Hiawassee, Georgia
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Hiawassee is the county seat of Towns County, Georgia, United States.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The population was 981 at the 2020 census.<ref name="2020 Census (City)">Template:Cite web</ref> Its name is derived from the Cherokee—or perhaps Creek—word Ayuhwasi, which means meadow,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> (A variant spelling, "Hiwassee," is used for the local river and some other Appalachian place names.) Hiawassee is also known in the novel "Restart" by Gordon Korman.
History
Hiawassee was established along the route of the Unicoi Turnpike, a 1,000-year-old Native American trail.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the early 18th century, deerskins and furs were transported along the route from Tennessee to Savannah and Charleston for shipping to Europe.<ref name="tnriver">Template:Cite web</ref> Hiawassee was originally inhabited by predominantly Cherokee peoples. The name of Hiawassee was originally derived from the Native American word ayuhwasi, meaning river and/or valley. A United States fur trade factory was built in present-day Hiawassee between 1807 and 1811.<ref>Wesley, Edgar Bruce (1935). Guarding the frontier. The University of Minnesota Press, p. 38.</ref>
The area now known as Hiawassee was originally inhabited by Cherokee communities. European-American settlers arrived in the early 19th century, following the forced removal of the Cherokee in the 1830s. Hiawassee became the county seat of the newly formed Towns County in 1856, was incorporated as a town in 1870, and later as a city in 1916.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The historic Towns County Jail was built in downtown Hiawassee around 1935. The two-story rock building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. President Jimmy Carter visited Hiawassee in July 1980, landing by helicopter to go trout fishing with friends.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The Berrong-Oakley House, one of the oldest remaining homes in Hiawassee, was purchased by the city in 2023. The home, built in 1905, is being renovated for use as a cultural resource and events center.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Geography
Hiawassee is located on the Hiwassee River at Template:Coord (34.949428, -83.755078).<ref name=gnis/>
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of Template:Convert, of which, Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert is water.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2023"/>
Hiawassee is approximately 1969 feet (600 meter) above sea level.<ref name=gnis/>
Demographics
2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 906 | 92.4% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 4 | 0.4% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 3 | 0.3% |
| Asian (NH) | 4 | 0.4% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 0 | 0.0% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 2 | 0.2% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 23 | 2.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 39 | 4.0% |
| Total | 981 | 100.0% |
As of the 2020 census, there were 981 people, 497 households, and 215 families residing in the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There were 754 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 94.2% White, 0.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 1.7% from some other races and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.0% of the population.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 880 people, 456 households, and _ families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 96.8% White, 0.3% Black, 0.1% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.9% Other Races, and 0.6% from two or more races. 2.7% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 808 people, 355 households, and 203 families living in the city. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 527 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the town was 97.40% White, 0.25% African American, 0.12% Native American, 1.73% Asian, 0.37% from other races, and 0.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.61% of the population.
There were 355 households, out of which 14.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.6% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.8% were non-families. 40.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 24.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.86 and the average family size was 2.39.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 10.0% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 13.1% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 46.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 62 years. For every 100 females, there were 70.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 65.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $26,615, and the median income for a family was $31,458. Males had a median income of $28,929 versus $22,917 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,957. About 12.6% of families and 16.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.3% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Hiawassee has a mayor and city council in a strong mayor form of government. The current mayor, Liz Ordiales, is the first female mayor of Cuban descent in the State of Georgia. The city council consists of five elected officials.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Education
Towns County School District
The Towns County School District holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of one elementary school, a middle school and a high school.<ref>Georgia Board of EducationTemplate:Dead link, Retrieved June 28, 2010.</ref> The district has 144 full-time teachers and over 2,408 students.<ref>School Stats, Retrieved June 28, 2010.</ref>
- Towns County Elementary School
- Towns County Middle School
- Towns County High School
Media
The Towns County Herald newspaper has been published weekly in Hiawassee since 1928.<ref>Template:Cite web Retrieved February 19, 2024.</ref>
Healthcare
Hiawassee and Towns County are served by Chatuge Regional Hospital, which is located on Highway 76 North in downtown Hiawassee. The 13-bed facility opened in 1951 as Lee M. Happ Jr. Memorial Hospital. It was renamed Towns County Hospital in 1960 and the Johnson wing was built. In 1967, the attic caught fire and 40 percent of the hospital was destroyed. The neighboring 112-bed nursing home opened in 1971. The hospital received its current name in 1994. The facility was acquired by Union General Hospital in 1999.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Points of interest
References
Template:Towns County, Georgia Template:Georgia county seats