Millen, Georgia

History

Millen was first settled in 1835 along the border of what was then Burke and Screven counties. It was originally named "79" due to its approximate distance in miles from the coastal city of Savannah. Planters cultivated cotton as a commodity crop.

In 1854, the Central of Georgia Railway and the Georgia Railroad connected at 79. The town became known as "Millen's Junction" after McPherson B. Millen, the superintendent of the Central of Georgia Railway.

During the Civil War, a site for a prisoner-of-war camp to house Union soldiers was chosen about five miles from Millen's Junction. Camp Lawton included a hospital, fort and officer housing and had about 8,600 prisoners confined there on 14 November 1864, according to a detailed camp map made by a former prisoner. It was built in what is today Magnolia Springs State Park, because the location was favorable due to the springs providing potable water and its proximity to the Augusta and Savannah Railroad. On December 3, 1864, Sherman's March to the Sea passed through Millen. Prior to the arrival of Union forces, Confederate soldiers evacuated the Camp Lawton prisoners to Savannah. The Union soldiers destroyed Millen's Junction after finding the prison camp and to avoid use of the railway junction.

The town was rebuilt after the war. In 1881, the city of Millen was incorporated by an act of the Georgia State Legislature, becoming the county seat of the newly created Jenkins County in 1905. The summer of 1919 was called the Red Summer due to a number of race riots throughout America. Millen did not escape this and white mobs burned down and killed a number of people in Millen during the Jenkins County, Georgia, riot of 1919.

The Downtown Millen Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. The county is largely rural and agricultural.

Geography

Millen is the only incorporated municipality in Jenkins County. It is located on the east side of the Ogeechee River. U.S. Route 25 passes through the west side of the city, leading north 20 mi to Waynesboro and south 29 mi to Statesboro. Georgia State Route 17 passes through the center of the city, entering from the west as Winthrope Avenue and leaving to the south as Masonic Street. SR-17 leads northwest 35 mi to Louisville and southeast 77 mi to Savannah. State Route 21 bypasses Millen to the northeast, ending at US 25 at the northern city limit. SR-21 leads east 20 mi to Sylvania.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Millen has a total area of 9.3 km2, of which 0.06 sqkm, or 0.67%, are water.

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1850-1870 1870-1880 1890-1910 1920-1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,966 people, 1,113 households, and 563 families residing in the city.

Education

Jenkins County School District

The Jenkins County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school. The district has 119 full-time teachers and over 1,754 students.

• Jenkins County Elementary School
• Jenkins County Middle School
• Jenkins County High School

Notable people

• Jim Busby, Major League Baseball player who retired to Millen after his coaching career was over.
• Max Burns, politician and academic
• Russell Davis III, football player
• Nathan Deal, 82nd governor of Georgia, born in Millen
• Linda Schrenko, superintendent
• Courtney Smith, football player
• Melvin E. Thompson, 70th governor of Georgia, born in Millen
• Bennie Ward, physicist
• Kountry Wayne, comedian, TV & film actor, social media influencer, and content creator born and raised in Millen.

References

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
2. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
3. (2007-10-25). "US Board on Geographic Names". [[United States Geological Survey]].
4. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Millen city, Georgia". U.S. Census Bureau.
5. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
6. "Millen". [[New Georgia Encyclopedia]].
7. Knox, Sneden, Robert. (1864-11-14). "English: Concerns a Confederate prison camp for Northern soldiers that was brand new in October 1864 when Sneden was transferred from Savannah, Ga., back inland to Camp Lawton at Millen, Ga. Sneden shows the 44-acre stockade and then the immediate area outside of the stockade where there was a Confederate camp, fort, hospital, and log residences for the Confederate officers. Also, depicted is a tent next to the house of the surgeon, Isaiah White, who parolled Sneden at Camp Lawton and made him an assistant. This tent is marked as "R.K.S. tent." Additional Information- Top hand written line at top of map (in faded blue ink) says, "Unknown - 491 were buried in a trench near the R Road 2000 yards from Stockade" and the second line below says, "450 were buried in 2 trenches near Hospitals" and below that line (to the right) it says, "450 Prisoners here buried"".
8. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade". [[United States Census Bureau]].
9. (1870). "1870 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties". [[United States Census Bureau]].
10. (1880). "1880 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties". [[United States Census Bureau]].
11. (1910). "1910 Census of Population - Georgia". [[United States Census Bureau]].
12. (1930). "1930 Census of Population - Georgia". [[United States Census Bureau]].
13. (1940). "1940 Census of Population - Georgia". [[United States Census Bureau]].
14. (1950). "1950 Census of Population - Georgia". [[United States Census Bureau]].
15. (1960). "1960 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia". [[United States Census Bureau]].
16. (1970). "1970 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia". [[United States Census Bureau]].
17. (1980). "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia". [[United States Census Bureau]].
18. (1990). "1990 Census of Population - Summary Social, Economic, and Housing Characteristics - Georgia". [[United States Census Bureau]].
19. (2000). "2000 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia". [[United States Census Bureau]].
20. (2010). "2010 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia". [[United States Census Bureau]].
21. "Explore Census Data".
22. (January 2018)
23. [http://www.school-stats.com/GA/JENKINS/JENKINS_COUNTY.html School Stats], Retrieved June 20, 2010.
24. [https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1996-07-11-1996193046-story.html Jim Busby, Oriole and Senator in 1950s, dies in Georgia at 69 He was among AL's best as fielder, base stealer]
25. (1999). "The Almanac of American Politics 2000". National Journal Group Inc..