McIntosh County, Georgia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
McIntosh County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population is 10,847. The county seat is Darien, Georgia6.
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[edit] History
McIntosh County was split off from Liberty County in 1793. The new county was named McIntosh for its most famous family, which included Lachlan McIntosh, who was a general in the Continental Army. The McIntosh clan in Darien dates back to 1736.
[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,488 km² (575 mi²). 1,123 km² (433 mi²) of it is land and 365 km² (141 mi²) of it (24.56%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 10,847 people, 4,202 households, and 3,012 families residing in the county. The population density was 10/km² (25/mi²). There were 5,735 housing units at an average density of 5/km² (13/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 61.34% White, 36.81% Black or African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. 0.91% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 4,202 households out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.20% were married couples living together, 14.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.30% were non-families. 24.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the county the population was spread out with 28.00% under the age of 18, 7.20% from 18 to 24, 26.90% from 25 to 44, 26.10% from 45 to 64, and 11.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,102, and the median income for a family was $34,363. Males had a median income of $29,782 versus $19,598 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,253. About 15.70% of families and 18.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.10% of those under age 18 and 16.90% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Cities and towns
[edit] Civil rights
Despite its large number of black residents, McIntosh County politics continued to be dominated by whites well into the 1970s, even following the federal civil rights legislation of the decade previous. In September 1975, the Georgia Legal Services Program, on behalf of local NAACP members, filed suit in US District Court, alleging that women and blacks were systematically excluded from grand juries responsible for appointing members to the McIntosh County Board of Education. The following May, plaintiffs and county officials reached an agreement providing for random jury selection.
In 1977, the NAACP filed separate suits against McIntosh County and the City of Darien, alleging improper districting for county and city commission seats. The county settled out of court, agreeing to redraw its commission boundaries to include a black-majority district. The NAACP lost its suit against the city, but this decision was remanded and reversed in 1979 by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Praying for Sheetrock: A Work of Nonfiction (ISBN 0201550482) by Melissa Fay Greene narrates the events surrounding the civil rights movement in McIntosh County, particularly the demise of white Sheriff Thomas H. Poppell and the 1978 election of black rights activist Thurnell Alston to the county commission.
[edit] Famous residents
McIntosh County is home to the McIntosh County Shouters, a traditional performance group of the Gullah ethnic group, based in the town of Eulonia. They perform the ring shout, an African tradition of counterclockwise movement performed to singing, chanting and percussive accompaniment utilizing the hands and feet, that has been passed down from African ancestors from generation to generation.[1]
[edit] External links
- McIntosh County website
- History of McIntosh County
- Historical markers in McIntosh County
- McIntosh County Shouters
