Dodge County, Georgia
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Dodge County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2020, the population was 19,925.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The county seat is Eastman.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> Dodge County lies in the Historic South and Black Belt region of Georgia, an area that was devoted to cotton production in the antebellum years. It has significant historic buildings and plantations, has a substantial African-American population, and shows cultural aspects of the South.
History
[edit]Prior to 1802, this section of Georgia was owned by the Creek Indians. Treaties were made in 1802–1805 by which all lands east of the Ocmulgee River were taken from the Creek Indians. This land was distributed by lottery to the citizens of Georgia. In 1803, Wilkinson County was organized under that treaty. Telfair and Laurens counties were formed from Wilkinson County. In 1808, Pulaski County was formed from Laurens County. In 1869, the Macon and Brunswick Railroad was built. Towns began to spring up all up and down the line, and, as this section was so far removed from the county seat, Hawkinsville, it was deemed expedient to create a new county and place the county seat at this point.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> A large portion of the county was taken from Laurens County, and also smaller portions from Pulaski, Montgomery, and Telfair counties. Dodge County was organized on October 26, 1870, during the Reconstruction era. The county was named by the Republican-dominated legislature for William E. Dodge.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The county courthouse was built by Dodge and used until 1908, on the same area the courthouse stands now.
Geography
[edit]According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (1.4%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>
The western half of Dodge County, roughly west of Eastman, is located in the Lower Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The eastern half of the county is located in the Little Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the same Altamaha River basin, with a small northern corner of Dodge County, north and west of Chester, located in the Lower Oconee River sub-basin of the larger Alamaha River basin.<ref>Template:Cite map</ref> The rivers were important for trade, carrying cotton and timber downriver to markets.
Adjacent counties
[edit]- Laurens County - northeast
- Wheeler County - east
- Telfair County - southeast
- Wilcox County - west
- Pulaski County - west
- Bleckley County - northwest
Communities
[edit]Cities
[edit]Towns
[edit]Census-designated place
[edit]- Empire (partly in Bleckley County)
Unincorporated communities
[edit]Demographics
[edit]| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 12,865 | 64.57% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 5,847 | 29.35% |
| Native American | 21 | 0.11% |
| Asian | 95 | 0.48% |
| Pacific Islander | 8 | 0.04% |
| Other/Mixed | 469 | 2.35% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 620 | 3.11% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 19,925 people, 7,628 households, and 5,167 families residing in the county.
Transportation
[edit]Major highways
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Airport
[edit]Template:Main The Heart of Georgia Regional Airport<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> is located three miles east of Eastman off of State Route 46. Elevation 304'. Runway 02/20 is 6,506'x100'and has a precision instrument landing system. The airport is owned by the Heart of Georgia Regional Airport Authority and is home to the Middle Georgia State College Georgia Aviation campus. Middle Georgia State College operates the Federal Aviation Administration's #1 ranked student control tower in the United States.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Other businesses at the airport include aircraft manufacturing, aircraft metal finishing, and general metal fabrication. The airport's fixed-base operator is located in the terminal building midfield. The terminal building is named after W. S. Stuckey Sr., founder of Stuckey's Candy Company<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (now Standard Candy) an aviation pioneer who is from Eastman.
Education
[edit]Politics
[edit]Vote-buying controversy
[edit]Template:Multiple issues Dodge County has been at the center of several voter fraud and vote buying controversies over the past several decades.
1990s
[edit]The most notable incident of voter fraud in Dodge County in the 1990s is the case of United States vs. McCranie. In this case, there were two defendants being tried together for several different methods of voter fraud.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> These methods included vote buying, vote selling, multiple voting, and votes cast by felons and deceased voters.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> The case involved the winners of the July 9, 1996, races for Dodge County Sheriff and Dodge County Commissioner. The races were decided by 9 votes and 31 votes, respectively. The original results of the election had been contested, and a secondary election took place in an attempt to resolve the issue. In the secondary election, the Dodge County Sheriff's race was overturned, but the results of the Dodge County Commissioner's race remained the same.
A joint federal-state investigation into the events of this election found that the defendants likely worked together to buy votes. This was backed up with bank records that showed that the defendants had each obtained $15,000 in cash in $20 bills from the Bank of Eastman.<ref name=":1" /> The two defendants were accused of voter fraud and sentenced on March 12, 1999.<ref name=":1" /> Many federal officials described the 1996 election trial as the largest election-fraud prosecution in United States history.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2000s
[edit]The most notable case of voter fraud in the 2000s is the case of the 2004 Dodge County Sheriff's race. Former Dodge County Sheriff Lawton Douglas Jr. was indicted on two counts of conspiracy and four counts of vote buying in July 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This indictment came due to an investigation of the 2004 election, and did not include any charges for the potentially fraudulent 2008 election.<ref name=":2" /> Former Sheriff Lawton Douglas received a maximum sentence. The sentencing cited Douglas's use of cash, liquor, and drugs to buy votes in the election.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Also, Douglas had people accompany voters into the polling booths to ensure that the vote actually went to him.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His sentence was 18 months in federal prison.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Election results
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See also
[edit]References
[edit]External links
[edit]- Dodge County
- Dodge County historical marker
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