Carrollton is a city in west central Georgia, in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. It is the county seat of Carroll County, and the largest town in the county, with a population of 19,843 at the 2000 census.

Historically, Carrollton has been a commercial and cultural center for Carroll and neighboring Georgia and Alabama counties, and is the home of the University of West Georgia and Southwire, the world's largest privately-owned manufacturer of wire and cable.

Geography

Carrollton is located at (33.580912, -85.076704).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 20.7 square miles (53.6 km²), of which, 20.2 square miles (52.2 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it (2.51%) is water.

Climate and Weather

Category	Annual	January	July
Average Temperature (°F)	61	44	78
Average High (°F)	73	55	90
Average Low (°F)	49	33	67
Average Precipitation (Inches)	49.6	4.7	4.8
Average Snowfall (Inches)	1	0.3
Average Rainy Days	81.5	8.3	7.6
Average Days Above 90°F	59.6		17
Average Days Below 32°F	73	16

Source: Weatherbase.com

Severe weather: Severe winter conditions are infrequent. Numerous thunderstorms, a few of them severe, can occur during the spring and summer months. The main risk from these storms comes from lightning strikes. Any tornadoes produced by these storms tend to be small and highly localized. An EF3 tornado hit an area about 10 miles west of Carrollton on February 26, 2008.

Possibly the most significant severe weather risk comes from hurricanes that strike the Florida Panhandle. These storms track northward through Alabama as tropical storms, and some have brought high winds, heavy rainfall, and the occasional tornado to the Carrollton area, resulting in significant property damage.

Demographics

Population

Total Population (2000)	White	African American	American Indian	Asian	Pacific Islander	Other	Mixed	Hispanic (any race)
19,843	62.49%	31.16%	0.22%	1.26%	0.01%	2.88%	1.98%	5.64%

Source: US Census

Household Data

Total households (2000)	Family households	Nonfamily households	Households w/members under 18	Households w/members over 65	Avg. household size	Avg. family size
7,121	3,968	3,153	2,178	1,496	2.37	3.01

Source: US Census

Population Sex and Age

Male	Female	Median age	Under 21	21-65	65 and over	85 and over
9,241	10,602	26.3	6,986	10,617	2,240	389

Source: US Census

Income

Median household income	Median family income	Median earnings (male)	Median earnings (female)	Per capita income
27,559	39,143	30,600	23,224	16,803

Source: US Census

History

Carroll County, of which Carrollton is the county seat, was chartered in 1826, and was governed at the time by the Carroll Inferior Court, which consisted of five elected justices. In 1829, the justices voted to move the county seat from the site it occupied near the present community of Sandhill, to a new site about eight miles to the southwest.

The original intention was to call the new county seat Troupville, in honor of former governor George Troup, but Troup was not popular with the state government of the time, so the Georgia General Assembly incorporated the town as Carrollton, in December 1829.

In 1830, the town was surveyed and lots were laid out, with the central feature being the town square, which was later named Adamson Square, for local judge and congressman William C. Adamson.

Although it was the county seat and the main market town for most of Carroll County, transportation of both goods and passengers was difficult until the coming of the railroad in 1874, so Carrollton remained largely a frontier town until well after the American Civil War.

The coming of the railroad brought new prosperity to Carrollton. Farmers were able to bring their crops, mostly cotton, to town for shipment to distant markets, and obtain the fertilizers and agricultural supplies they needed. At the same time, consumer goods were more readily available than ever before.

The railroad also encouraged the growth of the fledgling industrial ventures, especially in the textile industry, in and around Carrollton. These early textile mills, mostly water powered, served as the basis for a textile industry that helped ensure the town’s prosperity well into the 20th century.

At the start of the 20th century, Carrollton boasted running water, had electric lighting and telephone service, and the town began paving its streets in 1918.

In 1906, Carrollton was chosen as the site of the Fourth District Agricultural and Mechanical School, which became West Georgia College in 1934, and is now a ten-thousand student university, the University of West Georgia.

Carrollton remained an agricultural and textile manufacturing center throughout the first half of the 20th century, but as the local production of cotton declined and the population became more urban, other industries began to take on a greater prominence.. Most notable is the Southwire Company Founded in Carrollton in 1950, Southwire is now one of the world’s largest manufacturers of wire and cable and is the largest privately owned wire manufacturer, with more than 1,500 local employees, and 5,000 employees worldwide.

This diversification of industry has continued into the 21st century, aided in part by Carrollton’s ready access to Interstate 20 and the Norfolk Southern Railway. The town’s major employers presently include companies in the airline, construction, power distribution, poultry, software, home entertainment, and health care industries, among others.

Carrollton also remains an important market town, with a wide variety of national retail chains and restaurants, serving Carroll and neighboring Georgia and Alabama counties.

Carrollton featured in the 1983 TV movie Murder In Coweta County, although the Carrollton scenes were not actually filmed there. The town was also mentioned in Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 novel Gone with the Wind, and in the 1939 movie of the same name. In 1946, artist Norman Rockwell visited the Oak Mountain school, near Carrollton, to paint a rural schoolhouse for an article that appeared in The Saturday Evening Post in November of that year.

Academy Award winning actress Susan Hayward married a Carrollton man, Eaton Chalkley, and they lived in Carrollton from the time of their marriage in 1957 until his death in 1966. Hayward died in 1975, and is buried next to her husband, on the grounds of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Roman Catholic Church in Carrollton, which is built on land donated by the couple.

Parks and Recreation

For outdoor recreation, several parks are located near Carrollton. John Tanner State Park has a lake with a beach and swimming area, walking or running track, and camp grounds. Another local favorite is McIntosh Reserve, a county-run park along the Chattahoochee River. McIntosh Reserve is named for local historic figure William McIntosh.

Another beautiful outdoor area near Carrollton is Banning Mills, once a small mill community and now a picturesque resort and retreat.

Culture

Carrollton has a small but vibrant downtown area. Local favorite restaurants include the Corner Cafe, The Irish Bred Pub, Miller's, Camacho's, Mia Bella, The Alley Cat, Plates on the Square and Gallery Row Coffee Shop; all within walking distance of one another. Of these, Camacho's, Irish Bred Pub, The Alley Cat, and Miller's frequently schedule bands and other events. Adamson Square is the host to many of Carrollton's exciting events, such as the annual Mayfest which takes place in the first week of May. Another unique shop located on Adamson Square is Horton's Books & Gifts, certified as the oldest bookstore in Georgia by the American Booksellers Association. Founded in 1892, it is also Carrollton and Carroll County's oldest business.

Carrollton has a tight-knit music community. Singers and instrumentalists alike often bond together to produce concerts and albums such as "Did You Hear Something" and "Did You Hear Something Too" which were both released in the 90's. Ottotune Records also released a CD featuring local West Georgia artists.

Among businesses near the square is The Squire Shop, formerly owned by local businessman, Charles Willis. Another on-the-square business is Willis Jewelry Co., owned by Chuck Willis.

Notes

Another unique shop located on Adamson Square is Horton's Books & Gifts, certified as the oldest bookstore in Georgia by the American Booksellers Association. Founded in 1892, it is also Carrollton and Carroll County's oldest business.

External links