Bartow County, Georgia Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Bartow County

County

Bartow County Courthouse and Confederate Monument

Flag

Seal

Location within the U.S. state of Georgia

Georgia's location within the U.S.

Country

United States

State

Georgia

Founded

December 3, 1832; 193 years ago

Largest city

Cartersville

Area

• Total

470 sq mi (1,200 km²)

• Land

460 sq mi (1,200 km²)

• Water

11 sq mi (30 km²) 2.2%%

Population

(2020)

• Total

108,901

• Estimate

(2023)

115,041

• Density

231.7/sq mi (89.5/km²)

Time zone

UTC−5 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

Congressional district

11th

Bartow County is located in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Georgia. In 2020, about 108,901 people lived here. The main city and county seat is Cartersville. Bartow County is also considered part of the larger Atlanta metropolitan area. It is known for having a "sole commissioner" government, which means one person leads the county's government.

History of Bartow County

Bartow County was created on December 3, 1832. It was first called Cass County. This name honored General Lewis Cass, who was an important government official. He played a role in moving Native American tribes from the area.

However, the county's name was changed on December 6, 1861. It was renamed in honor of Francis S. Bartow. This change happened because Lewis Cass supported the Union during the time leading up to the Civil War. Francis S. Bartow was a leader who supported the Southern states.

The Great Locomotive Chase

The American Civil War reached Bartow County in 1862. This was during an event called "The Great Locomotive Chase." Union soldiers secretly boarded and stole a train called "The General." Their plan was to travel north towards Chattanooga, Tennessee. They wanted to destroy bridges and railroad tracks along the way. This would stop supplies from reaching the Confederate army.

However, the Union soldiers could not damage the railroad enough. The train's conductor, William Fuller, chased them. He eventually caught up with them near Ringgold.

After the Civil War

The first county seat was Cassville. But after the Civil War, the courthouse was burned. The county seat then moved to Cartersville, where it is today.

The Civil War greatly affected Bartow County. Many soldiers from the county died from wounds or sickness. After the war, many people had no money. The county seat was in ruins. Transportation was damaged, and people faced hunger due to bad harvests.

Before the war, society in Bartow County was mostly white. After the war, during a time called Reconstruction, things changed. There were tensions, especially about race. For example, when the state sent corn to help people, local officials only gave it to white families. When black families asked for better schools and jobs, some local white people reacted with violence.

Geography of Bartow County

Bartow County covers about 470 square miles. Most of this area, about 460 square miles, is land. The remaining 11 square miles, or 2.2%, is water.

Most of the county is in the Etowah River area. This river is part of a larger river system called the ACT River Basin. A smaller part of the county in the northeast is near the Coosawattee River. Another small part in the northwest is near the Oostanaula River.

The Etowah River forms a large part of Lake Allatoona. This lake is in the southeast of Bartow County. The Allatoona Dam near Cartersville helps create the lake. A piece of land between two parts of the lake is home to Red Top Mountain State Park.

Neighboring Counties

Gordon County – to the north
Pickens County – to the northeast
Cherokee County – to the east
Cobb County – to the southeast
Paulding County – to the south
Polk County – to the southwest
Floyd County – to the west

Population Information

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1840	9,390	—
1850	13,300	41.6%
1860	15,724	18.2%
1870	16,566	5.4%
1880	18,690	12.8%
1890	20,616	10.3%
1900	20,823	1.0%
1910	25,388	21.9%
1920	24,527	−3.4%
1930	25,364	3.4%
1940	25,283	−0.3%
1950	27,370	8.3%
1960	28,267	3.3%
1970	32,663	15.6%
1980	40,760	24.8%
1990	55,911	37.2%
2000	76,019	36.0%
2010	100,157	31.8%
2020	108,901	8.7%
2023 (est.)	115,041	14.9%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-18801890-1910 1920-1930 1930-1940 1940-1950 1960-1980 1980-2000 2010 2020

2020 Census Details

Bartow County racial composition
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	80,159	73.61%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	11,309	10.38%
Native American	254	0.23%
Asian	1,169	1.07%
Pacific Islander	40	0.04%
Other/mixed	5,219	4.79%
Hispanic or Latino	10,751	9.87%

In 2020, there were 108,901 people living in Bartow County. There were about 39,742 households and 28,529 families.

2010 Census Details

In 2010, Bartow County had 100,157 people. The population density was about 218 people per square mile. Most residents were white (82.7%). About 10.2% were Black or African American. People of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 7.7% of the population.

Education

Public schools in Bartow County are managed by two main groups. These are the Bartow County School District and Cartersville City Schools. There are also private schools like Excel Christian Academy and Trinity School.

Transportation

Major Highways

Interstate 75
U.S. Route 41
U.S. Route 411
State Route 3
State Route 20
State Route 20 Spur
State Route 61
State Route 113
State Route 140
State Route 293
State Route 293 Connector
State Route 401 (this is another name for I-75)

Other Highways

Old S.R. 293

Museums to Explore

Bartow County has several interesting museums:

The Savoy Automobile Museum lets you explore the history and beauty of cars. It has different exhibits and educational programs.
The Bartow History Museum is in the old 1869 Courthouse in Cartersville. It shows how Bartow County developed, from the early Cherokee people to modern times. You can see old photos and artifacts.
The Booth Western Art Museum is a large museum in Cartersville. It shows art about the American West. You can see paintings, presidential letters, and Native American artifacts. There's even a special kids' gallery called Sagebrush Ranch.
The Tellus Science Museum is also in Cartersville. It's a big museum with four main galleries. You can see minerals, fossils, and learn about science in motion. It also has a planetarium and an observatory to look at stars.
The Euharlee History Museum is next to the Euharlee Covered Bridge. It tells the story of the Euharlee area.
The Adairsville Rail Depot Age of Steam Museum is in a restored 1847 train station. It displays items and pictures from almost 150 years of local history. You can learn about the Civil War and railroad history.

Fun Things to Do

You can explore many hiking trails in Bartow County.
Visit the Etowah Indian Mounds, which are ancient Native American mounds.

Communities in Bartow County

Cities

Town

Taylorsville

Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller communities not officially part of a city or town:

Atco
Cassville
Rowland Springs
Stilesboro
Rydal
Folsom
Center
Funkhouser
Allatoona (much of it is now under Lake Allatoona)

Historical Communities

Allatoona	Aylmer	ATCO	Aubrey	Bartow
Best's	Birmingham	Bochee	Bolivar	Cass Line
Cass Station	Cassville (Manassas)	Cave	Cement	Center
Clifford	Connaseena	Corbin	Dewey	Etowah
Etowah Valley (see Rowland Springs)	Eves	Ferrobutte (see Rogers Station)	Five Forks	Flexatile (see Funkhouser)
Folsom	Ford	Grassdale	Gum Springs	Halls Station (see Linwood)
Iron Hill	Ironville	Junta	Ladds	Ligon
Linwood (see Hall's Station)	Little Prairie	Malbone	McCallie	McGinnis
Mountain House	Murchisons	Nolans	Pine Log (see Rydal)	Rogers Station (aka Rogersville)
Rowland Springs (see Etowah Valley)	Ruby	Rydal (see Pine Log)	Sanfordsville	Sophia
Stamp Creek	Stilesboro	Sugar Hill	Woolley's	Wyvern

Bartow County, Georgia facts for kids

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