Calhoun, Georgia

Calhoun is a city in Gordon County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 16,949. Calhoun is the county seat of Gordon County.

History

In December 1827, Georgia had already claimed the Cherokee lands that became Gordon County and other counties. A small town called "Dawsonville" was created and founded in Gordon County, named for the owner of an early general store. Dawsonville was later renamed "Calhoun" to honor U.S. Senator John C. Calhoun, following his death in 1850.

Gordon County's inferior court called an election for the selection of the county seat, offering voters a choice between a site on the Western & Atlantic Railroad (near Adairsville) or a site more centrally located within the county. Voters chose a site along the railroad, so the inferior court designated Calhoun as county seat in 1851. The legislature incorporated Calhoun in an act approved on January 12, 1852.

On January 5, 1861, Georgia seceded from the Union as a prelude to the American Civil War. Calhounians joined the Confederacy. Most warfare took place elsewhere, but on May 16, 1864, Calhoun was near where the Union General William Tecumseh Sherman and Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston postured before the Battle of Adairsville during Sherman's Atlanta campaign. Oakleigh, the home of Dr. Wall, was used by Sherman as his headquarters at that time.

A tornado on March 20, 1888, leveled much of Calhoun. A devastating fire on October 23 of that year destroyed most of what remained.

Geography

Calhoun is located west of the center of Gordon County at (34.499898, -84.942584), along the Oostanaula River where it is joined by Oothkalooga Creek. It is part of the Coosa River/Alabama River watershed.

U.S. Route 41 passes through the center of town as Wall Street, and Interstate 75 runs along the eastern edge of the city, with access from Exits 310, 312, 315, 317, and 318. I-75 leads north to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and south to Atlanta. US-41, running parallel to I-75, leads north to Resaca and south to Adairsville. Georgia State Route 156 runs west out of town as West Line Street, leading to Armuchee, and heads east out of town as Red Bud Road, leading to Red Bud. Georgia State Route 373 (East Line Street and Dews Pond Road) leads east to Cash. Georgia State Route 136 (North River Street) leads northwest to LaFayette. Georgia State Route 53 passes through the southern part of Calhoun, leading east to Fairmount and southwest to Rome.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Calhoun has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.64%, is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Calhoun has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

thumb|right|Calhoun Railroad Depot was one of the train stations in 1862 where the [[Great Locomotive Chase passed from Adairsville, Georgia.]]

thumb|right|1960 courthouse on the site of former 1880 courthouse

thumb|right|Oakleigh, once a headquarters of General Sherman and home of Dr. Wall, now Gordon Historical Society

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Calhoun had a population of 16,949, with 6,497 households and 4,001 families. The median age was 36.7 years. 25.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.6% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 88.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males age 18 and over.

Of all households, 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 41.3% were married-couple households, 16.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 34.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

!Race

!Num.

!Perc.

|White

|10,204

|60.2%

|Black or African American

|1,154

|6.81%

|Native American

|26

|0.15%

|Asian

|454

|2.68%

|Pacific Islander

|0.04%

|Other/Mixed

|708

|4.18%

|Hispanic or Latino

|4,397

|25.94%

2000 census

As of the census at the Harris Arts Center

Oakleigh/Gordon County Historical Society
Premium Outlets of Calhoun
Phil Reeve Stadium
Sam's Treehouse

Education

Calhoun City School District

The Calhoun City School District serves preschool to grade twelve, and consists of two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school, separate from the county school district. The district has 166 full-time teachers and over 2,666 students.

Calhoun Early Learning Academy - grades Pre-K–K
Calhoun Primary School - grades 1–3
Calhoun Elementary School - grades 4–6
Calhoun Middle School - grades 7–8
Calhoun High School - grades 9-12

Gordon County School District

The Gordon County School District holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, that consists of six elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools, serving the area outside the city limits. The district has 365 full-time teachers and over 6,259 students. With home delivery print editions each Wednesday and Saturday, the paper also has a website and various social media. Blake Silvers has been managing editor of the Calhoun Times since January 2021.

Radio and TV

Although well outside of metro Atlanta, Calhoun is considered part of the Atlanta television market, the ninth-largest DMA according to Nielsen Media Research. Cable TV service is offered through Comcast Cable, which provides one public, educational, and government access (PEG) cable TV channel named WEBS cable 3.

There are now four radio stations having Calhoun as their city of license:

WEBS AM 1030, playing oldies, simulcasts on local Xfinity cable channel 3; station originally broadcast on AM 1110, from approximately 1965–1990.
WIPK FM 94.5, owned by WEBS, went on-air in late 2011 with a country music format.
WJTH AM 900, playing country music; frequency was earlier assigned to WCGA, which broadcast from approximately 1950–1975.
W269CC 101.7, transmitting WJTH programming from WJTH tower, but having nearby Adairsville as the city of license.
WLOJ-LP 102.9, religious (owned and operated by the Calhoun Seventh-day Adventist Church ).

Many other stations from Rome, Atlanta, and Chattanooga are also available across northwest Georgia, though reception of these often depends on weather.

==Notable people==

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Elias Boudinot (1802–1839), born Gallegina Uwati, also known as Buck Watie, Cherokee leader who believed that acculturation was critical to the tribe's survival; influential in the period of removal to the West.
Ken Carson (2000-), American rapper
Charlie Culberson Major League Baseball player
Kris Durham, professional football player; wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders
Roland Hayes (1887–1977), world-renowned lyric tenor, considered the first African-American male concert artist to receive wide acclaim both at home and internationally, born here and attended Calhoun schools
McCartney Kessler (1999-), American professional tennis player; active in the WTA Tour since 2024.
Tre Lamb, college football coach for the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes.
Bert Lance (1931–2013), businessman, and former director of the Office of Management and Budget during the Carter administration
James Beverly Langford (1922–1996), lawyer, businessman, and Georgia state legislator
John Meadows III (1944–2018), Businessman, Mayor of Calhoun, and Georgia state legislator
Larkin Poe, music duo.
Sequoyah (English: George Gist or George Guess) (c.1767–1843), Cherokee, inventor of the Cherokee Syllabary. This was the only time in recorded history that a member of a non-literate people independently created an effective writing system. He was also the namesake of California's giant Sequoia sempervirens redwood tree.
William Thompson (1848–1918), Olympic gold medal winner
Stand Watie (1806–1871), Cherokee leader and Confederate general
Dale Willis (1938–2021), Major League Baseball player

References

External links