Editing Columbia County, Georgia (section)

===20th century===
The 20th century brought many changes to the county, with new technologies and modernization. In 1917, Harlem was badly damaged by fire. Bringing electricity to the county began. Men from Columbia County answered the call of duty and served in both [[World Wars]]. Prior to World War II, the county was still primarily agricultural; it had escaped the [[boll weevil]] infestation that destroyed cotton crops in Mississippi and other parts of the South. The US Army built Camp (later Fort) [[Fort Gordon|Gordon]], taking over a large portion of Richmond County and parts of Columbia, McDuffie, and Jefferson. The Army's keeping the fort after WWII created a new population and economic center for the county. During the 1950s, the [[Lake Strom Thurmond|Clarks Hill Dam]] was constructed, submerging considerable land in northern Columbia County under the new reservoir. It prompted new residential development around the lake.

Between 1950 and 1990, the population increased dramatically. Agriculture declined, as farmland was redeveloped as suburban housing and community centers for persons employed in Augusta. Numerous personnel stationed at Fort Gordon eventually settled in Columbia County. During the 1960s, the schools were [[Racial integration|integrated]] largely without incident under the leadership of Superintendent John Pierce Blanchard. The unincorporated communities of [[Martinez, Georgia|Martinez]] (formerly Lulaville, named after a Cuban doctor) and [[Evans, Georgia|Evans]] (possibly named after Confederate General [[Clement A. Evans]]<ref name="Court House"/>) became the population centers of the county, since they were located nearest to Augusta.

During the 1980s and 1990s and demographic shifts, Evans gradually became the ''de facto'' county seat, as the Columbia County Government Center and the Government Complex Addition were built there to serve the growing population in the county's eastern areas. Court functions remained in Appling since Georgia state law required that superior court sessions must be held at the county seat and courthouse of each county at least twice a year. In 1998, the legislature changed the law to allow counties with unincorporated county seats to hold court sessions at annexes or satellite courthouses.<ref name="Court House"/>  With the 1993 passage of legislation requiring incorporated cities to provide at least three municipal services, Appling was not able to maintain its status as an incorporated city.  (There was question as to whether it was ever incorporated.<ref>[http://columbiacounty.georgia.gov Columbia County] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080703175746/http://columbiacounty.georgia.gov/ |date=July 3, 2008 }}, Georgia.gov, accessed February 15, 2008.</ref><ref name="Supply and Demand">[http://www.georgiatrend.com/our-state/columbia-county-supply.shtml Ed Lightsey, "Columbia County: Supply and Demand"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081025184500/http://www.georgiatrend.com/our-state/columbia-county-supply.shtml |date=October 25, 2008 }}, ''Georgia Trend'', January 2006, accessed February 15, 2008</ref>)  Appling was one of 187 inactive cities in Georgia that lost its charter on June 1, 1995. Today it is nearly a dead town.<ref name="Court House"/>  Following these changes, the county proceeded to build an expansive Courthouse Annex in Evans, completed in 2001. Appling retains its status as ''de jure'' county seat, but all governmental functions are carried out in Evans.<ref name="Court House"/>

Historic sites in Appling include the Courthouse and Jail, the Marshall Monument, and various places associated with Kiokee Baptist Church. Other sites in the county include Stevens Creek Dam and Canal Locks, the birthplace of the comedian [[Oliver Hardy]] in Harlem, and various cemeteries.