Monday 7 October 2013

America

Cumming is a city in Forsyth County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. Its population was 5,430 at the 2010 census.[4] However, places with a Cumming mailing address have a population of around 100,000. It is the county seat of Forsyth County[5].

History[edit]

1830 map of Cherokee territory.
The area now called Cumming is located west of Hall County around the area of Vann's Crossing.

Early history[edit]

The area, now called Cumming, was first inhabited by Cherokee tribes. They came in 1755, the Cherokee and Creek people developed disputes over hunting land. After two years of fighting, the Cherokee won the land in the Battle of Taliwa. The Creek people were forced to move south of the Chattahoochee River.[6][7]
1834 map of counties created from Cherokee land. Cumming is shown in the middle of Forsyth County
The Cherokee coexisted with the settlers until the discovery of gold in Georgia in 1828. Settlers that moved to the area to mine for gold pushed for the removal of the Cherokee. Finally in 1835, the Treaty of New Echota was signed. The treaty stated that the Cherokee Nation must move to the Indian Territory. This resulted in the Trail of Tears. The Cherokee territory was then formed into Cherokee County in 1831. In 1832, the county was then split into several counties including Forsyth County.[8] In 1833, the town of Cumming was formed from two 40-acre land lots that had been issued as part of a Georgia State Land Lottery in 1832. The two lots designated as Land Lot 1269 and Land Lot 1270 were purchased by a couple of Forsyth County Inferior Court Justices who realized that it was necessary to have a seat of government to conduct county business. The boundaries of the two lots ended at what is now Tolbert Street on the west side, Eastern Circle on the east side, Resthaven Street on the south side and at School Street on the North side. In 1834 the post office was established and began delivering mail, the Justices of the Inferior Court divided the town land into smaller lots and they began selling them to people over the next several years, reserving one lot for the county courthouse. During that same year, the Georgia State Legislature incorporated the town of Cumming into the City of Cumming and made it the official government seat of Forsyth County. Cumming was named after Colonel William Cumming.[9]

Modern history[edit]

During the 1830s and 1840s, Cumming benefited from the gold mining industry as many business were created to meet the needs of the miners. However, the California Gold Rush in 1849 put the city into an economic depression. Newly-built railroads bypassed the city and took traffic from the Federal Road that ran near Cumming. The city was spared during the Civil War because William T. Sherman did not pass through the city during his March to the Sea. In 1900, the county courthouse was destroyed in a fire and rebuilt in 1905.[6][7]
In 1912, Georgia governor, Joseph M. Brown, sent four companies of state militia to Cumming to prevent riots after several rapes of young white women by African-American men.
“Ellen Grice was assaulted on Wednesday, September 4, 1912.Tony Howell was charged with "Assault with intent to Rape" (Book 4 p. 391). After several adjournments, the case was "nol prossed". Howell continued to live in Forsyth County until the 1940s, when according to a neighbor he moved to Alpharetta, GA to reside with his daughter.
Mae Crow was assaulted on Sunday, September 08, 1912. She died Monday, September 23, 1912. Rob Edwards was indicted for the rape of Mae Crow. On Tuesday September 10th, 1912 Edwards was shot, drug from the Cumming, GA jail and hung up on the telephone pole at the intersection of Main Street and Tribble Gap Road (the northwest corner of the Square). The coroner's inquest held Wednesday, September 18, 1912 found the cause of death to be a gunshot.[10]		”
—Donna Parrish, Shadow of 1912
The governor then declared martial law, but the effort did little to stop a month-long barrage of attacks by night riders on the African-American citizens. This led to a diaspora of African-Americans, and the city had virtually no black population.[11]
Racial tensions were strained even more in 1987 when a group of blacks were assaulted while camping at a park on Lake Lanier. This was widely reported by local newspapers and in Atlanta. As a result of this a local businessman decided to hold a "Peace March" the following week. Reverend Hosea Williams joined the local businessman in a march along Bethelview and Castleberry Road in south Forsyth County into the City of Cumming when they were assaulted by whites. The marchers retreated and vowed to return. During the following "Brotherhood March" On January 24, 1987, another racially-mixed group returned to Forsyth County to complete the march the previous group had be unable to finish. March organizers estimated the number at 20,000, while police estimates ran from 12-14,000. Civil rights leader, Hosea Williams, and former senator, Gary Hart, were in the demonstration. A group of the National Guard kept the opposition of about 1,000 in check. Oprah Winfrey featured the Cumming and Forsyth County on her show, The Oprah Winfrey Show. She formed a town hall meeting where one audience member said this:
“I'm afraid of [blacks] coming to Forsyth County," he said to Oprah at the meeting. "I was born in Atlanta, and in 1963, the first blacks were bussed to West Fulton High School. I go down there now and I see my neighborhood and my community, which was a nice community, and now it's nothing but a rat-infested slum area because they don't care.[12]”
Buford Dam, impounding Lake Lanier on the Chattahoochee River near Cumming
However, it was found the most of the audience members agreed that Forsyth County should integrate. Rev. Hosea Williams was excluded from Oprah's show and arrested for trespassing.
Today, the city is experiencing new growth. The completion of Georgia 400 has helped turn Cumming into a commuter town for Atlanta. The city holds the Cumming Country Fair & Festival every October. The Sawnee Mountain Preserve also provides views of the city from the top of Sawnee Mountain.[6] In 1956, Buford Dam, along the Chattahoochee River, started operating. The reservoir that it created is called Lake Lanier.[7] The lake, being a popular spot for boaters, has generated income from tourists for Cumming as well as provide a source of drinking water. However, because of rapid growth of the Atlanta area, drought, and mishandling of a stream gauge, Lake Lanier has seen record-low water levels. Moreover, the lake is involved in a longstanding lawsuit between Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. Because of a recent ruling, the city may not be able to withdraw its water.[13] However, the city is looking into different sources of water such as wells and various creeks.[14]

Geography[edit]

Cumming is located at
WikiMiniAtlas
34°12′30″N 84°8′15″W / 34.20833°N 84.13750°W / 34.20833; -84.13750 (34.208464, -84.137575)[15].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.9 square miles (15 km2), of which, 5.9 square miles (15 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of it (0.34%) is water.

Demographics[edit]

Historical populations
CensusPop.%±
1890358
—
1900239−33.2%
191030527.6%
192060799.0%
19306486.8%
194095847.8%
19501,26431.9%
19601,56123.5%
19702,03130.1%
19802,0943.1%
19902,82835.1%
20004,22049.2%
20105,43028.7%
U.S. Decennial Census
As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 5,430 people, 1,893 households (of which 57.1% were families), and 1,081 families residing in the city. The population density was 787.0 people per square mile (276.6/km²). There were 2,037 housing units at an average density of 295.2 per square mile (98.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.6% White, 2.9% African American, 0.5% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 16.9% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 31.4% of the population.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,118, and the median income for a family was $48,947. Full-time, year-round male workers had a median income of $35,402 versus $31,892 for similarly situated females. The per capita income for the city was $18,326 . About 27.9% of families and 22.0% of the adult population were below the poverty line.

Education[edit]

Cumming is served by Forsyth County Schools
Elementary Schools
Middle Schools
  • Liberty Middle (West Forsyth)
  • Little Mill Middle (North Forsyth)
  • North Forsyth Middle (North Forsyth)
  • Otwell Middle (Forsyth Central)
  • Piney Grove Middle (South Forsyth)
  • South Forsyth Middle (Lambert)
  • Vickery Creek Middle (West Forsyth)
  • Riverwatch Middle (Lambert)
  • Lakeside Middle (South Forsyth)
High Schools
Charter Schools
  • Forsyth County Academy
Alternative Schools
  • Creative Montessori School
  • Piedmont Learning Center (6-12)
  • Ignite Student Ministries (6-12)
  • Montessori Academy at Sharon Springs

Notable natives and residents[edit]

July 4, 2002 Parade with Mayor Gravitt and City Council
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