The city of Blackshear is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Pierce County,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 3,506. Blackshear is part of the Waycross Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Blackshear is located at (31.298941, -82.247726). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (2.06%) is water.

History

Blackshear was founded in 1858 to serve as the seat of the newly formed Pierce County. The city was named after General David Blackshear, who authorized the construction of roads, bridges and 11 forts for defense. He was a patriot in the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

, fighting in the

Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge The Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge was a minor conflict of the American Revolutionary War fought near Wilmington, North Carolina, Wilmington (present-day Pender County, North Carolina, Pender County), North Carolina, on February 27, 1776. The v ...

and the Battle of Buford's Bridge. He served as a general during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

. He also served in the Georgia state legislature as Senator of Laurens County. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, the city became a temporary prisoner-of-war camp for more than 5,000 Union prisoners. This site is marked by a historical landmark sign. The primary crop of this south Georgia community was once tobacco, and it is where the first brick tobacco warehouse in Georgia was built, known as the Brantley Brick.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,506 people, 1,355 households, and 898 families residing in the city.

Education

Pierce County School District

The Pierce County School District holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of three elementary schools, a middle school and a high school. The district has 216 full-time teachers and over 3,240 students. Four schools in the district are located in Blackshear. *Blackshear Elementary School *Midway Elementary School *Patterson Elementary School *Pierce County Middle School * Pierce County High School

Private Education

*Crossroads Christian Academy

Notable people

* Stetson Bennett (born 1997), quarterback for the University of Georgia Bulldogs football. Two-time national champion.

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

LA Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The team plays its h ...

draftee * Ella Thomas Foreacre Brantley (1864–1948), President, Georgia Federation of Women's Clubs *

Nikki DeLoach Nikki DeLoach (born September 9, 1979) is an American actress. Best known as Lacey Hamilton in '' Awkward'' (2011–2016), MJ in '' North Shore'' (2004–2005), and Brenda in ''Days of Our Lives'' (2007–2009). Early life DeLoach was born in Wa ...

(born 1979), actress and singer born in Waycross, but was raised in Blackshear *

KaDee Strickland Katherine Dee Strickland (born December 14, 1975) is an American actress. From 2007 to 2013, she played Dr. Charlotte King on the ABC drama '' Private Practice''. Strickland began acting during high school. She studied acting in Philadelphia a ...

(born 1975), actress

References

External links

*
The Pierce County Press (Newspaper)
{{authority control Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) Cities in Pierce County, Georgia County seats in Georgia (U.S. state) Waycross, Georgia micropolitan area