This is an accepted version of this page
Dawson, Georgia | |
|---|---|
 Dawson City Hall | |
 Location inTerrell County and the state ofGeorgia | |
| Coordinates:31°46′26″N84°26′27″W / 31.77389°N 84.44083°W /31.77389; -84.44083 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Terrell |
| Area | |
• Total | 3.75 sq mi (9.72 km2) |
| • Land | 3.75 sq mi (9.72 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 351 ft (107 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 4,414 |
| • Density | 1,176.5/sq mi (454.25/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 39842 |
| Area code | 229 |
| FIPS code | 13-21912[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0313367[3] |
Dawson is a city in and thecounty seat ofTerrell County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,414 at the2020 census. Incorporated on December 22, 1857, the city is named for SenatorWilliam Crosby Dawson.[4] Dawson is part of theAlbany, Georgiametropolitan statistical area.
Dawson was founded in 1856 as seat of the newly formedTerrell County. It was incorporated as a town in 1857 and as a city in 1872.[5] Terrell was an important site in the 1960s, when the county in which it is located was labeled "Terrible Terrell" by theSNCC.Jackie Robinson helped raise money to rebuild three black churches that were burned in the area.
In 1976, five African-American youths were charged with the murder of a white customer in a roadside convenience store. The crime and pretrial proceedings garnered national attention.[6] The five young men, one of whom was a juvenile, charged in the case were known as "The Dawson Five". The court dropped the charges against the group of five; Roosevelt Watson, Henderson Watson, J.D. Davenport, Johnnie B. Jackson, and George Poor, when it found evidence ofpolice misconduct, includingcoerced confessions, intimidation and improper identification procedures.[7]
Dawson is located inSouthwest Georgia alongU.S. Route 82 andGeorgia State Route 520 (Columbus Highway), which leads southeast 8 mi (13 km) toSasser and northwest 9 mi (14 km) toParrott. U.S. 82 leads west 21 mi (34 km) toCuthbert and 47 mi (76 km) toEufaula, Alabama.Albany is 24 mi (39 km) southeast andColumbus is 63 mi (101 km) northwest.
The city is located at31°46′26″N84°26′27″W / 31.77389°N 84.44083°W /31.77389; -84.44083 (31.773969, -84.440870).[8] According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.7 square miles (9.6 km2), all land.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 521 | — | |
| 1870 | 1,099 | 110.9% | |
| 1880 | 1,576 | 43.4% | |
| 1890 | 2,284 | 44.9% | |
| 1900 | 2,926 | 28.1% | |
| 1910 | 3,827 | 30.8% | |
| 1920 | 3,504 | −8.4% | |
| 1930 | 3,827 | 9.2% | |
| 1940 | 3,681 | −3.8% | |
| 1950 | 4,411 | 19.8% | |
| 1960 | 5,062 | 14.8% | |
| 1970 | 5,383 | 6.3% | |
| 1980 | 5,699 | 5.9% | |
| 1990 | 5,295 | −7.1% | |
| 2000 | 5,058 | −4.5% | |
| 2010 | 4,540 | −10.2% | |
| 2020 | 4,414 | −2.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1850-1870[10] 1870-1880[11] 1890-1910[12] 1920-1930[13] 1940[14] 1950[15] 1960[16] 1970[17] 1980[18] 1990[19] 2000[20] 2010[21] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 613 | 13.89% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 3,618 | 81.97% |
| Native American | 6 | 0.14% |
| Asian | 44 | 1.0% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.02% |
| Other/Mixed | 88 | 1.99% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 44 | 1.0% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 4,414 people, 1,577 households, and 1,080 families residing in the city.
TheTerrell County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of two elementary schools, a middle school and a high school.[23] The district has 98 full-time teachers and over 1,764 students.[24]
NearbyAlbany has two colleges to which students may easily commute:Albany State University,[26] andAlbany Technical College.[27] To the west, inCuthbert, is historicAndrew College.[28] Also nearby isGeorgia Southwestern State University[29] inAmericus.
Municipalities and communities ofTerrell County, Georgia,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| City |  | |
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
