Stewart County is a county located in the west central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,314. The county seat is Lumpkin. The county was created on December 23, 1830.
Contents
History
The area was inhabited by Native Americans for thousands of years in the Pre-Columbian period. Roods Landing site on the Chattahoochee River is a significant archaeological site located south of Omaha. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it includes major earthwork mounds built about 1100–1350 CE by peoples of the sophisticated Mississippian culture. Another Mississippian site is the Singer Moye Mounds, located in the southern part of the county.
The first Europeans to encounter the Native Americans were Spanish explorers in the mid-16th century. At that time the historical Creek tribe inhabited the southern two thirds of what is now defined as Georgia, west of the Low Country. they are believed to be the descendants of the Mississippian culture.
They maintained their territory until after European American settlers arrived in increasing number in the early decades of the 19th century. The ensuing conflicts ultimately resulted in most of the Creek people's being driven out of the region. In the 1830s under Indian removal, the US federal government forced most Creek to relocate west of the Mississippi River, to Indian Territory in what became present-day Oklahoma.
Stewart County was created by an act of the Georgia General Assembly on December 23, 1830, from land that had been part of Randolph County, Georgia. The county is named for Daniel Stewart, a Revolutionary War veteran, and fighter against American Indians. He was one of the four great-grandfathers of U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt.
Settlers developed the area as large cotton plantations, part of the "Black Belt" of Georgia and the Deep South. Before the American Civil War, planters depended on enslaved labor of thousands of African Americans to cultivate and process the cotton for market. Mostly born in the United States, the slaves were transported from the Upper South, with many families broken up when some members were purchased through sales in the domestic slave trade.
In 1850, the county reached its peak in wealth as one of the largest cotton producers in the state. It had the tenth-largest population of any county in the state, with 16,027 people. African-American slaves numbered 7,373, or 46% of the population.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 464 square miles (1,200 km2), of which 459 square miles (1,190 km2) is land and 4.9 square miles (13 km2) (1.1%) is water. The county is mainly located in the upper Gulf coastal plain region of the state, with a few hills due to its close proximity to the fall line.
The vast majority of Stewart County is located in the Middle Chattahoochee River-Walter F. George Lake sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). Just the very eastern edge of the county, bordered by a north-to-south line running through Richland, is located in the Kinchafoonee-Muckalee sub-basin of the same ACF Basin, with the very southeastern corner located in the Ichawaynochaway Creek sub-basin of the larger ACF River Basin.
Adjacent counties
Chattahoochee County (north)
Webster County (east)
Randolph County (south)
Quitman County (southwest)
Barbour County, Alabama (west/CST Border)
Russell County, Alabama (northwest/CST Border except for Phenix City as the city is jointed by the Columbus Metropolitan Area)
National protected area
Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Communities
Cities
Lumpkin
Richland
Unincorporated communities
Louvale
Omaha
Florence
Sanford
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 5,314 people, 1,674 households, and 1,138 families residing in the county, and the median age was 40.9 years.
13.1% of residents were under the age of 18, and 17.1% were 65 years of age or older; for every 100 females there were 167.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 182.0 males age 18 and over. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
The racial makeup of the county was 25.4% White, 46.4% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.2% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 22.1% from some other race, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 22.9% of the population.
There were 1,674 households in the county, of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 37.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 2,103 housing units, of which 20.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 72.3% were owner-occupied and 27.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.1%.
Parks and recreation
Florence Marina State Park and Providence Canyon State Park are located in Stewart County.
About 800 acres (3.2 km2) of the Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge are located along the Chattahoochee River's eastern shores in Stewart County. In addition, the Hannahatchee Wildlife Management Area is a 5,600-acre (23 km2) hunting preserve.
Politics
As of the 2020s, Stewart County is a Democratic stronghold, voting 58% for Kamala Harris in 2024. In US presidential elections between 1880 and 2024 Stewart County has only voted Republican twice.
For elections to the United States House of Representatives, Stewart County is part of Georgia's 2nd congressional district, currently represented by Sanford Bishop. For elections to the Georgia State Senate, Stewart County is part of District 15. For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Stewart County is part of District 151.
Sheriff Larry Jones is the Chief Law Enforcement Officer for Stewart County.
Education
The Stewart County School District includes Stewart County Elementary School, Stewart County Middle School, and Stewart County High School.