Welcome to the United States Counties project! I have decided to do something I think is a little fun, and I hope to learn a lot about the country I live in by doing this. Every week, using a random number generator I pick one county from the United States and give a little bit of information on that county. I’m leaning towards more quirky information, but if you have recommendations, please share. I will also include basic information about the county for a general foundation of what to know about it.
So here we go!
This week is the first of the counties. Randomly selected is…
Franklin County, Georgia
Incorporated: February 25, 1784
Population: 20,285
Total Area: 263.3 square miles
County Seat: Carnesville (pop: 541)
Interesting facts:
(1) The county houses the Ty Cobb Museum in Royston, Georgia. The museum honors Georgia native baseball player Tyrus Raymond Cobb. Cobb, nicknamed the “Georgia Peach” was born in nearby Narrows, Georgia on December 18, 1886. He spent 22 years playing for the Detroit Tigers and finished his career with the Philadelphia Athletics. The museum houses Cobb’s 1907 A.L. batting championship medal.
(2) Victoria Bryant State Park is a 435 acre Georgia state park located in the southeast corner of the county. The park is located in the rolling hills of the Piedmont Plateau. The park is mostly tent, trailer, and RV sites with a golf course, swimming pool, nature center, and other activities. An annual 10K and 5K trail run race is held in the park on Saturday, December 3.
(3) Tugaloo State Park on the northern edge of the county is a 395 acre Georgia state park situated on a peninsula of Lake Hartwell. Visitors can choose between tent camping, cottages, fishing, and boating in the park. “Harvest Happenings”, a day of hayrides, campfires, and storytelling occurs in the park on Saturday, Oct 29, 2011.
(4) Emmanuel College is located in Franklin Springs, Georgia in southeast Franklin County. It is a private, liberal arts, Christian college which serves anywhere from 700 to 800 students. Areas of study include business, Christian ministries, education, pre-law, and many more. The college is home to many competitive men’s and women’s sports teams.
(5) In the news! – The biggest news most recent in Franklin County, qualifying for the city council elections opened on Monday. Qualifying will be held for the city council positions in all five cities of Franklin county.
Oh, and they felt the big earthquake in D.C. I love small town news =)
And that’s it for week one! If you want to add to this week’s county, please do. If you want me to add it in the actual diary, let me know in the comments and I will.
((note: all sources are linked within the diary))