Camden County is acounty located in the southeastern corner of theU.S. state ofGeorgia. According to the2020 census, its population was 54,768.[1] Its county seat isWoodbine,[2] and the largest city isKingsland. It is one of the original counties of Georgia, created February 5, 1777. It is the 11th-largest county in the state of Georgia by area, and the 41st-largest by population.[3][4]
The first recorded European to visit what is today Camden County was CaptainJean Ribault ofFrance in 1562. Ribault was sent out by FrenchHuguenots to find a suitable place for a settlement. Ribault named the rivers he saw the Seine and the Some, known today as the St. Marys and Satilla Rivers. Ribault described the area as, "Fairest, fruitfulest and pleasantest of all the world."[6]
In 1565,Spain became alarmed by the French settlements and sent out a large force to take over and settle the area. During that time, the Spaniards attempted to convert the Native Americans toCatholicism. At least two missions operated on Cumberland Island, ministering to theTimucuan people, who had resided on the island for at least 4,000 years.
Competing British and Spanish claims to the territory between their respective colonies of South Carolina and Florida was a source of international tension, and the colony of Georgia was founded in 1733 in part to protect the British interests. The Spanish theoretically lost their claim to the territory in 1742 after theBattle of Bloody Marsh (onSt. Simons Island). However, settlement south of theAltamaha River (what is now Glynn and Camden Counties) was discouraged by both the British and Spanish governments. One group of settlers led by Edmund Gray sparked Spanish military action after settling on the Satilla River in the 1750s near present-day Burnt Fort, and were subsequently disbanded by the Royal GovernorJohn Reynolds.[7]
General Oglethorpe was atCumberland Island when Tomochichi gave the barrier island its name. Later, he erected a hunting lodge on Cumberland named Dungeness, which was the predecessor of the famous Greene and Carnegie Dungeness Mansions. He also founded Fort St. Andrews on the north end of Cumberland Island, as well as a strong battery, Fort Prince Williams, on the south end. Fort Prince Williams commanded the entrance to the St. Marys River but had become a ruin by the Revolutionary War.
In 1763, Spain, under a treaty of peace withGreat Britain, ceded Florida to theBritish. After this, the boundaries ofGeorgia were extended from the Altamaha (now the southern boundary of McIntosh County) to the St. Marys River (the current southern boundary of Camden). In 1765, four parishes were laid out between the Altamaha and St. Marys Rivers. These were St. Davids, St. Patricks, St. James, and the parishes of St. Marys and St. Thomas.
Largely due to security issues arising from proximity to powerful Indian groups and British Florida, Georgia was the last colony to join in theWar for Independence in 1775. In theGeorgia Constitution of 1777 St. Thomas and St. Marys Parishes were formed into Camden County, named forCharles Pratt, 1stEarl Camden in England, a supporter of American independence. Originally Camden County was larger and also included parts of present-dayWare,Brantley, andCharlton Counties, which were re-designated in the nineteenth century.
Also under the 1777 state constitution, Glynn County and Camden County had limited and restricted representation in the new patriotic Georgia government due to their extreme "state of alarm" throughout the war.[8] Between 1776 and 1778 Camden County saw the construction of numerous forts, three failed American campaigns against the British at St. Augustine, and numerous depredations by raiders of various allegiance. One of the most notorious of these raiders wasDaniel McGirth.[9] A significant loyalist faction existed in Camden County, headed by the brothers ofRoyal Governor James Wright, Charles and German Wright. They built a fort on the St. Marys River in 1775 to protect their lands and chattel during the war after repeated attacks by patriot banditti. Wright's Fort became a rendezvous for a group of loyalists called the "Florida Rangers". Two skirmishes were fought by Loyalist and Continental forces over Wright's Fort, and both times American troops failed to rout the Loyalists from the area. Finally, retreating British soldiers burned it down in 1778. The Americans rebuilt it when they invaded East Florida, and then burned it down to prevent it falling into enemy hands. The archaeological site was rediscovered in 1975.[10]
The primary economic enterprise of the county was rice planting, particularly along the Satilla River.Sea Island cotton was grown on Cumberland Island, and short-staple cotton was grown on the mainland along with sugar cane. Various forest products includingturpentine and timber were produced, mainly for consumption in the naval industry and the West Indies.[11] Camden County also served as a hub of backcountry trade with American settlers and various Indian groups, and as a shipyard and shipping center centered around the town of St. Marys. The land in Camden County was owned by fewer than 300 people throughout the colonial and antebellum eras. Most of the white population worked in trades or as tenant farmers, while nearly all black residents were slaves. Until the 1840s (and increasingly strict black codes), Camden County had a small population of free black workers, mainly involved in day labor or maritime industry.
Camden County was the site of many trading posts with the Native Americans, who by the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries consisted mainly of people of theCreek Nation. From America's earliest years and even after Indian Removal in the 1830s, the county was a site of significant conflict between settlers and Indians, leading to a small series of local Indian wars, and displacement of both Indian and local American refugees. An important step towards establishing boundaries in the Early Federal period came with theTreaty of Colerain which was signed on June 29, 1796, on the St. Marys between United States agents and the Creeks.
On January 15, 1815, British troops led bySir George Cockburn landed on Cumberland Island. Their goal was to attack the fort atPoint Peter. They quickly overwhelmed the small American forced and took Ft. Point Peter easily. After the skirmish, British soldiers occupied the county through February. They raided the town of St. Marys, as well as many plantations and smaller settlements. Although New Orleans was the last major battle of the war, the skirmish at Point Peter happened even later, almost a month after theTreaty of Ghent had been signed. The British occupation of Camden County led to the liberation of an estimated 1,485 slaves from Georgia and Florida.[13]
Camden County was on an international border until theAdams–Onís Treaty of 1819 between the United States andSpain, making the Florida provinces American territory.
At the beginning of the Civil War, the population was 5,482 of which 1,721 were white. During the war, many of the county's civilians moved farther inland, particularly to Centerville and Trader's Hill on the St. Marys River in Charlton County. The inhabitant's fears were realized when the town of St. Marys was attacked by United States Navy.[citation needed] At least one federal party to "carry off" slaves was met by armed resistance on White Oak Creek off the Satilla River.[14]
Camden County organized four volunteer companies: the Camden Chasseurs, St. Marys Volunteers Guard, Camden Rifles, and Camden County Guards.[15]
Camden County land fell underSherman's Special Field Order No. 15. which dictated the distribution of parcels of land to freedmen. However, by 1868, Camden County's freedmen found themselves dispossessed of land they had lived and worked on since emancipation or earlier. Confiscated lands were returned to former landowners.[16] During the first years ofReconstruction, Republican candidates and many local blacks were able to gain political victories. The first Democratic victory in the county after the war went to Ray Tompkins. This signaled a return to a white political majority and the end of the Reconstruction Era concurrent with the statewide Democratic victory in 1870.[17]
Earlier plans for railways in the area dated back to the 1830s, but construction was never begun. In 1893,Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad built a Savannah-Jacksonville line through Camden County. In 1923 the county seat of Camden County was moved from St. Marys to Woodbine, a reflection of the shift from the water transportation to railways. In 1927,U.S. Route 17 was constructed through Woodbine and Kingsland.[11]
From 1917 to 1937, apogy plant producing oil forProcter & Gamble and fertilizer for the Southern Fertilizer and Chemical Company was one of the major economic activities of the area. The layoffs from the pogy plant found relief when theGilman Paper Company came to the county in 1939. The company was sold to Durango Paper Co. in 1999, and went out of business in 2002, resulting in 900 workers losing their jobs.[18]
In 1965,Thiokol Chemical launched a 13-foot (4.0 m)-diameter, 3,000,000-pound-force (13,000 kN)-thrust rocket from their chemical plant in the eastern part of the county.[19]On February 3, 1971, afire and explosion occurred at the plant, located 12 miles southeast of Woodbine. The industrial accident killed 29 workers and seriously injured 50 others.[6]
During World War II, the Georgia State Guard and local Home Guard held bases on Cumberland Island.[11] The island and surrounding waters were also patrolled by theUnited States Coast Guard.[16] The U.S. Army began to acquire land south ofCrooked River in 1954 to build a military ocean terminal to ship ammunition in case of a national emergency.In November 1976, the area of Kings Bay was selected for a submarine base. Soon afterward, the first Navy personnel arrived in the Kings Bay area and started preparations for the orderly transfer of property from the Army to the Navy.Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay not only occupies the former Army terminal land, but several thousand additional acres. Camden County's population grew enormously after the military took an interest in the area, and during the 1980s, was the fourth fastest growing county in the United States.[11]
In 2009, the Camden County Sheriff's Office was ordered by theJustice Department to repay $662,000 of improperly spentfunds seized from alleged criminals before it would be allowed to participate in the Justice Department'sequitable sharing program. Items that were determined to have been purchased by the Camden County Sheriff's Department improperly included aDodge Viper purchased for approximately $90,000 which the Sheriff's Office intended to use inanti-drug programs.[20][21]
In 2012, the Camden County Joint Development Authority began considering developing aspaceport for bothhorizontal andvertical spacecraft operations. Options included moving theSt. Marys' airport to theAtlantic coastal site[22] which had previously been used for a rocket launch in 1965.[19]In 2013, the authority contracted for anEnvironmental Impact Statement to be completed on 200 acres (81 ha) of authority-owned land, part of a larger 4,200 acres (1,700 ha) site, in order to build a commercial launch site.[23]As of September 2014[update], the county was investigating options to purchase 11,000 acres (4,500 ha) of land from landowners who own the land formerly occupied by Thiokol Chemical andBayer CropScience atHarrietts Bluff. If an agreement is reached with landowners, then another 18-month-long environmental impact process could begin on the larger parcel of land. Georgia state legislators would likely offer tax incentives for commercial development in the project. If development were to proceed, the earliest launch possible would have been in 2018, according to the 2014 projections.[19][needs update]
In June 2015, the Camden board decided to formally advance theSpaceport Camden project by initiating anFAAEnvironmental Impact Assessment of the 4000+ acre facility.[24] As of 2023, the investors have called off the project, and the property is on sale.[25]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 782 square miles (2,030 km2), of which 613 square miles (1,590 km2) is land and 169 square miles (440 km2) (21.6%) is water.[26]
The bulk of Camden County's central and western area, from an east–west line running throughWaverly in the north to a line running from Charlton County northeast toSt. Andrew Sound, is located in theSatilla River sub-basin of theSt. Marys-Satilla basin. The area north of Waverly, as well as from west ofKingsland east to the coast ofCumberland Island, is located in the Cumberland-St. Simons sub-basin of the St. Marys-Satilla River basin. Camden County's southern border area, in a line from Charlton County toSt. Marys, is located in the St. Marys River sub-basin of the same St. Marys-Satilla basin.[27]
Camden County, Georgia – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the2020 United States census, there were 54,768 people, 19,338 households, and 14,380 families residing in the county. Among the 2020 population, its racial and ethnic makeup was 67.93% non-Hispanic white, 17.34% African American, 0.34% Native American, 1.54% Asian alone, 0.12% Pacific Islander American, 6.05% multiracial, and 6.68% Hispanic or Latino of any race.[41]
Camden is home to one comprehensive[clarification needed] public high school (with a separate center for ninth graders), two middle schools, nine elementary schools and an alternative school. The system serves approximately 9,600 students. The school board is run by the following members:[42]
Superintendent of Schools - Dr. Will Hardin
Assistant Superintendent - Dr. Jonathan Miller
Assistant Superintendent - Dr. Rebecca Gillette
Camden County High School is the single public high school in Camden County, offering a comprehensive curriculum (9–12) with a variety of classes for both College Preparatory and Career Technology Preparatory. The high school campus is one of the largest in the state of Georgia. It consists of a main building (10-12 building) as well as a ninth-grade center that holds two additional hallways, one gymnasium, one cafeteria, and one media center. The school has also recently constructed an additional building consisting of classrooms, conference rooms, and a large weight room. The school offers AP classes and joint enrollment withCollege of Coastal Georgia and theValdosta State University Kings Bay Campus. The school is part of theGeorgia High School Association and is classified as a "A" or "1A" school in Region 1. In 2003, the Wildcats won the Georgia 5A Football State Championship by defeatingValdosta High School. In 2008, the Wildcats won their second 5A State Football Championship by defeatingPeachtree Ridge High School. In 2009, the Wildcats won their third 5A State Football Championship by defeatingNorthside (Warner Robins).
James Seagrove: appointed Creek Indian Agent by the federal government and Superintendent ofCreek Indian Affairs in 1789. Also a local trader associated with Trader's Hill and founder of St. Marys.[44][45]
Duncan Lamont Clinch: After serving in theSeminole Wars, partially in Camden County, Clinch retired to planting near Jefferson on the Satilla River, and later began his political career.[46]
Thomas Buckingham Smith: Born on Cumberland Island in 1810, Smith was a diplomat, antiquarian, and scholar. Notable Spanish translator and author of works on southern Native Americans.[47]
Charles Rinaldo Floyd (1797–1845): led the first U.S. campaign into theOkefenoke Swamp during the Seminole Wars. The Floyds were the largest planting family in Camden County.[48]
Stump Mitchell: American football coach and former professional player. He served as head football coach atMorgan State University from 1996 to 1998 andSouthern University from 2010 to 2012, compiling an overall college football record of 14–42. Mitchell played collegiately atThe Citadel and thereafter was drafted by theSt. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He was a running back and return specialist for the Cardinals from 1981 to 1989.
Alicia Patterson: Founder and editor ofNewsday. While not from Camden County by birth, her remains are interred at her private hunting lodge in Kingsland.[53]
Jarrad Davis: Former linebacker for the Camden County Wildcats, the University of Florida, and current linebacker for theDetroit Lions[54]
Jason Spencer: former State Representative for district 180 in theGeorgia House of Representatives from 2011 to 2018, is a longtime resident of the center of the district, Woodbine.
^Hamer, Marguerite Bartlett. "Edmund Gray and His Settlement at New Hanover." The Georgia Historical Quarterly, ISSN 0016-8297, 03/1929, Volume 13, Issue 1, pp. 1 - 12
^Revolutionary Records of Georgia. Volume 1. page 285.
^Martha Condray Searcy.The Georgia-Florida Contest in the American Revolution.University of Alabama Press, 1985. See also, Wilbur H. Siebert, "Privateering in Florida Waters and Northwards in the American Revolution".Florida Historical Quarterly XXII. 1943. 62-73.
^"Camden County Board of Commissioners Approves Option Agreement for Real Estate".Spaceport Camden. RetrievedJune 3, 2015.On June 3, 2015, The Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved an option agreement to purchase 4,011 acres, more or less. The subject property was the former location where the world's most powerful rocket motor was test fired in the 1960s. The county will be commencing soon the next milestone of the project whereby the Federal Aviation Administration prepares an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to address the potential environmental impacts of constructing and operating a commercial launch site in Camden County, Georgia. "This exciting announcement advances the project forward and aligns with the county's vision of developing a world-class spaceport," stated Steve Howard, County Administrator.
