Forsyth County

History

Before European contact

For thousands of years, varying indigenous cultures lived in this area along the Etowah River. Starting near the end of the first millennium, Mound Builders of the Mississippian culture settled in this area; they built earthwork mound structures at nearby Etowah in present-day Bartow County, and large communities along the Etowah River in neighboring Cherokee County. They disappeared about 1500 AD.

Members of the Iroquoian-speaking Cherokee Nation migrated into the area from the North, possibly from the Great Lakes area. They settled in the territory that would become Forsyth County and throughout upper Georgia and Alabama, also having settlements or towns in present-day Tennessee and western North Carolina.

19th century

After the discovery of gold by European Americans in the surrounding area in 1829, numerous settlers moved into the area. They increased the pressure on the state and federal government to have the Cherokee and other Native Americans removed to west of the Mississippi River, in order to extinguish their land claims and make land available for purchase. The Cherokee were forced to relocate during what was called the Trail of Tears.

Forsyth County was named after John Forsyth, Governor of Georgia from 1827 to 1829 and Secretary of State under Presidents Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren. For many years, much of this hill country was farmed by yeomen farmers, who owned few or no slaves.

20th century

The county population of about 10,000 was 90 percent White in the early 20th century, and residents still depended on agriculture. Its more than 1,000 blacks included 440 persons classified as mixed race on the census, indicating a continuing history of racial mixing that dated to slavery times.

After two different incidents in September 1912, in which black men were alleged to have assaulted white women, tensions rose in the county.

In the first case, a woman claimed she awoke to find two black men in her bedroom. A black preacher was later assaulted by whites for making disparaging comments about the victim. The sheriff gained support from the governor, who sent more than 20 National Guard troops to keep peace. The suspects were never tried, for lack of evidence. In the second case, a white woman was attacked and raped, allegedly by black men; she later died of her injuries. A lynch mob stormed the Cumming county jail and dragged out one of the suspects, Rob Edwards. They shot him and hung his body in the town square. At trial in early October, two black youths under the age of 18 were quickly convicted by an all-white jury; they were executed by hanging later that month.

Afterward, whites harassed and intimidated blacks in Forsyth and neighboring counties. Within weeks, they forced most of the blacks to leave the region in fear of their lives, losing land and personal property that was never recovered.

Almost every single one of Forsyth's 1,098 African Americans — prosperous and poor, literate and unlettered — was driven out of the county. It took only a few weeks. Marauding residents wielded guns, sticks of dynamite, bottles of kerosene. Then they stole everything, from farmland to tombstones.

Forsyth County remained white right through the 20th century. A black man or woman couldn't so much as drive through without being run out.... During the 1950s and '60s, there were no "colored" water fountains in the courthouse or "whites only" diners in the county seat, Cumming; there was no black population to segregate.

By 1987, the county was "all white". In 1997, African Americans numbered just 39 in a population of 75,739.

21st century

Forsyth County continued to be developed for subdivisions, industry and related businesses. By 2008 it had been ranked for several years among the top ten fastest-growing counties of the United States. Many new subdivisions have been constructed, several around top-quality golf courses. The county's proximity to Atlanta and the Blue Ridge Mountains, and bordering 37,000-acre (150 km2) Lake Sidney Lanier, has attracted many new residents. More than 60% of the current population either lived elsewhere in 1987 or had not yet been born.

The growth has put a strain on water supplies, especially during area droughts in the 21st century. Suburban growth has greatly increased water consumption in the area to maintain lawns and gardens, and supply new households. The region had severe droughts in 2007-2008 that threatened downriver water supplies in Alabama and Florida, in addition to Atlanta, in 2013 and in 2016. Bans on outdoor use of water were put in place, and the area has encouraged conversion of toilets and appliances to those that use less water. A severe drought in southern Forsyth County was declared by the end of June 2016. Several county organizations work to plan growth that can sustain the high quality of life in the area.

Racial history

The changing dynamics between white and black citizens after the Civil War resulted in tensions across the southern United States as whites tried to maintain dominance. They used violence to intimidate black voters and regain control of state legislatures, ending Reconstruction. At the turn of the 20th century, white Democrats dominated the Georgia legislature and passed laws increasing barriers to voter registration and voting, effectively disenfranchising most blacks in the state. Unable to vote, they were also excluded from juries. The white legislators passed racial segregation and other Jim Crow laws. Racial tensions increased as rural workers started to move to industrializing cities. Whites rioted against blacks in the 1906 Atlanta race massacre, resulting in more than 20 dead.

Racial violence broke out in Forsyth County in September 1912, following allegations of sexual attacks by black men of white women.

Forsyth County had a county population with a minority of ethnic African residents. The 1910 census recorded 10,847 white, 658 black, and 440 mulatto (mixed-race) residents, making the number of black citizens slightly more than 10% (as classified under the binary system of the South that classified all people of any African descent as Negro or black). They tended to work as sharecroppers, with some women working as domestic servants, and struggled with poverty.

In early September 1912 a white woman said she was the victim of an attempted rape by two black men, but they left before she was hurt. On September 7, 1912, police arrested five black men in connection with the assault, including Tony Howell and Isaiah Pirkle. That same afternoon members of numerous area black churches gathered for a barbecue just outside the county seat of Cumming. Preacher Grant Smith was heard to question the alleged victim's account, saying that perhaps she had been caught and had lied about what was actually a consensual relationship with a black man. (The mixed-race population in the county showed that whites and blacks had relationships; most were between white men and black or mixed-race women, which the whites tried to treat as a secret.) Whites horse-whipped Smith outside the courthouse, where he was rescued by police and taken into custody for his safety.

They locked him in the courthouse for safety. Rumors spread on both sides; whites said that the blacks threatened to dynamite the town. White residents gathered a lynch mob of 500 men (when Cumming had only 300 residents in total), with men coming to join from surrounding areas. They talked of lynching the black citizens held at the jail. By 1:30 p.m., the Sheriff deputized 25 men and called the Governor for help, who ordered in 23 National Guardsmen from nearby Gainesville, Georgia.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 247 square miles (640 km2), of which 224 square miles (580 km2) is land and 23 square miles (60 km2) (9.4%) is water.

The eastern two-thirds of Forsyth County are located in the Upper Chattahoochee River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin), while the northwestern third of the county is located in the Etowah River sub-basin of the ACT River Basin (Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin).

Adjacent counties

Dawson County - north

Hall County - east

Gwinnett County - southeast

Fulton County - southwest

Cherokee County - northwest

National protected areas

Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (part)

Communities

City

Cumming (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

With only one officially incorporated city, the majority of Forsyth County citizens live in areas with zip codes assigned to cities in surrounding counties. In addition, there are several unincorporated communities throughout the county.

Some areas in Forsyth County have Suwanee postal addresses, but the city proper of Suwanee is in Gwinnett County.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 251,283. The median age was 38.7 years. 27.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 12.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.8 males age 18 and over. 92.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 7.7% lived in rural areas.

The racial makeup of the county was 65.1% White, 4.3% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 18.0% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 4.1% from some other race, and 8.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 10.0% of the population.

There were 83,551 households in the county, of which 45.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 17.3% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 15.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 87,581 housing units, of which 4.6% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 82.1% were owner-occupied and 17.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.1%.

Education

Higher education

In 2012, the University of North Georgia established its Cumming campus.

Private K-12 education

Cornerstone Schools

Covenant Christian Academy

Fideles Christian School

Friendship Christian School

Horizon Christian Academy

Ivy League Montessori School

Lakeview Academy

McGinnis Woods School

Montessori Academy at Sharon Springs

Pinecrest Academy

Public K-12 education

Forsyth County is served by Forsyth County Schools. FCS serves over 51,000 students and is the largest employer in the county with over 8000 full-time employees and substitutes. Out of 180 school districts, FCS is the seventh largest school system in Georgia. FCS is home to 41 schools – twenty-two elementary, eleven middle, seven high schools, and one college and career high school, as well as the Academies for Creative Education (A.C.E) that houses one school, iAchieve Virtual Academy, FCS' 6–12 online school, and two programs, Gateway Academy (the alternative program for middle and high school students) and Forsyth Academy.

Elementary schools:

Big Creek Elementary School

Brandywine Elementary School

Brookwood Elementary School

Chattahoochee Elementary School

Chestatee Elementary School

Coal Mountain Elementary School

Cumming Elementary School

Daves Creek Elementary School

Haw Creek Elementary School

Johns Creek Elementary School

Kelly Mill Elementary School

Mashburn Elementary School

Matt Elementary School

Midway Elementary School

Poole's Mill Elementary School

Sawnee Elementary School

Settles Bridge Elementary School

Economy

Among the largest employers in the county are Northside Hospital, Koch Foods, Tyson Foods, Siemens, Scientific Games Corporation, Arris International, Baran Telecom, America BOA, Automation Direct, and L-3 Communications Display Systems.

An indicator that part of the county had reached the status of a mainstream suburban/exurban area and was starting to create new, positive history beyond its racist past, a mixed-use development Halcyon with residential, office, dining and entertainment facilities, opened in the southern part of the county near Alpharetta in summer 2019.

Recreation

Lake Lanier, a 37,000-acre (150 km2) lake created and maintained by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in association with Buford Dam, is enjoyed by many residents and non-residents alike. Fishing, boating, tubing, wake boarding, and water skiing are common activities on the lake.

Forsyth County Parks and Recreation Department maintains 25 parks and facilities in the county. Most notable are Sawnee Mountain Preserve, Central Park, Fowler Park, Poole's Mill Covered Bridge and the Big Creek Greenway. The Cumming Fairgrounds host many events throughout the year including a rodeo, The Cumming Country Fair, and a farmers' market. There is also the annual July 4 Steam Engine Parade.

Government and politics

Forsyth County is governed by a five-member board of commissioners, whose members are elected from single-member districts to four-year terms, and a county manager.

David McKee is the current county manager, assuming the post on December 16, 2022.

The city of Cumming is located in district 1, which also extends to the west. District 2 is located in the southern tip of Forsyth County. District 3 is to the southwest of Cumming, between districts 1 and 2. District 4 comprises most of the north of the county and district 5 comprises the east and southeast of the county, including most of the county's shoreline.

The board of commissioners has also established and is assisted by a number of governmental bodies.

The county is also a member of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia and the National Association of Counties.

Previous local officials

Rhonda Poston-O'Connor, 2007–2008

Doug Derrer, 2008–2017

Eric Johnson (2017–2020)

Jack Conway, 2005–2006 (District 3)

David Richard, –2008 (District 4)

Linda K. Ledbetter, –2008 (District 5)

Charles Laughinghouse, 2003–2010 (District 1)

Jim Harrell, 2007–2010 (District 3)

Patrick B. Bell, 2009–2012 (District 4)

Jim Boff, 2009–2016 (District 5)

Brian R. Tam, 2005–2016 (District 2)

Rick Swope, 2017 (District 2)

R.J. "Pete" Amos, 2011–2018 (District 1)

Dennis T. Brown, 2018–2020 (District 2)

Other elected officials

Forsyth County had voting patterns similar to most Solid South and Georgia counties prior to 1968 in presidential elections. It only backed Republican Herbert Hoover before then once in 1928 amidst anti-Catholic sentiment towards Al Smith. From 1968 onward, the county has swung strongly away from the Democratic Party at the presidential level, only failing to vote Republican in presidential elections in 1968, when segregationist George Wallace appealed to anti-Civil Rights Act sentiment, and in the two elections Georgian Jimmy Carter was on the ballot, in 1976 and 1980. In addition, unlike the inner suburban counties of the Atlanta metropolitan area, Forsyth County has continued to vote for Republicans by landslide margins. However, just like other Atlanta suburbs, the county's share of Democratic voters has nevertheless increased in recent years; in 2020, Joe Biden was the first Democratic presidential nominee to win over 30% of the county's vote since Carter, and Republican Donald Trump's margin of victory was only about half that of Mitt Romney eight years previously.

Forsyth County is one of nine counties that shifted more than 25 percentage points to the left from 2012 to 2024.

Transportation

Pedestrians and cycling

Big Creek Greenway