The History of Gainesville Georgia
Having just moved to the city of Gainesville, Georgia, I’m eager to learn more about the city’s history. What began as a settlement in the early 1800s has evolved into one of the fastest growing cities in the state. It’s also home to many Hispanic communities. This article will explore some of the key events that have shaped the city.
First settlers
Located on the Chattahoochee River, Gainesville Georgia is one of the oldest towns in the state. It is situated in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, 50 miles northeast of Atlanta. The town is surrounded by the Lake Sidney Lanier, a lake created by Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River. The lake attracts over 10 million visitors a year.
The first settlers of Gainesville Georgia were primarily Scots-Irish, English, and German. They came from the southern states and the bordering states of Mississippi and Louisiana. They were drawn to the fine streams and plentiful game.
The area was still occupied by the Cherokee Indians when the first settlers arrived. In the 1830s, the Cherokees were expelled from the area. The conflict led to the Indian Removal Act. This was a landmark case in U.S. Indian Affairs.
In 1821, Gainesville was chosen as the county seat of Hall County. The square steadily grew during the 1830s and 1840s.
Longstreet’s political base
During his long political career as a Georgia Republican, James Longstreet’s Piedmont Hotel served as his political base. Longstreet was a former Confederate supporter who advocated civil rights for freed slaves. He worked for the United States Government as a diplomat and railroad commissioner. He was a member of the Republican Party and endorsed Ulysses S. Grant for president.
After the war, Longstreet returned to Georgia and served as a marshal in Atlanta and Gainesville. He also served as a United States commissioner of railroads and as a diplomat for the Turkish government.
In 1875, Longstreet moved his family to Gainesville, Georgia. He bought a 45-acre farm one mile north of the city. He built a two-story house on the property’s highest point. He planted scuppernong grapes and made wine from them.
Longstreet became a United States marshal for Georgia in 1881. He served in that capacity for slightly over three years. During his tenure, the office was plagued by corruption. Longstreet’s deputies were implicated in several scandals, leading to his removal from office in 1884.
Medical, judicial, and financial hub
Located 52 miles northeast of Atlanta, Gainesville is the hub of economic activity for the northeastern part of the state. It is home to many educational institutions including Brenau University and the Smithgall Arts Center. The city boasts a healthy Hispanic population, making it the county’s largest minority group.
Gainesville is also home to the first private mint for gold coins in the U.S., a feat of engineering that hasn’t been repeated since. During the early 20th century, the textile industry provided large scale labor opportunities for locals. This was followed by the discovery of gold in northeast Georgia, which essentially ended the indigenous population’s time on this continent. The city is also home to the largest municipally owned lake in the state, Lake Lanier, which was once a hot spot for swimming and boating, but has since waned in popularity. The city is also a stone’s throw away from Lake Oconee, Georgia’s largest reservoir, and the town is a shopper’s paradise with many upscale shopping and dining options.
Hispanic population
Among the more diverse areas of the United States, Gainesville, Georgia ranks as the second largest Hispanic population. This metro area is located just a few miles northwest of the city of Atlanta, which had the largest Hispanic population of all cities in the United States in the year 2000.
Gainesville, Georgia is home to a number of wealthy individuals and some of the poorest people in the United States. Gainesville, Georgia also has a higher than average number of people under the age of twenty. The demographic data for Gainesville, Georgia shows a large proportion of single people, unwed births, and women in their twenties.
Gainesville, Georgia is also home to a large number of workers who commute to and from work by car, rather than by public transportation. This means that workers have a shorter commute time than most people in the United States. In 2020, the average age of Gainesville, Georgia residents was 32.6.