Knoxville, Georgia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Knoxville, Georgia
Unincorporated community Census-designated place
Closeup of the Crawford County courthouse
Knoxville, Georgia Location in Georgia (U.S. state) Show map of Georgia (U.S. state) Knoxville, Georgia Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Crawford
Area
• Total	0.32 sq mi (0.83 km2)
• Land	0.32 sq mi (0.83 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	495 ft (151 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	65
• Density	203.13/sq mi (78.52/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	31050
Area code(s)	478
FIPS code	13-44060
GNIS feature ID	0332159

Knoxville is a small community in Crawford County, Georgia, in the United States. It is known as an "unincorporated community," meaning it doesn't have its own city government. However, it is also a "census-designated place," which means the U.S. Census Bureau counts its population. Knoxville is the main town, or county seat, of Crawford County. It is also part of the larger Macon area. In 2020, about 65 people lived in Knoxville.

Knoxville was started in 1823 to be the county seat for the new Crawford County. It became an official town in 1825. But in 1995, its town government was ended by a Georgia law. This law closed down city governments that were no longer active or had very few operations.

Today, Knoxville has three places listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These are the Crawford County Courthouse, the Crawford County Jail, and the Georgia Post Building. These buildings are important parts of the area's history.

History of Knoxville

How Knoxville Got Its Name

It's a bit of a mystery how Knoxville got its name! Some historians think it was named after General Henry Knox. He was a famous general who worked with George Washington during the American Revolution. However, General Knox had no real connection to Georgia and had passed away 15 years before Knoxville was named.

Other historians believe the town was named for Hugh Knox. He was a stagecoach operator who delivered mail. He owned a place called the Knox House where travelers could rest. Since there's no clear proof, people can decide for themselves which story they believe!

Early Days of Knoxville

On December 23, 1822, leaders in Georgia decided that Crawford County needed a main town. They chose Knoxville on December 10, 1823. This was because Knoxville was in the middle of the county and on an important road called the Federal Wire Road.

At first, a local resident's house was used as a temporary courthouse. A permanent courthouse was built around 1825. Sadly, this building burned down in 1830, and all the county records were lost. A second courthouse was finished in 1831. This building is still standing today and is used as a museum.

In 1832, a jail was built in Knoxville. But it was torn down in 1839 because it was not good enough. A new jail was built in 1843. However, by 1887, this jail was also declared unfit and was torn down. A third jail was completed in 1888, and it is still there today.

Why Knoxville's Growth Slowed Down

In 1827, Knoxville Academy opened as the town's first school. Later, in 1888, The Knoxville Journal newspaper was started. This newspaper even advertised land for sale in a new town called Roberta. People thought Roberta would grow very quickly.

By 1892, a different newspaper, The Crawford County Herald, became the main newspaper for the county. It was published in Roberta, not Knoxville. Knoxville's population was about 200 people in 1886, but it was expected to grow to 3,000.

A new railroad, the A&F Railroad, was built around this time. It passed about one mile southwest of Knoxville. Some people believe this happened because locals didn't want outsiders coming into Knoxville. A new train station was built near where Roberta is now. Many people from Knoxville started moving to Roberta once the railroad was finished. This caused Knoxville to stop growing, and it became a smaller community, even though it was still the county seat.

Knoxville's Government Changes

In 1993, the Georgia government passed a law. This law set rules for how active a city government needed to be to stay official. Because of this law, Knoxville's town government was ended in 1995. This is why Knoxville is now an "unincorporated community."

Geography of Knoxville

Panorama of the Old Knoxville Days festival

Knoxville is located in the middle of Crawford County. To its west is the town of Roberta, which is the only official town in the county.

U.S. Route 80 goes through Knoxville. If you go east on this road, it's about 25 miles (40 km) to Macon. If you go west, it's about 70 miles (113 km) to Columbus. Georgia State Route 42 also runs through Knoxville. It goes southeast about 18 miles (29 km) to Byron and west to Roberta.

The U.S. Census Bureau says that Knoxville covers an area of about 0.32 square miles (0.83 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

Population of Knoxville

Knoxville was first counted as a village in the 1890 U.S. Census. It was also listed in the 1900 and 1910 censuses. However, it was not listed in the 1920 U.S. Census. It was later listed again as a "census-designated place" in the 2010 U.S. Census.

Famous People from Knoxville

Knoxville is the birthplace of John Pemberton, who invented Coca-Cola! He moved away when he was a child. Knoxville was also home to Joanna Troutman. She was a young girl who sewed a single star onto a white flag. She gave this flag to Georgia troops who were going to help Texas fight for its independence in the Texas Revolution.

See also

In Spanish: Knoxville (Georgia) para niños