Buford, Georgia
Template:About Template:Good article Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Buford is a city in Gwinnett and Hall counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 17,144. Most of the city is in Gwinnett County, which is part of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta Metropolitan Statistical Area. The northern sliver of the city is in Hall County, which comprises the Gainesville, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area and is part of the larger Atlanta-Athens-Clarke-Sandy Springs Combined Statistical Area.
The city was founded in 1872 after a railroad was built in the area connecting Charlotte, North Carolina, with Atlanta. Buford was named after Algernon Sidney Buford, who at the time was president of the Atlanta and Richmond Air-Line Railway. The city's leather industry, led by the Bona Allen Company, as well as its location as a railway stop, caused the population to expand during the early 1900s until after the Great Depression had ended.
The city has its own school district, the Buford City School District, and has been the birthplace and home of several musicians and athletes. Various tourist locations, including museums and community centers, the largest mall in the state of Georgia, the Mall of Georgia, and Lake Lanier Islands are in the Buford region.
History
Buford appears in historical records beginning in the early 19th century. The area that is now Buford was originally part of Cherokee territory. Despite the treaty in 1817 that ceded the territory to the United States and Gwinnett County's legislative establishment in 1818, the area was still largely inhabited by the Cherokee until the 1830s.<ref name="historicbuford">Template:Cite book</ref> The first non-Native Americans moved to the Buford area in the late 1820s or early 1830s, although the Buford area was not largely settled by them until the 1860s.<ref name="historicbuford"/>
During the post-Civil War construction of the extended Richmond and Danville Railroad System in 1865, railroad stockholders Thomas Garner and Larkin Smith purchased land around the railroad's right-of-way and began developing the city of Buford.<ref name="historicbuford"/><ref name="georgiagov">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="krakrow">Template:Cite book</ref> The city was named after Algernon Sidney Buford, who was president of the Atlanta and Richmond Air-Line Railway during the railroad's construction.<ref name="krakrow"/><ref name="CoBHistorical">Template:Cite web</ref> The town began rapidly expanding around the railway after its completion in 1871,<ref name="historicbuford"/> and it was incorporated as the Town of Buford on August 24, 1872,<ref name="MoBHistory">Template:Cite web</ref> and renamed the City of Buford in 1896.<ref name="CoBHistorical" />
In the late 1800s and early 1900s Buford became widely known for its leather production, becoming prominently associated with the leather industry and earning the nickname "The Leather City".<ref name="bcshistoric">Template:Cite web</ref> Buford became a large producer of leather products, including saddles, horse collars, bridles, and shoes. Buford's leather industry began with a leatherworker named R.H. Allen<ref name="rhallendeath">Template:Cite news</ref> opening a harness shop and tannery<ref name="gtleather">Template:Cite web</ref> in 1868, three years before the completion of the railway and the founding of Buford.<ref name="ngeorgia">Template:Cite web</ref> R.H. Allen's brother Bona Allen moved to Buford from Rome, Georgia, in 1872 and founded the Bona Allen Company the following year.<ref name="ngeorgia2">Template:Cite web</ref> The leather industry quickly became the city's largest industry despite setbacks from several fires,<ref name="gtleather" /> including a fire in 1903 that destroyed the buildings of several businesses<ref name="historyofgwinnettcounty">Template:Cite book</ref> and a fire in 1906 that destroyed a straw storehouse and nearly destroyed the city's harness and horse collar factory.<ref name="1906fire">Template:Cite news</ref>
Bona Allen saddles were available through the Sears mail order catalog,<ref name="ngeorgia" /> and many Hollywood actors used saddles made by the Bona Allen Company, including cowboy actors<ref name="tanneryrowhistory">Template:Cite web</ref> Gene Autry, the cast of Bonanza, and Roy Rogers, who used a Bona Allen saddle on his horse Trigger.<ref name="gtleather" /> A statue of Roy Rogers and a Bona Allen saddle-maker saddling Trigger is located in downtown Buford.<ref name="gtleather" /> The Bona Allen Company thrived during the Great Depression in the 1930s, likely as a result of the Depression forcing farmers to choose horses over expensive tractors, thereby increasing the demand for saddles, collars, bridles, and other leather products.<ref name="gtleather" />
The Bona Allen Company constructed Tannery Row in downtown Buford as a shoe factory in 1919.<ref name="tanneryrowhistory" /> After a brief employee strike the shoe factory was closed in 1942, although it was briefly reopened by the request of the federal government during World War II to make footwear for the military. Afterwards, the factory closed in 1945.<ref name="ngeorgia2" /> In 2003 Tannery Row became home to the Tannery Row Artist Colony, which houses galleries and studios for artists.<ref name="trac">Template:Cite web</ref>
After the Great Depression the use of horses for farming decreased and tractors took their place, and the Bona Allen Company steadily downsized until the tannery was eventually sold to the Tandy Corporation in 1968.<ref name="ngeorgia" /> Buford's leather industry ended after the tannery experienced a fire in 1981, when the Tandy Corporation decided not to rebuild the tannery and closed the facility.<ref name="gtleather" />
Geography
Template:Climate chart Buford is located in both northern Gwinnett County in northern Georgia, with a small portion extending north into Hall County. The city is a suburb within the Atlanta metropolitan area. According to the United States Census Bureau, as of 2010 the city has a total land area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert, or 0.44%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010">Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> The city's elevation is Template:Convert.<ref name="USGSelevation">Template:Cite web</ref>
Buford's city limits are Template:Convert west of the Eastern Continental Divide.<ref name="gpsinformation">Template:Cite web</ref> Ridge Road, part of which uses Buford as a mailing address, runs along the Eastern Continental Divide,<ref name="sfrga">Template:Cite web</ref> although the road itself is outside the city limits. Buford's primary water supply comes from Lake Lanier<ref name="CoBWater">Template:Cite web</ref> an impoundment on the Chattahoochee River.<ref name="usgs">Template:Cite web</ref>
Climate
The climate of Buford, as with most of the southeastern United States, is humid subtropical (Cfa) according to the Köppen classification,<ref name="koppen_map">Template:Cite web</ref> with four seasons including hot, humid summers and cool winters. July is generally the warmest month of the year with an average high of around Template:Convert. The coldest month is January which has an average high of around Template:Convert.<ref name="climate">Template:Cite web</ref> The highest recorded temperature was Template:Convert in 1952, while the lowest recorded temperature was Template:Convert in 1985.<ref name="climate" />
Buford receives rainfall distributed fairly evenly throughout the year as typical of southeastern U.S. cities, with February on average having the highest average precipitation at Template:Convert, and April typically being the driest month with Template:Convert.<ref name="climate" />
Demographics
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 8,431 | 49.18% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 2,301 | 13.42% |
| Native American | 24 | 0.14% |
| Asian | 1,012 | 5.9% |
| Pacific Islander | 13 | 0.08% |
| Other/Mixed | 716 | 4.18% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4,647 | 27.11% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 17,144 people, 5,003 households, and 3,607 families residing in the city.
Economy
Buford, as with the rest of Gwinnett County, has a sales tax of 6%, which is a combination of the 4% state sales tax and a 2% local tax.<ref name="taxrate">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2008, CNN Money ranked Buford as number 3 in its annual "100 best places to live and start a business" list.<ref name="cnnmoney">Template:Cite web</ref>
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Buford's economy was centered on both its location as a railway stop and its leather industry, until demand for leather declined and other transportation options became more readily available over the course of the 1900s, and these industries were no longer a viable part of Buford's economy by the 1980s.<ref name="historicbuford"/>
According to the U.S. Census's American Community Survey 2007–2011 5-year estimate, around 65% of Buford's population that are 16 years or older are in the labor force.<ref name="quickfacts">Template:Cite web</ref> Of these, around 59% are employed, and 6% are unemployed. The power tool manufacturer Makita operates a factory in Buford with 400 employees.<ref name="makita">Template:Cite web</ref> The North American division of Takeuchi Manufacturing was located in Buford from 1999<ref name="highbeam_takeuchi1">Template:Cite web</ref> until 2006, when the company moved to a larger facility in Pendergrass, Georgia.<ref name="highbeam__takeuchi2">Template:Cite web</ref>
Parks and recreation
Buford has several walking trails throughout the city; over Template:Convert of trails are accessible from both the Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center and the Mall of Georgia<ref name="gehctrail">Template:Cite web</ref> including a portion of the Ivy Creek Greenway, which runs through the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Buford has walking trails at Bogan and Buford Dam parks. Bogan Park also has several baseball fields and playgrounds as well as the Bogan Park Community Center and Family Aquatics Center.<ref name="boganpark">Template:Cite web</ref> Buford Dam Park is next to Lake Lanier and has areas for swimming and other recreational activities.<ref name="buforddampark">Template:Cite web</ref> In addition to the parks run by Gwinnett County there are five city parks located throughout Buford,<ref name="citypark">Template:Cite web</ref> and a community center, which was completed in early 2012.<ref name="communitycenter">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="communitycenter2">Template:Cite web</ref>
The southern part of Lake Sidney Lanier<ref name="llmil">Template:Cite web</ref> and the Lake Lanier Islands are also located in Buford.<ref name="lanierislands">Template:Cite web</ref>
The Mall of Georgia is the largest mall in Georgia and the 36th largest in the United States,<ref name="esri">Template:Cite web</ref> with over 200 stores and a 20 Regal Cinema and IMAX Theaters. While outside the official Buford city limits, the mall uses Buford as its mailing address.<ref name="mallofga">Template:Cite web</ref>
Government
The City of Buford is governed by a three-person city commission government<ref name="boardofcommissioners">Template:Cite web</ref> headed by a Commission Chairman. Phillip Beard has served as Buford's Commission Chairman since 1975.<ref name="beardhalloffame">Template:Cite web</ref> When the Town of Buford was incorporated in 1872, a city commission consisting of six commissioners was established to govern the town.<ref name="galileo1872">Template:Cite conference</ref> When a new city charter was enacted in 1896 that renamed the Town of Buford to the City of Buford, the city commission was replaced with a mayor and six councilmen.<ref name="galileo1896">Template:Cite conference</ref> The city council governed the City of Buford until a new charter was approved on December 24, 1937, that re-established the city commission government.<ref name="galileo1937">Template:Cite conference</ref>
The area of Buford inside Gwinnett County is part of Georgia's 7th congressional district<ref name="gmanet">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="7thcongressional">Template:Cite web</ref> while the Hall County portions of Buford belong to Georgia's 9th congressional district.<ref name="gmanet"/><ref name="9thcongressional">Template:Cite web</ref> For the state government, the city is part of the Georgia State Senate's 45th and 49th districts, and the 97th, 98th, and 103rd districts for the Georgia House of Representatives.<ref name="gmanet"/>
Education
The Buford City School District has jurisdiction for residents that live within the city limits,<ref name="bufordcityschools1">Template:Cite web</ref> while Gwinnett County Public Schools and Hall County Public Schools operate schools for residents that live outside of the city limits.<ref name="gcps">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref><ref>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref> The Buford City School District operates three elementary schools, Buford Academy, Buford Senior Academy, and Buford Elementary, as well as Buford Middle School and Buford High School.<ref name="bufordcityschools2">Template:Cite web</ref>
The Buford-Sugar Hill Branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library is located in Buford.<ref name="library">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="usacom">Template:Cite web</ref>
Arts and culture
The Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center is a museum and cultural center completed in August 2006<ref name="gehcpdf">Template:Cite web</ref> and is located in Buford.<ref name="gehc">Template:Cite web</ref> The center was created to educate children about both water and environmental resources<ref name="gehcpdf" /> as well as Gwinnett's cultural heritage, including the county's Cherokee and Creek cultures.<ref name="gehc" /> The Chesser-Williams House, a historic home which is believed to predate the 1850s and one of the oldest wooden-frame houses in Gwinnett county, was moved to the museum to become part of the museum's cultural exhibits.<ref name="gehc2">Template:Cite web</ref>
Buford Community Center is a multi-purpose facility that was completed in 2012.<ref name="community2012">Template:Cite web</ref> Located across the street from Buford City Hall, the Buford Community Center has a museum,<ref name="mob">Template:Cite web</ref> 290-seat stage theatre, an outdoor amphitheater, and several spaces for meetings, banquets, and weddings.<ref name="aboutbufordcommunitycenter">Template:Cite web</ref>
Media
Template:See also As part of the Metro Atlanta area, Buford's primary network-affiliated television stations are WXIA-TV (NBC), WANF (CBS), WSB-TV (ABC), and WAGA-TV (Fox).<ref name="tv_station">Template:Cite web</ref> WGTV is the local station of the statewide Georgia Public Television network and is a PBS member station.<ref name="gpb">Template:Cite web</ref>
Buford is served by the Gwinnett Daily Post, which is the most widely distributed newspaper in Buford as well as Gwinnett county's legal organ.<ref name="legalorgan">Template:Cite web</ref> The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Gainesville Times, and North Gwinnett Voice are also distributed in Buford. During the late 1800s, the city of Buford had a number of local newspapers including the Buford Gazette and the Buford Herald, none of which gained consistent widespread use in the city.<ref name="historicbuford"/> The weekly Gwinnett Herald served Buford until 1885.<ref name="herald">Template:Cite news</ref>
Several movies have been filmed in and around Buford including the 2010 film Killers,<ref name="timesherald">Template:Cite web</ref> Need for Speed, Blended, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and A Simple Twist of Fate.<ref name="ctg">Template:Cite web</ref>
Infrastructure
Transportation
Template:See also Two major interstate highways pass through Buford: Interstate 85<ref name="i85">Template:Cite web</ref> and Interstate 985<ref name="i985">Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref> both travel through the city in a general northeast–southwest direction.<ref name="zipmap">Template:Cite web</ref> Buford is Exit 115 on I-85 and Exit 4 on I-985.<ref name="interstate_exits">Template:Cite web</ref> Georgia State Route 20 travels through Buford in a general northwest–southeast direction. U.S. Route 23 travels northeast into Buford before first merging with State Route 20 towards the southeast and then with I-985 towards the northeast.<ref name="zipmap" />
The Gwinnett County Transit provides public transportation in Buford and Gwinnett County, and GRTA Xpress operates a Park and Ride in Buford that commutes to Atlanta.<ref name="xpress">Template:Cite web</ref>
As late as 1971 the Southern Railway's Piedmont made a southbound stop in Buford on a Washington-Atlanta running passenger run.<ref>Official Guide of the Railways, September 1971, Southern Railway section, Table 2</ref> Until 1967 or 1968 the Southern Railway was running an unnamed northbound successor train to its Peach Queen that made a flag stop in Buford.<ref>Official Guide of the Railways, October 1967, Southern Railway section, Table 2</ref><ref>Official Guide of the Railways, June 1968, Southern Railway section, Table 2, no more northbound stop</ref>
The nearest airport is the Gwinnett County Airport in the city of Lawrenceville, a small public airport with a single asphalt runway Template:Convert from Buford. The closest major airports are Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which is Template:Convert from Buford and Athens Ben Epps Airport, which is Template:Convert.<ref name="airports">Template:Cite web</ref>
Health care
Buford has several clinics and family doctors, including an Emory Healthcare clinic<ref name="emory">Template:Cite web</ref> and a Northside Hospital imaging center,<ref name="northside_imaging">Template:Cite web</ref> but no major hospitals inside the city limits.<ref name="hospitallist">Template:Cite web</ref> The closest hospital is Northside Hospital-Forsyth, which is Template:Convert away in Cumming.<ref name="northside_forsyth">Template:Cite web</ref> Gwinnett Medical Center and Emory Johns Creek Hospital are both Template:Convert from Buford, in Lawrenceville<ref name="gwinnett_medical">Template:Cite web</ref> and Johns Creek<ref name="emory_johnscreek">Template:Cite web</ref> respectively. Northeast Georgia Health System has a hospital in Gainesville and Braselton.<ref name="nghs">Template:Cite web</ref>
Notable people
Template:See also Buford is home to several Atlanta Falcons players, including defensive tackle Corey Peters<ref name="coreypeters">Template:Cite news</ref> and cornerback Chris Owens.<ref name="chrisowens">Template:Cite web</ref> Former Falcons players Jeff Merrow, who played for the Falcons from 1975 to 1983, also lives in Buford, and Scott Case, a former NFL defensive back from 1984 to 1995 for the Falcons and Dallas Cowboys, also lives in Buford.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Other athletes who live in Buford include retired hockey player Randy Manery, professional drag racing driver Kurt Johnson, and professional baseball pitcher Jon Huber. Professional baseball player Jerry McQuaig died in 2001. Roy Carlyle, who was a Major League Baseball outfielder between 1925 and 1926 for the Washington Senators (1925), Boston Red Sox (1925–26), and New York Yankees (1926), was born in Buford. Soccer player Luke Biasi was also born here.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Several professional athletes have graduated from Buford High School, including wide receiver P. K. Sam and his younger brother quarterback Lorne Sam, as well as professional WNBA player Christi Thomas. Brownie Wise, saleswoman largely responsible for the success of Tupperware, was born in Buford, as was semi-retired professional wrestler and trainer Steve Lawler.
Several musicians live in Buford, including Widespread Panic guitarist Jimmy Herring<ref name="georgiatrend">Template:Cite web</ref> and De'Angelo Holmes of the hip-hop duo Ying Yang Twins. Grammy Award-winning songwriter Joe South lived in Buford before his death on September 5, 2012.
References
External links
- City of Buford official website
- Historical images of Buford from the Digital Library of Georgia Template:Webarchive
- Buford Business Alliance
- Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce
Template:Gwinnett County, Georgia Template:Hall County, Georgia Template:Atlanta Metro Template:US state navigation box