Forsyth County, Georgia

Forsyth County is a located in the  of. As of 2000, the population was 98,407. The 2006 Census Estimate shows a population of 150,968. Its is.

This county is a part of the (-- ).

Geography
According to the, the county has a total area of 641 (247 ). 585 km² (226 sq mi) of it is land and 56 km² (22 sq mi) of it (8.72%) is water.

Major Highways

 * [[Image:US 19.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:Georgia 9.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:Georgia 20.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:Georgia 53.svg|20px]]
 * [[Image:Georgia 141.svg|25px]]
 * [[Image:Georgia 306.svg|25px]]
 * [[Image:Georgia 369.svg|25px]]
 * [[Image:Georgia 371.svg|25px]]
 * [[Image:Georgia 400.svg|25px]]

Adjacent counties

 * to the north, across a line of latitude
 * to the east, across (former s of, up into )
 * to the southeast, across Chattahoochee River and
 * (formerly until ) to the southwest, across an irregular line (not following a  or ), and a line of
 * to the west-northwest, across the same line of longitude

Cities and towns

 * (incorporated)
 * (unincorporated)

Demographics
As of the of 2000, there were 98,407 people, 34,565 households, and 28,101 families residing in the county. The was 168/km² (436/sq mi). There were 36,505 housing units at an average density of 62/km² (162/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 95.05%, 0.70% , 0.25% , 0.80% , 2.01% , 2.27% from , and 0.93% from two or more races. 2.57% of the population were of any race.

There were 34,565 households out of which 41.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.90% were living together, 6.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.70% were non-families. 14.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.12.

The age distribution was 27.90% under the age of 18, 6.10% from 18 to 24, 37.10% from 25 to 44, 21.80% from 45 to 64, and 7.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 102.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $68,890, and the median income for a family was $74,003. Males had a median income of $50,862 versus $32,112 for females. The for the county was $29,114. About 3.90% of families and 5.50% of the population were below the, including 5.60% of those under age 18 and 10.20% of those age 65 or over. According to The Council for Community and Economic Research, the publishers of the well-known, in 2005 Forsyth County had the highest median household income of any county within a major metropolitan area in the United States after accounting for local differences in the cost of living.

History
Forsyth County was created in 1832 from a partition of the, which had been formed from the Cherokee Nation East the previous year. Forsyth County was named for.

Civil Rights
Besides being one of the fastest growing counties in the USA (2000 census), Forsyth County is also known for several racist incidents which occurred in its past. Such incidents occurred at various times throughout the 20th century.

1910-1912
The census listed the racial makeup as "10847 white, 658 black, and 440 ", classifying just over 10% of the population as of or partially of African-American descent. However, in the entire African-American population was driven from the county.

1980's
More ethnically diverse citizens have begun in recent years to immigrate to the county, particularly in the affluent southern portion. However the racial tension continues to be a part of the county's image. This was infamously punctuated in, by a march by  activists in , and a counterdemonstration by a branch of the , some of whom may have been residents of the county, and others who objected to the march, some residents and some nonresidents who attended the march for the purpose of protesting it. According to a story published in the  on, four marchers were slightly injured by stones, and bottles were thrown at them. Eight people from the counter demonstration, all white, were arrested. The charges included trespassing and carrying concealed weapons.

Originally, the march was going to be led by Forsyth resident. Blackburn wanted to dispel the racist image of Forsyth County, where he owned and operated a private school (The Blackburn Learning Center). Blackburn cancelled his plans after he received threatening phone calls. Other whites in nearby counties, as well as State Representative of  and, who was on the , took up the march plans instead.

Civil Right's Activists' Response
The following week,, approximately 20,000 s s ed in Cumming. This occurrence produced no violence, despite the presence of over 5,000 counter-demonstrators, summoned by the, largely due to the presence of about 2,000 peace officers and smen. Forsyth County paid $670,000 for police during the. There was considerable public outrage at the costs, particularly since most of the demonstrators on both sides were from outside the county. An interview with Forsyth County Sheriff Wesley Walraven, previous to the second march, is available in [A Turn in the South] by Nobel-prize winning author VS Naipaul.

The demonstration is thought to have been the largest civil rights demonstration in the U.S. since about 1970. The unexpected turnout of some 6,000 counter-demonstrators, sixty-six of whom were arrested for "parading-without-a-permit," turned out to be the largest outpouring opposed to the Civil Rights Bill since the Sixties. The counter-demonstration was called by, newly organized in Cumming, by Mark Watts, a local plumber.

The original march had been triggered by an often repeated statement that Forsyth was "a county that warned black visitors not to 'let the sun go down on your head.' "

Marchers arrived on buses from all over the country and formed a caravan from Atlanta, under the watchful eye of National Guard troops on freeway overpasses along the nearly hour-long bus route. When marchers arrived, they discovered that most of the Cumming residents had already left town for the day, and many had boarded up their windows because they feared violence. The mood of the marchers, however, was peaceful and hopeful. The voices of thousands of people singing "We shall overcome" echoed off the empty buildings, as marchers wound slowly through streets lined by hundreds of armed National Guards, many of them black. At least two-thirds of the 20,000 civil rights marchers were white, according to eyewitnesses. Many said the multi-racial turnout showed how the civil rights movement had succeeded, despite the challenge at hand.

Forsyth county subsequently charged large fees for parade permits until the practice was overturned in  (505 U.S. 123) in the on June 19, 1992.

Population Growth
Today, Forsyth County maintains a large percentage of new homeowners. Due to rapid suburban sprawl and skyrocketing housing prices in neighboring Fulton County a large number of affluent professionals have moved into the county since the marches of 1987; the county's population has roughly tripled since that time. Over 60% of the current population either lived elsewhere or had not been born yet in 1987.

In 2006 Forsyth County had been in the top ten fastest growing counties of the united States for several years. Many new subdivisions with elegant houses have been constructed, several around world class golf courses. Close to Atlanta and the Blue Ridge mountains the area has attracted many of the Metro area's new residents. Shopping continues to expand as the subdivisions fill in the county.

Education
The public school system is Forsyth County's single-largest employer and is an integral part of the community. Classrooms are technologically-advanced, as the school system places a heavy emphasis on being on the cutting edge of new technology and methods of teaching. However, the school board has been widely criticized for making critical decisions without seeking input of parents. Voters handed a mixed verdict to the school system in the 2006 elections: An existing sales tax, designed to fund construction of several new schools, was renewed but voters also elected political newcomer Michael Dudgeon to the five-member school board. Dudgeon has three children attending Forsyth's schools and has pledged to bring "long overdue accountability to the Forsyth School System." In December 2006, board-appointed Superintendent Paula Gault announced her resignation effective at the end of 2007. Their are four high schools in Forsyth county: Forsyth Central(Bulldogs),North Forsyth(Raiders),South Forsyth(War Eagles), and the newest in Forsyth County West Forsyth(Wolverines). 2009 will bring about the newest addition to the SE part of the county with the opening of Lambert High School, affecting the massive Windemere neighborhood area (moving from South to Lambert).

Recreation
Recreation on Lake Lanier, a 37,000 acre Army Corp of Engineers lake, on the east side of the county is enjoyed by many residents and attracts non-residents seasonally. The new population is racially diverse and includes a large international population. The new residents represent all ethnic groups and economic levels.