Editing Appling County, Georgia

{{short description|County in Georgia, United States}}
{{Distinguish|Appling, Georgia}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Appling County
 | state                = Georgia
 | seal                 = 
 | founded year         = {{start date and age|1818}}
 | founded date         = December 15
 | seat wl              = Baxley
 | largest city wl      = Baxley
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 512
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 507
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 5.2
 | area percentage      = 1.0
 | population_as_of     = 2020
 | population_total     = 18444
 | pop_est_as_of        = 2023
 | population_est       = 18457 {{gain}}
 | population_density_sq_mi = auto
 | time zone            = Eastern
 | district             = 1st
 | ex image             = Appling County Courthouse, Baxley, GA, US.jpg
 | ex image cap         = Appling County Courthouse in Baxley
 | web                  = http://www.baxley.org/
 | named for            = [[Daniel Appling]]
}}

'''Appling County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] located in the [[South Georgia (region)|southern portion]] of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 18,444.<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/applingcountygeorgia/POP010220|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 16, 2021}}</ref> The [[county seat]] is [[Baxley, Georgia|Baxley]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }}</ref>

==History==
Appling County is named for Lieutenant Colonel [[Daniel Appling]], a soldier in the [[War of 1812]].<ref>{{cite book | url=http://www.kenkrakow.com/gpn/a.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040414132504/http://www.kenkrakow.com/gpn/a.pdf |archive-date=April 14, 2004 |url-status=live | title=Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins | publisher=Winship Press | author=Krakow, Kenneth K. | year=1975 | location=Macon, GA | pages=6 | isbn=0-915430-00-2}}</ref> Appling County, the 42nd county created in Georgia, was established by an act of the [[Georgia General Assembly]] on December{{nbsp}}15, 1818.<ref name="nge-appling">{{cite web |last1=Ebel |first1=Carol |title=Appling County |url=https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/counties-cities-neighborhoods/appling-county/ |publisher=New Georgia Encyclopedia |access-date=26 May 2024 |date=June 7, 2022}}</ref> The original county consisted of [[Creek people|Creek]] lands [[cession|ceded]] in the 1814 [[Treaty of Fort Jackson]] and the 1818 [[Treaty of the Creek Agency (1818)|Treaty of the Creek Agency]].

Throughout the 1920s, the population of Appling County increased as the county was included in land lotteries by the Georgia General Assembly in 1820, 1821, 1827, and 1832. Large proportions of settlers at this time included South Carolinians and others from [[Tattnall County, Georgia]].<ref name="nge-appling"/>

On December{{nbsp}}15, 1824, [[Ware County, Georgia|Ware County]] was formed by the Georgia General Assembly from roughly the southern half of Appling land districts 4, 5, and 6, and all of land districts 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13. On December{{nbsp}}24, 1825, Appling County land district 6 was added to [[Telfair County, Georgia|Telfair County]] by an act of the Georgia General Assembly.<ref>{{cite book |title= Acts of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia, Passed at Milledgeville, At an Annual Session in November and December. 1825. |volume= 1 |url= http://metis.galib.uga.edu/ssp/cgi-bin/legis-idx.pl?sessionid=9e0115c1-1e87c56357-0346&type=law&byte=7182954|location= Milledgeville, Georgia|publisher= Georgia General Assembly|page= 61}}</ref> This created an ambiguity of the border between Telfair County and Ware County that was later solved by additional legislation.

On December{{nbsp}}8, 1828, [[Holmesville, Georgia]] was declared the county seat by the General Assembly,<ref>{{cite book |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title= Acts of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia, Passed in Milledgeville at an Annual Session in November and December, 1828. |volume= 1 |url= http://metis.galib.uga.edu/ssp/cgi-bin/legis-idx.pl?sessionid=9e0115c1-1e87c56357-0346&type=law&byte=9372724|location= Milledgeville|page= 168}}</ref> following over ten years of disagreement by local judges.<ref name="nge-appling"/> Previously, court was held at residence of William Carter Jr. In 1836, the General Assembly appointed a seven-member commission to find a location for a more centrally located county seat than Holmesville, but were not able to come to a conclusion. The need for a more central county seat would remain a point of contention in county politics for several decades.

On December{{nbsp}}18, 1857, the part of Appling County that was south of Lightsey's Ford on Big Creek downstream to the [[Little Satilla River (Satilla River)|Little Satilla River]] was taken from Appling County for the creation of [[Pierce County, Georgia|Pierce County]].<ref>{{cite book |title= Acts of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia, Passed in Milledgeville, at a Session of the Same, in November and December, 1857|url= http://metis.galib.uga.edu/ssp/cgi-bin/legis-idx.pl?sessionid=9e0115c1-1e87c56357-0346&type=law&byte=31356650 |volume= 1 |location= Milledgeville, Georgia|page= 40}}</ref>

At the time of the [[1850 United States census]], Appling County had a white population of 2,520, a [[Slavery in the United States|slave]] population of 404, and 25 [[free people of color]]. By the [[1860 United States census]], the county had a white population of 3,442, a slave population of 740, and 3 free people of color.

On August{{nbsp}}27, 1872, eastern sections of Appling land districts 3 and 4 were added to [[Wayne County, Georgia|Wayne County]].<ref>{{cite book|author= <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title= Acts and Resolutions of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia, Passed at its Session in July and August, 1872.|volume= 1|url= http://metis.galib.uga.edu/ssp/cgi-bin/legis-idx.pl?sessionid=9e0115c1-1e87c56357-0346&type=law&byte=44469205|page= 387|access-date= August 19, 2016|archive-date= October 2, 2018|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181002200330/http://metis.galib.uga.edu/ssp/cgi-bin/legis-idx.pl?sessionid=9e0115c1-1e87c56357-0346&type=law&byte=44469205|url-status= dead}}</ref> This area included Wayne County's current county seat [[Jesup, Georgia]], which became the new county seat of Wayne County in 1873. Also in August 1872, the General Assembly called for an election in Appling County to vote on the removal of the county seat to a point along the [[Macon and Brunswick Railroad]]. The residents voted for removal and the town of [[Baxley, Georgia]] was selected as the new county seat after the election. In February 1873, the General Assembly mistakenly passed a law giving county commissioners to sell the public lands in Holmesville so that the proceeds can go to the construction of a new courthouse in Holmesville. It amended the law a year later for the new courthouse location to read Baxley, as had originally been intended.

On August{{nbsp}}18, 1905, [[Jeff Davis County, Georgia|Jeff Davis County]] was created from western portions of Appling County and eastern portions [[Coffee County, Georgia|Coffee County]].<ref>{{cite book |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title= Acts and Resolutions of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia 1905|volume= 1|url= http://metis.galib.uga.edu/ssp/cgi-bin/legis-idx.pl?sessionid=9e0115c1-1e87c56357-0346&type=law&byte=92661790|location= Atlanta, Georgia|page= 55}}</ref> On July{{nbsp}}27, 1914, [[Bacon County, Georgia|Bacon County]] was created from parts of Appling County, Pierce County, and Ware County. The remaining section of Appling County that had been located south of [[Little Satilla River (Satilla River)|Little Satilla River]] became part of Bacon County.<ref>{{cite book |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title= Acts and Resolutions of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia 1914|volume= 1|location= Atlanta, Georgia |page= 23}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|512|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|507|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|5.2|sqmi}} (1.0%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

The southern two-thirds of Appling County, south of a line from [[Graham, Georgia|Graham]] to [[Baxley, Georgia|Baxley]], then running due east from Baxley, is located in the Little [[Satilla River]] sub-basin of the [[St. Marys River (Florida–Georgia)|St. Marys River]]-Satilla River basin. The northern third of the county is located in the [[Altamaha River]] sub-basin of the basin by the same name.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gaswcc.org/maps/ |title=Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience |publisher=Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission |access-date=November 27, 2015 |archive-date=October 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022025219/http://www.gaswcc.org/maps/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Major highways===
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Image:US 1.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 1 in Georgia|U.S. Route 1]]
* [[Image:US 23.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 23 in Georgia|U.S. Route 23]]
* [[Image:US 341.svg|23px]] [[U.S. Route 341]]
* [[Image:Georgia 4.svg|20px]] [[Georgia State Route 4|State Route 4]]
* [[Image:Georgia 15.svg|20px]] [[Georgia State Route 15|State Route 15]]
* [[Image:Georgia 19.svg|20px]] [[Georgia State Route 19|State Route 19]]
* [[Image:Georgia 27.svg|20px]] [[Georgia State Route 27|State Route 27]]
* [[Image:Georgia 121.svg|20px]] [[Georgia State Route 121|State Route 121]]
* [[Image:Georgia 144.svg|20px]] [[Georgia State Route 144|State Route 144]]
* [[Image:Georgia 169.svg|20px]] [[Georgia State Route 169|State Route 169]]
* [[Image:Georgia 203.svg|20px]] [[Georgia State Route 203|State Route 203]]
{{div col end}}

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Toombs County, Georgia|Toombs County]] - north
* [[Tattnall County, Georgia|Tattnall County]] - northeast
* [[Wayne County, Georgia|Wayne County]] - southeast
* [[Pierce County, Georgia|Pierce County]] - south
* [[Jeff Davis County, Georgia|Jeff Davis County]] - west
* [[Bacon County, Georgia|Bacon County]] - west

==Communities==
===Cities===
* [[Baxley, Georgia|Baxley]]
* [[Graham, Georgia|Graham]]

===Town===
* [[Surrency, Georgia|Surrency]]

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1820= 1264
|1830= 1468
|1840= 2052
|1850= 2949
|1860= 4190
|1870= 5086
|1880= 5276
|1890= 8676
|1900= 12336
|1910= 12318
|1920= 10594
|1930= 13314
|1940= 14497
|1950= 14003
|1960= 13246
|1970= 12726
|1980= 15565
|1990= 15744
|2000= 17419
|2010= 18236
|2020= 18444
|estyear=2023
|estimate=18457
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 31, 2024}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades|publisher=[[US Census Bureau]]|access-date=}}</ref><br>1790-1880<ref name=1880CensusGACty>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800 |website=[[US Census Bureau]]|date= 1880|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1880/vol-01-population/1880_v1-08.pdf|accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=|page=}}</ref> 1890-1910<ref name=1910CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1910 Census of Population - Georgia  |website=[[US Census Bureau]]|date= 1910|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1910/abstract/supplement-ga.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=|page=}}</ref><br> 1920-1930<ref name=1930CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1930 Census of Population - Georgia  |website=[[US Census Bureau]]|date= 1930|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/03815512v1ch04.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=|page=}}</ref> 1930-1940<ref name=1940CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1940 Census of Population - Georgia  |website=[[US Census Bureau]]|date= 1940|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1940/population-volume-1/33973538v1ch04.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}</ref><br> 1940-1950<ref name=1950CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1950 Census of Population - Georgia - |website=[[US Census Bureau]]|date= 1950|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1950/population-volume-2/37779083v2p11ch2.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}</ref> 1960-1980<ref name=1980CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia  |website=[[US Census Bureau]]|date= 1980|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_gaABC-01.pdf|accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}</ref><br> 1980-2000<ref name=2000CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia  |website=[[US Census Bureau]]|date= 2000|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2003/dec/phc-3-12.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}</ref> 2010-2020<ref name="QF"/>
}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+Appling County racial composition as of 2020<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US13001&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 14, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
|12,674
|68.72%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
|3,339
|18.1%
|-
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
|33
|0.18%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
|123
|0.67%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]]
|1
|0.01%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
|449
|2.43%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
|1,825
|9.89%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 18,444 people, 6,656 households, and 4,875 families residing in the county.

==Education==
{{Main|Baxley, Georgia#Education}}

==Politics==
{{PresHead|place=Appling County, Georgia|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=March 18, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|6,761|1,560|13|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|6,570|1,784|36|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|5,494|1,434|84|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|5,233|1,758|102|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|5,085|1,846|71|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|4,494|1,848|31|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|3,940|2,093|66|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|2,572|2,070|457|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|2,514|2,455|1,058|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|3,000|1,837|22|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|2,929|1,958|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1980|Democratic|1,961|2,985|61|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|961|3,585|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|2,755|512|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1968|American Independent|795|760|2,678|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1964|Republican|2,597|1,562|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|717|1,973|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1956|Democratic|506|1,719|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1952|Democratic|713|2,179|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|289|2,268|650|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|387|1,318|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|312|1,514|16|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|140|1,309|8|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|64|601|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|579|415|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|44|212|1|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1920|Democratic|196|313|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|44|413|117|Georgia}}
{{PresFoot|1912|Democratic|90|360|149|Georgia}}

==See also==
{{Portal|State of Georgia}}
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Appling County, Georgia]]
*[[List of counties in Georgia]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060221234938/http://www.cviog.uga.edu/Projects/gainfo/courthouses/applingCH.htm GeorgiaInfo.com Appling County Courthouse info]
* [http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/topics/historical_markers/county/appling/appling-county Appling County] historical marker
{{Commons category|position=left}}

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Appling County, Georgia
|North     = [[Toombs County, Georgia|Toombs County]]
|Northeast = [[Tattnall County, Georgia|Tattnall County]]
|East      =
|Southeast = [[Wayne County, Georgia|Wayne County]]
|South     = [[Pierce County, Georgia|Pierce County]]
|Southwest = [[Bacon County, Georgia|Bacon County]]
|West      = [[Jeff Davis County, Georgia|Jeff Davis County]]
|Northwest =
}}
{{Appling County, Georgia}}
{{Georgia (U.S. state)}}

{{Coord|31.75|-82.29|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-GA_source:UScensus1990}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Appling County, Georgia| ]]
[[Category:1818 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1818]]
[[Category:Georgia (U.S. state) counties]]