Trenton, Georgia

Trenton, Georgia
City
City of Trenton
The U.S. Post Office in Trenton, Georgia. The U.S. Post Office in Trenton, Georgia.
Flag
Location in Dade County and the state of Georgia Location in Dade County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Dade
Area
• Total	3.1 sq mi (8.0 km2)
• Land	3.1 sq mi (8.0 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	758 ft (231 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	2,301
• Density	742.2/sq mi (244.2/km2)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	30752
Area code(s)	706/762
FIPS code	13-77372
GNIS feature ID	0333261

Trenton is a city in Dade County, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1830 by European Americans, the area was originally known as Salem. In 1839 Salem was designated the seat of the newly formed Dade County. It was renamed Trenton in 1841. The population was 2,301 at the 2010 census. It is the only incorporated municipality in the county, and as such it serves as the county seat.

Trenton is part of the Chattanooga, Tennessee–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

On April 27, 2011, an EF-3 tornado with winds of 150 mph (240 km/h) hit the city, causing significant damage and loss of life.

History

This was historically part of Cherokee people territory before Georgia and the United States forced them to cede lands and, under Indian Removal Act, relocate to Indian Territory in the 1830s. The area was developed largely for subsistence farming.

The noted Southern humorist and author and among the seminal writers of Southern humor George Washington Harris (1814-1869) is buried in the Brock Cemetery in Trenton. Although he greatly influenced the literary works of Mark Twain, William Faulkner, and Flannery O'Connor, his grave remained unmarked until 2008.

Geography

Trenton is located at (34.875609, -85.508644).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8.0 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1870	223		—
1880	255		14.3%
1890	378		48.2%
1900	349		−7.7%
1910	302		−13.5%
1920	295		−2.3%
1930	370		25.4%
1940	570		54.1%
1950	755		32.5%
1960	1,301		72.3%
1970	1,523		17.1%
1980	1,682		10.4%
1990	1,994		18.5%
2000	1,942		−2.6%
2010	2,301		18.5%
Est. 2014	2,275		−1.1%
U.S. Decennial Census

The Dade County Courthouse (Trenton, Georgia)

As of the census of 2010, there were 2,301 people, 904 households, and 599 families residing in the city. The population density was 742.25 people per square mile (244.2/km²). There were 1,012 housing units at an average density of 326.45 per square mile (106.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.5% White, 0.7% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.9% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.2% of the population.

There were 904 households out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals who lived alone, and 12.9% of those were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 15.3% from 20 to 29, 12.7.2% from 30 to 39, 31.0% from 40 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.9 years. For every 100 females there were 98.36 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.18 males in the same age group.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,612, and the median income for a family was $40,450. Males had a median income of $31,354 versus $22,104 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,336. About 10.5% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.5% of those under age 18 and 11.4% of those age 65 or over.

Official flag

Old Georgia state flag, now Trenton's official city flag.

One of the flags of the Confederate States of America, also flown by the city (in the city park)

In 2001, Georgia replaced its state flag, as some citizens had objected that its design incorporated the Confederate battle flag. That year, Trenton city officials adopted the old state flag as a city flag. The city had already used it from 1956 to 2001 as an official city banner. (This followed the United States Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) that racially segregated public education was unconstitutional.) After adopting the former state flag for the city in 2001, the Trenton City Council also voted to post a plaque bearing the Ten Commandments at city hall. The city flies the flag outside the city hall/police department building and in the city park next to the courthouse and library. In addition, many local businesses fly it.

The city also flies one of the historic flags of the Confederate States of America, the Blood-Stained Banner, in the city park.

Education

The Dade County School District administers grades pre-school to grade twelve. It operates two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 167 full-time teachers and over 2,630 students.

• Dade Elementary School
• Davis Elementary School
• Dade Middle School
• Dade County High School

Attractions

• Cloudland Canyon State Park
• Dade County Courthouse (Trenton, Georgia) is listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Georgia (National Register of Historic Places).

Major roads and travel

• Interstate 59: I-59 runs north and south and connects Birmingham to Chattanooga
• U.S. Route 11 runs north and south, parallel to Interstate 59
• State Route 136: Hwy 136 runs west and east and connects Dade County to Walker County.
• Norfolk Southern Railway

Media

• The Dade County Sentinel, newspaper and online
• Discover Dade (Local media portal and news service)
• WKWN AM 1420 (also called K-win)

External links

• "Some Brief History and Reminiscences of Trenton", Dade County