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Donalsonville, Georgia
Donalsonville City Hall
Donalsonville City Hall
Flag of Donalsonville, Georgia
Flag
Official seal of Donalsonville, Georgia
Seal
Motto(s): 
The Gateway to Lake Seminole
Location in Seminole County and the state of Georgia
Location in Seminole County and the state of Georgia
Country United States
State Georgia
County Seminole
Government
 • Type Council-Manager
Area
 • Total 3.99 sq mi (10.34 km2)
 • Land 3.97 sq mi (10.29 km2)
 • Water 0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2)
Elevation
148 ft (45 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 2,833
 • Density 713.42/sq mi (275.43/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
39845
Area code(s) 229
FIPS code 13-23368
GNIS feature ID 0331568

Donalsonville is a city in and the county seat of Seminole County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,833 in 2020.

History

Donalsonville was originally part of Decatur County. It is named after John Ernest Donalson (1846–1920), also known as Jonathan or John E. Donalson, a prominent businessman of the area. Donalson built the first lumber mill in Donalsonville, Donalson Lumber Company. He also built homes and a commissary for the workers of the mill. The lumber company paved the way for the town's growth.

Donalsonville was first chartered as a town in Georgia on December 8, 1897. When Seminole County was formed in January 1920, Donalsonville was named as its county seat. By August 1922, the Town of Donalsonville became known as the City of Donalsonville, with the charter passing on August 19, 1922.

The Seminole County Courthouse was erected in 1922 and is still standing today. The Courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (Wolfe)

Geography

Donalsonville is located at 31°2′27″N 84°52′42″W / 31.04083°N 84.87833°W / 31.04083; -84.87833.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.0 square miles (10 km2), of which 4.0 square miles (10 km2) is land and 0.25% is water. The city is located 20 minutes north of Lake Seminole, 62 miles (100 km) south of Albany, 36 miles (58 km) east of Dothan, Alabama and 107 miles (172 km) west of Valdosta.

Climate

Climate data for Donalsonville, Georgia, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 2001–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 83
(28)
86
(30)
91
(33)
95
(35)
101
(38)
107
(42)
104
(40)
105
(41)
102
(39)
97
(36)
91
(33)
84
(29)
107
(42)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 77.6
(25.3)
80.2
(26.8)
86.2
(30.1)
90.6
(32.6)
96.2
(35.7)
100.2
(37.9)
99.5
(37.5)
99.9
(37.7)
97.5
(36.4)
92.6
(33.7)
84.7
(29.3)
80.2
(26.8)
101.6
(38.7)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 59.0
(15.0)
64.5
(18.1)
71.5
(21.9)
77.8
(25.4)
85.4
(29.7)
89.4
(31.9)
91.3
(32.9)
91.0
(32.8)
87.2
(30.7)
79.9
(26.6)
69.8
(21.0)
62.3
(16.8)
77.4
(25.2)
Daily mean °F (°C) 49.0
(9.4)
53.7
(12.1)
59.7
(15.4)
66.4
(19.1)
74.4
(23.6)
80.1
(26.7)
82.0
(27.8)
81.8
(27.7)
77.4
(25.2)
68.6
(20.3)
58.2
(14.6)
52.1
(11.2)
67.0
(19.4)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 38.9
(3.8)
42.9
(6.1)
48.0
(8.9)
55.0
(12.8)
63.4
(17.4)
70.9
(21.6)
72.7
(22.6)
72.6
(22.6)
67.6
(19.8)
57.3
(14.1)
46.6
(8.1)
42.0
(5.6)
56.5
(13.6)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 23.4
(−4.8)
28.3
(−2.1)
33.3
(0.7)
42.1
(5.6)
52.9
(11.6)
65.7
(18.7)
67.4
(19.7)
67.4
(19.7)
56.4
(13.6)
42.3
(5.7)
30.6
(−0.8)
28.8
(−1.8)
22.5
(−5.3)
Record low °F (°C) 18
(−8)
21
(−6)
24
(−4)
34
(1)
45
(7)
59
(15)
60
(16)
62
(17)
46
(8)
34
(1)
23
(−5)
19
(−7)
18
(−8)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 4.79
(122)
4.84
(123)
5.26
(134)
4.48
(114)
3.15
(80)
5.81
(148)
6.13
(156)
5.69
(145)
5.37
(136)
3.10
(79)
3.61
(92)
4.70
(119)
56.93
(1,448)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 7.8 6.9 5.8 5.9 6.8 9.9 11.1 10.9 6.3 5.2 5.4 8.2 90.2
Source 1: NOAA
Source 2: National Weather Service (mean maxima/minima, precip days 2006–2020)

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1900 519
1910 747 43.9%
1920 1,031 38.0%
1930 1,183 14.7%
1940 1,718 45.2%
1950 2,569 49.5%
1960 2,621 2.0%
1970 2,907 10.9%
1980 3,320 14.2%
1990 2,761 −16.8%
2000 2,796 1.3%
2010 2,650 −5.2%
2020 2,833 6.9%
U.S. Decennial Census
Donalsonville racial makeup as of 2020
Race Num. Perc.
White 904 31.91%
Black or African American 1,734 61.21%
Native American 1 0.04%
Asian 59 2.08%
Other/Mixed 53 1.87%
Hispanic or Latino 82 2.89%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,833 people, 872 households, and 542 families residing in the city.

Economy

Donalsonville has about a 63% high school graduate rate with about 52% in the work force. The biggest industries are education, health, and social services. (Georgia.gov) The average median income for households according to the U.S. Census report in 2000 was $20,687 and median family income was $25,679, with the average household size around 2 and family size around 3 people.

According to 2012 data from the Donalsonville Chamber of Commerce, the top five employers in the city are as follows:

Employer Employees
Donalsonville Hospital, Inc. 350
Ponder Enterprises Inc. 250
Lewis M. Carter, Inc. 150
American Peanut Growers Group, LLC 80
JH Harvey Company 30

Education

The Seminole County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of one elementary school and one middle-high school. The district has 120 full-time teachers and over 1,754 students.

  • Seminole County Elementary School
  • Seminole County Middle/High School

Public library

Donalsonville is home to the Seminole County Public Library. The library serves the citizens of Donalsonville and Seminole County with a collection of print and audiovisual materials. The library is located at 103 W. 4th Street in Donalsonville.

Religion

By the 1900s, the need for churches arose. The first church was erected in Donalsonville in 1850, the Friendship United Methodist Church. In the beginning the Methodist Church served as a meeting place for all Protestant denominations. Later, the First Presbyterian Church of Donalsonville was established in January 1898 with 25 members. On August 4, 1902, 18 people helped to create the First Baptist Church of Donalsonville. The Church of The Nazarene, originally called “The Holiness Church,” was established in October 1902. The meetings of the Church of the Nazarene were actually held in a member's house until 1903, when a building was erected. The first black church in Donalsonville was created in 1895, the Live Oak African Methodist Episcopal Church. Eventually, the number totalled thirteen.

Notable people

  • John and Clarence Anglin - brothers who escaped from Alcatraz prison in 1962
  • Alfred Corn, poet and essayist, born Bainbridge and lived in Donalsonville and Valdosta
  • Bacarri Rambo - Former Miami Dolphins safety
  • Phillip Daniels - Former NFL player, current Assistant Defensive Line Coach for the Philadelphia Eagles

See also

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