Sparta, Georgia

History

Sparta was founded in 1795 in the newly formed Hancock County. It became the county seat in 1797, was incorporated as a town in 1805, and later as a city in 1893. The community was named after Sparta, a city-state in Ancient Greece.

In 1864, during Sherman's March to the Sea, the town remained completely unscathed, reportedly due to the efforts of Confederate Captain Henry Culver, the son-in-law of local industrialist William Fraley, who successfully diverted Union troops away from the area.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.8 sqmi, all land.

Major highways

• [[File:Georgia 15.svg|20px]] State Route 15
• [[File:Georgia 16.svg|20px]] State Route 16
• [[File:Georgia 22.svg|20px]] State Route 22

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 1,357 people, 669 households, and 419 families residing in the city.

Economy

Sparta is the site of Georgia's Hancock State Prison.

Education

Hancock County School District

The Hancock County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of one elementary school, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 83 full-time teachers and over 670 students.

• Lewis Elementary School
• Hancock Central Middle School
• Hancock Central High School
• John Hancock Academy

Notable people

• Thomas "Pee Wee" Butts – professional baseball player
• George Darden – United States Representative from Georgia who went to high school in Sparta
• Harvey Grant – professional basketball player
• Horace Grant – professional basketball player
• Tommy Hurricane Jackson – professional boxer
• Adella Hunt Logan – suffragist
• Jean Toomer – Harlem Renaissance writer and poet, once served as a principal in Sparta
• Angeria Paris VanMicheals – drag queen and finalist on season 14 of RuPaul's Drag Race and winner of the ninth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars.

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. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
5. Hellmann, Paul T.. (May 13, 2013). "Historical Gazetteer of the United States". Routledge.
6. Krakow, Kenneth K.. (1975). "Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins". Winship Press.
7. "William Fraley".
8. "Sparta - Georgia Historical Society".
9. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade". [[United States Census Bureau]].
10. (1870). "1870 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties". [[United States Census Bureau]].
11. (1880). "1880 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties". [[United States Census Bureau]].
12. (1910). "1910 Census of Population - Georgia". [[United States Census Bureau]].
13. (1930). "1930 Census of Population - Georgia". [[United States Census Bureau]].
14. (1940). "1940 Census of Population - Georgia". [[United States Census Bureau]].
15. (1950). "1950 Census of Population - Georgia". [[United States Census Bureau]].
16. (1960). "1960 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia". [[United States Census Bureau]].
17. (1970). "1970 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia". [[United States Census Bureau]].
18. (1980). "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia". [[United States Census Bureau]].
19. (1990). "1990 Census of Population - Summary Social, Economic, and Housing Characteristics - Georgia". [[United States Census Bureau]].
20. (2000). "2000 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia". [[United States Census Bureau]].
21. (2010). "2010 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia". [[United States Census Bureau]].
22. "Explore Census Data".
23. (March 2018)
24. "Thomas Butts". baseball-reference.com.