Editing Blackshear, Georgia

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- Basic info  ---------------->
|official_name            = Blackshear, Georgia
|other_name               = 
|native_name              = <!-- for cities whose native name is not in English -->
|nickname                 = 
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|motto                    = <!-- images and maps  ----------->
|image_skyline            = Blackshear City Hall.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Blackshear City Hall
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|image_blank_emblem       = 
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|image_map                = Pierce_County_Georgia_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Blackshear_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location in [[Pierce County, Georgia|Pierce County]] and the state of [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]
|image_map1               = 
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|pushpin_mapsize          = <!-- Location ------------------>
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Georgia (U.S. state)|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Pierce County, Georgia|Pierce]]
|subdivision_type3        = 
|subdivision_name3        = 
|subdivision_type4        = 
|subdivision_name4        = <!-- Politics ----------------->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = Mayor
|leader_name              = Keith Brooks
|leader_title1            = <!-- for places with, say, both a mayor and a city manager -->
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|leader_title2            = 
|leader_name2             = 
|leader_title3            = 
|leader_name3             = 
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|established_title        = <!-- Settled -->
|established_date         = 
|established_title2       = <!-- Incorporated (town) -->
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|established_title3       = <!-- Incorporated (city) -->
|established_date3        = <!-- Area    --------------------->
|area_magnitude           = 
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_13.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=December 18, 2021}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 13.32
|area_land_km2            = 13.12
|area_water_km2           = 0.20
|area_total_sq_mi         = 5.14
|area_land_sq_mi          = 5.07
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.08
|area_water_percent       = 
|area_urban_km2           = 
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|area_metro_km2           = 
|area_metro_sq_mi         = 
|area_blank1_title        = 
|area_blank1_km2          = 
|area_blank1_sq_mi        = <!-- Population   ----------------------->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_note          = 
|population_total         = 3506
|population_density_km2   = 267.20
|population_density_sq_mi = 692.06
|population_metro         = 
|population_density_metro_km2     = 
|population_density_metro_sq_mi   = 
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|timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|coordinates              = {{coord|31|17|56|N|82|14|52|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|elevation_footnotes      = <!--for references: use <ref> </ref> tags-->
|elevation_m              = 34
|elevation_ft             = 112
<!-- Area/postal codes & others -------->
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 31516
|area_code                = [[Area code 912|912]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 13-08284<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |accessdate=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0331178<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|accessdate=2008-01-31|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=2007-10-25}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|blackshearga.com}}
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_est = 
}}
The city of '''Blackshear''' is the [[county seat]]<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |accessdate=2011-06-07 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archivedate=2011-05-31 }}</ref> of [[Pierce County, Georgia|Pierce County]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], United States. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the city had a population of 3,506.

Blackshear is part of the [[Waycross, Georgia|Waycross]] [[Waycross micropolitan area|Micropolitan Statistical Area]].

==Geography==
Blackshear is located at {{coord|31|17|56|N|82|14|52|W|type:city}} (31.298941, -82.247726).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|4.4|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|4.3|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.1|sqmi|km2}} (2.06%) is water.

==History==
Blackshear was founded in 1858 to serve as the seat of the newly formed Pierce County.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=REtEXQNWq6MC&pg=PA220 | title=Historical Gazetteer of the United States | publisher=Routledge | date=May 13, 2013 | accessdate=30 November 2013 | author=Hellmann, Paul T. | pages=220| isbn=978-1135948597 }}</ref> The city was named after General [[David Blackshear]],<ref>{{cite book | url=http://www.kenkrakow.com/gpn/b.pdf | title=Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins | publisher=Winship Press | author=Krakow, Kenneth K. | year=1975 | location=Macon, GA | pages=20 | isbn=0-915430-00-2}}</ref> who authorized the construction of roads, bridges and 11 forts for defense. He was a patriot in the [[American Revolution]], fighting in the [[Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge]] and the Battle of Buford's Bridge. He served as a general during the [[War of 1812]]. He also served in the Georgia state legislature as Senator of Laurens County.

During the [[American Civil War]], the city became a temporary prisoner-of-war camp for more than 5,000 Union prisoners.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://piercecounty.www.50megs.com/military/military_wbts_prison_camp.html|title = PCHGS: Military: WBTS: Blackshear Prison Camp}}</ref> This site is marked by a historical landmark sign.

The primary crop of this south Georgia community was once tobacco, and it is where the first brick tobacco warehouse in Georgia was built, known as the Brantley Brick.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1860= 319
|1870= 490
|1880= 778
|1890= 656
|1900= 876
|1910= 1235
|1920= 1329
|1930= 1817
|1940= 2010
|1950= 2271
|1960= 2482
|1970= 2624
|1980= 3222
|1990= 3263
|2000= 3283
|2010= 3445
|2020= 3506
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Blackshear racial composition as of 2020<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US1308284&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=2021-12-18|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
|2,552
|72.79%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
|696
|19.85%
|-
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
|5
|0.14%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
|24
|0.68%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
|138
|3.94%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
|91
|2.6%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 3,506 people, 1,355 households, and 898 families residing in the city.

== Education ==

=== Pierce County School District ===
The [[Pierce County School District]] holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of three elementary schools, a middle school and a high school.<ref>[http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/ReportingFW.aspx?PageReq=111&PID=62&PTID=69&CountyId=713&T=0&FY=2009 Georgia Board of Education]{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Retrieved June 2, 2010.</ref> The district has 216 full-time teachers and over 3,240 students. Four schools in the district are located in Blackshear.<ref>[http://www.school-stats.com/GA/PIERCE/PIERCE_COUNTY.html School Stats] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224074241/http://www.school-stats.com/GA/PIERCE/PIERCE_COUNTY.html |date=2012-02-24 }}, Retrieved June 2, 2010.</ref>
*Blackshear Elementary School
*Midway Elementary School
*Patterson Elementary School
*Pierce County Middle School
*[[Pierce County High School]]

=== Private Education ===
*Crossroads Christian Academy<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://crossroadschristianacademyga.net/|title=Crossroads Christian Academy|website=Crossroads Christian Academy|accessdate=September 2, 2023}}</ref>

==Notable people==
*[[Stetson Bennett]] (born 1997), quarterback for the University of Georgia Bulldogs football. Two-time national champion. [[NFL]] [[LA Rams]] draftee<ref>{{cite news | url=https://theathletic.com/3101723/2022/01/30/schultz-georgias-stetson-bennett-on-how-blackshear-molded-him-and-why-hes-coming-back-for-2022/ | title=Schultz: Georgia's Stetson Bennett on how Blackshear molded him and why he's coming back for 2022|work=[[The Athletic]] }}</ref>
*[[Ella Thomas Foreacre Brantley]] (1864–1948), President, Georgia Federation of Women's Clubs<ref name="TheAtlantaConstitution1950">{{cite news |last1=Stafford |first1=Bessie S. |title=National Winner. Federation Receives Award At State Meet |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-constitution-national-winner/159298815/ |access-date=18 November 2024 |work=The Atlanta Constitution |via=Newspapers.com |date=13 April 1950 |location=Atlanta, Georgia |page=18}}</ref>
*[[Nikki DeLoach]] (born 1979), actress and singer born in Waycross, but was raised in Blackshear<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://www.southmag.com/from-ga-to-l-a/ | title=From GA to L.A. |magazine=[[South (magazine)|South]]| date=April 7, 2019 }}</ref>
*[[KaDee Strickland]] (born 1975), actress<ref>{{cite web | url=https://wowally.com/entertainment/jason-behrs-wife-kadee-strictland/ | title=5 Things to Learn from Jason Behr's Wife KaDee Strictland |website=wowally.com| date=January 26, 2023 }}</ref>
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== See also==
* ''[[The Blackshear Times]]'' (newspaper)

==References==
<references />

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline}}
* {{Official website|http://www.blackshearga.com}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070311142123/http://piercecountypress.com/ The Pierce County Press (Newspaper)]

{{Pierce County, Georgia}}
{{Georgia county seats}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Cities in Pierce County, Georgia]]
[[Category:County seats in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Waycross, Georgia micropolitan area]]