It became prominent in the nineteenth century as a shipping and market center, first served byriverboats. Scheduled steamboats connected Albany with the busy port ofApalachicola, Florida. They were replaced byrailroads. Seven lines met in Albany, and it was a center of trade in the Southeast.
Albany is part of theBlack Belt, a geological formation of soil conducive to cotton growth. An extensive area in the Southern geographical area of the United States. From the mid-20th century, it received military investment duringWorld War II and after, that helped develop the region.[6] Albany and this area were prominent during the civil rights era, particularly during the early 1960s as activists worked to regain voting and other civil rights. Railroad restructuring and reduction in the military here caused job losses, but the city has developed new businesses. Thehistorically blackAlbany State University enrolls more than 6,500 students annually.
Albany is located in a region which was long inhabited by theCreek Indians, who called itThronateeska after their word for "flint", the valuable mineral found in beds near the Flint River. They used it for making arrowheads and other tools.[7] In 1830,U.S. Congress passed theIndian Removal Act, and the United States made treaties to extinguish Creek and other Native American land claims in the Southeast. The U.S. Army forcibly removed most of the native peoples toIndian Territory, lands west of theMississippi River.
Albany in 1885Nelson Tift (1810–1891), the founder of Albany
European-American settlement began withNelson Tift ofGroton, Connecticut, who took land along theFlint River in October 1836 afterIndian removal. Tift and his colleagues named the new town Albany afterthe capital of New York; noting that New York's Albany was a commercial center located at the headwaters of theHudson River, they hoped that their town near the headwaters of the Flint would prove to be just as successful. It proved to be nowhere near as prosperous. Alexander Shotwell laid out the town in 1836, and it was incorporated as a city by an act of the General Assembly of Georgia on December 27, 1838.[8]
Tift was the city's leading entrepreneur for decades. An ardent booster, he promoted education, business, and railroad construction. During the Civil War he provided naval supplies and helped build two ships. He opposedRadical Reconstruction inside the state and in Congress, and was scornful of theYankeecarpetbaggers who came in. Historian John Fair concludes that Tift became "more Southern than many natives."[9] His pro-slavery attitudes before the war and his support forsegregation afterward made him compatible with Georgia's white elite.[9]
This area was developed for cotton cultivation by planters, who used numerous enslaved African Americans to clear lands and process the cotton. As a result of the planters' acquisition of slave workers, by 1840 Dougherty County's majority population was black, composed overwhelmingly of slaves. The market center for cottonplantations, Albany was in a prime location for shipping cotton to other markets bysteamboats. In 1858, Tift hiredHorace King, a former slave and bridge builder, to construct atoll bridge over the river. King's bridge toll house still stands.
Already important as a shipping port, Albany later became an important railroad hub in southwestern Georgia. Seven lines were constructed to the town. An exhibit on trains is located at the Thronateeska Heritage Center in the formerrailroad station.
After the war,Carey Wentworth Styles moved to Albany and founded the newspaperAlbany News. In the early years following the war, Styles, like Tift, took great exception to theRadical Reconstruction program then in force, and advocated for a more moderate response based on his interpretation of Georgia's rights under theConstitution.[10] Styles backed "constitutional reconstruction" advanced byBenjamin H. Hill and sought support for the idea from the nationalDemocratic party.[10][11] While on a trip toAtlanta in May 1868, to meet with Democratic party leaders, Styles took measure of the contemporary Atlanta newspapers, and found them lacking.[12]
Styles believed them to be little more than organs for theRadical Republican reconstruction agenda.[13][14] He resolved to bring a paper aligned with the Democratic party viewpoint to the Atlanta market, one supporting his constitutional reconstruction ideals.[11][12][13][14] Styles moved from Albany to Atlanta, and on May 9 he announced that he had obtained the necessary financial backing to purchase theDaily Opinion.[15]
On June 16, 1868, thenew Democratic daily (as he described it) printed its first edition, under the nameThe Constitution.[12] Styles' tenure at theAtlanta Constitution would be brief. Unable to pay for his portion of the purchase, when the sale of hisAlbany News fell through, Styles was forced to surrender his interest in the paper to his joint venture partners. Styles returned to Albany as editor of theNews. In 1872, he was elected to theGeorgia Senate, representing Augusta and surrounding communities, in an ironic turn of events, having killed a member of theGeorgia House of Representatives in his earlier years.[10][11][16] After his legislative service, Styles sold the Albany newspaper in 1876 and returned to Atlanta.
While integral to the economic life of the town, the Flint River has flooded regularly. It caused extensive property damage in 1841 and 1925. The city has also been subject totornadoes. On February 10, 1940, a severe tornado hit Albany, killing eighteen people and causing large-scale damage.
On April 11, 1906, theCarnegie Library, created by matching funds from the philanthropistAndrew Carnegie, was opened downtown.[17] Originally asegregated facility underJim Crow laws, it was not open to African Americans until after the passage of theCivil Rights Act of 1964. It functioned as a library through 1985. In 1992, after renovation, the building was reopened as the headquarters of the Albany Area Arts Council.
In 1912, the downtown U.S. Post Office and courthouse building opened. Other federal projects have been important to the city and region. In 1937, Chehaw Park was constructed as a part of aNew Deal program under the administration of PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt during theGreat Depression.
Major changes came with the expansion of military facilities in the city, secured by the powerfulSouthern Block in Congress. AU.S. Army Air Corps training base was built near Albany on land owned by the city and leased to the Air Corps for $1 a year. Construction of the base and airfield by theArmy Corps of Engineers began on March 25, 1941. After being used during World War II, the airfield was temporarily deactivated between August 15, 1946, and September 1, 1947.
After the beginning of theCold War and the founding of theU.S. Air Force in late 1947, the airfield was reactivated and upgraded with runways for a U.S. Air Force base. It was namedTurner Air Force Base. The Air Force used this base for heavy bomber jets, such as theB-52 Stratofortress. A number of other Air Force units were also housed at this base.[18] Among them were the 1370th Photomapping Group,[19] and refueling and maintenance functions.
In 1951, theU.S. Marine Corps established a logistics base on the eastern outskirts of Albany. During the 1950s and 1960s, so many white servicemen and associated workers arrived that the city briefly became majority white for the first time since 1870.
In 1960, the population of Albany reached 50,000 people. During 1961–1962, African Americans in Albany played a prominent role in theCivil Rights Movement (see theAlbany Movement). They led protests and non-violent demonstrations to end segregation of public facilities, gain the right to vote, and advance social justice. Assisted by activists fromSCLC,CORE,SNCC, and theNAACP, African Americans and supporters took a stand to fight segregation through nonviolence. The city repealed itsJim Crow laws in 1963,[20] but African Americans did not recover the ability to exercise their voting rights until Congress passed enforcement authority with theVoting Rights Act of 1965.
In 1967, the Air Force closed all its operations at the base, which was transferred to theU.S. Navy and renamed Naval Air Station Albany. NAS Albany was used as the shore base of nearly all the Navy'sRA-5C Vigilante twin-jet, carrier-based reconnaissance aircraft. In 1974, the base was closed and the property was returned to the city.
In 1979, the Miller Brewing Company purchased part of the old naval base's property to build a new brewery.[21]
The decline in military bases and railroad restructuring nationwide both led to job losses in the Albany area. Much of the remaining white population moved to suburbs and newer housing out of the city, which became majority African American in the 1970s. Struggling with a poor economy, in 1988 Albany made national headlines as the "Murder Capital of America", with the highest murder rate per capita in the United States. Other cities have since taken that title.
Some late twentieth-century floods have been extreme. In 1994, a severe flood was caused by rainfall fromTropical Storm Alberto; it killed 14 people and displaced 22,000. The state supported a $150 million renovation of theAlbany State University campus to repair storm damage and complete upgrades. New housing was built on the south side of town to replace what had been destroyed. In 1998, the Flint River crested at 35 feet (11 m) above its bed and flooded parts of the city.
Because of such flooding, the city has decided against redeveloping areas along the riverfront floodplain for commercial or residential purposes. This area is being improved for other uses, with a riverfront walkway and a new aquarium built over a tributary creek.
On January 2 and 22, 2017, violent tornadoes passed through the area, claiming several lives and destroying mobile home parks in the process.[22] On October 10, 2018Hurricane Michael, the first major hurricane (Category 3+) to directly impact Georgia since the 1890s, plowed through South Georgia leaving widespread devastation in its path.[23]
The new archway over Oglethorpe Boulevard at Front Street welcomes visitors to downtown Albany.
Albany is located at (31.582273, −84.165557), withinSouthwest Georgia.[24] It lies in a belt of historically rich farmland in the East Gulf coastalplain, on the banks of theFlint River. The city is 78 mi (126 km) southeast ofColumbus, 151 mi (243 km) south ofAtlanta, 45 mi (72 km) south ofAmericus, 93 mi (150 km) southwest ofMacon, 39 mi (63 km) west ofTifton, 73 mi (117 km) northwest ofValdosta, 88 mi (142 km) north ofTallahassee,Florida, 70 mi (110 km) east ofEufaula, Alabama, and 84 mi (135 km) east ofDothan, Alabama.
As of 2010[update], the city of Albany had been a member of theArbor Day Foundation's Tree City USA Program for 23 years.[25] Tree-lined streets are common, with large, mature oaks and other native trees. The city has a tree ordinance,[26] and a certified arborist on staff.[27]
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to theKöppen Climate Classification system, Albany has ahumid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[28] Albany receives well above the national average amount of precipitation. Much of this comes in the form of heavy showers and thunderstorms. According to "Cities Ranked and Rated" (Bert Sperling and Peter Sander), Albany reports thunder on 86 days per year. This is more than twice the national average.
Climate data for Albany, Georgia (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1891–present)
At the1860 U.S. census, the city's population was 1,618. Its population has increased to a historic high of 78,122, before experiencing a decline to 69,647 at the2020 United States census.[44]
At the 2022 American Community Survey, the city had a median age of 34.7. There was an average of 2.3 persons per household and 27,608 housing units. Approximately 33% were married couples, 19% non-family households, 40% female households, and 7% male households.[45] An estimated 36% of the city population was married.
Among its relatively young population, the city had a median household income of $39,422 with a per capita income of $22,115. More than 60% of the population earned less than $50,000 annually, and 27% earned from $50,000 to $100,000 a year. Of the population, 33.8% lived at or below the poverty line, and 55% of children under age 18 are considered to be in poverty. Approximately 15% of adults 65 and older were considered in poverty.[45]
Today, although the city is surrounded bypecan groves,pine trees, farms and plantations, almost none of the population is employed in agriculture. It has become heavily industrialized, and most business is conducted on a multinational scale. The city developed on both sides of the Flint River.
Health care, education and theMarine Corps Logistics Base Albany are the largest employers.Manufacturing, transportation, andretail trade are also important foundations of Albany's economy, and the city acts as a hub for commerce in southwest Georgia.
On December 17, 2008, Cooper Tire and Rubber, one of Albany's largest employers, announced plans to close the local manufacturing facility.[46] Approximately 1,400 employees at the plant were projected to lose their jobs.
As a result of theGreat Recession, unemployment remained higher in Albany than the country average. In 2012 Albany continued to add more new jobs while other portions of the state were trying to stem the tide of unemployment.[47]
Albany has a skilled workforce, makes continual upgrades to its infrastructure, and has improvements in public safety, such as its ISO fire rating of 2.[48] It has numerous economic development initiatives, such as an Opportunity Zone, which offers a $3,500 tax credit per job created.[49]
Albany was home to theAlbany Polecats, who were a low-A class team that played in theSouth Atlantic League between 1992 and 1995. Albany was also home to theSouth Georgia Peanuts, who played in theSouth Coast League. They won the South Coast League championships in the league's inaugural season (2007) and were managed by formerMLB shortstopWally Backman. The league folded after that season.
TheAlbany Panthers were an indoor football team based in Albany, Georgia. The team joined the Southern Indoor Football League (SIFL) during their inaugural season in 2010. When the SIFL folded, the team joined the Professional Indoor Football League in 2012. The Panthers' home games were played at the James H. Gray Civic Center until 2014.
City races include a 26.2-mile (42.2 km) full marathon or a 13.1-mile (21.1 km) half marathon. The full race is ranked as one of the topBoston Marathon qualifiers in the country, with almost 20% of all marathon finishers qualifying.[69]
The annual Mardi Gras Street Festival takes place in downtown Albany the first weekend of March. Starting at noon and running until midnight, the festival coincides with the marathon and half marathon.[citation needed]
TheDougherty County School System operates a system of five learning centers, fourteen public elementary schools, four public middle schools, three public high schools, and one alternative school. All schools are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the Georgia Accrediting Commission (GAC). The system had an enrollment in 2009–2010 of 15,838 students being taught by 1,070 teachers and 198 support and administrative personnel.[72]
The following schools have distinctions:
Alice Coachman Elementary School: 2009 National Blue Ribbon School, 2009 "No Excuses School" (Georgia Public Policy Foundation)
Lincoln Elementary Magnet School: 2009–2010 Governor's Office of Students Achievement Bronze Award for Highest Percentage of Students Meeting & Exceeding Standards on the CRCT
International Studies Elementary Charter School: Title 1 Distinguished School (10 consecutive years making AYP)
Robert A. Cross Middle Magnet School: 2009–2010 Governor's Office of Students Achievement Gold Award for Highest Percentage of Students Meeting & Exceeding Standards on the CRCT
Albany Technical College[73] is part of the Technical College System of Georgia and teaches post-secondary vocational and occupational training subjects.
Albany is a site location ofTroy University, one of many satellites which Troy has established throughout the Southeastern United States. For more than 20 years, Troy University, a public non-profit institution of Alabama, has taught classes both in-class and online in Albany. Troy's Albany site has classes in criminal justice, psychology and various general studies, along with offering other undergraduate and master's degree programs online.[74]
Southwest Georgia Regional Airport (ABY) is a non-hub commercial service airport with service to Atlanta byEndeavor Air, a regional carrier forDelta. BothUPS andDHL use the airport as a sorting facility. In 2010, a master plan was completed. It recommended moving forward with the Replacement Terminal Project.[92]
Several passenger trains from St. Louis, Chicago and Cincinnati in the Midwest, heading to Florida, made stops inAlbany Union Station. The last of these, theIllinois Central'sCity of Miami made its final stop there in 1971.
Albany Transit System (ATS) has been operated by the city since 1974 and provides fixed-route and para-transit services in Albany and Dougherty County, including service to the airport. All buses are wheelchair accessible and are equipped with bicycle racks. The main transfer station is in downtown Albany, at the corner of Oglethorpe and Jackson.[93]
In addition, aGreyhound bus station is located in downtown Albany, with connections to interstate service.
While Albany is one of the largest cities in Georgia to not be served by an interstate,U.S. Route 19 andU.S. Route 82 provide thoroughfares through the city. The two join north of the city for a short freeway known as the Liberty Expressway. Other major highways that run through the city includeGeorgia State Route 91,Georgia State Route 133,Georgia State Route 234, andGeorgia State Route 520. Albany is located onGeorgia State Route 300 (Georgia-Florida Parkway), which provides easy access toCordele, andInterstate 75 to the northeast and south toCamilla, andThomasville. The Liberty Expressway spans 10 miles (16 km) serves as a bypass on Albany's north and east sides. Other highways that pass through Albany include US 19, US 82, and State Routes 3, 62, 91, 133, 234, and 520.[94]
Albany's Broad Avenue Memorial bridge, constructed in 1920 and comprising three open-spandrel concrete deck arch main spans and eight closed-spandrel deck arch spans,[95] was closed in February 2009 after examination found it to be in unsafe condition.[96] Deconstruction began in 2015 and the replacement segmental concrete box girder bridge was dedicated to veterans and opened on November 11, 2015.[97][98]
In the early 1970s, construction of the Liberty-bypass bridges began. Construction of the bridges over the Flint River was completed much before the highway itself. They became known as the bridges to nowhere.
Portions of Albany are serviced by Georgia Power, which operates two electrical power plants within Dougherty County: coal-fired Plant Mitchell and the hydroelectric dam at Lake Worth,[99] also known as Lake Chehaw.
The Albany Water, Gas & Light Commission (WG&L) is a municipally-owned and operated utility system furnishing water, gas, and electricity to its broad–based customers. Albany WG&L, was founded in 1892 as the Albany Water Works, as the largest municipal user in Georgia.[100]
The public water supply source for Albany-Dougherty County is groundwater obtained from four aquifers:
Upper Floridan (locally called the Ocala) Aquifer
Claiborne (formerly Tallahatta) Aquifer
Clayton Formation
Providence Aquifer
The water quality is considered to be excellent, needing only chlorination and fluoridation treatment.[101]
Albany is served by the Dougherty County Landfill located at 900 Gaissert Road, approximately 7.5 miles (12.1 km) southeast of the City of Albany.[101]
Albany is serviced by the Albany Police Department (APD) which is divided into three districts, each having its own police center. The Dougherty County Police Department is responsible for the unincorporated area of Dougherty County. The Dougherty County Sheriff's Department is a law enforcement agency under the direction of the County Sheriff, an elected official.[101]
The Albany Fire Department consists of more than 150 assigned personnel operating 11 fire stations in Dougherty County, seven of which are within the city limits.[101]
Bernice Johnson Reagon: American song leader, professor of American history, composer, historian, musician, scholar, curator at the Smithsonian, and social activist
^United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit (September 12, 1963)."Anderson v. City of Albany". Casetext. Archived fromthe original on November 28, 2020. RetrievedMay 24, 2021.
^"Board on City Commissioners".Official City of Albany and Dougherty County Website. City of Albany, GA. Archived fromthe original on October 8, 2011. RetrievedOctober 11, 2011.
Carolyn Clive, Frances Davis, and Tom Liner, eds.,Glancing Backward: Albany, Georgia, 1836–1986 (Albany, Ga.: Dougherty County School System and Sesquicentennial Publication Committee, 1986).
Lee W. Formwalt, "A Garden of Irony and Diversity", inThe New Georgia Guide (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1996).
Joseph Winthrop Holley,You Can't Build a Chimney from the Top: The South through the Life of a Negro Educator (New York: William-Frederick Press, 1948).
Thronateeska Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution,History and Reminiscences of Dougherty County, Georgia (1924; reprint, Spartanburg, S.C.: Reprint Co., 1978).
Works Progress Administration,Historical Background of Dougherty County, 1836–1940 (Atlanta: Cherokee, 1981).
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