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McIntosh County, Georgia

Coordinates: 31°29′N 81°22′W / 31.48°N 81.37°W / 31.48; -81.37
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McIntosh County
County
McIntosh County Courthouse in Darien
McIntosh County Courthouse in Darien
Seal
Map of Georgia highlighting McIntosh County
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Map of the United States highlighting Georgia
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 31°29′N 81°22′W / 31.48°N 81.37°W / 31.48; -81.37
Country United States
State Georgia
Founded1793; 231 years ago (1793)
Named forLachlan McIntosh
SeatDarien
Largest cityDarien
Area
 • Total
574 sq mi (1,490 km2)
 • Land424 sq mi (1,100 km2)
 • Water150 sq mi (400 km2)  26.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
10,975
 • Density26/sq mi (10/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district1st
Websitemcintoshcountyga.com
Two of the dozens of historical markers in the county.

McIntosh County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,975,[1] a drop of 23.4 percent since the 2010 census. The county seat is Darien.[2]

McIntosh County is included in the Brunswick, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

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Colonial and Revolutionary period

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Main articles: San Miguel de Gualdape, Spanish Florida, Province of Carolina, Province of South Carolina, and Province of Georgia

The area which was formally named McIntosh County was originally settled by the British in 1721 with the construction of Fort King George, which was part of a set of forts built as a buffer between the British colonies to the north and Spanish Florida to the south, under the direction of General James Oglethorpe. New Inverness (later named Darien) was founded in 1736 by Scottish Highlanders who were enticed to move to Georgia by General Oglethorpe. In 1760, the British built Fort Barrington on the north side of the Altamaha River about 12 miles (19 km) northwest of present-day Darien. It was used for decades as a transportation and communication center up and down coastal Georgia. The County 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.[3][4][5]

Civil War period

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Main article: Georgia in the American Civil War

Few Georgia counties suffered during the Civil War as much as McIntosh County. The agricultural loss of the plantations was devastating. Even the lumber industry was destroyed, along with the once-thriving seaport town of Darien, Georgia which was the result of the burning of Darien in the "total war" tactics of James Montgomery in June 1863.[4][6][7]

Capture of 26 old men

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Sign about capture of 26 men

After the burning of Darien in 1863 under the command of U.S. Army Col. James Montgomery, the area was left mostly defenseless. A group of civilians, generally too old for military service, were the only defense against looting by the U.S. military from the naval blockade boats. The men were meeting at Ebenezer Church on the night of August 3, 1864. A spy told the U.S. military about the meeting. U.S. troops surrounded the church and opened fire. The 26 men were captured, marched to near Darien (about 10 miles away), put on ships and sent to prisons in the north.[8]

Reconstruction

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Main article: Georgia during Reconstruction
The Smallest Church in America [9]

From the end of the Civil war to Georgia's 1907 disenfranchisement laws, McIntosh County was a base of black political power in the state. "Tunis Campbell was the highest-ranking and most influential African American politician in nineteenth-century Georgia", according to the New Georgia Encyclopedia.[10] In March 1865, Tunis G. Campbell Sr. was put in supervision of land claims at the Freedmen's Bureau for a group of Georgia barrier islands, including Sapelo in McIntosh County. After the land in question was returned to plantation owners by President Andrew Johnson, “Campbell quickly purchased 1,250 acres at Belle Ville in McIntosh County and there established an association of black landowners to divide parcels and profit from the land.”[10]

After the military registration carried out in early 1867, 600 black people and 307 white people were on the voter rolls in McIntosh.[11][12]

In late 1867, Campbell was elected as one of two delegates from the second senatorial district – Liberty, McIntosh, and Tattnall counties – to Georgia's constitutional convention.[13]

In April 1868, Campbell was elected as the state senator for the second district, and his son Tunis G. Campbell Jr. was elected as state representative for McIntosh County.[14] While both Campbells were among the black legislators expelled later in 1868, they were able to return to office in 1871; Campbell Sr. left office in 1872, while Campbell Jr. served until 1874.[15]

Campbell Sr. also served as the Vice President of the Georgia Republican Party. As an elected official, “Campbell [Sr.] organized a black power structure in McIntosh County that protected freed people from white abuses, whether against their bodies or in labor negotiations,” and he was rumored to be protected by a 300-person militia.[10] In fact, that power structure lasted for decades, as evidenced by the fact that the county had three black representatives from 1875 to 1907: Amos R. Rodgers (1878–79), Lectured Crawford (1886-7, 1890–1, 1900–1), and William H. Rogers (1902–07).[15]

Civil rights period

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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 previous decade. In September 1975, the Georgia Legal Services Program, on behalf of the local NAACP, filed suit in United States 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.[16]

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.[17]

Praying for Sheetrock: A Work of Nonfiction (ISBN 0-201-55048-2) by Melissa Fay Greene narrates the events surrounding the civil rights movement in McIntosh County, particularly the death of Sheriff Thomas H. Poppell and the 1978 election of black rights activist Thurnell Alston as county commissioner.[18]

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 574 square miles (1,490 km2), of which 424 square miles (1,100 km2) is land and 150 square miles (390 km2) (26.1%) is water.[19]

The vast majority of McIntosh County is located in the Ogeechee Coastal sub-basin of the larger Ogeechee basin. The entire southwestern border of the county is located in the Altamaha River sub-basin of the basin by the same name.[20]

Adjacent counties

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National protected areas

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Islands

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Communities

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City

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Unincorporated communities

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18002,660—
18103,73940.6%
18205,12937.2%
18304,998−2.6%
18405,3607.2%
18506,02712.4%
18605,546−8.0%
18704,491−19.0%
18806,24139.0%
18906,4703.7%
19006,5371.0%
19106,442−1.5%
19205,119−20.5%
19305,76312.6%
19405,292−8.2%
19506,00813.5%
19606,3645.9%
19707,37115.8%
19808,0469.2%
19908,6347.3%
200010,84725.6%
201014,33332.1%
202010,975−23.4%
2023 (est.)11,501[21]4.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[22]
1790-1880[23] 1890-1910[24]
1920-1930[25] 1930-1940[26]
1940-1950[27] 1960-1980[28]
1980-2000[29] 2010[30]
McIntosh County racial composition as of 2020[31]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 7,060 64.33%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 3,176 28.94%
Native American 32 0.29%
Asian 43 0.39%
Other/Mixed 433 3.95%
Hispanic or Latino 231 2.1%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 10,975 people, 6,042 households, and 4,065 families residing in the county.

Transportation

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Major highways

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Traffic signals

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McIntosh County is noteworthy for being the only county in its area having no cycled traffic lights. There are two flashing lights in the county, however. One is at the four-way stop intersection of US-17 and GA-99 in Eulonia, and the other is at the intersection of US-17 and First Street in downtown Darien. There have been discussions in Darien of placing a traffic signal at the intersection of GA-251 and US-17, as well as at the Interstate 95 exit ramps on GA-251, as traffic flow has increased in Darien in recent years. However, no definite plans have been made in regards to potential future traffic signals.[citation needed]

Railroads

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McIntosh County is also one of just a handful of counties in Georgia that no longer has an active railroad. The short-lived Georgia Coast and Piedmont Railroad once ran along present-day SR 99 and SR 57 but was removed by 1919. The more recent Seaboard Coast Line Railroad ran north to south along the western part of the county, through Townsend for most of the twentieth century. However, the track from Riceboro in Liberty County to Seals in Camden County was removed by CSX in the late 1980s, leaving McIntosh County without any railroad track. Evidence of the railroad corridor can still be seen in many areas, though.[32]

Politics

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A Democratic stronghold in the 20th century, McIntosh has now more recently leaned Republican, backing Donald Trump by the most it has supported a GOP presidential candidate since Richard Nixon in 1972, despite Trump's narrow statewide loss in 2020 and Nixon's landslide victory.

United States presidential election results for McIntosh County, Georgia[33]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 4,016 59.98% 2,612 39.01% 68 1.02%
2016 3,487 58.73% 2,303 38.79% 147 2.48%
2012 3,409 53.65% 2,864 45.07% 81 1.27%
2008 3,282 52.63% 2,905 46.58% 49 0.79%
2004 2,837 52.71% 2,523 46.88% 22 0.41%
2000 1,766 46.03% 2,047 53.35% 24 0.63%
1996 1,219 35.35% 1,927 55.89% 302 8.76%
1992 1,027 29.20% 1,925 54.73% 565 16.06%
1988 1,273 45.08% 1,527 54.07% 24 0.85%
1984 1,512 45.71% 1,796 54.29% 0 0.00%
1980 876 28.73% 2,104 69.01% 69 2.26%
1976 535 21.29% 1,978 78.71% 0 0.00%
1972 1,367 62.14% 833 37.86% 0 0.00%
1968 315 15.01% 943 44.93% 841 40.07%
1964 795 39.99% 1,193 60.01% 0 0.00%
1960 451 36.22% 794 63.78% 0 0.00%
1956 886 58.68% 624 41.32% 0 0.00%
1952 503 40.99% 724 59.01% 0 0.00%
1948 233 26.78% 425 48.85% 212 24.37%
1944 149 26.70% 406 72.76% 3 0.54%
1940 106 18.47% 468 81.53% 0 0.00%
1936 53 14.68% 308 85.32% 0 0.00%
1932 19 6.55% 271 93.45% 0 0.00%
1928 180 56.07% 141 43.93% 0 0.00%
1924 44 25.43% 127 73.41% 2 1.16%
1920 39 24.68% 119 75.32% 0 0.00%
1916 4 2.90% 114 82.61% 20 14.49%
1912 8 6.50% 113 91.87% 2 1.63%

Notable people

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: McIntosh County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ Highroad Guide to the Georgia Coast and Okefenokee By Richard J. Lenz page 179
  4. ^ a b "History of McIntosh County, Georgia". www.cityofdarienga.com. Archived from the original on May 18, 2016. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  5. ^ William R. Mitchell Jr. (August 2, 1972). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Fort Barrington". National Park Service. Retrieved January 28, 2017. with six photos from 1972
  6. ^ "The Raid on Darien, Georgia". July 28, 2008. Archived from the original on July 28, 2008. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  7. ^ Duncan, Russell (1992). Blue-Eyed Child of Fortune: The Civil War Letters of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw. Georgia: The University of Georgia Press. pp. 341–345. ISBN 9780820342771.
  8. ^ "Capture of 23 Old Men in 1864 095-33 - McIntosh County, GA - Georgia Historical Markers on Waymarking.com". www.waymarking.com.
  9. ^ "The Smallest Church in America".
  10. ^ a b c Duncan, Russell (February 21, 2018). "Tunis Campbell (1812-1891)". New Georgia Encyclopedia. Georgia Humanities. Archived from the original on July 3, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  11. ^ "Election Returns". The Weekly Constitutionalist. Vol. 27, no. 19. Augusta, Ga.: Stockton & Co. May 6, 1868. p. 7. Archived from the original on February 25, 2020. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  12. ^ "Election Returns". Federal Union. Vol. 38, no. 40. Milledgeville, Ga.: Boughton, Barnes & Moore. May 5, 1868. p. 3. Archived from the original on February 25, 2020. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  13. ^ Pope, John (November 19, 1867). "General Orders No. 89". United States Congressional serial set, Volume 1346. Atlanta, Ga.: Headquarters Third Military District. p. 118. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  14. ^ Drum, R.C. (June 25, 1868). "General Orders No. 90". United States Congressional serial set, Volume 1362. Atlanta, Ga.: Headquarters Third Military District. pp. 5–7. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  15. ^ a b Georgia's Official Register, 1957-1958. Hapeville, Ga.: Longino & Porter. pp. 986, 1176. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  16. ^ Shepard, Kris (2001). Rationing Justice: Poverty Lawyers and Poor People in the Deep South. Louisiana State University Press. pp. 182–187. ISBN 9780807132074.
  17. ^ Circuit., United States Court of Appeals, Fifth (October 19, 1979). "605 F2d 753 McIntosh County Branch of the Naacp v. City of Darien". F2d (605): 753. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved June 2, 2016. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  18. ^ Mitgang, Herbert (November 20, 1991). "Books of The Times; Changing Race Relations In a Georgia County". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 30, 2016. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  19. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Archived from the original on August 24, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  20. ^ "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  21. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  22. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". United States Census Bureau.
  23. ^ "1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
  24. ^ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1910.
  25. ^ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930.
  26. ^ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1940.
  27. ^ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia -" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1950.
  28. ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
  29. ^ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000.
  30. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  31. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  32. ^ "Abandoned Rails: Ludowici to Collins". www.abandonedrails.com. Archived from the original on April 3, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
  33. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Archived from the original on March 23, 2018. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
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31°29′N 81°22′W / 31.48°N 81.37°W / 31.48; -81.37

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