Ludowici, Georgia

Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Ludowici (Template:IPAc-en) is a city in Long County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,703 at the 2010 Census<ref name="Census 2010">Template:Cite web</ref> and an estimated 2,221 in 2018.<ref name="USCensusEst2018CenPopScriptOnlyDirtyFixDoNotUse">Template:Cite web</ref> The city is the county seat of Long County.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> It is a part of the Hinesville-Fort Stewart metropolitan area.

The town, which was originally called Johnston Station, had its beginnings in the 1840s when the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad established a stop referred to as "Four and a Half".<ref name="New Georgia Encyclopedia">New Georgia Encyclopedia</ref> The station was constructed across from the house of a landowner named Allen Johnston.

The Long County Courthouse and Ludowici Well Pavilion are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History

In 1900, the population was about 300 and Johnston Station had a telegraph, post, and express offices.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> H. F. McKay, an African American Republican, was elected to the Georgia Senate to represent Liberty County the same year. He lived in the area of Johnston Station.

In 1902, the Ludowici Roofing Tile Company built their "Dixie" plant in Johnson Station.<ref name="Ludowici-Celadon Inc. History">"Template:Cite web".</ref><ref name="Time1970">"American Scene: Ludowici, Ga." TIME. Monday April 27, 1970. Retrieved on March 3, 2012.</ref> In 1905, when the town erected a new high school, the Ludowici company donated towards its construction costs and provided the roofing tile. In return, on August 23, 1905, the town was renamed and incorporated as Ludowici.

The Ludowici Dixie Plant in its heyday covered more than Template:Convert and employed most people who resided in Long County. Tiles manufactured from this plant were stamped "Ludowici Dixie". "Dixie" tile can still be found throughout Georgia and Florida, on such prominent buildings as the U.S. Federal Building in Savannah and Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida,<ref name="New Georgia Encyclopedia"/> as well as numerous homes in Ludowici and the surrounding communities. The plant closed in 1914.<ref name="New Georgia Encyclopedia"/> The Ludowici Roof Tile Company still exists, but the company's plant is in New Lexington, Ohio.

Before interstate highways were constructed, all motorists traveled on regular U.S. highways. Ludowici was at the crossroads of three U.S. highways, Routes 25, 82 and 301. Many vacationers on their way to Florida passed through Ludowici.

Speed trap designation

The city gained notoriety during the 1950s and 1960s for its aggressive traffic enforcement policies. The AAA went so far as to specifically label Ludowici as a speed trap.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Members of the local police force were allegedly engaging in manipulation of the timing of the traffic signal downtown, so as to catch unsuspecting out-of-area motorists "running" a suddenly changed red light. The switch for the stop light was located in the barber shop. The traffic light was at an intersection that was bypassed by a shortcut (Main Street – see a local map) so that local residents would not even come to the light when making the turn at the light. Thus, all the tickets went to nonresidents without the police having to be selective since no locals would be at the light. A song was also written about the town.<ref>Lester Goes to Ludowici</ref>

Then-Governor Lester Maddox posted billboards warning tourists to avoid the town because ticket-related corruption was so bad.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Word of mouth and media exposure caused many motorists to detour around Ludowici. A 1970 TIME article said that Ludowici was "one of the last remaining speed traps in the country."<ref name="Time1970"/>

Reason reported that it wasn't the activity of Governor Maddox that ultimately ended the speed trap activities of the town, but rather that, "In the end, Ludowici was brought down not by Maddox, but by Interstate 95. Tourists no longer had to run a gauntlet of cops and flim-flam men to reach Florida's sunnier climes, and the town faded into well-deserved obscurity."<ref name="11 Insanely Corrupt Speed-Trap Towns – Reason">Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

Ludowici, in southeast Georgia,<ref name="Time1970"/> is located Template:Convert from the Atlantic coast. Nearby communities include Jesup Template:Convert to the southwest via US Routes 301, 84, and 25; Darien Template:Convert to the southeast via State Route 57; Hinesville/Fort Stewart Template:Convert to the northeast via US 84; and Glennville Template:Convert to the northwest via US 301 and 25.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

According to the United States Census Bureau, Ludowici has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert, or 0.54%, are water.<ref name=Gazetteer>Template:Cite web</ref> The city drains west to Jones Creek and east to Doctors Creek, both tributaries of the Altamaha River.

Demographics

Template:US Census population

Ludowici racial composition as of 2020<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	918	57.74%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	495	31.13%
Asian	4	0.25%
Pacific Islander	1	0.06%
Other/Mixed	92	5.79%
Hispanic or Latino	80	5.03%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,590 people, 763 households, and 573 families residing in the city.

Education

File:Long County Board of Education.jpg

Long County Board of Education building

Long County School District

The Long County School District, which covers the municipality,<ref>Template:Cite web - text list</ref> holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school.<ref>Georgia Board of Education Template:Dead link, Retrieved June 23, 2010.</ref> The district has 119 full-time teachers and over 3,285 students.<ref>School Stats, Retrieved June 23, 2010.</ref>