Editing Fort Gaines, Georgia

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- Basic info  ---------------->
|official_name            = Fort Gaines, Georgia
|other_name               = 
|native_name              = <!-- for cities whose native name is not in English -->
|nickname                 = 
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|motto                    = "A historic past - A promising future" 
<!-- images and maps  ----------->
|image_skyline            = Clay County Courthouse in Fort Gaines Georgia.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = [[Clay County Courthouse (Fort Gaines, Georgia)|Clay County Courthouse]] in Fort Gaines
|image_flag               = 
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|image_map                = Clay_County_Georgia_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Fort_Gaines_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250x200px
|map_caption              = Location in [[Clay County, Georgia|Clay County]] and the state of [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]
|image_map1               = 
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|pushpin_map_caption      = 
|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        = [[Clay County, Georgia|Clay]]
|subdivision_type3        = 
|subdivision_name3        = 
|subdivision_type4        = 
|subdivision_name4        = <!-- Politics ----------------->
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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           = 19.94
|area_land_km2            = 12.37
|area_water_km2           = 7.58
|area_total_sq_mi         = 7.70
|area_land_sq_mi          = 4.78
|area_water_sq_mi         = 2.92
|area_water_percent       = 
|area_urban_km2           = 
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|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         = 995
|population_density_km2   = 80.45
|population_density_sq_mi = 208.38
|population_metro         = 
|population_density_metro_km2     = 
|population_density_metro_sq_mi   = 
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|population_density_blank1_sq_mi  = <!-- General information  --------------->
|timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|coordinates              = {{coord|31|36|51|N|85|2|54|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|elevation_footnotes      = <!--for references: use <ref> tags-->
|elevation_m              = 69
|elevation_ft             = 226
<!-- Area/postal codes & others -------->
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]s
|postal_code              = 39851
|area_code                = [[Area code 229|229]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 13-30816<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0355877<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=2008-01-31|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=2007-10-25}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|https://www.fortgainesga.org}}
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_est = 
}}
'''Fort Gaines''' is a city in and the county seat of [[Clay County, Georgia]], United States.<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=2011-06-07 |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=2011-05-31 }}</ref> It has a population of 995 as of the 2020 census.

==History==
The present town of Fort Gaines was founded in 1816 as protection against the indigenous [[Muscogee|Creeks]] and prospered due to riverboat trade.<ref name="GAE">{{cite web|title=Fort Gaines|url=http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/counties-cities-neighborhoods/fort-gaines |last1=Morgan |first1=Linda|publisher=Georgia Encyclopedia |access-date=July 2, 2016}}</ref> Though it was named for [[Edmund P. Gaines|General Edmund Pendleton Gaines]], he did not arrive there with the 4th Infantry of the United States Army until 1816.<ref name="GAE"/><ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n128 129]}}</ref> A fort of the same name had been built in 1814 nearby on the Chattachoochee River. In 1854, Fort Gaines was designated seat of the newly formed Clay County.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=REtEXQNWq6MC&pg=PA230 | title=Historical Gazetteer of the United States | publisher=Routledge | date=May 13, 2013 | access-date=30 November 2013 | author=Hellmann, Paul T. | pages=230| isbn=978-1135948597 }}</ref>

According to ''The Floridian'' newspaper of 1840, in Fort Gaines were the Chattahoochee Female College and the Independent College for Young Men, boarding schools (not colleges, as that word is traditionally used today). "The writer esteems that the society and location of Fort Gaines for literary purposes, so far as the education of youths is concerned, equal to that of [[Sparta, Georgia|Sparta]] [Georgia]."<ref>{{cite news
|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28413769/these_colleges_are_not/
|newspaper=The Floridian (Tallahassee, Florida)
|first=Sereno
|last=Taylor
|date=January 18, 1840
|title=The Chattahoochee FemslE College and Independent School for Young Men [illegible]}}</ref>

==Geography==
Fort Gaines is located along the western edge of Clay County at {{coord|31|36|51|N|85|2|54|W|type:city}} (31.614226, -85.048317).<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=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> Its western boundary is the [[Chattahoochee River]], which is also the state line with [[Alabama]]. Walter F. George Lock and Dam crosses the river between the northern side of Fort Gaines and Alabama, forming [[Walter F. George Lake]], also known as Lake Eufaula.

Georgia State Routes [[Georgia State Route 37|37]], [[Georgia State Route 39|39]], and [[Georgia State Route 266|266]] all run through the city. GA-37 runs east–west just south of the downtown area, leading east {{convert|20|mi|km|abbr=on}} to [[Edison, Georgia|Edison]] and west {{convert|14|mi|km|abbr=on}} to [[Abbeville, Alabama|Abbeville]], [[Alabama]] (as [[Alabama State Route 10]]). GA-39 runs north–south through the center of town as Hancock Street, leading north {{convert|23|mi|km|abbr=on}} to [[Georgetown, Quitman County, Georgia|Georgetown]] and southeast {{convert|20|mi|km|abbr=on}} to [[Blakely, Georgia|Blakely]]. GA-266 begins just north of the city and leads northeast {{convert|22|mi|km|abbr=on}} to [[Cuthbert, Georgia|Cuthbert]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], Fort Gaines has a total area of {{convert|19.9|km2|disp=flip}}, of which {{convert|12.4|km2|disp=flip}} is land and {{convert|7.6|km2|disp=flip}}, or 37.99%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web |title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Fort Gaines city, Georgia |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US1330816 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212174626/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US1330816 |archive-date=February 12, 2020 |access-date=July 25, 2014 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1870= 758
|1880= 867
|1890= 1097
|1900= 1305
|1910= 1320
|1920= 1237
|1930= 1272
|1940= 1357
|1950= 1339
|1960= 1320
|1970= 1255
|1980= 1260
|1990= 1248
|2000= 1110
|2010= 1107
|2020= 995
|estyear=
|estimate=
|estref=
|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 Decade|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=}}</ref><br> 1850-1870<ref name=1870CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1870 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1870|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1870/population/1870a-13.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=|page=}}</ref> 1870-1880<ref name=1880CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1880 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1880|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1880/vol-01-population/1880_v1-09.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=|page=}}</ref><br> 1890-1910<ref name=1910CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1910 Census of Population - Georgia  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1910|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1910/abstract/supplement-ga.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=|page=}}</ref> 1920-1930<ref name=1930CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1930 Census of Population - Georgia  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1930|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/03815512v1ch04.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=|pages=251–256}}</ref><br> 1940<ref name=1940CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1940 Census of Population - Georgia  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1940|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1940/population-volume-1/33973538v1ch04.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}</ref> 1950<ref name=1950CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1950 Census of Population - Georgia |publisher=[[United States 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<ref name=1960CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1960 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1960|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1960/population-volume-1/vol-01-12-c.pdf|accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}</ref><br> 1970<ref name=1970CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1970 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1970|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1970a_ga-01.pdf|accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}</ref> 1980<ref name=1980CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1980|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_gaABC-01.pdf|accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}</ref> 1990<ref name=1990CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1990 Census of Population - Summary Social, Economic, and Housing Characteristics - Georgia |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1990|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1990/cph-5/cph-5-12.pdf|accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}</ref><br> 2000<ref name=2000CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 2000 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 2000|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2003/dec/phc-3-12.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}</ref> 2010<ref name=2010CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 2010 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 2010|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/2010/cph-2/cph-2-12.pdf|accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Fort Gaines racial composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US1330816&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=2021-12-19|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
|196
|19.7%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
|751
|75.48%
|-
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
|1
|0.1%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
|5
|0.5%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
|31
|3.12%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
|11
|1.11%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 995 people, 336 households, and 212 families residing in the city.

===2000 census===
At the 2000 [[census]],<ref name="GR2" /> there were 1,110 people, 429 households and 287 families residing in the city.  The population density was {{convert|231.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 519 housing units at an average density of {{convert|108.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the city was 67.93% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 31.08% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.18% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.18% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.09% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], and 0.54% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.44% of the population.

There were 429 households, of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.2% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 31.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.07.

Age distribution was 28.7% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 21.0% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 22.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 72.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 65.8 males.

The [[median household income]] was $18,30, and the median family income was $20,909. Males had a median income of $20,417 versus $14,875 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $12,481. About 34.7% of families and 40.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 53.2% of those under age 18 and 26.7% of those age 65 or over.

== Education ==
=== Clay County School District ===
The [[Clay County School District (Georgia)|Clay County School District]] holds pre-school to grade nine, and consists of one elementary school, one middle school, and one ninth-grade education building.<ref>[http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/ReportingFW.aspx?PageReq=111&PID=62&PTID=69&CountyId=630&T=0&FY=2009 Georgia Board of Education]{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Retrieved June 4, 2010.</ref> The district has 27 full-time teachers and over 358 students.<ref>[http://www.school-stats.com/GA/CLAY/CLAY_COUNTY.html School Stats], Retrieved June 4, 2010.</ref>  High school aged students attend 10-12th grade in adjoining [[Randolph County, Georgia]].
*Clay County Elementary School
*Clay County Middle School
*Ninth-Grade Academy

==Notable people==
*[[Frances Sage Bradley]], rural physician
*[[Mackey Sasser]], baseball player
*[[Charles Driebe]], music artist manager, known for managing [[Blind Boys of Alabama]]

==See also==
{{portal|Georgia (U.S. state)}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/topics/historical_markers/county/clay/founding-of-fort-gaines Founding of Fort Gaines historical marker] from the [[Digital Library of Georgia]]
* [http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/topics/historical_markers/county/clay/fort-gaines Fort Gaines] historical marker
* [http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/topics/historical_markers/county/clay/in-the-confederacy In the Confederacy] historical marker
* [http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/topics/historical_markers/county/clay/queen-city-of-the-chattahoochee Queen City of the Chattahoochee] historical marker
* [http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/topics/historical_markers/county/clay/site-of-fort-gaines-female-college Site of Fort Gaines Female College] historical marker
* [http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/topics/historical_markers/county/clay/mt.-gilead-baptist-church Mt. Gilead Baptist Church] historical marker

{{Clay County, Georgia}}
{{Georgia county seats}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Forts in Georgia (U.S. state)|Gaines]]
[[Category:Cities in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Cities in Clay County, Georgia]]
[[Category:County seats in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Georgia populated places on the Chattahoochee River]]
[[Category:Seminole Wars|Gaines]]
[[Category:1816 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)]]