LaGrange, Georgia | |
|---|---|
City andcounty seat | |
 Courthouse square in LaGrange | |
 Flag  Logo | |
 Location inTroup County andGeorgia | |
| Coordinates:33°2′12″N85°01′55″W / 33.03667°N 85.03194°W /33.03667; -85.03194 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Troup |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Jim Arrington |
| Area | |
• Total | 42.98 sq mi (111.31 km2) |
| • Land | 42.14 sq mi (109.15 km2) |
| • Water | 0.83 sq mi (2.16 km2) |
| Elevation | 781 ft (238 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 30,858 |
| • Density | 732.2/sq mi (282.71/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 30240, 30241, 30261 |
| Area code | 706 |
| FIPS code | 13-44340[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0316522[3] |
| Website | lagrangega.gov |
LaGrange is acity in and thecounty seat ofTroup County, Georgia, United States. The population of the city was estimated to be 30,858 in 2020 by the U.S. Census Bureau.[4][5] It is the principal city of the LaGrange, GeorgiaMicropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in theAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Gainesville,Georgia-Alabama (part)combined statistical area. It is about 60 miles (97 km) southwest of Atlanta and located in the foothills of the GeorgianPiedmont.[6]
LaGrange is home toLaGrange College, the oldest private college in the state. Started as a girls' academy, it has been affiliated since the late 19th century with the Methodist Church, and what is now the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church. The city's proximity toWest Point Lake, a few miles to the west, helps attract bass fishermen and water sports enthusiasts to the city.[7]
TheTroup County Courthouse, Annex, and Jail, built in 1939, is one of LaGrange's properties that is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.
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LaGrange is named after the country estate nearParis of the wife of theMarquis de La Fayette. When La Fayette, a Revolutionary War hero, visited Georgia in 1825 on a national tour, he remarked on the similarity of local topography to his wife's property.[6]
The European-American settlement of LaGrange began in the early 19th century, soon after the territory was ceded to the United States by theCreek Indians and the territorial legislature establishedTroup County. The city was incorporated in December 1828.[6] The area was developed for cotton plantations, and planters migrating from the eastern areas of the South brought along or bought enslaved African Americans in the domestic slave trade to use as laborers.
By 1860 Troup County had become the fourth-wealthiest county in Georgia, based on cotton as a commodity crop. It was the fifth-largest slaveholding county in the state.[6] As the county seat, LaGrange was a center of trade for this prosperous area, and wealthy planters built more than 100 significant homes in the city.
During theAmerican Civil War, LaGrange was defended by a volunteer women's auxiliary group known as theNancy Harts or Nancy Hart Rifles, named afterNancy Hart. After defeating the Confederates in nearbyWest Point, Georgia, ColonelOscar H. La Grange led hisUnion troops to the county seat of LaGrange. He placedConfederate prisoners near the front of the column. The Nancy Harts negotiated a surrender with the colonel.
Although local assets were burned and looted by Union troops, Colonel La Grange spared the private homes of LaGrange, includingBellevue, the home of former US Senator and then Confederate senatorBenjamin Harvey Hill, a slave owner. La Grange may have been returning positive treatment which he had earlier received while in captivity. He had been given medical care by Confederates and was attended by a niece of Senator Hill. After recovery, Col. La Grange was exchanged for a Confederate prisoner, and he returned to battle duty.
To show their gratitude for his sparing their homes, one of the Nancy Harts hosted a dinner for Col. La Grange. He paroled some local prisoners so they could attend. Many women of the town cooked all night to provide the meal. The next morning the U.S. troops marched out, taking various men of the town asprisoners of war. They were soon released, when it was learned thatRobert E. Lee had surrendered at Appomattox.
In the late 19th century, LaGrange developed as a railroad center and as an industrial center. Textile mills were developed here and elsewhere in the upland region. Initially they employed only white workers. They increased in regional, state and national economic importance into the mid-20th century.
Gradually in the late 20th century, much textile manufacturing moved offshore, out of the United States.
The city has transitioned to a mixed economy with some new industries.Interstates 85 and185 pass through LaGrange, which is a transportation hub in the area. The city has industrial and commercial access, and aWal-Mart Distribution Center was developed here.
Interface, the world's leading manufacturer of carpet tile,[8] was founded in LaGrange in 1973. It has its largest manufacturing center here. LaGrange is also home to a plant forWeiler Forestry.
The city of LaGrange is a full-service utility provider for the region, including electricity, natural gas, water, sewer, refuse collection, and telecommunication. In 2000 the city was named "Intelligent Community of the Year" by the Intelligent Community Forum, joining other cities such as New York, Singapore, Seoul, Glasgow and Toronto.[9] Since 2000 the city has provided free Internet service to every household. It also has been ranked as a Georgia City of Excellence, and received a Government Technology Leadership Award.[6]
LaGrange was in the news in late January 2017 for the public apology of its police chief and mayor for the city's failure in 1940 to protectAustin Callaway, a 16-year-old African-American resident, from beinglynched.[10] The police did not report nor investigate his murder very thoroughly.[10][11]
On November 8, 2021, it was announced thatUpstate New York-based firearms manufacturer,Remington Arms, would be moving their global headquarters fromIlion, New York to La Grange, and would be hiring 865 people over the span of five years. Construction is expected to cost $100 million.[12]
The southern half of the city was heavily damaged by an EF2 tornado onJanuary 12, 2023. The tornado injured four people along its path as well.[13]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the city has an area of 112.8 mi (181.5 km), of which 111.4 mi (179.3 km) is land and 1.4 mi (2.3 km) is water.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 1,523 | — | |
| 1870 | 2,053 | — | |
| 1880 | 2,295 | 11.8% | |
| 1890 | 3,090 | 34.6% | |
| 1900 | 4,274 | 38.3% | |
| 1910 | 5,587 | 30.7% | |
| 1920 | 17,038 | 205.0% | |
| 1930 | 20,131 | 18.2% | |
| 1940 | 21,983 | 9.2% | |
| 1950 | 25,025 | 13.8% | |
| 1960 | 23,632 | −5.6% | |
| 1970 | 23,301 | −1.4% | |
| 1980 | 24,204 | 3.9% | |
| 1990 | 25,597 | 5.8% | |
| 2000 | 25,998 | 1.6% | |
| 2010 | 29,588 | 13.8% | |
| 2020 | 30,858 | 4.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[14] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 11,040 | 35.78% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 15,655 | 50.73% |
| Native American | 49 | 0.16% |
| Asian | 1,188 | 3.85% |
| Pacific Islander | 15 | 0.05% |
| Other/mixed | 1,043 | 3.38% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 1,868 | 6.05% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 30,858 people, 11,246 households, and 6,862 families residing in the city.
LaGrange is governed by a mayor and six-person city council. The mayor is elected citywide (at-large). Three council members are elected to one post each from each of two council districts, designated as 1a, 1b, and 1c from the first district, with similar naming for posts in the second district.[16] Candidates must declare for a post in one of the districts at the time of their filing, and must win a majority to be elected. This system was established for the first municipal election in 2011.[17] (This was in compliance with a consent decree and court order settling litigation since 1982 under Section 5 of theVoting Rights Act of 1965.)
Previously a smaller number of city council members were elected at-large; as each candidate had to command a majority of electors, the minority seldom could elect a candidate of their choice. The Department of Justice recorded objections to the city of LaGrange changes to election methods in October 1993 and December 1994. The 1993 objection related to the use of two at-large seats in a mixed city council plan with four single-member districts; the 1994 objection related to the use of one at-large seat in a mixed city council plan with two "super-districts" and four single-member districts.[18]From 1997, more city council seats were established in LaGrange. Municipal elections are held in odd-numbered years.[16]
The current mayor of LaGrange is Jim Arrington. He was elected mayor on May 21, 2024, filling a seat vacated by the death of former mayor Willie T Edmondson, who was the first African-American elected Mayor of LaGrange.[19] The mayor and all council members are elected for four-year terms on a nonpartisan basis. The city council hires a full-time city manager, who oversees daily operations of city departments.
In January 2017, Police Chief Louis M. Dekmar apologized publicly for his department's failure in 1940 to protect a 16-year-old black youth, who was lynched.[20]
TheTroup County School System holds pre-school to grade 12, and consists of 11 elementary schools, three middle schools (Callaway Middle School, Gardner Newman Middle School, and Long Cane Middle School), and three high schools (Callaway High School, LaGrange High School, and Troup County Comprehensive High School. The county is divided into three school zones. The county school system serves Hogansville, LaGrange and West Point. It is home to over 20 new and recently renovated schools.
Highways in LaGrange includeInterstate 85,Interstate 185,U.S. Route 27,U.S. Route 29,Georgia State Route 219, andGeorgia State Route 109.
LaGrange-Callaway Airport is southwest of the city.
Sister cities include:[25]
Municipalities and communities ofTroup County, Georgia,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| Geographic | |
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| Other | |
