Walton County, Georgia

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Walton County is a county located in the Middle Georgia portion of the U.S. - State of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 96,673.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is located about 30 miles east of the state capital, the city of Atlanta. Monroe is the county seat; Loganville is another major city.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref>

Walton County is part of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metropolitan statistical area.

History

Walton County was created on December 15, 1818. It is named for George Walton, one of the three men from Georgia who signed the United States Declaration of Independence.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The other two were Button Gwinnett and Lyman Hall.

A Supreme Court ruling in April 1946 had ruled that white primaries were unconstitutional, enabling some black citizens in Georgia to cast ballots for the first time during the primary race later that summer.<ref name="nbc">Chelsea Bailey, "Moore's Ford Massacre: Activists Reenact Racist Lynching as a Call for Justice", 02 August 2017; accessed 11 June 2018</ref> This increased social tensions in many areas, as whites continued to oppose voting by blacks. In addition, many whites resisted black veterans' efforts to gain expanded freedoms following their service during World War II.

Moore's Ford lynchings (1946)

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In July 1946, four African Americans were lynched in Walton County, Georgia. The victims were two married couples: George and Mae Murray Dorsey, and Roger and Dorothy Dorsey Malcom (reportedly pregnant).<ref name="nbc"/>

A historical highway marker erected by the state in the 21st century reads:

2.4 miles east, at Moore’s Ford Bridge on the Apalachee River, four African-Americans - George and Mae Murray Dorsey and Roger and Dorothy Dorsey Malcom (reportedly 7 months pregnant) - were brutally beaten and shot by an unmasked mob on the afternoon of July 25, 1946. The lynching followed an argument between Roger Malcom and a local white farmer. These unsolved murders played a crucial role in both President Truman’s commitment to civil rights legislation and the ensuing modern civil rights movement.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (1.3%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref> The county is located in the Piedmont region of the state.

The western half of Walton County, in a half circle from Social Circle through Monroe to northeast of Loganville, is located in the Upper Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The eastern part of the county, east of that curve, is located in the Upper Oconee River sub-basin of the same Altamaha River basin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Adjacent counties

Barrow County – north
Oconee County – northeast
Morgan County – southeast
Newton County – south
Rockdale County – southwest
Gwinnett County – northwest

Communities

Cities

Towns

Between

Unincorporated communities

Demographics

There was a noted decline in the African American population from 1900 to 1960 as thousands left rural areas in the South during the Great Migration to the North, Midwest and West Coast to escape social oppression and to gain better jobs and opportunities.

With dramatic new growth related to the rise of Atlanta as a corporate city, the demographics have changed and the county is majority white in the 21st century. The area has been developed for suburban housing and retail.

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**Walton County, Georgia – Racial and ethnic composition**
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Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000<ref name="2000CensusP004">Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2010<ref name="2010CensusP2">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	% 2000	% 2010	Template:Partial
White alone (NH)	49,731	65,677	68,499	81.95%	78.40%	70.86%
Black or African American alone (NH)	8,703	12,993	17,136	14.34%	15.51%	17.73%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	145	194	188	0.24%	0.23%	0.19%
Asian alone (NH)	410	947	1,409	0.68%	1.13%	1.46%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)	10	38	44	0.02%	0.05%	0.05%
Other race alone (NH)	25	159	552	0.04%	0.19%	0.57%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	500	1,077	3,617	0.82%	1.29%	3.74%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	1,163	2,683	5,228	1.92%	3.20%	5.41%
Total	60,687	83,768	96,673	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 96,673 people, 33,350 households, and 25,736 families residing in the county.

Government

Walton County has a six-member commission elected from single-member districts. This legislative body can pass laws for the county and tax bills. The county chairman is elected at-large to serve as the leader. If a seat becomes vacant during the term, the governor can appoint someone to fill the seat, based on recommendations. In 2015, two of the six positions were filled by appointees.

Politics

Since 1984, Walton County has been heavily Republican, and no Democratic presidential candidate has managed to reach even 30% of the county's vote since 1996.

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Education

Walton County School District is the local school district for all sections except those in Social Circle. Areas in Social Circle are in the Social Circle City School District.<ref>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref>

Schools

Loganville High School
Monroe Area High School
Walnut Grove High School
Foothills Charter High School (alternative school inside of MAHS)
Loganville Middle School
Carver Middle School
Youth Middle School
Loganville Elementary School
Bay Creek Elementary School
Sharon Elementary School
Walker Park Elementary School
Youth Elementary School
Monroe Elementary School
Victory Baptist School (Private)
Trinity Prep School (Private)
George Walton Academy (Private)
Loganville Christian Academy (Private)
Monroe Country Day School (Private)

Transportation

Major highways

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Walton County doesn't have any pedestrian trails. However, there are trails in neighboring Gwinnett and Rockdale county such as the Arabia Mountain Path, Conyers Trail and Cedar Creek Trail Loop.

References

Camp, Lynn Robinson, and Jennifer E. Cheek-Collins. Walton County, Georgia (Black America Series; Charleston, S.C., 2003) (Template:ISBN).
Sams, Anita B. Wayfarers in Walton: A History of Walton County, Georgia, 1818–1967 (Monroe, Ga., 1967).

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External links

Georgia.gov on Walton County
https://web.archive.org/web/20070704131617/http://www.negrdc.org/counties/walton/default.asp
"Holding on to Those Who Can't be Held": Reenacting a Lynching at Moore's Ford, Georgia" Southern Spaces, November 8, 2010.

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