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Waycross is the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Ware County in the U.S. state of
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
. The population was 14,725 at the 2010 Census and dropped to 13,942 in the 2020 census. Waycross includes two
historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from cer ...
s (
Downtown Waycross Historic District The Downtown Waycross Historic District in Waycross, Georgia is a historic district which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. It includes the Post Office, the Phoenix Hotel among totals of 47 contributing buildi ...
and Waycross Historic District) and several other properties that are on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
, including the U.S. Post Office and Courthouse,
Lott Cemetery Lott Cemetery is a cemetery in Waycross, Georgia that was established in 1877. It occupies the block bounded by Butler, Tebeau, Quarterman, and Pendleton streets. There were no areas designated for religious or ethnic groups. African-American ...
, the First African Baptist Church and Parsonage, and the Obediah Barber Homestead (which is seven miles south of the city). The city is also referenced in the song Miller's Cave by the international Submarine Band.https://www.bluegrasslyrics.com/song/millers-cave/


History

The area now known as Waycross was first settled ''circa'' 1820, locally known as "Old Nine" or "Number Nine" and then Pendleton. It was renamed Tebeauville in 1857, incorporated under that name in 1866, and designated county seat of Ware County in 1873. It was incorporated as "Way Cross" on March 3, 1874.City of Waycross entry on GeorgiaInfo.com
Retrieved 2017-02-03.
Waycross gets its name from the city's location at key railroad junctions; lines from six directions meet at the city. The city council in Waycross opened municipal
primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Works ...
elections to white women in 1917, the first town in Georgia to do so. This action was taken because some of the largest property owners in town were women who wanted a say in how their tax dollars were spent. It wasn't until two years later in 1919 that Atlanta became the second Georgia city to do this. Georgia women would not get the right to vote generally in all elections until 1922. Waycross was home to Laura S. Walker (1861-1955) a noted author and conservationist. Walker promoted a comprehensive program of forestry activity, including the establishment of forest parks. She erected markers and monuments along old trails and at historic sites, in Waycross and Ware County so that local history would not be forgotten. An effort to recognize her work culminated in President
Franklin D Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
issuing a proclamation to establish the Laura S Walker National Park in her honor. She was the only living person for whom a state or national park was named. In 1937, the federal government purchased distressed farmland for the park. Work on the park was undertaken by the
Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...
and the
Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government unemployment, work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a ...
. In 1941, the national park was deeded over to Georgia, becoming the State's 13th state park. Waycross was the site of the
1948 Waycross B-29 crash The 1948 Waycross B-29 crash occurred on 6 October 1948 when an engine fire contributed to the crash of a Boeing B-29-100-BW Superfortress bomber in Waycross, Georgia. The plane was from the 3150th Electronics Squadron, United States Air Force a ...
, which led to the legal case '' United States v. Reynolds'' (1953), expanding the government's state secrets privilege. During the 1950s the city had a tourist gimmick: local police would stop motorists with out-of-state license plates and escort them to downtown Waycross. There they would be met by the Welcome World Committee and given overnight lodging, dinner and a trip to the
Okefenokee Swamp The Okefenokee Swamp is a shallow, 438,000-acre (177,000 ha), peat-filled wetland straddling the Georgia–Florida line in the United States. A majority of the swamp is protected by the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and the Okefenokee ...
. The tradition faded away after the interstates opened through Georgia. In the mid-1990s, the Bubba Burger, a frozen hamburger that needed no defrosting, was created in Waycross. This was the creation of Eaves Foods, Inc., a company that later changed to Bubba Foods, LLC. in 2000. Bubba Burgers are now sold nationwide as well as worldwide through the United States Military Commissary system.


Geography

Waycross is located at (31.213860, -82.354911) and is the closest city to the
Okefenokee Swamp The Okefenokee Swamp is a shallow, 438,000-acre (177,000 ha), peat-filled wetland straddling the Georgia–Florida line in the United States. A majority of the swamp is protected by the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and the Okefenokee ...
. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.17%) is water. The closest major city is
Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which th ...
, which is roughly 81 miles away. In May 2010, the city purchased the Bandalong Litter Trap and installed it in Tebeau Creek, a tributary of the
Satilla River The Satilla River rises in Ben Hill County, Georgia, United States, near the town of Fitzgerald, and flows in a mostly easterly direction to the Atlantic Ocean. Along its approximately U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset hig ...
. The trap was invented in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
, but is manufactured in the United States. Although the city has maintained a good standing with the state's Environmental Protection Division, the city wanted to take action to reduce the amount of human generated trash entering the Satilla River and ultimately the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
. Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue said, "Water is one of Georgia's most important and precious resources... the litter trap installed by Waycross is a model of stewardship for the state and the nation." The Satilla River litter trap is the first in Georgia and only the second in the nation. Part of Waycross was situated in Pierce County, but effective July 1, 2015, Waycross was no longer located nor allowed to be located in Pierce County. State Rep. Chad Nimmer introduced HB 523 during the 2015 Legislative Session without providing the required statutory notice to the City of Waycross. HB 523 de-annexed the portion of Waycross located in Pierce County and prevents the City of Waycross from coming back into Pierce County.


Climate


Media

* ''Waycross Journal-Herald'' discontinued, restarted as weekly paper(daily newspaper) * ''
The Florida Times-Union ''The Florida Times-Union'' is a daily newspaper in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Widely known as the oldest newspaper in the state, it began publication as the ''Florida Union'' in 1864. Its current incarnation started in 1883, when th ...
'' (''Georgia Times-Union'' edition) * Waycross Area Television Service (WATS) Channel 10 ;AM *
WAYX WAYX (1230 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock format. WAYX serves Ware, Pierce and Brantley Counties in Southeast Georgia. WAYX streams at WAYX.com. It formerly aired a news-talk format with Fox Radio News, Georgia Network News an ...
AM 1230 (News Talk Radio) *
WSFN WSFN (790 AM) is a sports radio station in Brunswick, Georgia. WSFN programming is simulcast on WFNS 1350 AM and W279BC 103.7 FM. Southern Media Interactive LLC also owns WSEG at Savannah and WFNS at Blackshear. The station lineup includes Ke ...
AM 1350 (Sports Radio) ;FM * W201DK 88.1 (Christian) * WXVS 90.1 (GPB and NPR) * WASW 91.9 (Contemporary Christian) *
WAYX WAYX (1230 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock format. WAYX serves Ware, Pierce and Brantley Counties in Southeast Georgia. WAYX streams at WAYX.com. It formerly aired a news-talk format with Fox Radio News, Georgia Network News an ...
96.3 (Classic Rock) Simulcast with WSIZ * WWUF 97.7 (Adult Contemporary) * WYNR 102.5 (Country) * WQGA 103.3 (Adult Contemporary) * WKUB 105.1 (Country) * WSGT 107.1 (Oldies)


Television

WXGA-TV, a
Georgia Public Broadcasting Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) is a state network of PBS member television stations and NPR member radio stations serving the U.S. state of Georgia. It is operated by the Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission, an agency of the ...
outlet, is licensed to Waycross and also serves nearby Valdosta. Waycross is part of the
Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which th ...
television market.


Health care

With over 100 employees and 10 physicians, Satilla Regional Medical Center is a leading center in health care in the area. The three-story facility has a trauma unit, cancer care unit, outpatient surgery and imaging services. In 2012, Satilla Regional Medical Center joined the Mayo Clinic Health System and became the Mayo Clinic Health System in Waycross. The Mayo Clinic ceased operations of the hospital in 2015. The hospital later joined HCA Healthcare and has since been renamed Memorial Satilla Health.


Transportation

U.S. Highway 1 runs north–south through Waycross, while concurrent with U.S. Highway 23.
U.S. Highway 82 U.S. Route 82 (US 82) is an east–west United States highway in the Southern United States. Created on July 1, 1931 across central Mississippi and southern Arkansas, US 82 eventually became a 1,625-mile (2,615 km) route extending from ...
is an east–west highway in Waycross.
U.S. Highway 84 U.S. Route 84 (US 84) is an east–west U.S. Highway that started as a short Georgia–Alabama route in the original 1926 scheme. Later, in 1941, it had been extended all the way to Colorado. The highway's eastern terminus is a short distan ...
runs east–west through Waycross. There are no limited-access highways anywhere near Waycross; Interstate 75 is 60 miles to the west, and
Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadia ...
is 40 miles to the east. Waycross-Ware County Airport (IATA: AYS, ICAO: KAYS, FAA LID: AYS) is a public airport located three miles (5 km) northwest of the central business district of Waycross. It is owned by the City of Waycross and Ware County. Six railroad lines meet at Waycross, making it a logical location for shunting freight to different destinations.
CSX Transportation CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...
operates Rice Yard here, a major "hump"-type
classification yard A classification yard (American and Canadian English (Canadian National Railway use)), marshalling yard ( British, Hong Kong, Indian, Australian, and Canadian English (Canadian Pacific Railway use)) or shunting yard (Central Europe) is a railway ...
.


Demographics


2020 census

As of the
2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...
, there were 13,942 people, 5,748 households, and 3,197 families residing in the city.


2010 census

As of the
2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...
, there were 14,649 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 54.8% Black, 39.6% White, 0.3% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from some other race and 1.5% from two or more races. 2.8% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.


2000 census

As of the
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...
of 2000, there were 15,333 people, 6,094 households, and 3,741 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 7,534 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 44.31%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...
, 53.51%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.12% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.02%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 0.68% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
or Latino of any race were 1.37% of the population. There were 6,094 households, out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.3% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...
living together, 21.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were non-families. Individuals made up 34.9% of all households, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37, and the average family size was 3.09. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 19.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $23,399, and the median income for a family was $28,712. Males had a median income of $24,865 versus $18,750 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the city was $13,468. About 24.8% of families and 30.4% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 45.9% of those under age 18 and 17.0% of those age 65 or over.


Education


Ware County School District

The Ware County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of a pre-school, six elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. The district has 431 full-time teachers and over 6,370 students.


Private education

*Southside Christian School * Discovery Montessori School


Higher education

* South Georgia State College - Waycross campus *
Coastal Pines Technical College Coastal Pines Technical College (CPTC) is a community college in Waycross, Georgia, with six branches in other cities. It has a thirteen-county service delivery area (SDA), covering a total of 7,433 square miles, which is the largest SDA in the T ...
- Waycross campus


Notable people

*
Johnny Archer Johnny Archer (born November 12, 1968 in Waycross, Georgia) is an American professional pool player. He is nicknamed "the Scorpion" (his zodiac sign is Scorpio, and one of his sponsors is Scorpion Cues). On June 8, 2009, Johnny Archer was nom ...
 — professional pool player, "The Scorpion" * Michael P. Boggs — Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia and former judge on the Georgia Court of Appeals. * Stanley Booth — author, journalist, music critic * Billy Carter — brother of former President
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
, promoter of Billy Beer * Sonora Webster Carver — first woman horse diver *
Ossie Davis Raiford Chatman "Ossie" Davis (December 18, 1917 – February 4, 2005) was an American actor, director, writer, and activist. He was married to Ruby Dee, with whom he frequently performed, until his death. He and his wife were named to the NAACP ...
 — actor, writer, director, producer,
Kennedy Center Honors The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in a gala celebrating five hono ...
award recipient, was born in Clinch County * Nikki DeLoach — former member of ''
The New Mickey Mouse Club ''The Mickey Mouse Club'' is an American variety television show that aired intermittently from 1955 to 1996 and returned to social media in 2017. Created by Walt Disney and produced by Walt Disney Productions, the program was first televised fo ...
'', the girl group , and actress on the television series '' North Shore'' and '' Windfall'' * Harry D. Dixon — state representative; served in the
Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republicans have had a majority in the chamber since 2005 ...
for 38 years; served on the board of the
Georgia Department of Transportation The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is the organization in charge of developing and maintaining all state and federal roadways in the U.S. state of Georgia. In addition to highways, the department also has a limited role in develop ...
*
Drayton Florence Drayton Florence, Jr. (born December 19, 1980) is a former American football cornerback who played eleven seasons in the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played colle ...
 — professional football player, cornerback who played 11 seasons in NFL, highest draft pick ever from
Tuskegee University Tuskegee University (Tuskegee or TU), formerly known as the Tuskegee Institute, is a private, historically black land-grant university in Tuskegee, Alabama. It was founded on Independence Day in 1881 by the state legislature. The campus was de ...
* Ernest Jones - professional football player for the
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC Wes ...
* Tim McCray — professional football player from 1985 to 1990 in the
CFL The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
with the
Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division. The Roughriders were founded in ...
* Leodis McKelvin — former cornerback in the NFL (currently a
free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who i ...
) *
Caroline Pafford Miller Caroline Pafford Miller (August 26, 1903 – July 12, 1992) was an American novelist. She gathered the folktales, stories, and archaic dialects of the rural communities she visited in her home state of Georgia in the late 1920s and early 1930s, ...
 —
Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made ...
-winning author *
Gram Parsons Ingram Cecil Connor III (November 5, 1946 – September 19, 1973) who was known professionally as Gram Parsons, was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist who recorded as a solo artist and with the International Submarine Band, ...
 —
country singer Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
and
musician A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wr ...
;
The Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole con ...
, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and solo artist * Pernell Roberts — actor, star of TV series ''
Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on ...
'' and ''
Trapper John, M.D. ''Trapper John, M.D.'' is an American medical drama television series and spin-off of the film ''M*A*S*H'' (1970). Pernell Roberts portrayed the title character, a lovable surgeon who became a mentor and father figure in San Francisco, Californ ...
'', was born in Waycross * Bill Shanks —
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in ...
sportscaster


See also

On the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
: * First African Baptist Church and Parsonage *
Lott Cemetery Lott Cemetery is a cemetery in Waycross, Georgia that was established in 1877. It occupies the block bounded by Butler, Tebeau, Quarterman, and Pendleton streets. There were no areas designated for religious or ethnic groups. African-American ...
* Phoenix Hotel * United States Post Office and Courthouse


References


External links


City of Waycross

Waycross Local community website with community events calendar

Waycross Tourism & Conference Bureau

Historic Waycross

South Georgia Historic Newspapers Archive
Digital Library of Georgia {{authority control Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) Waycross, Georgia micropolitan area Cities in Ware County, Georgia County seats in Georgia (U.S. state)