Treutlen County, Georgia | |
|---|---|
 Treutlen County Courthouse in Soperton | |
 Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofGeorgia | |
 Georgia's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:32°24′N82°34′W / 32.4°N 82.57°W /32.4; -82.57 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Georgia |
| Founded | November 5, 1918; 107 years ago (1918) |
| Named after | John A. Treutlen |
| Seat | Soperton |
| Largest city | Soperton |
| Area | |
• Total | 202 sq mi (520 km2) |
| • Land | 199 sq mi (520 km2) |
| • Water | 3.0 sq mi (7.8 km2) 1.5% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 6,406 |
| • Density | 32/sq mi (12/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 12th |
| Website | treutlencountygov.com |
Treutlen County (/ˈtruːtlɪn/TROOT-lin) is acounty located in thesouthern portion and Magnolia midlands portion of theU.S. state ofGeorgia. As of the2020 census, the population was 6,406.[1] Thecounty seat isSoperton.[2] Treutlen County is host to the Million Pines Arts and Crafts Festival which takes place during the first weekend in November.
Before colonization, the area was home to theMuscogee.[3] Following the American Revolution, the location'swiregrass (Aristida stricta) attracted settlers, and a timber industry began to develop around the area'slongleaf pine forests, supporting occupations fromcabinetmaking and milling toturpentine and othernaval stores production.[3]
The area's landscape made it difficult to build roads, resulting in a sparse population until after theCivil War when railroads arrived. In 1902, theMacon, Dublin and Savannah Railroad completed its extension from Macon toVidalia and constructed a railroad depot nearLothair. The newly incorporated town ofSoperton quickly outgrew Lothair due to the new rail link.[3]
An official process to create Treutlen County was spearheaded byNeil L. Gillis, known as the "father of Treutlen County" due to his efforts. The state constitutional amendment to create Treutlen County was proposed by theGeorgia General Assembly on August 21, 1917, and ratified November 5, 1918, officially making it Georgia's 154th county.[3] The county is made up of former sections of Emanuel and Montgomery counties, and is named forJohn A. Treutlen,[4] Georgia's first stategovernor following adoption of the state Constitution of 1777. By this time, as Soperton had become larger than Lothair, it was the clear choice for county seat.[3]
During the 1920s, a local cotton farmer named James Fowler planted over 7 million pine trees across 10,000 acres of land. Fowler worked together with scientistCharles Herty, who developed a process to usepine pulp to create paper.[3]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 202 square miles (520 km2), of which 199 square miles (520 km2) is land and 3.0 square miles (7.8 km2) (1.5%) is water.[5] Approximately 90% of the county is forested.[6]
The western portion of Treutlen County, west ofSoperton, is located in the LowerOconee River sub-basin of theAltamaha River basin. The eastern portion of the county is located in theOhoopee River sub-basin of the larger Altamaha River basin.[7]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 7,664 | — | |
| 1930 | 7,488 | −2.3% | |
| 1940 | 7,632 | 1.9% | |
| 1950 | 6,522 | −14.5% | |
| 1960 | 5,874 | −9.9% | |
| 1970 | 5,647 | −3.9% | |
| 1980 | 6,087 | 7.8% | |
| 1990 | 5,994 | −1.5% | |
| 2000 | 6,854 | 14.3% | |
| 2010 | 6,885 | 0.5% | |
| 2020 | 6,406 | −7.0% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 6,420 | [8] | 0.2% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1790-1880[10] 1890-1910[11] 1920-1930[12] 1930-1940[13] 1940-1950[14] 1960-1980[15] 1980-2000[16] 2010[17] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 4,065 | 63.46% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 1,999 | 31.21% |
| Native American | 19 | 0.3% |
| Asian | 7 | 0.11% |
| Other/Mixed | 146 | 2.28% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 170 | 2.65% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 6,406 people, 2,490 households, and 1,654 families residing in the county.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1920 | 107 | 28.92% | 263 | 71.08% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 27 | 10.71% | 222 | 88.10% | 3 | 1.19% |
| 1928 | 64 | 14.04% | 392 | 85.96% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 36 | 4.07% | 849 | 95.93% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 23 | 2.46% | 912 | 97.44% | 1 | 0.11% |
| 1940 | 38 | 3.11% | 1,184 | 96.89% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 34 | 3.67% | 893 | 96.33% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 26 | 3.86% | 413 | 61.37% | 234 | 34.77% |
| 1952 | 101 | 6.66% | 1,416 | 93.34% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 117 | 10.86% | 960 | 89.14% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 216 | 18.90% | 927 | 81.10% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 722 | 35.15% | 1,331 | 64.80% | 1 | 0.05% |
| 1968 | 474 | 25.00% | 341 | 17.99% | 1,081 | 57.01% |
| 1972 | 1,346 | 86.50% | 210 | 13.50% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 465 | 22.88% | 1,567 | 77.12% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 668 | 33.33% | 1,307 | 65.22% | 29 | 1.45% |
| 1984 | 1,086 | 56.30% | 843 | 43.70% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1988 | 970 | 57.19% | 726 | 42.81% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1992 | 898 | 38.31% | 1,116 | 47.61% | 330 | 14.08% |
| 1996 | 723 | 41.10% | 912 | 51.85% | 124 | 7.05% |
| 2000 | 1,062 | 54.10% | 879 | 44.78% | 22 | 1.12% |
| 2004 | 1,691 | 61.22% | 1,052 | 38.09% | 19 | 0.69% |
| 2008 | 1,826 | 61.65% | 1,112 | 37.54% | 24 | 0.81% |
| 2012 | 1,652 | 60.05% | 1,074 | 39.04% | 25 | 0.91% |
| 2016 | 1,809 | 66.93% | 862 | 31.89% | 32 | 1.18% |
| 2020 | 2,101 | 68.28% | 952 | 30.94% | 24 | 0.78% |
| 2024 | 2,250 | 72.09% | 864 | 27.68% | 7 | 0.22% |
Places adjacent to Treutlen County, Georgia | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofTreutlen County, Georgia,United States | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
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