Camilla, Georgia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Camilla, Georgia
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Camilla City Hall
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Location in Mitchell County and the state of Georgia
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| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Mitchell |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.62 sq mi (17.13 km2) |
| • Land | 6.60 sq mi (17.10 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2) |
| Elevation | 177 ft (54 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 5,187 |
| • Density | 785.67/sq mi (303.34/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
31730
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| Area code(s) | 229 |
| FIPS code | 13-12624 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0331312 |
Camilla is a city in Mitchell County, Georgia, United States. It is the main city, also known as the county seat, for Mitchell County. In 2020, about 5,187 people lived there.
Contents
History of Camilla
The city of Camilla was officially created in 1858. It was named after the granddaughter of Henry Mitchell. He was a general during the Revolutionary War. Mitchell County itself is named after him.
Early Beginnings
Long ago, the area where Camilla is now was home to the Creek people. They gave up this land to the United States in 1814. Georgia then used a system called "land lotteries" to give away pieces of this land. Even though land was free, not many people moved to the area at first. It took about 40 years for enough people to settle there. Finally, in 1857, Mitchell County was formed, and Camilla became its main city.
Tornadoes in Camilla
In the early 2000s, Camilla was hit by two strong tornadoes. Both happened in the early morning while it was still dark. The first one was on February 14, 2000. The second one hit on March 20, 2003. Both tornadoes caused damage in roughly the same part of the city.
Camilla Massacre
Camilla was the site of a sad event in history on September 19, 1868. This event is known as the Camilla massacre. After the Civil War, many formerly enslaved people, called freedmen, wanted to gain more rights. They planned a political rally in Camilla. About 150 to 300 freedmen and some Republican leaders marched towards the town's courthouse.
Local officials warned them not to come and asked them to give up their weapons. At that time, carrying weapons was common. The marchers refused and continued to the courthouse. There, a group of local white citizens, who had been made deputies by the sheriff, fired at them. This attack forced the marchers to run away. Many were chased into nearby swamps. Sadly, between nine and fifteen black participants were killed, and about forty were hurt. For the next two weeks, white groups continued to threaten black people, warning them not to vote in the upcoming election. This event was part of a larger pattern of violence against black citizens in southwest Georgia after the Civil War.
Marion King Incident
Another important event happened in Camilla on July 23, 1962. This was during the civil rights movement. A group of activists tried to visit other demonstrators who were jailed in Camilla. During their gathering, Marion King was hurt. She was the wife of Slater King, a leader in the Albany Movement. Camilla police guards beat and kicked Mrs. King until she became unconscious. She was pregnant at the time and had her young children with her. She later suffered a serious injury. A song called "Camilla" by Caroline Herring, released in 2012, honors Mrs. King's memory.
Geography and Climate
Camilla is located in the middle of Mitchell County. U.S. Route 19 is a major road that goes through the city. It connects Camilla to Albany to the north and Thomasville to the southeast. Other state roads like 37 and 112 also pass through the city center.
The city covers about 6.6 square miles (17.1 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a very small amount of water.
Climate in Camilla
Camilla has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. It gets a lot of rain throughout the year, which is common for the eastern United States. Because it is in southern Georgia, its winters are much milder compared to places like Atlanta.
| Climate data for Camilla, Georgia | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 17 (62) |
19 (66) |
23 (73) |
27 (80) |
31 (87) |
33 (91) |
33 (92) |
33 (92) |
31 (88) |
27 (81) |
22 (72) |
18 (64) |
26 (79) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 4 (39) |
6 (42) |
9 (48) |
12 (54) |
17 (62) |
21 (69) |
22 (71) |
22 (71) |
19 (67) |
13 (55) |
8 (46) |
4 (40) |
13 (55) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 120 (4.6) |
110 (4.5) |
140 (5.5) |
100 (4.1) |
91 (3.6) |
130 (5.1) |
150 (5.9) |
120 (4.8) |
99 (3.9) |
56 (2.2) |
76 (3) |
100 (4) |
1,310 (51.4) |
| Source: Weatherbase | |||||||||||||
Population Facts
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 289 | — | |
| 1880 | 672 | 132.5% | |
| 1890 | 866 | 28.9% | |
| 1900 | 1,051 | 21.4% | |
| 1910 | 1,827 | 73.8% | |
| 1920 | 2,136 | 16.9% | |
| 1930 | 2,025 | −5.2% | |
| 1940 | 2,588 | 27.8% | |
| 1950 | 3,745 | 44.7% | |
| 1960 | 4,753 | 26.9% | |
| 1970 | 4,987 | 4.9% | |
| 1980 | 5,414 | 8.6% | |
| 1990 | 5,008 | −7.5% | |
| 2000 | 5,669 | 13.2% | |
| 2010 | 5,360 | −5.5% | |
| 2020 | 5,187 | −3.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1850-1870 1870-1880 1890-1910 1920-1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 |
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| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,148 | 22.13% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 3,781 | 72.89% |
| Native American | 6 | 0.12% |
| Asian | 38 | 0.73% |
| Other/Mixed | 103 | 1.99% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 111 | 2.14% |
In 2020, there were 5,187 people living in Camilla. These people made up 1,926 households and 1,325 families.
Education in Camilla
Camilla is part of the Mitchell County School District. This district includes schools for students from pre-school all the way to twelfth grade. There is one elementary school, a middle school, a high school, and one special type of school called a charter school. The district has many teachers and teaches over 2,855 students.
Schools in the District
- South Mitchell County Elementary School
- North Mitchell County Elementary School
- Mitchell County Middle School
- Mitchell County High School
Other Schools
- Baconton Community Charter School (a public school that operates with more freedom)
- Westwood Schools (a private school)
Higher Learning
Andersonville Theological Seminary has its main office in Camilla. This school offers distance education, meaning students can learn from far away. It is a seminary, which is a school for religious studies.
Transportation Routes
Several important roads help people travel in and out of Camilla:
- U.S. Highway 19 is the main road. It connects Camilla to Albany in the north and Thomasville in the south.
- Georgia State Route 112 links Camilla to Cairo to the south and Sylvester to the northeast.
- Georgia State Route 37 connects Camilla to Moultrie to the east.
Famous People from Camilla
Many notable people have connections to Camilla:
- Kathryn Stripling Byer (1944-2017), a poet and teacher.
- Oscar Branch Colquitt (1861–1940), who used to be the governor of Texas.
- Danny Copeland (born 1966), a former NFL player who won the Super Bowl with the Washington Redskins.
- Tiger Flowers (1895–1927), the first Black middleweight boxing champion in the world.
- James Griffin (born 1961), a former NFL safety for the Detroit Lions.
- Krysta Harden, who served as the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture.
- Jumaine Jones (born 1979), a professional basketball player.
- Fred Nixon (born 1958), a former NFL player for the Green Bay Packers.
- Grover Stewart, an NFL defensive tackle.
- Orson Swindle (born 1937), a former US Marine Corps colonel and POW in Vietnam.
Gallery
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Camilla Fire Department
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City of Camilla Public Safety Complex, which is attached to the fire station
See also
In Spanish: Camilla (Georgia) para niños
