Homerville, Georgia

{{unreferenced section|date=January 2019}}

Clinch County was created on February 14, 1850, by an act of the Georgia General Assembly, and was named for General Duncan Lamont Clinch, a decorated United States brigadier general and Georgia congressman who had recently died. Clinch, Georgia's 95th county, was formed from land originally inhabited by the Oconee people and consolidated portions of Ware County and Lowndes County. The act creating the county named Elijah Mattox, Simon W. Nichol, Timothy Kirkland, Benjamin Sirmans, and John J. Johnson as commissioners charged with selecting a county seat and constructing a courthouse.

The designated commissioners quickly settled on a site just southwest of the present-day Homerville, and in memory of President James K. Polk decided to name the county seat "Polk". Two years later, however, the Georgia General Assembly inexplicably changed the name of the county seat to "Magnolia", just as the county's first courthouse was completed. The first courthouse was quite small and was destroyed in 1856 when a citizen, presumably dissatisfied with legal proceedings brought against him, decided to destroy the courthouse by fire.

In February 1853, Dr. John Homer Mattox and his family moved from their former home on the Suwannee River and settled on a tract of land adjacent to the Magnolia stage route. In recognition of his family name, he called the settlement Homersville. Shortly thereafter the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad expansion replaced the stage route, and Mattox's settlement was simply known as "Station No.11".

Over time the settlement grew, and in 1860 approximately 275 citizens of Clinch County petitioned the Georgia General Assembly to move the county seat from the nearby Magnolia to Mattox's settlement. Later the same year, the legislature relented and officially named Station No. 11 the county seat of Clinch County. By 1863, the town of Homersville was known as Forest. It would take approximately nine more years for the legislature to officially recognize the name Homerville and incorporate the city; however, Homerville shows up as the name of the county seat in newspapers by March 1864.

Dr. John Homer Mattox's original dwelling is now the home of the Clinch County Chamber of Commerce and Welcome Center. The home recently underwent an extensive restoration that not only restored many of the rooms to their former glory but also added modern plumbing and central heat and air for the convenience of visitors. The structure now holds the administrative offices of the chamber and a museum dedicated to the early days of Clinch County.

Homerville is located in north-central Clinch County at {{coord|31|2|13|N|82|45|5|W|type:city}} (31.036832, -82.751302).{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}} U.S. Routes 84 and 441 cross in the center of town. US 84 leads east {{convert|27|mi}} to Waycross and west {{convert|35|mi}} to Valdosta, while US 441 leads north {{convert|35|mi}} to Douglas, Georgia, and south {{convert|67|mi}} to Lake City, Florida.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|9.1|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|0.04|sqkm|order=flip|2}}, or 0.50%, is water. Wooded areas and swampy marshes surround the city.

{{Weather box

|location = Homerville, Georgia

|single line = Y

|Jan record high F = 82

|Feb record high F = 84

|Mar record high F = 88

|Apr record high F = 91

|May record high F = 99

|Jun record high F = 104

|Jul record high F = 101

|Aug record high F = 100

|Sep record high F = 98

|Oct record high F = 94

|Nov record high F = 85

|Dec record high F = 80

|year record high F = 104

|Jan high F = 61.4

|Feb high F = 65.4

|Mar high F = 71.8

|Apr high F = 78.8

|May high F = 85.8

|Jun high F = 90.4

|Jul high F = 92.3

|Aug high F = 91

|Sep high F = 86.9

|Oct high F = 79.2

|Nov high F = 71.2

|Dec high F = 63.3

|year high F = 92.3

|Jan mean F = 48.8

|Feb mean F = 52.3

|Mar mean F = 58.2

|Apr mean F = 64.5

|May mean F = 72

|Jun mean F = 78.2

|Jul mean F = 80.6

|Aug mean F = 80

|Sep mean F = 76

|Oct mean F = 66.8

|Nov mean F = 58.1

|Dec mean F = 50.7

|year mean F = 65.6

|Jan low F = 36.2

|Feb low F = 39.2

|Mar low F = 44.7

|Apr low F = 50.3

|May low F = 58.2

|Jun low F = 66.1

|Jul low F = 68.8

|Aug low F = 69

|Sep low F = 65.1

|Oct low F = 54.4

|Nov low F = 45.1

|Dec low F = 38.2

|year low F = 36.2

|Jan record low F = 21

|Feb record low F = 18

|Mar record low F = 25

|Apr record low F = 39

|May record low F = 47

|Jun record low F = 55

|Jul record low F = 66

|Aug record low F = 64

|Sep record low F = 56

|Oct record low F = 34

|Nov record low F = 23

|Dec record low F = 22

|year record low F = 18

|Jan precipitation inch = 4.7

|Feb precipitation inch = 4

|Mar precipitation inch = 4.6

|Apr precipitation inch = 2.9

|May precipitation inch = 2.6

|Jun precipitation inch = 6

|Jul precipitation inch = 6.3

|Aug precipitation inch = 6.1

|Sep precipitation inch = 4.4

|Oct precipitation inch = 2.9

|Nov precipitation inch = 2.7

|Dec precipitation inch = 3.3

|precipitation colour = green

|year precipitation inch = 50.3

|Jan snow inch = 0

|Feb snow inch = 0

|Mar snow inch = 0

|Apr snow inch = 0

|May snow inch = 0

|Jun snow inch = 0

|Jul snow inch = 0

|Aug snow inch = 0

|Sep snow inch = 0

|Oct snow inch = 0

|Nov snow inch = 0

|Dec snow inch = 0.1

|year snow inch = 0.1

|Jan precipitation days = 9.9

|Feb precipitation days = 9.1

|Mar precipitation days = 8.8

|Apr precipitation days = 6

|May precipitation days = 7.1

|Jun precipitation days = 12.9

|Jul precipitation days = 13.9

|Aug precipitation days = 12.4

|Sep precipitation days = 9.5

|Oct precipitation days = 6.8

|Nov precipitation days = 6.8

|Dec precipitation days = 8.3

|unit precipitation days =

|year precipitation days = 111.5

|source 1 = Weatherbase {{Cite web |url= https://m.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php?s=79737&cityname=Homerville-Georgia-United-States-of-America

|title=Historical Weather for Homerville, Georgia, United States |publisher=Weatherbase |access-date=2010-07-27 }}

|date=August 2010

}}

{{US Census population

|1880= 201

|1900= 434

|1910= 437

|1920= 627

|1930= 1150

|1940= 1522

|1950= 1787

|1960= 2634

|1970= 3025

|1980= 3112

|1990= 2560

|2000= 2803

|2010= 2456

|2020= 2344

|estyear=

|estimate=

|estref=

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=}}
1850-1870{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1870 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 1870|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1870/population/1870a-13.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=|page=}} 1870-1880{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1880 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 1880|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1880/vol-01-population/1880_v1-09.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=|page=}}
1890-1910{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1910 Census of Population - Georgia |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 1910|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1910/abstract/supplement-ga.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=|page=}} 1920-1930{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1930 Census of Population - Georgia |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 1930|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/03815512v1ch04.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=|pages=251–256}}
1940{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1940 Census of Population - Georgia |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 1940|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1940/population-volume-1/33973538v1ch04.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}} 1950{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1950 Census of Population - Georgia |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 1950|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1950/population-volume-2/37779083v2p11ch2.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}} 1960{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1960 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 1960|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1960/population-volume-1/vol-01-12-c.pdf|accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}
1970{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1970 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 1970|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1970a_ga-01.pdf|accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}} 1980{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 1980|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_gaABC-01.pdf|accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}} 1990{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1990 Census of Population - Summary Social, Economic, and Housing Characteristics - Georgia |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 1990|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1990/cph-5/cph-5-12.pdf|accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}
2000{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 2000 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 2000|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2003/dec/phc-3-12.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}} 2010{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 2010 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 2010|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/2010/cph-2/cph-2-12.pdf|accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}

}}

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,344 people, 983 households, and 610 families residing in the city.

The Clinch County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of a headstart, elementary/middle school, and a high school.

The district has 96 full-time teachers and over 1,499 students.[http://www.school-stats.com/GA/CLINCH/CLINCH_COUNTY.html School Stats], Retrieved June 4, 2010.

• Clinch County Elementary School
• Clinch County Middle School
• Clinch County High School

{{Reflist}}

{{Clinch County, Georgia}}

{{Georgia county seats}}

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Category:Cities in Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:Cities in Clinch County, Georgia

Category:County seats in Georgia (U.S. state)