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Augusta, Georgia

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Revision as of 22:51, 1 August 2007 by Aquatraveller (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) Place in Georgia, United States
City of Augusta
Official seal of City of AugustaSeal
Nickname(s): The Garden City (of the South), Masters City, The AUG, Disgusta
Motto: We feel Good
Location of the consolidated areas of Augusta and Richmond County in the state of Georgia. The area marked in maroon identifies the original city limits pre-1995; the area in red shows the city limits of the consolidated city-county.Location of the consolidated areas of Augusta and Richmond County in the state of Georgia. The area marked in maroon identifies the original city limits pre-1995; the area in red shows the city limits of the consolidated city-county.
CountryUnited States
StateGeorgia
CountyRichmond County
Government
 • MayorDeke Copenhaver
Area
 • City306.5 sq mi (793 km)
 • Land302.1 sq mi (782 km)
 • Water4.3 sq mi (11.3 km)
Elevation420 ft (128 m)
Population
 • City195,769
 • Density648/sq mi (250/km)
 • Metro520,332
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Websitewww.augustaga.gov

Augusta is a city in the state of Georgia in the United States of America. As of 2000, the population was 195,182. In 1996, the governments of the City of Augusta and Richmond County combined to form a single governing body known as Augusta-Richmond County. The consolidated city-county is today simply known as "Augusta, Georgia" and not by the consolidated name. The area that comprises the city limits of Augusta (identified during the 2000 census as "the Augusta-Richmond County balance") includes almost all of Richmond County, except for the towns of Hephzibah and Blythe, which maintain governments separate from that of Augusta.

The city was originally named in honor of Augusta, Princess of Wales, daughter-in-law of King George II of Great Britain and mother of King George III of Great Britain, and was the second state capital of Georgia from 1785 until 1795 (alternating for a period with Savannah, the first). Augusta is located on the Georgia/South Carolina border, about 150 miles east of Atlanta. It is the second largest city and second largest metropolitan area in the state.

The city’s famous golf course, the Augusta National Golf Club, hosts the first major golf tournament of each year, The Masters.The Masters is known for its beautiful course which famous golfers, like Tiger Woods, have been known to play. In addition to golf, Augusta is home to the Augusta Green Jackets a minor league team of the Giants owned by Cal Ripkin.

Augusta is the birthplace of the Southern Baptist denomination, and the location of Springfield Baptist Church, the oldest autonomous African-American Baptist church in the nation. African American history and is also honored at the Lucy Craft Laney museum. Other religious dominations erected churches in downtown Augusta, which are now historical landmarks such as Saint Paul's Church and Sacred Heart Cultural Center.

The region’s three largest employers include the Savannah River Site (a Department of Energy nuclear facility), the U.S. Army Signal Center, Fort Gordon, and the Medical College of Georgia.

Augusta's official nickname is The Garden City. It is also known as Masters City, since it plays host to the Masters golf tournament. In Hip Hop circles, the city is referred to as "The AUG," being spelled out. The city recently adopted the motto, "We Feel Good", in recognition of native son and soul music legend James Brown. The city also dedicated a statue to James Brown, which is located downtown at the Augusta Commons. President Woodrow Wilson also called Augusta home from 1860-1870 when his father was a minister at First Presbyterian Church. These formative years of his childhood shaped his presidency as he had experienced the hardships of the Civil War and Reconstruction. President Woodrow Wilson's home is open for tours. Another notable Augustan is George Walton, the youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence. His home is also open for tour like President Wilson's.

Augusta also has a well established art community. Gertrude Herbert Institution of Art, Morris Museum of Art, Artist's Row, and the Art Council are just a few in the art community. The Augusta Symphony, Augusta Players, and the Augusta Ballet also perform for audiences. The Imperial Theatre is a historic venue where James Brown used to practice and where the Augusta Ballet has held past performances.

The Savannah River is a crucial part of Augusta's founding and history. Visitors can walk along the Savannah River on the Augusta Riverwalk in downtown. The Augusta Marina rents boats for a fun day on the river. Now, tourists can ride along the Augusta Canal, which was built in 1845 as a power source, in a Petersburg boat.

If you are interested in moving to Augusta please contact the Augusta Chamber of Commerce. If you are interested in visiting Augusta or planning a meeting, reunion, or convention please contact the Augusta Convention and Visitors Bureau .

Geography

Topography

Augusta is located at 33°28′12″N 81°58′30″W / 33.47000°N 81.97500°W / 33.47000; -81.97500Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (33.470, -81.975)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Augusta-Richmond County balance has a total area of 793.8 km² (306.5 mi²). 782.5 km² (302.1 mi²) of it is land and 11.3 km² (4.3 mi²) of it (1.42%) is water.

Augusta is located about halfway up the Savannah River on the fall line, providing a number of small falls on the Savannah River. The city itself marks the end of a navigable waterway for the river. The Clarks Hill Dam is also built on the fall line near Augusta, forming Lake Strom Thurmond, also known as Clarks Hill Lake. Further downstream, near the border of Columbia County, is the Stevens Creek Dam, which separates the Savannah River from the Augusta Canal.

Climate

According to Köppen classification, Augusta has a humid subtropical climate. The city experiences mild winters and a humid summer. The average high temperature for the summer months is 90.6 °F, the average low temperature is 67.8 °F. The average high temperature for the winter months is 58.9 °F, the average low temperature is 34.4 °F.

Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Rec High °F 82 86 89 96 99 105 107 108 101 97 90 82
Norm High °F 56.5 61.3 69.2 76.7 83.9 89.6 92 90.2 85.3 76.5 67.8 59.1
Norm Low °F 33.1 35.5 42.5 48.1 57.2 65.4 69.6 68.4 62.4 49.6 40.9 34.7
Rec Low °F -1 9 12 26 35 47 55 52 36 22 15 5
Precip (in) 4.5 4.11 4.61 2.94 3.07 4.19 4.07 4.48 3.59 3.2 2.68 3.14
Source: USTravelWeather.com

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 195,182 people, 72,307 households, and 48,228 families residing in the balance. The population density was 249.4/km² (646.0/mi²). There were 80,481 housing units at an average density of 102.8/km² (266.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the balance was 44.91% White, 50.37% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 1.52% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 1.02% from other races, and 1.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.79% of the population.

There were 72,307 households out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples living together, 20.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the balance the population was spread out with 26.8% under the age of 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.

The median income for a household in the balance was $32,972, and the median income for a family was $38,431. Males had a median income of $29,663 versus $22,764 for females. The per capita income for the balance was $17,117. About 16.3% of families and 19.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.4% of those under age 18 and 14.0% of those age 65 or over.

Founding

Augusta was first used by Native Americans as a place to cross the Savannah River, because of Augusta's location on the fall line.

In 1735, two years after James Oglethorpe founded Savannah, he sent a detachment of troops on a journey up the Savannah River. He gave them an order to build at the head of the navigable part of the river. The job fell into the hands of Nobel Jones, who created the settlement to provide a first line of defense against the Spanish and the French. Oglethorpe then named the town Augusta, in honor of Princess Augusta, wife of Frederick, Prince of Wales.

The town was laid out on the flat slopes of the Savannah River, just east of the sand hills that would come to be known as "Summerville". The townspeople got along peacefully most of the time with the surrounding tribes of Creek and Cherokee Indians.

In 1739, construction began on a road to connect Augusta to Savannah. This made it possible for people to reach Augusta by horse, rather than by boat, and more people began to migrate inland to Augusta. Later, in 1750, Augusta's first church, St. Paul's, was built near Fort Augusta. It became the leader of the local parish.

Under Georgia's new constitution, a new political structure was laid out in 1777, and Augusta's parish government would be replaced by a new county government, Richmond County, which was named after the Duke of Richmond.

The American Revolution and the 1800s

During the American Revolution, Savannah fell to the British. This left Augusta as the new state capital and a new prime target of the British. By January 31, 1779, Augusta was captured by Lt. Col. Archibald Campbell. But Campbell soon withdrew, as American troops were gathering on the opposite shore of the Savannah River. Augusta again became the state capital, but not for long. Augusta fell into British hands once more before the end of the war.

From then until the American Civil War, with the establishment of the Augusta Canal, Augusta became a leader in the production of textiles, gunpowder, and paper. The Georgia Railroad was built by local contractors Fannin, Grant & Co in 1845 giving Augusta a rail link to Atlanta, which connected to the Tennessee River at Chattanooga, Tennessee, thus providing access to the Mississippi River. The cost-savings of this link from the middle of the country to the Atlantic Ocean via the Savannah River increased trade considerably. Augusta had a population of 12,493 by 1860, being one of 102 U.S. cities at the time to have a population of over 10,000, and making it the second largest city in Georgia.

From the Civil War to World War II

Originally, Augustans welcomed the idea of the Civil War. The new Confederate Powderworks were the only permanent structures constructed and completed by the Confederacy. Over 2000 Augustans went away to fight in the war, but war did not set into the minds of Augustans until the summer of 1863. It was in that year that thousands of refugees from areas threatened by invasion came crowding into Augusta, leading to shortages in housing and provisions. Next came the threatening nearness of General Sherman's advancing army, causing panic in the streets of the once-quiet town. However, the city was never burned to the ground.

In 1828, the Georgia General Assembly granted a formal charter for the Medical Academy of Georgia, and the school began training physicians in two borrowed rooms of the City Hospital. By 1873, an affiliation was made with the University of Georgia, and the school became the Medical Department of the University. The school would become the Medical College of Georgia in 1956. In 1914, University Hospital was founded near the Medical College, forming the anchor of a heavily developed medical sector in the city.

Unlike most Southern cities, Postbellum life for Augusta was very prosperous. By the beginning of the 20th century, Augusta had become one of the largest inland cotton markets in the world. A new military cantonment, named Camp Hancock, opened nearby during World War I.

Prior to World War II, the U.S. Army constructed a new fort near Richmond County, Camp Gordon, which was finished a few days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Many new soldiers were brought to this camp to train to go off to war. Within the few months after WWII, many of the GIs at Camp Gordon had been sent back home, and the importance of the army in the community seemed to almost come to an end.

Augusta's golden age

File:Broadstreet.jpg
Broad Street, downtown Augusta during the 1950s

In 1948, new life came to the city when the U.S. Army moved the Signal Training Center and Military Police School to Camp Gordon. Later, in November 1948, the Clarks Hill Reservoir was created by a newly constructed dam, which provided the city with a supply of hydroelectric power. In 1950, plans were announced to build the Savannah River Plant nearby, which would boost the city's population about 50,000. Augusta moved into the second half of the twentieth century on the threshold of becoming an urban industrial center in the South.

The American Civil Rights Movement touched Augusta as it did the rest of the United States. In 1961, soul musician Ray Charles canceled a scheduled performance at the Bell Auditorium when he learned that the black attendees would be segregated from the whites and forced to sit in the balcony. A few days after the Kent State shootings and Jackson State killings in May 1970, six African-American students were shot in the back for looting by police for civil rights demonstrations. Racial tensions flared into a full blown riot with many buildings being set on fire.

Beginning in the late 1970s, businesses started leaving downtown Augusta for suburban shopping malls. That started a trend of urban abandonment and decay. To counter this trend, city politicians and business leaders promoted revitalizing Augusta's hidden riverfront (obscured by a levee) into a beautiful Riverwalk with parks, an amphitheater, hotels, museums, and art galleries. The first segment of The Riverwalk was opened in the late 1980s and later expanded in the early 1990s. However, the renaissance of the riverfront did not appear to be spilling over into Augusta's main street, Broad Street, as more businesses were leaving and more storefronts boarded up.

In 1995, members of the art community and downtown boosters started a monthly event called First Friday. It was a night festival whose aim was to bring crowds back to downtown. It featured local bands, street performers, and art galleries opened late. Since 1995, more businesses have returned to downtown, including many new restaurants and bars. A block of upper Broad Street has been named Artists Row and is home to several locally owned art galleries. First Friday still continues today in addition to many revitalization efforts to downtown. Enterprise Mill was recently renovated to include business offices and apartments. New condos are in the process of being built downtown. Businesses have come back downtown, which has helped make downtown more prosperous.

The Augusta Museum of History highlights Augusta's history and famous natives. Historic Augusta has helped preserve architecturally important sites throughout the city.

Government

See also: List of mayors of Augusta, Georgia
File:Dekemayor.jpg
Mayor Deke Copenhaver

In 1996, the City of Augusta and Richmond County consolidated to form one government - Augusta-Richmond County. The consolidated government consists of a mayor and 10 Augusta-Richmond County commissioners. Eight commissioners represent specific districts, while the other two represent super districts comprised of the other eight.

As of 2004, the Augusta-Richmond County government employs around 2,600 people. Some current holders of office are as follows:

  • Mayor: David S. "Deke" Copenhaver
  • Commissioners
    • District 1: Betty Beard (Mayor Pro-Tem)
    • District 2: Marion F. Williams
    • District 3: Joe Bowles
    • District 4: Bernard E. Harper
    • District 5: Calvin Holland Sr.
    • District 6: Andy Cheek
    • District 7: Jerry Brigham
    • District 8: Jimmy Smith
    • District 9: J.R. Hatney
    • District 10: Don A. Grantham
  • Sheriff: Ronald Strength
  • Coroner: Grover Tuten

Politics in Augusta often tend to be racially based, and several former holders of office have been the centers of controversy. An Augusta State Senator, Charles Walker (D), was convicted on numerous federal felony charges in 2005 and was removed from his position. Around the same time, former Augusta State Representative Robin Williams (R) was also convicted on federal fraud charges. Linda Schrenko, a former Georgia State School Superintendent who is from nearby Columbia County, recently plead guilty to numerous federal corruption charges for embezzling state education money and funneling it to her unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign and for plastic surgery. She received an eight-year prison sentence for her crimes. A former mayor, Ed McIntyre, was convicted of bribery and extortion charges in the mid 1980s regarding the sale of city-owned riverfront real estate. Augusta and Richmond County also have a long history of political machines such as The Crackers, which had a monopoly on local politics for much of the first half of the 20th century. The Southside Mafia was a political machine that dominated county government for much of the latter half of the 20th century prior to consolidation in 1996.

Metropolitan area

Augusta is the largest city within a four-county metropolitan area that straddles the states of Georgia and South Carolina and is known as The Augusta-Aiken metropolitan statistical area. The metropolitan area includes Augusta-Richmond County and Columbia County in Georgia and Aiken and Edgefield counties in South Carolina. The US Census bureau estimates as of 2005 that the metropolitan area has 520,332 residents.

Augusta is also the primary city within the CSRA Regional Development Center. The CSRA (Central Savannah River Area) is composed of 14 counties and 41 cities all within East Central Georgia. The CSRA is not a metropolitan statistical area, but rather a state economic partnership entity that offers member counties and cities assistance in planning, economic development, business lending, information technology, and government services.

Education

Colleges and Universities

Augusta is home to four institutions of higher learning, two public universities, one technical college, and one private institution.

Public Schools

The city of Augusta is served by the Richmond County Board of Education with 8 high schools 10 middle school, 36 elementary schools, 4 magnet schools, and 3 other schools.

Sports

Teams

Augusta is home to three professional minor league athletic teams. The Augusta Greenjackets are the city’s oldest sporting club, which began play in 1988 as the Augusta Pirates. After the Augusta Pirates, the team was owned by the Red Sox and now by the Giants. In 1998, the ECHL Raleigh IceCaps relocated to Augusta and were renamed the Augusta Lynx. The city hosted an AF2 arena football team, the Augusta Stallions, from 2000 to 2002. Arena Football was brought back to the city in 2006 when the Augusta Spartans began play in the World Indoor Football League. In 2007 the Augusta Spartans were named the 2007 World Indoor Football Champions. Augusta formerly hosted a soccer club, the Augusta FireBall. The club folded after two seasons of play.

Club Sport League Venue
Augusta GreenJackets Baseball South Atlantic League Lake Olmstead Stadium
Augusta Lynx Ice Hockey ECHL James Brown Arena
Augusta Spartans Arena Football World Indoor Football League James Brown Arena

Tournaments

Augusta is most renowned for being the host city of The Masters, a professional golf tournament sanctioned by the Professional Golfers' Association. The golf tournament is one of the most prestigious in the sport and is part of the PGA’s Grand Slam. In addition to The Masters, the city is also a hotbed for disc golf. The Augusta Top Gun Series is a series of tournaments sanctioned by the Professional Disc Golf Association. These tournaments are held at various venues in Augusta, including Pendleton King Park and Lake Olmstead.

Major attractions

Contact the for Visitor Information.

The supposed Haunted Pillar on Broad Street

Sister cities

Miscellaneous

This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. Please relocate any relevant information into other sections or articles. (June 2007)
File:Augustamarina.jpg
Augusta riverfront marina and downtown skyline

Transportation

Augusta is also served by city bus line Augusta Public Transit (APT) and a number of taxi services, but the main mode of transportation is by car. There is no major interstate that runs through the city of Augusta. Interstate 20 runs to the north of the city and Interstate 520 runs around the city. Two new interstate connections are proposed, including one to run through downtown.

Augusta is served by 2 airports. Augusta Regional Airport is the main airport in the city's south side. Daniel Field is a private airport off Wrightsboro Road outside of Valley Park. The airport is mainly used by golfers and patrons of the Masters Tournament in April.

Notable residents


Television

Newspapers

See also

References

  • ^ Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963.

    • External links

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