Dodge County | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 32°10′N83°10′W / 32.17°N 83.17°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Georgia |
Founded | 1870 |
Named for | William E. Dodge |
Seat | Eastman |
Largest city | Eastman |
Area | |
• Total | 503 sq mi (1,300 km2) |
• Land | 496 sq mi (1,280 km2) |
• Water | 7.2 sq mi (19 km2) 1.4% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 19,925 |
• Density | 40/sq mi (20/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
Congressional district | 8th |
Website | www |
Dodge County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2020, the population was 19,925. [1] The county seat is Eastman. [2] Dodge County lies in the Historic South and Black Belt region of Georgia, an area that was devoted to cotton production in the antebellum years. It has significant historic buildings and plantations, has a substantial African-American population, and shows cultural aspects of the South.
Prior to 1802, this section of Georgia was owned by the Creek Indians. Treaties were made in 1802-1805 by which all lands east of the Ocmulgee River were taken from the Creek Indians. This land was distributed by lottery to the citizens of Georgia. In 1803 Wilkinson County was organized under that treaty. Telfair and Laurens counties were formed from Wilkinson County. In 1808 Pulaski County was formed from Laurens. In 1869, the Macon and Brunswick Railroad was built. Towns began to spring up all up and down the line, and, as this section was so far removed from the county seat, Hawkinsville, it was deemed expedient to create a new county and place the county seat at this point. [3] A large portion of the county was taken from Laurens County, and also smaller portions from Pulaski, Montgomery, and Telfair counties. Dodge County was organized on October 26, 1870, during the Reconstruction era. The county was named by the Republican-dominated legislature for William E. Dodge. [4] The county courthouse was built by Dodge and used until 1908, on the same area the courthouse stands now.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 503 square miles (1,300 km2), of which 496 square miles (1,280 km2) is land and 7.2 square miles (19 km2) (1.4%) is water. [5]
The western half of Dodge County, roughly west of Eastman, is located in the Lower Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The eastern half of the county is located in the Little Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the same Altamaha River basin, with a small northern corner of Dodge County, north and west of Chester, located in the Lower Oconee River sub-basin of the larger Alamaha River basin. [6] The rivers were important for trade, carrying cotton and timber downriver to markets.
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1880 | 5,358 | — | |
1890 | 11,452 | 113.7% | |
1900 | 13,975 | 22.0% | |
1910 | 20,127 | 44.0% | |
1920 | 22,540 | 12.0% | |
1930 | 21,599 | −4.2% | |
1940 | 21,022 | −2.7% | |
1950 | 17,865 | −15.0% | |
1960 | 16,483 | −7.7% | |
1970 | 15,658 | −5.0% | |
1980 | 16,955 | 8.3% | |
1990 | 17,607 | 3.8% | |
2000 | 19,171 | 8.9% | |
2010 | 21,796 | 13.7% | |
2020 | 19,925 | −8.6% | |
2023 (est.) | 19,776 | [7] | −0.7% |
U.S. Decennial Census [8] 1790-1880 [9] 1890-1910 [10] 1920-1930 [11] 1930-1940 [12] 1940-1950 [13] 1960-1980 [14] 1980-2000 [15] 2010 [16] |
Race | Num. | Perc. |
---|---|---|
White (non-Hispanic) | 12,865 | 64.57% |
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 5,847 | 29.35% |
Native American | 21 | 0.11% |
Asian | 95 | 0.48% |
Pacific Islander | 8 | 0.04% |
Other/Mixed | 469 | 2.35% |
Hispanic or Latino | 620 | 3.11% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 19,925 people, 7,628 households, and 5,167 families residing in the county.
The Heart of Georgia Regional Airport [18] is located three miles east of Eastman off of State Route 46. Elevation 304'. Runway 02/20 is 6,506'x100'and has a precision instrument landing system. The airport is owned by the Heart of Georgia Regional Airport Authority and is home to the Middle Georgia State College Georgia Aviation campus. Middle Georgia State College operates the Federal Aviation Administration's #1 ranked student control tower in the United States. [19] Other businesses at the airport include aircraft manufacturing, aircraft metal finishing, and general metal fabrication. The airport's fixed-base operator is located in the terminal building midfield. The terminal building is named after W. S. Stuckey Sr., founder of Stuckey's Candy Company [20] (now Standard Candy) an aviation pioneer who is from Eastman.
This section has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) |
Dodge County has been at the center of several voter fraud and vote buying controversies over the past several decades.
The most notable incident of voter fraud in Dodge County in the 1990s is the case of United States vs. McCranie. In this case, there were two defendants being tried together for several different methods of voter fraud. [21] These methods included vote buying, vote selling, multiple voting, and votes cast by felons and deceased voters. [22] The case involved the winners of the July 9, 1996, races for Dodge County Sheriff and Dodge County Commissioner. The races were decided by 9 votes and 31 votes, respectively. The original results of the election had been contested, and a secondary election took place in an attempt to resolve the issue. In the secondary election, the Dodge County Sheriff's race was overturned, but the results of the Dodge County Commissioner's race remained the same.
A joint federal-state investigation into the events of this election found that the defendants likely worked together to buy votes. This was backed up with bank records that showed that the defendants had each obtained $15,000 in cash in $20 bills from the Bank of Eastman. [22] The two defendants were accused of voter fraud and sentenced on March 12, 1999. [22] Many federal officials described the 1996 election trial as the largest election-fraud prosecution in United States history. [23] [24]
The most notable case of voter fraud in the 2000s is the case of the 2004 Dodge County Sheriff's race. Former Dodge County Sheriff Lawton Douglas Jr. was indicted on two counts of conspiracy and four counts of vote buying in July 2009. [25] This indictment came due to an investigation of the 2004 election, and did not include any charges for the potentially fraudulent 2008 election. [23] Former Sheriff Lawton Douglas received a maximum sentence. The sentencing cited Douglas's use of cash, liquor, and drugs to buy votes in the election. [26] Also, Douglas had people accompany voters into the polling booths to ensure that the vote actually went to him. [27] His sentence was 18 months in federal prison. [28]
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 5,843 | 72.39% | 2,172 | 26.91% | 57 | 0.71% |
2016 | 5,021 | 71.64% | 1,839 | 26.24% | 149 | 2.13% |
2012 | 5,214 | 67.24% | 2,442 | 31.49% | 98 | 1.26% |
2008 | 5,543 | 67.40% | 2,595 | 31.55% | 86 | 1.05% |
2004 | 4,584 | 65.52% | 2,384 | 34.08% | 28 | 0.40% |
2000 | 3,472 | 59.08% | 2,326 | 39.58% | 79 | 1.34% |
1996 | 2,478 | 42.86% | 2,696 | 46.64% | 607 | 10.50% |
1992 | 2,287 | 36.43% | 3,002 | 47.82% | 989 | 15.75% |
1988 | 2,677 | 54.95% | 2,164 | 44.42% | 31 | 0.64% |
1984 | 2,765 | 52.39% | 2,513 | 47.61% | 0 | 0.00% |
1980 | 1,719 | 26.64% | 4,635 | 71.83% | 99 | 1.53% |
1976 | 848 | 13.87% | 5,267 | 86.13% | 0 | 0.00% |
1972 | 4,346 | 83.10% | 884 | 16.90% | 0 | 0.00% |
1968 | 1,055 | 18.54% | 1,230 | 21.61% | 3,406 | 59.85% |
1964 | 3,285 | 58.03% | 2,376 | 41.97% | 0 | 0.00% |
1960 | 1,134 | 23.80% | 3,630 | 76.20% | 0 | 0.00% |
1956 | 738 | 17.50% | 3,479 | 82.50% | 0 | 0.00% |
1952 | 454 | 11.64% | 3,445 | 88.36% | 0 | 0.00% |
1948 | 210 | 8.49% | 1,725 | 69.75% | 538 | 21.75% |
1944 | 237 | 14.16% | 1,437 | 85.84% | 0 | 0.00% |
1940 | 171 | 11.74% | 1,280 | 87.91% | 5 | 0.34% |
1936 | 71 | 5.31% | 1,259 | 94.24% | 6 | 0.45% |
1932 | 33 | 1.16% | 2,809 | 98.80% | 1 | 0.04% |
1928 | 273 | 28.74% | 677 | 71.26% | 0 | 0.00% |
1924 | 91 | 5.19% | 1,654 | 94.30% | 9 | 0.51% |
1920 | 177 | 22.01% | 627 | 77.99% | 0 | 0.00% |
1916 | 35 | 3.95% | 788 | 88.84% | 64 | 7.22% |
1912 | 28 | 3.87% | 684 | 94.48% | 12 | 1.66% |
Montgomery County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,610. The county seat is Mount Vernon. Montgomery County is part of the Vidalia, GA micropolitan statistical area.
Wilcox County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,766. The county seat is Abbeville.
Wheeler County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,471. The county seat is Alamo. The county is one of the most impoverished counties in the nation. The American Community Survey's 2009–2013 average reports that the county's per-capita income of $8,948 makes it the poorest county in the United States by this metric. The measurement however is misleading as Wheeler County is the site of Wheeler Correctional Facility, a large prison with a capacity of 2,874 prisoners, about 40 percent of the county's total population. Most prisoners have little income. The prison was opened in 1998 and the prison population may also account for the increased population of the county in the early 2000s.
Twiggs County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,022. The county seat is Jeffersonville. The county was created on December 14, 1809, and named for American Revolutionary War general John Twiggs.
Telfair County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,477. The largest city and county seat is McRae-Helena.
Quitman County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,235, making it the second-least populous county in Georgia. The county seat is Georgetown. The county was created on December 10, 1858, and named after General John A. Quitman, leader in the Mexican–American War, and once Governor of Mississippi. In November 2006, residents voted to consolidate the city government of Georgetown and the county government of Quitman into a consolidated city-county.
Pulaski County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,855. The county seat is Hawkinsville.
Peach County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,981. Its county seat is Fort Valley. Founded in 1924, it is the state's newest county, taken from Houston and Macon counties on July 18 of that year. Its namesake is the peach on account of it being located in a peach-growing district.
Newton County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 112,483. The county seat is Covington.
Jeff Davis County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,779. The county seat is Hazlehurst. The county was created on August 18, 1905, and named for Jefferson Davis, the only Confederate president.
Houston County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. The population was 163,633 at the 2020 census. Its county seat is Perry; the city of Warner Robins is substantially larger in both area and population.
Hancock County is a county located in the East Central part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,735. The county seat is Sparta. The county was created on December 17, 1793, and named for John Hancock, a Founding Father of the American Revolution.
Fulton County is a county in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 1,066,710, making it the state's most populous county and its only one with over one million inhabitants. Its county seat and most populous city is Atlanta, the state capital. About 90% of the City of Atlanta is within Fulton County; the remaining portion is in DeKalb County. Fulton County is part of the Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Roswell, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Coffee County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 43,092, up from 42,356 at the 2010 census. The county seat is Douglas.
Clayton County is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2021, the population was estimated to be 297,100 by the Census Bureau. The county seat is Jonesboro.
Bleckley County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,583. The county seat is Cochran.
Bibb County is located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, its population was 157,346. Bibb County is geographically located in the Central Georgia region, and is the largest county in the Macon metropolitan area.
Ben Hill County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,194. The county seat is Fitzgerald. The county was organized in 1906. It is named after Benjamin Harvey Hill, a former Confederate and United States Senator.
Eastman is a city in Dodge County, Georgia, United States. The population was 5,658 at the 2020 census, up from 4,962 at the 2010 census. The city was named after William Pitt Eastman, a native of Massachusetts who purchased a large tract of land along the Macon and Brunswick Railroad, and settled a city on the site.
McRae–Helena is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia, formed on January 1, 2015, by the merger of the two cities of McRae and Helena. McRae–Helena is the county seat of Telfair County.