Athens, Georgia

Athens-Clarke County is a unified city–county in Georgia, U.S., in the northeastern part of the state. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city. In 1991, after a vote the preceding year, the original city abandoned its charter in order to form a unified government with Clarke County, referred to collectively as Athens-Clarke County. As of the 2010 census, the consolidated city-county (including all of Athens-Clarke County except Winterville and a portion of Bogart) had a total population of 115,452. Athens-Clarke County is the fifth-largest city in Georgia and the principal city of the Athens-Clarke County, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a population of 189,264 as of the 2008 Census Bureau estimate.

History
In the late 18th century, a trading settlement on the banks of the Oconee River called Cedar Shoals stood where Athens is located today 33.95528°N, -83.38306°W (33.955278, -83.383056). On January 27, 1785, the Georgia General Assembly granted a charter by Abraham Baldwin for the University of Georgia as the first state-supported university. Sixteen years later, in 1801, a committee from the university's board of trustees selected a site for the university on a hill above Cedar Shoals in what was then Jackson County. On July 25, John Milledge, one of the trustees and later governor of Georgia, bought 633 acres (2.6 km²) from Daniel Easley and donated it to the university. Milledge named the surrounding area Athens after the city that was home to the academy of Plato and Aristotle in Greece.

The first buildings on the University of Georgia campus were made from logs. The town grew as lots adjacent to the college were sold to raise money for the additional construction of the school. By the time the first class graduated from the University in 1804, Athens consisted of three homes, three stores and a few other buildings facing Front Street, now known as Broad Street. Completed in 1806 and named in honor of Benjamin Franklin, Franklin College was the University of Georgia and the City of Athens' first permanent structure. This brick building is now called Old College.

Athens officially became a town in December 1806 with a government made up of a three-member commission. The university continued to grow, as did the town, with cotton mills fueling the industrial and commercial development. Athens became known as the "Manchester of the South" after the city in England known for its mills. In 1833 a group of Athens businessmen led by James Camak, tired of their wagons getting stuck in the mud, built one of Georgia's first railroads, the Georgia, connecting Athens to Augusta by 1841, and to Marthasville (now Atlanta) by 1845.

During the American Civil War, Athens became a significant supply center when the New Orleans armory was relocated to what is now called the Chicopee building. Fortifications can still be found along parts of the North Oconee River between College and Oconee St. In addition, Athens played a small part in the ill-fated Stoneman Raid when a skirmish was fought on a site overlooking the Middle Oconee River near what is now the old Macon Highway. As in many southern towns, there is a Confederate memorial. It is located on Broad Street, near the University of Georgia Arch.

During Reconstruction, Athens continued to grow. The form of government changed to a mayor-council government with a new city charter on August 24, 1872 with Captain Henry Beusse as the first mayor of Athens. Henry Beusse was instrumental in the rapid growth of the city after the Civil War. After holding the position of mayor he worked in the railroad industry and helped to bring railroads to the region creating growth in many of the surrounding communities. Freed slaves moved to the city. Many were attracted by the new centers for education such as the Freedman's Bureau. This new population was served by three black newspapers – the Athens Blade, the Athens Clipper, and the Progressive Era.

In the 1880s, as Athens became more densely populated, city services and improvements were undertaken. The Athens Police Department was founded in 1881 and public schools opened in fall of 1886. Telephone service was introduced in 1882 by the Bell Telephone Company. Transportation improvements were also introduced with a street paving program beginning in 1885 and streetcars, pulled by mules, in 1888.

By its centennial in 1901, Athens was a much-changed city. A new city hall was completed in 1904. An African-American middle class and professional class had grown around the corner of Washington and Hull Streets, known as the "Hot Corner." The theater at the Morton Building hosted movies and performances by well-known black musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, and Duke Ellington. In 1907 aviation pioneer Ben T. Epps became Georgia's first pilot on a hill outside town that would become the Athens-Ben Epps Airport. Athens got its first tall building in 1908 with the seven-story Southern Mutual Insurance Company building.

During World War II, the U.S. Navy built new buildings and paved runways to serve as a training facility for naval pilots. In 1954, the U.S. Navy chose Athens as the site for the Navy Supply Corps school. The school was located in Normal Town in the buildings of the old Normal School. The school is now scheduled to be moved in 2011 under the Base Realignment and Closure process.

In 1961, Athens witnessed part of the civil rights movement when Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes became the first two black students to enter the University of Georgia. Three years later, a gas station attendant and member of the KKK followed black Army reserve officer Lemuel Penn out of town and murdered him in Madison County near Colbert, Georgia. This received national attention. Despite the Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling in 1954, the Athens – Clarke County school district remained segregated until 1970.

Geography and climate
According to the United States Census Bureau, the balance has a total area of 118.2 sqmi, of which 117.8 sqmi is land and 0.5 sqmi (0.41%) is water.

Athens lies within the Humid subtropical climate zone, with hot, humid summers and mild to moderately cold winters. Annual rainfall averages 49.7 inches. Light to moderate snowfall can occur in winter. In the spring, frequent thunderstorms can sometimes become severe, even producing tornadoes.

Neighborhoods

 * Downtown
 * Five Points
 * Chicopee-Dudley
 * East Side
 * Boulevard
 * West Side
 * Newtown
 * Normaltown
 * Cobbham
 * Beechwood
 * Briarcliff

Government

 * Legislative: The government is headed by an elected mayor and 10 elected commissioners from 8 geographical districts and 2 super-districts covering districts 1–4 and 5–8
 * Executive: The Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County's day to day operations are overseen by a manager appointed by the Mayor and Commission. There are 26 main departments, divisions and offices under the managerial group
 * Judicial: Athens-Clarke County houses Magistrate, Juvenile, Municipal, Probate, State and Superior Courts. Superior Court covers the Western Judicial Circuit, which also includes Oconee County

Politics
The Human Rights Festival, held annually, has brought in speakers and activists such as Jesse Jackson, David Dellinger and William Ayers.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 100,266 people, 39,239 households, and 19,344 families residing in the city. The population density was 851.5 people per square mile (328.8/km²). There were 41,633 housing units at an average density of 353.6 per square mile (136.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 64.71% White, 27.37% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 3.15% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.11% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.39% of the population.

There were 39,239 households out of which 22.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.3% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.7% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the city the population was spread out with 17.8% under the age of 18, 31.6% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 15.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,118, and the median income for a family was $41,407. Males had a median income of $30,359 versus $23,039 for females. The per capita income for the balance was $17,103. About 15.0% of families and 28.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.2% of those under age 18 and 13.5% of those age 65 or over.

Businesses
Independent publisher Hill Street Press is headquarters here. Authors with previous or current residence in the city include Pulitzer Prize winners Deborah Blum and Edward Larson, as well as Judith Ortiz Cofer, Reginald McKnight and Coleman Barks.

Tourism
Every spring there are bicycle races collectively known as the Twilight Series. One is the Twilight Criterium. In addition to its yearly weekend of bike events, Athens has a bicycle culture, observed the first Friday of each month at Courteous Mass (sponsored by BikeAthens) and the last Friday of each month at Critical Mass (an independent gathering).

Competitiveness
In 2010 the average household rent in Athens was $962. The national average was $1087.

Culture
Culture coexists with the university students in creating an art scene, music scene and intellectual environment. The city has music venues, restaurants, bars, and coffee shops that cater to its creative climate.

Unusual local features

 * The remaining one of two double barreled cannons produced during the American Civil War is located here.


 * The "Tree That Owns Itself"-which now is an offspring of the original tree

Notable local gardens

 * The State Botanical Garden of Georgia


 * The University of Georgia Campus Arboretum.

Notable local bars

 * The Globe bar was voted by Esquire magazine as the third top bar in America in 2007.

Notable local businesses
Network Translations, Inc. developed here. It produced the PIX firewall which was later purchased by Cisco Systems.

Notable film and TV appearances
The 1940 film The Green Hand was shot in Athens, using local townspeople and students and faculty from the University of Georgia as its cast. The film had its premiere in Athens in January 1940, in an event attended by Governor Eurith D. Rivers. The movie, Darius Goes West, was shot in Athens.

The short lived 1980–81 ABC-TV television series Breaking Away (based on the 1979 film of the same name) was filmed in and around Athens, and made use of the University buildings, and local stone quarries for filming locations.

Music
The Athens music scene grew in the early 1970s and later during the 1980s with the Georgia Theatre and 40 Watt Club as the bands R.E.M. and the B-52's scored breakout hits. The original Allen's was one of the oldest bars in Athens. It closed in 2004 and re-opened in 2007 at a new location. Other notable bands were Dreams So Real, Indigo Girls, Matthew Sweet, The Method Actors, Love Tractor, Pylon, Flat Duo Jets, The Primates, Modern Skirts, The Whigs, and Widespread Panic.

National acts that have come out of Athens include: Danger Mouse, Dreams So Real, alternative duo Jucifer, Vic Chesnutt, Drive-By Truckers, Elf Power, Neutral Milk Hotel, The Sunshine Fix, Bubba Sparxxx, Colt Ford, Corey Smith, Harvey Milk (band), The Olivia Tremor Control, Of Montreal, Five Eight, Dead Confederate, Jet by Day, Athens Boys Choir,  and R.E.M.. R.E.M. members Michael Stipe, Mike Mills and Peter Buck still maintain residences in Athens.

Every Summer since 1996 the city has hosted AthFest, a non-profit music and arts festival held in the downtown area.

Media
Athens Banner-Herald publishes daily. UGA has an independent daily newspaper, The Red & Black. Flagpole Magazine is an alternative newspaper publishing weekly.

Local radio stations include:


 * WMSL 88.9 FM, a religious station featuring traditional Christian music and teaching
 * WUOG 90.5 FM, UGA's student-run radio station
 * WUGA 91.7 and 97.9 FM, an affiliate of Georgia Public Broadcasting and National Public Radio also broadcasting from the UGA campus
 * WPPP-LP 100.7 FM (Hot 100), a low-power, non-commercial alternative/progressive rock station
 * WRFC (AM) 960 AM, ESPN Radio (formerly Athens' local Top 40 music station during the 1960s and 1970s). Owned by Cox Radio.
 * WGAU 1340 AM, news and talk. Owned by Cox Radio.
 * WXAG 1470 AM, urban gospel music

In addition, WFSH-FM 104.7 FM, a contemporary Christian music station, is licensed to Athens but based in Atlanta. Atlanta-based Rhythmic Top 40 station WBTS (95.5 The Beat) was formerly licensed to Athens (and also the former home of country station WNGC, which now broadcasts at 106.1) but has since changed its city of license to Doraville, Georgia.

Television Channel 8, WGTV and channel 34, WUVG are both licensed to Athens. However their transmitters are in the Atlanta metropolitan area. WGTV broadcasts from the top of Stone Mountain. WNEG-TV has studios out of UGA, but maintains its transmitter near Toccoa, its city of license.

Clarke County School District
The Clarke County School District supports grades pre-school to grade twelve. The district consists of fourteen elementary schools, four middle schools, and three high schools (one non-traditional). The district has 791 full-time teachers and over 11,457 students.

Private schools

 * Athens Christian School (grades K-12)
 * Athens Montessori School (grades K-8)
 * Saint Joseph Catholic School (grades K-8)
 * Monsignor Donovan Catholic High School (grades 9–12)



Colleges and universities

 * The University of Georgia (UGA), a public research university, is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning. Founded in 1785, it was the first state-chartered university in the United States.
 * Athens Technical College is a Technical College System of Georgia public college. It offers certificates, diplomas, and associate degrees in business, health, technical, and manufacturing-related fields.
 * Piedmont College established a campus in Athens in 1995.

Roads
The city is the focus of U.S. Highways 29, 78, 129, 441, and Georgia State Route 72, and near the eastern terminus of Georgia 316 and the southern terminus of State Route 106. Other state routes in Athens are SR 8 and SR 15, which follow US 29 and 441 respectively, SR 10 which follows US 78 east and west of Athens but deviates to US 78 Business to go through Athens, and SR 15 Alternate which starts at the SR 10 Loop interchange at Milledge Avenue and follows Milledge and Prince Avenues to US 129 which it follows to the north. The Georgia State Route 10 Loop serves as a limited access perimeter. The city is bisected east to west by Broad St/Atlanta Highway (US 78 Bus and SR 10) and north to south by Milledge Avenue (SR 15 Alt). Lumpkin St, Prince Ave (SR 15 Alt), North Ave, and Oconee St (US 78 Bus) along with Broad St are major thoroughfares radiating from Downtown (Athens). College Station Rd and Gaines School Rd are major thoroughfares on the east side of Athens, along with US 78 east (Lexington Rd). On the west side most major thoroughfares intersect US 78 Bus (Broad St/Atlanta Hwy), including Alps Rd/Hawthorne Ave, Epps Bridge Pkwy, and Timothy Rd/Mitchell Bridge Rd.

Bus
Athens Transit provides intracity transit 6 days per week. UGA Campus Transit provides fare-free transit around the University of Georgia campus and Milledge Avenue. Southeastern Stages, a subsidiary of Greyhound Lines provides intercity bus services.

Rail
Athens has no direct passenger rail service; the closest Amtrak stations are located in Atlanta, Gainesville, and Toccoa. Freight service is provided by CSX and Athens Line, the latter having leased tracks from Norfolk Southern. The Georgia Department of Transportation has proposed the city as the terminus of a commuter line that links Atlanta and Gwinnett County along the Georgia 316 corridor.

Air
Athens-Ben Epps Airport (FAA code AHN) has been operational since 1917. It is located east of downtown outside Georgia State Route 10 Loop and north of US Route 78. AHN qualifies for air service to be provided under the Essential Air Service provisions. Currently, Georgia Skies and Wings Air provide commercial air service to Atlanta, and until 2008 (prior to either airline's current AHN service), US Airways provided service to Charlotte. Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) is the primary point of departure and arrival for Athenians due to the relative lack of air service to AHN.

Alternative
Athens encourages use of alternative transportation. Bike lanes are provided on major thoroughfares. A rail-to-trail redevelopment is being considered to connect Downtown (Athens) with the East-Side. Organizations such as BikeAthens support and encourage biking. Skateboarding and small scooters are also common sights around UGA campus and Downtown.

Utilities
Electric service in Athens-Clarke is provided by two customer-owned electric cooperatives, Walton EMC and Jackson EMC as well as Georgia Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company. Water utility is provided by the city. Garbage is provided by private companies according to customer purchase, though the city does offer municipal garbage pick up as a service. Natural gas is supplied by Atlanta Gas Light through various marketers within the de-regulated market.

Sister cities
Athens has three sister cities.
 * 🇬🇷 Athens, Greece
 * 🇮🇹 Cortona, Italy
 * 🇷🇴 Iaşi, Romania

Notable residents and natives

 * Kevin Barnes – Founding member of the band of Montreal
 * Kim Basinger – American Film Actress
 * Bill Berry – Founding member of R.E.M.
 * John Berry – Singer
 * Brian Bowles – Martial artist
 * Bradford Cox – Indie Rock Musician
 * Ryan Key – lead singer and rhythm guitar of the band Yellowcard
 * Jeff Daniels – American actor. Born in Athens
 * Ben T. Epps – Aviation pioneer
 * Quentin Moses - American football linebacker for the Miami Dolphins. (Born in Athens)
 * Willie Green – Former NFL Football Player
 * Forrest Griffin – MMA fighter
 * Young Harris - Judge, philanthropist, and namesake of Young Harris College
 * Wadsworth Jarrell - Artist
 * Andy Johnson – Former NFL football player
 * John Kasay – Carolina Panthers kicker
 * Leo Kottke – Acoustic guitarist
 * Jeff Mangum – Indie Folk Musician
 * Brian McCann – MLB Baseball Player. Born in Athens
 * Fred Mills – Classical music professor and Grammy nominee
 * Madeleine Peyroux – American jazz singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Born in Athens.
 * Dunta Robinson – NFL Football Player
 * Chuck Smith – Former NFL defensive end
 * Scott Spillane - Musician, The Gerbils and Neutral Milk Hotel
 * Keith Strickland – Musician, composer and founding member of The B-52s
 * Fran Tarkenton – Hall of Fame Quarterback
 * Laura Slade Wiggins - actress and musician
 * Cindy Wilson – Founding member of The B-52s
 * Ricky Wilson – Founding member of The B-52s