Thunderbolt, Georgia
Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Thunderbolt is a town located in Chatham County, Georgia, United States, approximately five miles southeast of downtown Savannah. As of the 2020 census, the town had a total population of 2,556. It is part of the Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area. Thunderbolt runs along the western shore of the Wilmington River (a tidal river that is part of the U.S. Intracoastal Waterway). The town is important to Georgia's shrimping industry, with scores of docks for shrimping trawlers. The town's picturesque atmosphere and seafood restaurants draw many local visitors.
History
[edit]An early variant name was "Warsaw". The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the town as "Warsaw" in 1856.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Coincidentally, Casimir Pulaski, who was born in Warsaw, Poland, died in Thunderbolt. An act of legislature officially changed the town's name to "Thunderbolt" in 1921.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
According to tradition, Thunderbolt was named from an incident when lightning strike caused a spring to open up.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Fort Thunderbolt, colloquially referred to as the Thunderbolt Battery, was built to protect the city of Savannah from invading Union forces advancing from Whitemarsh Island.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Geography
[edit]Thunderbolt is located at 32°1'56" North, 81°3'6" West (32.032111, -81.051733).<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.8 kmTemplate:Sup), of which 1.3 square miles (3.3 kmTemplate:Sup) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.5 kmTemplate:Sup) is water.
Demographics
[edit]| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,376 | 53.83% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 639 | 25.0% |
| Native American | 1 | 0.04% |
| Asian | 81 | 3.17% |
| Other/Mixed | 115 | 4.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 344 | 13.46% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,556 people, 1,091 households, and 516 families residing in the town.
See also
[edit]- Samuel Bowen, who grew the first soya beans introduced to North America in Thunderbolt.