Hamilton is a city in, and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Harris County,

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 ...

, United States. It is part of the

Columbus, Georgia Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee County, with which it ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

. The population was 1,680 at the 2020 census, up from 307 at the 2000 census. As of 2020 the population had risen to an estimated 1780.

History

Hamilton was founded in 1827 as seat of the newly formed Harris County. It was incorporated as a town in 1828 and as a city in 1903. The city was named for U.S. Secretary of the Navy and governor of South Carolina Paul Hamilton (1762-1816). The January, 1912 alleged lynching of a black woman and three black men in Hamilton attracted national attention from the press and widespread outrage. Dusky Crutchfield, Eugene Harrington, Burrell Hardaway, and Johnnie Moore had been held for questioning in the murder of a white landowner. They had never even been arrested. Some people took them outside town, then allegedly hanged and shot them. While some families tried to build walls of silence around the murders, the effects of these crimes were long-lasting. Coverage by local newspapers at the time suggested the four were guilty. The ''Montgomery Advertiser'' did not even report their names correctly.''MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER''
23 January 1912, accessed 4 April 2016 In January, 2021, The City of Hamilton fired Police Chief Gene Allmond and Another Patrol Officer for racial remarks discovered on Police Body Camera. Months of National Media Coverage followed for the City. In April, 2021, after an extensive search for a new Police Chief, City Officials appointed Eric Weiss as Chief of Police.

Geography

Hamilton is located slightly northeast of the center of Harris County at (32.764669, -84.873103). U.S. Route 27 runs through the city from north to south, leading southwest to Columbus and north to Pine Mountain. Georgia State Route 116 intersects U.S. Route 27 in the city for a very short concurrency.

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

is by road to the northeast. The city is located at the southern base of the

Pine Mountain Range The Pine Mountain Range is a long ridge in Meriwether County, Georgia, Harris County, Georgia, and Talbot County, Georgia. The highest altitudes in all three of these west Georgia counties can be found along the range. The Pine Mountain Range i ...

in the

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

region of the state. 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 t ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

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 in ...

of 2010, there were 1,016 people, 339 households, and 179 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 339 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 65.35%

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 o ...

, 32.68%

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 ...

, 1.63% Asian, 0.33% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.33% 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 forme ...

or Latino of any race were 0.33% of the population. There were 131 households, out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.0% were married couples living together, 19.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 3.00. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.4% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $32,143, and the median income for a family was $38,750. Males had a median income of $28,750 versus $32,083 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 $18,292. About 5.2% of families and 12.4% 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 t ...

, including 9.6% of those under the age of eighteen and 21.8% of those 65 or over.

Education

The city is home to three of the seven schools in the county: *Park Elementary School *Harris County Carver Middle School *

Harris County High School Harris County High School is a public high school serving grades 9 through 12. The school is located in Hamilton, Georgia, United States, in Harris County. The school mascot is a tiger, called Tano, and the school colors are black and gold. The sc ...

Photo gallery

File:Harris County Georgia Courthouse.JPG, The Harris County Courthouse is located in Hamilton. The building was designed by Georgia-born architect Edward Columbus Hosford. File:Hamilton Georgia Civil War Monument.JPG, A statue honoring Hamilton's Confederate dead stands in the

town square A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true geometric square, used for community gatherings. ...

. File:Hamilton Georgia Post Office.JPG, Hamilton Post Office ( ZIP Code 31811) File:Harris County Georgia Board of Education.jpg, The Harris County Schools Board of Education in Hamilton File:Harris County High School Georgia.JPG,

is located in Hamilton. File:Harris County Georgia Public Library.JPG, The Harris County Public Library File:Benjamin Franklin White Marker.JPG, A historic marker in the

commemorates the life and legacy of renowned shape note-singer and

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...

B.F. White. File:Hamilton Baptist Church and Pastorium.JPG, Hamilton Baptist Church and Pastorium was added to 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 ...

on August 19, 1982. File:Mountain Hill District Consolidated School.JPG, Mountain Hill District Consolidated School was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 31, 1998. File:Sunnyside School-Midway Baptist Church and Midway Cemetery Historic District.jpg, Midway Baptist Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 9, 1999 as part of the Sunnyside School-Midway Baptist Church and Midway Cemetery Historic District.

References

External links

City of Hamilton official website

Columbus Baptist Association
historical marker