 | 17.1% | |
| 2020 | 2,348 | −16.1% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 2,337 | [8] | −0.5% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1790-1880[10] 1890-1910[11] 1920-1930[12] 1930-1940[13] 1940-1950[14] 1960-1980[15] 1980-2000[16] 2010[17] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1,136 | 48.38% |
| Black or African American | 1,063 | 45.27% |
| Asian | 12 | 0.51% |
| Pacific Islander | 6 | 0.26% |
| Other/Mixed | 72 | 3.07% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 59 | 2.51% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,348 people, 1,140 households, and 724 families residing in the county.
Education
editWebster County School District operates public schools.
Politics
editWebster County was reliably Democratic throughout the 20th century. However, the margins tightened in the 2000 election and in 2004, Democrat John Kerry only won this county very narrowly as George Bush won Georgia's electoral votes easily. Webster County is the only county in Georgia that flipped to John McCain's column in 2008 after voting for Kerry in 2004.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 748 | 53.77% | 640 | 46.01% | 3 | 0.22% |
| 2016 | 630 | 56.45% | 473 | 42.38% | 13 | 1.16% |
| 2012 | 601 | 50.59% | 582 | 48.99% | 5 | 0.42% |
| 2008 | 588 | 52.93% | 515 | 46.35% | 8 | 0.72% |
| 2004 | 485 | 48.12% | 515 | 51.09% | 8 | 0.79% |
| 2000 | 359 | 39.49% | 541 | 59.52% | 9 | 0.99% |
| 1996 | 235 | 28.55% | 529 | 64.28% | 59 | 7.17% |
| 1992 | 208 | 22.83% | 600 | 65.86% | 103 | 11.31% |
| 1988 | 361 | 45.70% | 427 | 54.05% | 2 | 0.25% |
| 1984 | 402 | 42.95% | 534 | 57.05% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 312 | 33.19% | 608 | 64.68% | 20 | 2.13% |
| 1976 | 165 | 20.97% | 622 | 79.03% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1972 | 483 | 81.73% | 108 | 18.27% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 72 | 10.10% | 147 | 20.62% | 494 | 69.28% |
| 1964 | 457 | 76.04% | 144 | 23.96% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 77 | 20.59% | 297 | 79.41% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 51 | 14.74% | 295 | 85.26% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 138 | 29.18% | 335 | 70.82% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 79 | 25.16% | 118 | 37.58% | 117 | 37.26% |
| 1944 | 65 | 18.62% | 284 | 81.38% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 50 | 15.15% | 280 | 84.85% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 40 | 11.40% | 310 | 88.32% | 1 | 0.28% |
| 1932 | 5 | 2.08% | 235 | 97.92% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1928 | 61 | 25.96% | 174 | 74.04% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 10 | 6.25% | 140 | 87.50% | 10 | 6.25% |
| 1920 | 24 | 11.48% | 185 | 88.52% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1916 | 15 | 5.30% | 248 | 87.63% | 20 | 7.07% |
| 1912 | 2 | 1.41% | 139 | 97.89% | 1 | 0.70% |
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Webster County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ a b c Weston Woman's Club: History of Webster County, Georgia, W. H. Wolfe Associates, Roswell, Ga., 1980, pp. 16-19.
- ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 249. ISBN 0-915430-00-2. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 27, 2003.
- ^ Hellmann, Paul T. (May 13, 2013). Historical Gazetteer of the United States. Routledge. p. 242. ISBN 978-1135948597. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
- ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
- ^ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1910.
- ^ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930.
- ^ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1940.
- ^ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia -" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1950.
- ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
- ^ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000.
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
External links
edit- Consolidated Government of Webster County Including the City of Preston, Weston, and Webster County
- Webster County Board of Education a School system serving the City of Preston and Weston
- Webster County Sheriff's Department is the primary law enforcement agency for the entire county, and is an integral part of the county's system of justice.
- GeorgiaInfo Webster County Courthouse history
- County's Official Site
- Webster County in the New Georgia Encyclopedia.