Cochran, Georgia | |
|---|---|
 Cochran Municipal Building | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
| Nickname: Castle City | |
| Motto: Your Southern Home | |
 Location inBleckley County and the state ofGeorgia | |
| Coordinates:32°23′12″N83°21′2″W / 32.38667°N 83.35056°W /32.38667; -83.35056 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Bleckley |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Billy Yeomans |
| • City Manager | Richard Newbern |
| Area | |
• Total | 4.86 sq mi (12.58 km2) |
| • Land | 4.69 sq mi (12.14 km2) |
| • Water | 0.17 sq mi (0.44 km2) |
| Elevation | 341 ft (104 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 5,026 |
| • Density | 1,072.7/sq mi (414.16/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 31014 |
| Area code | 478 |
| FIPS code | 13-17328[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0355210[3] |
| Website | cityofcochran.com |
Cochran is a city inBleckley County,Georgia, United States. As of the2020 census, the city had a population of 5,026. The city is thecounty seat of Bleckley County.[4]
Cochran is named for Judge Arthur E. Cochran and was incorporated on March 19, 1869. Judge Cochran was largely instrumental in developing this section of Georgia through his work as president of theMacon and Brunswick Railroad, now theSouthern Railway (a component ofNorfolk Southern Railway). Once known asDykesboro, Cochran was settled by B. B. Dykes, who owned the site on which the town is built. The earliest settlers located here to work in the turpentine industry.
Cochran is home toBleckley County High School andMiddle Georgia State University. The city's nickname, Castle City, comes from the similar theme the mascots of each school's athletic program share (Barons, Royals, and Knights).
Three properties in Cochran are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places: theBleckley County Courthouse in Courthouse Square, theCochran Municipal Building and School at the junction of Dykes and Second streets, andHillcrest at 706 Beech Street.
Cochran, originally known as Dykesboro, was settled in the 1850s by B. B. Dykes. It was renamed Cochran in 1869 after Arthur Cochran, a railroad official who brought theMacon and Brunswick Railroad to town. In 1912, Cochran was designated seat of the newly formed Bleckley County.[5]
Cochran is located at32°23′12″N83°21′2″W / 32.38667°N 83.35056°W /32.38667; -83.35056 (32.386646, -83.350684).[6]
The city is located in thecentral part of the state alongU.S. Route 23, which runs from southeast to northwest to the northeast of downtown, leading northwest 40 mi (64 km) toMacon and southeast 18 mi (29 km) toEastman.Georgia State Route 26 runs from southwest to northeast through the center of the city, leading northeast 21 mi (34 km) toDudley (after meetingU.S. Route 80), and southwest 11 mi (18 km) toHawkinsville, concurrent withU.S. Route 129 Alternate.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.7 square miles (12.3 km2), of which 4.6 square miles (11.9 km2) is land and 0.15 square miles (0.4 km2), or 3.63%, is water.[7]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 1,531 | — | |
| 1910 | 1,638 | 7.0% | |
| 1920 | 2,021 | 23.4% | |
| 1930 | 2,267 | 12.2% | |
| 1940 | 2,464 | 8.7% | |
| 1950 | 3,357 | 36.2% | |
| 1960 | 4,714 | 40.4% | |
| 1970 | 5,161 | 9.5% | |
| 1980 | 5,121 | −0.8% | |
| 1990 | 4,390 | −14.3% | |
| 2000 | 4,455 | 1.5% | |
| 2010 | 5,150 | 15.6% | |
| 2020 | 5,026 | −2.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 2,612 | 51.97% |
| Black or African American | 1,854 | 36.89% |
| Native American | 3 | 0.06% |
| Asian | 112 | 2.23% |
| Pacific Islander | 4 | 0.08% |
| Other/Mixed | 133 | 2.65% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 308 | 6.13% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 5,026 people, 1,406 households, and 814 families residing in the city.
Bleckley County students in kindergarten to grade twelve are in theBleckley County School District, which consists of a primary school, an elementary school, a middle school and a high school.[10] The district has 151 full-time teachers and over 2,355 students.[11]
Middle Georgia State University is apublic university with its main campus inMacon, Georgia. It was founded in 2013 through the merger ofMiddle Georgia College andMacon State College. Middle Georgia College's main campus in Cochran is now one of the multiple campuses of Middle Georgia State University.
Cochran operates under a Mayor-Council system of government, with the day-to-day business being handled by a city manager. The city manager is Richard Newbern. The Mayor is Billy Yeomans. The Police Chief is Jeff Trawick, and the fire chief is Brock Wilcher.
In 2016, at a City Council meeting held on October 11, Mayor Michael Stoy resigned from office, alleging that certain City Council members had participated in an illegal meeting. Since there was more than a year remaining in his term, a special election was held to elect another Mayor.[12]
In 2013, the city manager decided to terminate the employment of the police and fire chief, and replace them with a public safety director in order to save money, but rescinded his decision days later amidst public disapproval, and announced the appointment of a task force to look at the budget and advise him on choices.[13]
In 2011, Mayor Cliff Avant was charged with felony theft for allegedly donating city-owned PVC pipe to a local church. He admitted the donation and the mistake of not having it declared surplus property by the city council.[14] On the day of the trial, as a result of a plea deal, Avant resigned as mayor, and pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal trespass.[15]
In 2008, some of the Cochran Police Force came under scrutiny for various acts of misconduct, which includedchild molestation charges. One officer was charged and another resigned after being investigated for interference with custody.[16]
Municipalities and communities ofBleckley County, Georgia,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| CDP | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
