Dawson County is a county in the Northeast region of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,798 up from 22,330 in 2010. The county seat is Dawsonville.
Dawson County is included in the Atlanta metropolitan statistical area. Its natural resources include Amicalola Falls, the highest falls in Georgia and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the state.
History
Dawson County was created on December 3, 1857, from Gilmer and Lumpkin Counties. It is named for William Crosby Dawson, a U.S. Senator from Georgia.
American Civil War
The 1860s brought war and hardships to the people of Dawson County. Many men of Dawson County answered the call and went to fight in the Civil War. Several Confederate units were raised in Dawson County, including:
- 21st Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Company E Concord Rangers
- 22nd Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Company I, Dawson County Independents
- 38th Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Company I (Wright's Legion), Dawson Farmers
- 38th Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Company L (Wright's Legion)
- 52nd Regiment, Georgia Volunteer Infantry, Company I
The 1st Georgia Infantry Battalion (Union), Companies B and C also was raised there.
Post-Civil War to present
Dawson County is known for its long involvement in auto racing, which was established in the 20th century; many of the original NASCAR racers came from this area, and Dawsonville is now one of a few areas considered to be the "birthplace of stock car racing". Local racing skills are said to have been developed by men who ran moonshine down Georgia State Route 9, also known as Thunder Road, to Atlanta. The celebration of Dawson County's history and its involvement in bootlegging moonshine during the Prohibition era now occurs every October, dubbed the Moonshine Festival.
Locals have referred to Dawson County as the "Moonshine Capital of the World". This title is claimed by many other cities and communities, but is fiercely defended by residents of the area. Allegedly, bootleggers took advantage of the county's relative isolation and the ability to move so much moonshine to the larger cities, especially Atlanta, during the United States Prohibition era. Duff Floyd worked for many years as an ATF agent busting moonshine operations in Dawson County, as well as in nearby Gilmer County.
Education
Dawson County currently serves grades K-12. It has a total of seven schools: one for pre-K, four for grades K-5, one for grades 6–7, one for grades 8–9, and <!-- a high school for grades 10–12.
Dawson Head Start Pre-K
Blacks Mill Elementary School (K-5)
Robinson Elementary School (K-5)
Kilough Elementary School (K-5)
Riverview Elementary School (K-5)
Dawson County Middle School (6-7)
Dawson County Junior High School (8-9)
-->Dawson County High School (grades 10–12).
Geography
thumb|right|200px|[[Amicalola Falls]]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which are land and (1.7%) are covered by water.
The county is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Portions of the mountain chain extend into the far northern and western portions of the county, with elevations around 3,500 ft. in this area.
Part of Lake Lanier is in the southeastern part of the county and the boundary lines with neighboring counties pass through the lake. The Amicalola Falls, are located in the county. The Amicalola Falls are the highest in Georgia, the tallest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi River, and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia. The highest point in the county is Black Mountain, with an elevation of . <!--what? , which is located in the Chattahoochee National Forest. --> The Chestatee and Etowah Rivers flow through Dawson County.
The vast majority of Dawson County is located in the Etowah River subbasin of the ACT River Basin (Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin). The southeastern tip of the county is located in the Upper Chattahoochee River subbasin of the <!-- ACF River Basin --> Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin, and a very small northern section of Dawson County is located in the Coosawattee River subbasin of the larger ACT River Basin.
Adjacent counties
- Fannin County - north
- Lumpkin County - northeast
- Hall County - east
- Forsyth County - south
- Cherokee County - southwest
- Pickens County - west
- Gilmer County - northwest
National protected area
- Chattahoochee National Forest (part)
Communities
Cities
- Dawsonville
Unincorporated communities
- Juno
- Afton
Private communities
Several large, gated, private communities function similar to a municipality, providing many municipal-type services that operate independently of county government.
- Big Canoe
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|+Dawson County, Georgia – Racial and ethnic composition<br><small></small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(NH = Non-Hispanic)</small>
!Pop 1980
!Pop 1990
!Pop 2000
!Pop 2010
!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" | Pop 2020
!% 1980
!% 1990
!% 2000
!% 2010
!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020
|-
|White alone (NH)
|4,730
|9,301
|15,429
|20,847
|style='background: #ffffe6; |23,544
|99.08%
|98.64%
|96.44%
|93.36%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |87.86%
|-
|Black or African American alone (NH)
|0
|4
|57
|97
|style='background: #ffffe6; |200
|0.00%
|0.04%
|0.36%
|0.43%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.75%
|-
|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)
|37
|78
|57
|73
|style='background: #ffffe6; |63
|0.78%
|0.83%
|0.36%
|0.33%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.24%
|-
|Asian alone (NH)
|3
|7
|51
|124
|style='background: #ffffe6; |235
|0.06%
|0.07%
|0.32%
|0.56%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.88%
|-
|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)
|x
|x
|5
|8
|style='background: #ffffe6; |14
|x
|x
|0.03%
|0.04%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.05%
|-
|Other race alone (NH)
|1
|0
|6
|13
|style='background: #ffffe6; |94
|0.02%
|0.00%
|0.04%
|0.06%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.35%
|-
|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)
|x
|x
|140
|248
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,043
|x
|x
|0.88%
|1.11%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.89%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino (any race)
|3
|39
|254
|920
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,605
|0.06%
|0.41%
|1.59%
|4.12%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |5.99%
|-
|Total
|4,774
|9,429
|15,999
|22,330
|style='background: #ffffe6; |26,798
|100.00%
|100.00%
|100.00%
|100.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%
|}
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 26,798, 10,313 households, and 6,491 families. The median age was 44.3 years, with 20.0% of residents under the age of 18 and 20.0% of residents 65 or older.
For every 100 females there were 97.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.2 males age 18 and over.
There were 10,313 households in the county, of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 21.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
2010 census
In 2010, median income for a household in the county was $51,128 and the median income for a family was $60,236. Males had a median income of $41,726 versus $31,978 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,557. About 7.8% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.0% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.
2000 census
In 2000, the median income for a household in the county was estimated at $51,989, and for a family was estimated at $60,455. About 8.9% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.0% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
Dawson County was the only county that supported Thomas Dewey in 1948 and then supported Adlai Stevenson II in 1952. As of the 2020s, Dawson County is a strongly Republican voting county, voting 81% for Donald Trump in 2024. For elections to the United States House of Representatives, Dawson County is part of Georgia's 9th congressional district, currently represented by Andrew Clyde. For elections to the Georgia State Senate, Dawson County is part of District 51. For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Dawson County is divided between District 7 and District 9.
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Transportation
Major highways
- 20px U.S. Route 19
- 20px State Route 9
- 20px State Route 52
- 20px State Route 53
- 25px State Route 136
- 25px State Route 183
- 25px State Route 400
<!-- encyclopedic? ===Secondary highways===
- Cowart Road
- Steve Tate Highway
- Burnt Mountain Road (Old SR 108)
- Dawson Forest Road (Old SR 318)
- Lumpkin Campground Road (Old SR 9E)
- Harmony Church Road (Old SR 9E)
- Auraria Road (Old SR 9E)
- Keith Evans Road (Old SR 342)
- Bailey Waters Road (Old SR 342)
- Shoal Creek Road (Old SR 136 Spur)
- Nix Bridge Road (Old SR 226)
-->
Pedestrians and cycling
- Springer Mountain Trail
Notable people
- Bill Elliott - NASCAR racer
- Chase Elliott - NASCAR racer
- Gober Sosebee - NASCAR racer
- Jerry Glanville - National Football League head coach, NASCAR driver
- Bill Goldberg - professional wrestler and actor
- Kevin Tanner - politician and Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities
- Will Wade - politician and member of the Georgia House of Representatives
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Dawson County, Georgia
- List of counties in Georgia
References
External links
- Dawson County historical marker