Enigma, Georgia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Enigma, Georgia
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Enigma City Hall
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Location in Berrien County and the state of Georgia
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| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Berrien |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.28 sq mi (8.50 km2) |
| • Land | 3.25 sq mi (8.42 km2) |
| • Water | 0.03 sq mi (0.08 km2) |
| Elevation | 305 ft (93 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,058 |
| • Density | 325.24/sq mi (125.58/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
31749
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| Area code(s) | 229 |
| FIPS code | 13-27596 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0313955 |
Enigma is a small town located in Berrien County, Georgia, in the United States. In 2020, about 1,058 people lived there. The town's name, "Enigma," means a puzzle or mystery. This unusual name has often been mentioned on lists of strange place names.
Contents
History of Enigma
Enigma is a small town in South Georgia. It is located in the northwest part of Berrien County. The town is about 9 miles (14 km) east of Tifton, right on U.S. Highway 82.
How Enigma Got Its Name
The town was started between 1876 and 1880 by a man named John A. Ball. At first, it was not called Enigma. People often called the settlement "Gunn and Weston." John A. Ball wanted a proper name for his new town.
He suggested two names to state officials: "Lax" and "Enigma." The name "Lax" was already being used by another nearby settlement. So, "Enigma" became the official name. It's a funny name for a town, since "enigma" means a puzzle or mystery. Ball himself said, "It was a puzzle what to name it anyway." The town officially became a town on August 21, 1906.
Early Businesses and Growth
John A. Ball and his family came to Georgia from Raleigh, North Carolina. They traveled by train on the Brunswick and Western Railroad. Ball became the town's first postmaster. Later, Capt. J.B. Gunn joined him as an assistant.
Around 1878, Ball and his son Jim started a business making turpentine. Turpentine is a liquid made from pine trees, used in paints and other products. They brought a man named Tubb Daughtry and his family from Raleigh to help with the business. They gave the Daughtry family land to live on.
When the turpentine business slowed down, lumber became the main focus. Capt. J. B. Gunn and Capt. S. R. Weston built a sawmill about two miles east of Enigma. H. F. Stewart also came to work at the sawmill.
Over the years, other businesses opened in Enigma. These included grocery stores, merchandise stores, and hardware stores. E.F. Bussey opened a merchandise store in a building that once belonged to Gunn. This building also had the U.S. Post Office and even sold coffins upstairs. It was located near the railroad.
Enigma also had a doctor's office, run by G.R. Parker. Three banks have been in Enigma over the years. The Bank of Alapaha opened a branch in Enigma on March 1, 1973, and it is still open today.
Geography
Enigma covers a total area of about 3.3 square miles (8.5 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 3.2 square miles (8.3 square kilometers), is land. A small part, about 0.04 square miles (0.1 square kilometers), is water.
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 338 | — | |
| 1920 | 340 | 0.6% | |
| 1930 | 360 | 5.9% | |
| 1940 | 529 | 46.9% | |
| 1950 | 499 | −5.7% | |
| 1960 | 525 | 5.2% | |
| 1970 | 505 | −3.8% | |
| 1980 | 574 | 13.7% | |
| 1990 | 611 | 6.4% | |
| 2000 | 869 | 42.2% | |
| 2010 | 1,278 | 47.1% | |
| 2020 | 1,058 | −17.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In the year 2000, there were 869 people living in Enigma. These people lived in 313 households, with 231 of them being families. By 2020, the town's population had grown to 1,058 people.
Education in Enigma
The first school in Enigma started as a one-room schoolhouse. It later moved to a three-room building. In 1926, a large brick building was built to be the new school. It was located on the north side of town, across from Highway 82.
In the fall of 1954, all the high schools in the county joined together. They formed Berrien High School in Nashville, which is the county seat. The original Enigma school building was still used for elementary students. However, it burned down in October 1973.
The school's gym and cafeteria were still standing. Portable classrooms were brought in so students could continue learning while the school was rebuilt. But Enigma Elementary School was never rebuilt. The mobile classrooms were used until the school closed at the end of the 1987–88 school year.
Enigma Elementary then combined with West Berrien Elementary School in 1988. The new school was called Northwest Elementary School. It was located on the old West Berrien campus. Northwest Elementary School also closed in 1994. This was part of the final combining of schools in the county.
Now, all children from Enigma travel by bus to schools in Nashville. They attend Berrien Primary, Berrien Elementary, Berrien Middle, and Berrien High. The old Enigma School grounds are now used as the Enigma City Park.
Images for kids
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Enigma, circa 1900
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See also
In Spanish: Enigma (Georgia) para niños
