Editing Webster County, Georgia

{{Short description|County in Georgia, United States}}
{{Other uses|Webster County (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county       = Webster County
 | state               = Georgia
 | seal                 = 
 | founded              = {{start date and age|1853|12|16}}
 | seat wl             = Preston
 | largest city wl     = Preston
 | city type         = community
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 210
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 209
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 1.1
 | area percentage      = 0.5%
 | census yr            = 2020
 | pop                  = 2348
 | pop_est_as_of        = 2024
 | population_est       = 2337 {{loss}}
 | density_sq_mi        = auto
 | web                  = www.webstercountyga.org
 | ex image             = Webster County, GA Courthouse.JPG
 | ex image cap         = [[Webster County Courthouse (Preston, Georgia)|County courthouse]] in Preston
 | district             = 2nd
 | time zone           = Eastern
 | named for            = [[Daniel Webster]] }}

'''Webster County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] located in the west central portion of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]] reflected a population of 2,348,<ref>{{cite web|title=Census - Geography Profile: Webster County, Georgia|url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Webster_County,_Georgia?g=0500000US13307|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=December 29, 2022}}</ref> making it the third-least populous county in Georgia. The [[county seat]] is [[Preston, Georgia|Preston]].<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}}</ref>

==History==
Webster County was created by an act of the [[Georgia General Assembly]] on December 16, 1853, as '''Kinchafoonee County'''.<ref name="WWC">Weston Woman's Club: ''History of Webster County, Georgia'', W. H. Wolfe Associates, Roswell, Ga., 1980, pp. 16-19.</ref>  A subsequent legislative act on February 21, 1856, changed the name to Webster.<ref name="WWC"/>  The land for the county came from eastern portions of [[Stewart County, Georgia|Stewart County]].<ref>{{cite book | url=http://www.kenkrakow.com/gpn/w.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030727152344/http://www.kenkrakow.com/gpn/w.pdf |archive-date=July 27, 2003 |url-status=live| title=Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins | publisher=Winship Press | author=Krakow, Kenneth K. | year=1975 | location=Macon, GA | pages=249 | isbn=0-915430-00-2}}</ref>

The county is named for [[Daniel Webster]], [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. representative]] of [[New Hampshire]] and U.S. representative and [[United States Senate|U.S. senator]] of [[Massachusetts]].<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=REtEXQNWq6MC&pg=PA242 | title=Historical Gazetteer of the United States | publisher=Routledge | date=May 13, 2013 | access-date=November 30, 2013 | author=Hellmann, Paul T. | pages=242| isbn=978-1135948597 }}</ref> Webster County's original name of Kinchafoonee came from the [[Kinchafoonee Creek]] which runs through the county.<ref name="WWC"/>

On January 1, 2009, the city of [[Preston, Georgia|Preston]] and town of [[Weston, Georgia|Weston]] gave up their municipal charters and formed a [[consolidated city-county]] known as the '''Unified Government of Webster County'''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Webster County Comprehensive Plan 2024–2029|author=River Valley Regional Commission|publisher=Unified Government of Webster County|location=Preston, Georgia|date=September 10, 2024|accessdate=December 10, 2024|page=4|url=https://dca.georgia.gov/document/plans/unified-government-webster-county-comprehensive-plan-update-2024/download#page=6}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|210|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|209|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|1.1|sqmi}} (0.5%) 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 majority of Webster County, bordered to the southwest by [[Georgia State Route 520|State Route 520]], is located in the [[Kinchafoonee Creek|Kinchafoonee]]-[[Muckalee Creek|Muckalee]] sub-basin of the [[ACF River Basin]] (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). The southwestern corner of the county is located in the [[Ichawaynochaway Creek]] sub-basin of the same ACF River Basin. A tiny edge of the southwestern border, just south of [[Georgia State Route 520|State Route 520]], is located in the Middle [[Chattahoochee River]]-[[Walter F. George Lake]] sub-basin of the same ACF River Basin.<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 24, 2015}}</ref>

===Major highways===
* [[File:US 280.svg|23px]] [[U.S. Route 280 in Georgia|U.S. Route 280]]
* [[File:Georgia 27.svg|20px]] [[Georgia State Route 27|State Route 27]]
* [[File:Georgia 41.svg|20px]] [[Georgia State Route 41|State Route 41]]
* [[File:Georgia 45.svg|20px]] [[Georgia State Route 45|State Route 45]]
* [[File:Georgia 153.svg|23px]] [[Georgia State Route 153|State Route 153]]
* [[File:Georgia 520.svg|23px]] [[Georgia State Route 520|State Route 520]]

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Marion County, Georgia|Marion County]] – north
* [[Sumter County, Georgia|Sumter County]] – east
* [[Terrell County, Georgia|Terrell County]] – south
* [[Randolph County, Georgia|Randolph County]] – southwest
* [[Stewart County, Georgia|Stewart County]] – west

==Communities==
None of these places are incorporated, instead Webster county acts as a unified county. Preston is the county seat, despite being unincorporated.
* [[Archery, Georgia|Archery]]
* [[Preston, Georgia|Preston]] (County Seat)
* [[Weston, Georgia|Weston]]

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1860= 5030
|1870= 4677
|1880= 5237
|1890= 5695
|1900= 6618
|1910= 6151
|1920= 5342
|1930= 5032
|1940= 4726
|1950= 4081
|1960= 3247
|1970= 2362
|1980= 2341
|1990= 2263
|2000= 2390
|2010= 2799
|2020= 2348
|estyear=2023
|estimate=2337
|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=United States Census Bureau|access-date=}}</ref><br>1790-1880<ref name=1880CensusGACty>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800 |publisher=United States 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  |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><br> 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=|page=}}</ref> 1930-1940<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><br> 1940-1950<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> 1960-1980<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><br> 1980-2000<ref name=2000CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - 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="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/13/13307.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 27, 2014}}</ref>
}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Webster County racial composition as of the 2020 census<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US13307&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 9, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]]
|1,136
|48.38%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]]
|1,063
|45.27%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
|12
|0.51%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]]
|6
|0.26%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
|72
|3.07%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
|59
|2.51%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 2,348 people, 1,140 households, and 724 families residing in the county.

==Education==
[[Webster County School District (Georgia)|Webster County School District]] operates public schools.

==Politics==

Webster County was reliably Democratic throughout the 20th century. However, the margins tightened in the 2000 election and in 2004, Democrat John Kerry only won this county very narrowly as George Bush won Georgia's electoral votes easily. Webster County is the only county in Georgia that flipped to John McCain's column in 2008 after voting for Kerry in 2004.
{{PresHead|place=Webster 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 24, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|790|544|2|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|748|640|3|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|630|473|13|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|601|582|5|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|588|515|8|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|2004|Democratic|485|515|8|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|2000|Democratic|359|541|9|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|235|529|59|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|208|600|103|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|361|427|2|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1984|Democratic|402|534|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1980|Democratic|312|608|20|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|165|622|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|483|108|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1968|American Independent|72|147|494|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1964|Republican|457|144|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|77|297|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1956|Democratic|51|295|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1952|Democratic|138|335|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|79|118|117|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|65|284|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|50|280|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|40|310|1|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|5|235|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1928|Democratic|61|174|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|10|140|10|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1920|Democratic|24|185|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|15|248|20|Georgia}}
{{PresFoot|1912|Democratic|2|139|1|Georgia}}

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

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.webstercountyga.org Consolidated Government of Webster County] Including the City of Preston, Weston, and Webster County
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100401033647/http://www.webstereagles.net/  Webster County Board of Education] a School system serving the City of Preston and Weston
* [http://www.webstercosheriff.org Webster County Sheriff's Department] is the primary law enforcement agency for the entire county, and is an integral part of the county's system of justice.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060424065748/http://www.cviog.uga.edu/Projects/gainfo/courthouses/websterCH.htm GeorgiaInfo Webster County Courthouse history]
* [http://www.webstercountyga.org/ County's Official Site]
* [http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/counties-cities-neighborhoods/webster-county Webster County] in the [[New Georgia Encyclopedia]].

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Webster County, Georgia
|North     = [[Marion County, Georgia|Marion County]]
|Northeast =
|East      = [[Sumter County, Georgia|Sumter County]]
|Southeast =
|South     = [[Terrell County, Georgia|Terrell County]]
|Southwest = [[Randolph County, Georgia|Randolph County]]
|West      = [[Stewart County, Georgia|Stewart County]]
|Northwest =
}}
{{Webster County, Georgia}}
{{Georgia (U.S. state)}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|32.05|-84.55|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-GA_source:UScensus1990}}

[[Category:Webster County, Georgia| ]]
[[Category:Georgia (U.S. state) counties]]
[[Category:1853 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1853]]
[[Category:Majority-minority counties in Georgia]]
[[Category:Consolidated city-counties]]