Claxton, Georgia

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Claxton-tower.jpg
The water tower for Claxton, Georgia, celebrating its fruitcake manufacture.

Claxton is a city located in Evans County, Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 2,276. The city is the county seat of Evans CountyTemplate:GR.

Contents

History

The petition to incorporate the town of Claxton was approved by Tattnall Superior Court in April 1894.

The town had its visionary, W.R. Hendricks. In May 1890 there were only a couple of dwellings scattered around the area that is Claxton. W.R. Hendricks, son of Glenn and Nancy Hendricks, had been given a large tract of land by his parents. The Hendrick's ambition was to secure a railroad station at the site but they met considerable opposition from railroad company officials who maintained that existing stations in the area were sufficient to meet the needs. W.R. Hendricks made a proposition to railroad officials that a well be dug and pump installed free of charge so that trains could stop for water. The deal was made and actual construction began in the latter part of June 1890. The vision of building a town was fully supported by his mother who offered to give a lot to anyone who would erect a building upon it. A number of people accepted her offer so she revised the plan and proposed to sell one lot and give the adjoining parcel to those who desired to build.

With the establishment of a town well underway, efforts were begun to establish a post office at the settlement already widely known as Hendricks. Postal officials in Washington, D.C., upon receiving an application from George E. Wood, declined to approve a post office for a site as Hendricks, Georgia because another facility in the state was already operating under that name. Two other names were then submitted, Jenny and Claxton. Postal officials agreed to Claxton.

There is some dispute about the origin of the name. Some local historians contend that the name of a popular actress, Kate Claxton, was the source while others believe it was in honor of Philander Priestly Claxton, a noted educator of the time.

Shortly after the Claxton post office opened, D.C. Newton, one of the parthers in a naval stores company, laid out on a sheet of brown wrapping paper what became the original map of Claxton . Newton drew in the streets, laid out lots and later added street names. The whereabouts of the original map is not known; however, it is believed that this first map remained in his possession until his death and was passed down to his son who died in the 1990s. Another map, believed to be similar to the original, is in the possession of R.R. 'Bobby' Tippins, president of Tippins Bank and Trust Company and descendant of the family that founded the bank in Claxton.

Geography

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Location of Claxton, Georgia

Claxton is located at 32°9'39" North, 81°54'31" West (32.160932, -81.908674)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.0 km² (1.6 mi²). 4.0 km² (1.6 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 2,276 people, 899 households, and 567 families residing in the city. The population density is 563.3/km² (1,457.2/mi²). There are 1,032 housing units at an average density of 255.4/km² (660.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 57.03% White, 39.59% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 2.42% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. 3.56% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 899 households out of which 31.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.2% are married couples living together, 23.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% are non-families. 33.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 18.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.39 and the average family size is 3.04.

In the city the population is spread out with 27.9% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 22.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 77.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 66.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $20,705, and the median income for a family is $26,450. Males have a median income of $30,500 versus $14,718 for females. The per capita income for the city is $12,742. 35.1% of the population and 34.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 49.6% of those under the age of 18 and 27.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.


Claxton Fruit Cake

The city is known as the home of the Claxton Fruit Cake which is exported from the world-famous Claxton Fruitcake Bakeries. (See fruitcake.)

External links

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