Sandersville, Georgia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sandersville, Georgia
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| Nickname(s):
Kaolin Capital of the World
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Location in Washington County and the state of Georgia
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Georgia | ||
| County | Washington | ||
| Founded | 1796 | ||
| Incorporated | 1812 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | Council-Mayor | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 12.99 sq mi (33.65 km2) | ||
| • Land | 12.87 sq mi (33.34 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.12 sq mi (0.32 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 446 ft (136 m) | ||
| Population | |||
| • Total | 5,813 | ||
| • Density | 451.64/sq mi (174.38/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) | ||
| ZIP code |
31082
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| Area code(s) | 478 | ||
| FIPS code | 13-68208 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0322445 | ||
Sandersville is a city in Georgia, United States. It's the main city, or county seat, of Washington County. In 2020, about 5,813 people lived there. Sandersville is famous for being the "Kaolin Capital of the World" because it has a lot of kaolin, a special type of clay.
Contents
History of Sandersville
British settlers founded Sandersville in the 1700s, soon after the American Revolution. It became the county seat of Washington County in 1796. The city was named after M. Saunders, who owned a local store. The settlement was built where Native American trails met, which was also the location of Saunders' general store.
The town of Sandersville can be seen on Anthony Finley's map of Georgia from 1827.
Sandersville During the Civil War
In 1864, during the Civil War, General William T. Sherman and his troops passed through Sandersville. They briefly fought near the courthouse. As they left, Sherman's soldiers burned the courthouse and the jail. However, they left the rest of the town unharmed. A new Washington County Courthouse was built in 1869.
Sandersville Railroad Development
The Sandersville Railroad was built in 1893. It was part of the Central of Georgia Railway. Today, it still runs as a privately owned short line. It connects to the Norfolk Southern Railway's Georgia Division Savannah District at Tennille, Georgia, which is 4 miles south.
Notable Figures from Sandersville's Past
Elijah Muhammad, a leader of the Nation of Islam, grew up in Sandersville in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Geography and Climate
According to the United States Census Bureau, Sandersville covers about 10.45 square kilometers (4.03 square miles). Most of this area is land, with a small amount of water.
Land Features of Sandersville
The city is located along the "Fall Line." This is a natural boundary that separates two different land regions: the Piedmont Plateau and the Atlantic Coastal Plain. The area has rolling hills, red clay, and forests with pine and hardwood trees. You can also find swamplands and sand beds. The land becomes flatter as you go south, and more hilly with higher elevations as you go north.
Sandersville's Climate
Sandersville has a climate with warm summers and mild winters.
| Climate data for Sandersville, Georgia, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1914–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 82 (28) |
85 (29) |
90 (32) |
94 (34) |
98 (37) |
107 (42) |
109 (43) |
102 (39) |
102 (39) |
99 (37) |
87 (31) |
83 (28) |
109 (43) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 73.5 (23.1) |
76.9 (24.9) |
83.4 (28.6) |
86.7 (30.4) |
91.4 (33.0) |
95.7 (35.4) |
97.6 (36.4) |
96.9 (36.1) |
92.7 (33.7) |
86.3 (30.2) |
79.8 (26.6) |
75.0 (23.9) |
98.7 (37.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 57.9 (14.4) |
61.3 (16.3) |
68.7 (20.4) |
76.0 (24.4) |
83.1 (28.4) |
88.5 (31.4) |
91.6 (33.1) |
89.9 (32.2) |
85.0 (29.4) |
76.3 (24.6) |
66.9 (19.4) |
59.7 (15.4) |
75.4 (24.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 46.3 (7.9) |
49.0 (9.4) |
55.8 (13.2) |
63.0 (17.2) |
71.0 (21.7) |
77.8 (25.4) |
81.3 (27.4) |
80.0 (26.7) |
74.8 (23.8) |
64.6 (18.1) |
54.5 (12.5) |
48.4 (9.1) |
63.9 (17.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 34.7 (1.5) |
36.7 (2.6) |
42.8 (6.0) |
50.0 (10.0) |
58.8 (14.9) |
67.2 (19.6) |
70.9 (21.6) |
70.0 (21.1) |
64.5 (18.1) |
52.9 (11.6) |
42.1 (5.6) |
37.2 (2.9) |
52.3 (11.3) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 19.0 (−7.2) |
22.7 (−5.2) |
28.3 (−2.1) |
36.0 (2.2) |
45.7 (7.6) |
58.6 (14.8) |
64.2 (17.9) |
62.3 (16.8) |
52.3 (11.3) |
37.7 (3.2) |
28.8 (−1.8) |
23.9 (−4.5) |
17.0 (−8.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −3 (−19) |
7 (−14) |
14 (−10) |
26 (−3) |
36 (2) |
45 (7) |
50 (10) |
55 (13) |
35 (2) |
24 (−4) |
18 (−8) |
4 (−16) |
−3 (−19) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.40 (112) |
4.13 (105) |
4.83 (123) |
3.25 (83) |
3.16 (80) |
4.29 (109) |
4.41 (112) |
5.14 (131) |
4.49 (114) |
3.07 (78) |
2.88 (73) |
4.56 (116) |
48.61 (1,236) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.0 (0.0) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.5 (1.25) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.9 | 8.8 | 8.5 | 7.3 | 7.5 | 10.3 | 10.4 | 10.1 | 7.5 | 6.7 | 6.5 | 9.2 | 102.7 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service | |||||||||||||
Population and People
Sandersville's population has changed over the years.
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 1,279 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,760 | 37.6% | |
| 1900 | 2,023 | 14.9% | |
| 1910 | 2,641 | 30.5% | |
| 1920 | 2,695 | 2.0% | |
| 1930 | 3,011 | 11.7% | |
| 1940 | 3,566 | 18.4% | |
| 1950 | 4,480 | 25.6% | |
| 1960 | 5,425 | 21.1% | |
| 1970 | 5,546 | 2.2% | |
| 1980 | 6,137 | 10.7% | |
| 1990 | 6,290 | 2.5% | |
| 2000 | 6,144 | −2.3% | |
| 2010 | 5,912 | −3.8% | |
| 2020 | 5,813 | −1.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1850-1870 1870-1880 1890-1910 1920-1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 |
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Diversity in Sandersville (2020)
The table below shows the different groups of people living in Sandersville in 2020.
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1,861 | 32.01% |
| Black or African American | 3,675 | 63.22% |
| Native American | 3 | 0.05% |
| Asian | 32 | 0.55% |
| Other/Mixed | 132 | 2.27% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 110 | 1.89% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,813 people living in Sandersville. These people made up 2,213 households, with 1,425 of them being families.
Economy and Industry
For many years, Sandersville's economy was mostly based on farming, especially growing cotton. In the 1950s, a new industry grew. This industry focuses on mining and processing kaolin, a special type of clay found in large amounts in the area.
Education in Sandersville
Washington County School District
The Washington County School District serves students from pre-school all the way to twelfth grade. It includes:
- Ridge Road Primary School
- Ridge Road Elementary School
- T. J. Elder Middle School
- Washington County High School
The district has 220 full-time teachers and teaches over 3,821 students.
Private Schools
- Brentwood School (for grades K-3 through 12)
Colleges and Higher Education
- Oconee Fall Line Technical College - Main Campus [North Campus]
- Georgia Military College - Extension Centre
Sports History
Sandersville was once home to minor league baseball teams. These teams included the Sandersville Giants (from 1955 to 1956) and the Sandersville Wacos (from 1953 to 1954). The Sandersville teams played in the Class D Georgia State League (GSL) from 1953 to 1956. They played their games at Sandersville Baseball Park.
A famous player, Willie McCovey, who is now in the Baseball Hall of Fame, played for the Sandersville Giants in 1955. The team, along with the Georgia State League, stopped playing after the 1956 season. Sandersville was connected with the Milwaukee Braves (in 1953) and the New York Giants (from 1955 to 1956).
Local Newspapers
Sandersville has two weekly newspapers: The Sandersville Progress and "The Spotlight." The Sandersville Progress started publishing in 1870.
Notable People from Sandersville
- Nathan Deal, the 82nd Governor of Georgia
- Doris Duke, a soul singer
- Robert Edwards, a professional football player
- Terrence Edwards, a professional football player
- Allisha Gray, a professional basketball player
- Thomas W. Hardwick, a lawyer and the 63rd Governor of Georgia
- Herbert Jefferson Jr., an actor
- Marvin Lane, a professional baseball player
- Greg Minor, a professional basketball player
- Elijah Muhammad, a leader of the Nation of Islam
- Takeo Spikes, a professional football player
- Coot Veal, a professional baseball player
See also
In Spanish: Sandersville (Georgia) para niños
