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LaGrange, Georgia
City and county seat
LaGrange, Georgia Courthouse Square.JPG
Location in Troup County and the state of Georgia
Location in Troup County and the state of Georgia
Country United States of America
State Georgia
County Troup
Area
 • Total 42.98 sq mi (111.31 km2)
 • Land 42.14 sq mi (109.15 km2)
 • Water 0.84 sq mi (2.16 km2)
Elevation
781 ft (238 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 30,858
 • Density 732.22/sq mi (282.71/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
30240, 30241, 30261
Area code(s) 706
FIPS code 13-44340
GNIS feature ID 0316522

LaGrange is a city in and the county seat of Troup County, Georgia, United States. The population of the city was estimated to be 30,305 in 2019 by the U.S. Census Bureau. It is the principal city of the LaGrange, Georgia Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Gainesville, Georgia-Alabama (part) Combined Statistical Area. It is about 60 miles (97 km) southwest of Atlanta and located in the foothills of the Georgia Piedmont.

LaGrange is home to LaGrange College, the oldest private college in the state. Started as a girls' academy, it has been affiliated since the late 19th century with the Methodist Church, and what is now the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church. The city's proximity to West Point Lake, a few miles to the west, helps attract bass fishermen and water sports enthusiasts to the city.

It is the hometown of rapper and songwriter Bubba Sparxxx, best known for hiphop and country rap.

The Troup County Courthouse, Annex, and Jail, built in 1939, is one of LaGrange's properties that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History

LaGrange is named after the country estate near Paris of the wife of the Marquis de La Fayette. When La Fayette, a Revolutionary War hero, visited Georgia in 1825 on a national tour, he remarked on the similarity of local topography to his wife's property.

The European-American settlement of LaGrange began in the early 19th century, soon after the territory was ceded to the United States by the Creek Indians and the territorial legislature established Troup County. The city was incorporated in December 1828. The area was developed for cotton plantations, and planters migrating from the eastern areas of the South brought along or bought enslaved African Americans in the domestic slave trade to use as laborers.

By 1860 Troup County had become the fourth-wealthiest county in Georgia, based on cotton as a commodity crop. It was the fifth-largest slaveholding county in the state. As the county seat, LaGrange was a center of trade for this prosperous area, and wealthy planters built more than 100 significant homes in the city.

During the American Civil War, LaGrange was defended by a volunteer women's auxiliary group known as the Nancy Harts or Nancy Hart Rifles, named after Nancy Hart. After defeating the Confederates in nearby West Point, Georgia, Colonel Oscar La Grange led his Union troops to the county seat of LaGrange. He placed Confederate prisoners near the front of the column. The Nancy Harts negotiated a surrender with the colonel.

Although local assets were burned and looted by Union troops, Colonel La Grange spared the private homes of LaGrange, including Bellevue, the home of former US Senator and then Confederate senator Benjamin Harvey Hill, a planter. La Grange may have been returning positive treatment which he had earlier received. He had been given medical care by Confederates and was attended by a niece of Senator Hill. After recovery, Col. La Grange was exchanged for a Confederate prisoner, and he returned to battle duty.

To show their gratitude for his sparing their homes, one of the Nancy Harts hosted a dinner for Col. La Grange. He paroled some local prisoners so they could attend. Many women of the town cooked all night to provide the meal. The next morning the Federal troops marched out, taking various men of the town as prisoners of war. They were soon released, when it was learned that General Lee had surrendered at Appomattox.

20th century to present

In the late 19th century, LaGrange developed as a railroad center and as an industrial center. Textile mills were developed here and elsewhere in the upland region. Initially they employed only white workers. They increased in regional, state and national economic importance into the mid-20th century. Gradually in the late 20th century, much textile manufacturing moved "offshore," out of the United States.

The city has transitioned to a mixed economy with some new industries. Interstates 85 and 185 pass through LaGrange, which is a transportation hub in the area. The city has industrial and commercial access, and a Wal-Mart Distribution Center was developed here.

Interface, the world's largest manufacturer of carpet tile, was founded in LaGrange in 1973. It has its largest manufacturing center here. LaGrange is also the North American headquarters for Caterpillar's forestry division. Just south of LaGrange in neighboring West Point, also in Troup County, KIA Motors has its only US assembly plant. Many of Kia's suppliers are located in LaGrange.

The city of LaGrange is a full-service utility provider for the region, including electricity, natural gas, water, sewer, refuse collection, and telecommunication. In 2000 the city was named "Intelligent Community of the Year" by the Intelligent Community Forum, joining other cities such as New York, Singapore, Seoul, Glasgow and Toronto. Since 2000 the city has provided free Internet service to every household. It also has been ranked as a Georgia City of Excellence, and received a Government Technology Leadership Award.

Geography

LaGrange is at 33.0367° N, 85.0319° W. The city is in west central Georgia along Interstates 85 and 185, which run east of the city, with Interstate 85 leading northeast 68 mi (109 km) to Atlanta and southwest 96 mi (154 km) to Montgomery, Alabama. Interstate 85 gives direct access to the city from exits 13, 14 and 18. Interstate 185 runs south from the city 43 mi (69 km) to Columbus. U.S. Route 27, U.S. Route 29, Georgia State Route 219, and Georgia State Route 109 all meet in the interior of the city. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has an area of 112.8 mi (181.5 km), in which 111.4 mi (179.3 km) is land and 1.4 mi (2.3 km) is water.

Amenities

Descendants of the Callaway family, wealthy planters in the antebellum years, established a philanthropic foundation. They have invested in the city, and contributed to developing important cultural elements of the city. As a result, LaGrange has amenities not usually found in a city of its size. These include "two art galleries, a symphony orchestra, a ballet company, an opera company, an airport, a television station, an archives, two colleges (LaGrange College and West Georgia Technical College), and thirteen recreational centers with facilities for every sport."

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1850 1,523 —
1870 2,053 —
1880 2,295 11.8%
1890 3,090 34.6%
1900 4,274 38.3%
1910 5,587 30.7%
1920 17,038 205.0%
1930 20,131 18.2%
1940 21,983 9.2%
1950 25,025 13.8%
1960 23,632 −5.6%
1970 23,301 −1.4%
1980 24,204 3.9%
1990 25,597 5.8%
2000 25,998 1.6%
2010 29,588 13.8%
2020 30,858 4.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

LaGrange racial composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 11,040 35.78%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 15,655 50.73%
Native American 49 0.16%
Asian 1,188 3.85%
Pacific Islander 15 0.05%
Other/mixed 1,043 3.38%
Hispanic or Latino 1,868 6.05%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 30,858 people, 11,246 households, and 6,862 families residing in the city.

2019

As of the 2019 U.S. Census estimate, there were 30,305 people in 11,233 households residing in the city. The population density was 1033 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 48.0% Black, 44.5% White, 4.7% Hispanic/Latino, 2.5% Asian only, 1.8% mixed race, and 0.3% other. The median household income was $30,653.

Transportation

LaGrange-Callaway Airport is southwest of the city.

Sister cities

LaGrange has three sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):

The city is in the process of developing a sister city relationship in South Korea.

Gallery

Education

Troup County School District

The Troup County School System holds pre-school to grade 12, and consists of 15 elementary schools, three middle schools (Callaway Middle School, Gardner Newman Middle School, and Long Cane Middle School), and three high schools (Callaway High School, LaGrange High School, and Troup County Comprehensive High School. The county is divided into three school zones. The county school system serves Hogansville, LaGrange and West Point. It is home to over 20 new and recently renovated schools.

Private education

  • Dawson Street Academy
  • Hillside Montessori
  • Lafayette Christian
  • LaGrange Academy
  • Oak Grove Christian Academy
  • Sound Doctrine Christian Academy

Higher education

  • LaGrange College - Main Campus
  • Point University
  • West Georgia Technical College

Notable people

  • Hammett L. Bowen Jr. – recipient of Medal of Honor
  • Mary G. Bryan – archivist
  • Fuller Earle Callaway – textile magnate
  • Mike Cameron – Major League Baseball player
  • Wallace H. Clark Jr. – pathologist and cancer researcher; born (c.1924) and raised in LaGrange
  • Joyce Grable – former professional wrestler; born (c. 1952) and raised in LaGrange
  • Jimmy Haynes – Major League Baseball player
  • Albert E. Jarrell – Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy; born in Rome, Georgia, but raised in LaGrange
  • Tom Jarriel – ABC news correspondent; born in LaGrange in 1934
  • John Johnson – National Football League (NFL) player
  • Elijah Kelley – actor
  • David Kelton – Major League Baseball player
  • Mike Lazzo – network executive for Adult Swim
  • Wynona Lipman (1923–1999) – first African-American woman elected to New Jersey Senate
  • Randolph Mahaffey – professional basketball player, born in LaGrange
  • Lincoln Wayne "Chips" Moman – record producer and songwriter
  • Lewis Render Morgan – Georgia state representative and judge
  • Fred Newman – actor
  • Bubba Sparxxx – rapper
  • James M. Sprayberry – recipient of the Medal of Honor
  • Dernell Stenson – Major League Baseball Player
  • Horace Ward – first African-American federal judge in Georgia; also first person to attempt to integrate University of Georgia law school
  • Wesley Woodyard – NFL player
  • Louis Tompkins Wright – physician, graduate of Harvard Medical School, first African-American physician to be appointed to staff of a New York City municipal hospital; notable for many scientific breakthroughs, including introduction of intradermal smallpox vaccination

Images for kids

  • 2021-03-15 LaGrange, GA - LaGrange Callaway Airport

    Thomas W. Sheffield Terminal at LaGrange Callaway Airport

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: LaGrange (Georgia) para niños

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