Roswell, Georgia
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| Roswell, Georgia | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Georgia | ||
| County | Fulton County, Georgia | ||
| Incorporated | February 16, 1854 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Jere Wood (R) | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 38.6 sq mi (100 km²) | ||
| - Land | 38 sq mi (98.5 km²) | ||
| - Water | 0.6 sq mi (1.5 km²) | ||
| Population (2005) | |||
| - City | 85,944 | ||
| - Density | 2,086.5/sq mi (805.4/km²) | ||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| Website: Roswell, Georgia | |||
Roswell is a city located in northern Fulton County, Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 79,334. Census Estimates of 2005 show a population of 85,920. Residents of Roswell are referred to as Roswellians.
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[edit] History
In 1830, while on a trip to North Georgia, Roswell King passed through the area of what is now Roswell and observed the great potential for building a cotton mill along Vickery (Big) Creek.
Towards the middle of the 1830s, King returned to build a mill that would soon become the largest in North Georgia with over 400 employees by the time of the American Civil War in the 1860s. The ruins of the mill and the 30 foot dam that was built for power still remain. As the mill increased in size, so did the number of people living in the area.
The Roswell area was part of Cobb County, Georgia when first settled, and the county seat of Marietta was a four-hour (one-way) horseback ride to the west. Roswell residents desired a local government so a city charter for incorporation was put before the Georgia General Assembly and the charter was approved on February 16, 1854.
During the American Civil War, the city was captured by Union forces and the mill workers were all shipped north, a common tactic in Sherman's plans of economic ruin of the South. The mill was burned and most of the Rebel town's property was confiscated by Union forces.
At the end of 1931, the United States was in the midst of the Great Depression. The difficult economic conditions drove Milton County, Roswell's neighboring county to the north, to merge in its entirety with Fulton County, Roswell's neighboring county to the south. To facilitate the merger, Roswell was ceded by Cobb County to Fulton. Sections of neighboring Cherokee and Gwinnett Counties were also ceded to Fulton at this time to define the expanded and contiguous northern section of Fulton County.
Jere Wood, a Republican, has served as mayor of Roswell since 1997.
In 2006, Tom Price was re-elected to a second term in the United States House of Representatives to serve as the congressmen from the 6th congressional district of Georgia, the district that encompasses most of Roswell.(see references)
- See also: List of Mayors of Roswell, Georgia
[edit] Geography
Roswell is located at (34.033896, -84.344028)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 100.0 km² (38.6 mi²). 98.5 km² (38.0 mi²) of it is land and 1.5 km² (0.6 mi²) of it (1.53%) is water.
[edit] Geographic features
[edit] Major highways
[edit] Climate
- Customary
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°F) | 49.0 | 53.8 | 62.8 | 71.5 | 78.2 | 84.6 | 87.3 | 86.7 | 81.2 | 71.8 | 62.6 | 53.0 | 70.2 |
| Avg low (°F) | 27.0 | 29.4 | 36.4 | 44.2 | 53.0 | 60.9 | 65.1 | 64.6 | 58.6 | 45.6 | 37.3 | 30.3 | 46.0 |
| Rainfall (in) | 5.2 | 4.9 | 6.0 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 4.8 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 53.8 |
- Metric
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 9.4 | 12.1 | 17.1 | 21.9 | 25.7 | 29.2 | 30.7 | 30.4 | 27.3 | 22.1 | 17.0 | 11.7 | 21.2 |
| Avg low (°C) | -2.8 | -1.4 | 2.4 | 6.8 | 11.7 | 16.1 | 18.4 | 18.1 | 14.8 | 7.6 | 2.9 | -0.9 | 7.8 |
| Rainfall (mm) | 132 | 124 | 152 | 117 | 119 | 94 | 122 | 104 | 91 | 89 | 97 | 122 | 1367 |
Source: Weatherbase.com
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 79,334 people, 30,207 households, and 20,933 families residing in the city. The population density was 805.7/km² (2,086.5/mi²). There were 31,300 housing units at an average density of 317.9/km² (823.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.51% White, 8.54% African American, 0.20% Native American, 3.74% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 4.08% from other races, and 1.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.61% of the population.
There were 30,207 households out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 35.1% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $71,726, and the median income for a family was $85,946. Males had a median income of $54,797 versus $36,182 for females. The per capita income for the city was $36,012. About 2.8% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.1% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.
CNN has called the city one of the best places to live in the U.S[citation needed].
On October 30, 2006, the City of Roswell was named the 18th Safest City in the United States by City Crime Rankings, an annual reference book of crime statistics and rankings published by Morgan Quitno Press. Roswell was selected from 371 cities in the Overall Safest 25 category.
[edit] Points of interest
- Archibald Smith Plantation Home
- Bulloch Hall
- Barrington Hall
- Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
- Chattahoochee Nature Center
- Primrose Cottage
- Teaching Museum North
[edit] Roswell Recreation and Parks
The Roswell Recreation and Parks Department boasts countless facilities around the City of Roswell. The goals of the Department are to promote the sense of community spirit and athleticism in the youth of Roswell. The Department partners with many local middle and high schools to achieve its goals by lending practice fields and athletic coaches throughout the year.
[edit] Notable festivals and parades
- Roswell Memorial Day Ceremony - the largest Memorial Day Ceremony in Georgia
- Roswell Roots: A Festival of Black History & Culture (February)
- Roswell Magnolia Storytelling Festival (June)
- Riverside Sounds Concert Series (May - October)
- Roswell Youth Day Parade and Festival (October)
- Keep Roswell Beautiful Duck Race (October)
[edit] Notable residents
Martha "Mittie" Bulloch Roosevelt, the mother of Theodore Roosevelt (the 26th US President), hailed from Roswell and Bulloch Hall was her home. Emily Dolvin, the aunt of Jimmy Carter (the 39th U.S. President), lived in Roswell the majority of her life and was the inaugural chairwomen of the Roswell Historical Society. Prolific architect Neel Reid lived in Mimosa Hall and died there in 1926.
Celebrities that have made Fulton County, and specifically Roswell their home have included actors Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. Comedian Jeff Foxworthy was a frequent diner at one of Roswell's popular watering holes, The Southern Skillet, when he lived there off and on in the '90s. John and Patsy Ramsey, the parents of JonBenet Ramsey, lived in the area in the early 2000s. Former Major League Baseball pitcher Alejandro Peña also makes his home in Roswell. Current Atlanta Braves 3B Chipper Jones lives in a 24,000 square foot mansion in Roswell as well. Comedian David Cross lived in Roswell during his childhood in the 1970s and early 1980s.[1][2]. Tripwire Interactive creators of Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 are also based out of Roswell.
Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel resides in Roswell.
[edit] Education
Roswell's local public schools are part of the Fulton County School System.
[edit] Charter schools
- Amana Academy (K-8)
[edit] Elementary schools
- Hembree Springs Elementary School
- Mimosa Elementary School
- Mountain Park Elementary School
- Roswell North Elementary School
- Sweet Apple Elementary School
- Hillside Elemantary School
[edit] Middle schools
- Crabapple Middle School
- Elkins Point Middle School
- Holcomb Bridge Middle School
[edit] High schools
[edit] Private schools
- Blessed Trinity Catholic High School
- Chrysalis Experiential Academy
- Cottage School
- Cross of Life Montessori School
- Eaton Academy
- Fellowship Christian Academy
- High Meadows School
- Queen of Angels Catholic School
- Village Montessori
- The Howard School (North Campus)
- St. Francis School
[edit] Notes
- ^ http://www.bobanddavid.com/david.asp?artId=183
- ^ http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/B00006YXH0/103-9051641-2015844?redirect=true
[edit] References
- The New Georgia Encyclopedia entry for Roswell, Georgia
- Roswell Covention & Vistors Bureau Brief History of Roswell
- Official Roswell Memorial Day Celebration site
- http://www.tomprice.com
- Official Roswell Recreation and Parks site
- Sherron D. Lawson, A Guide to the Historic Textile Mill Town of Roswell, Georgia (Roswell, Ga.: Roswell Historical Society, 1996).
- Darlene M. Walsh, Roswell: A Pictorial History, 2d ed.(Roswell, Ga.: Roswell Historical Society, 1994).
[edit] External links
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- City website
- Historic Roswell Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Keep Roswell Beautiful
- History of Roswell, Georgia
- Chattahoochee Nature Center
- Roadside Georgia's list of things to do in Roswell
- State of Georgia website info on Roswell
- Georgiainfo.com maps of Fulton County and surrounding area over the years
- Assorted publications about Roswell by Michael Hitt
Incorporated places: Atlanta (County seat) • Alpharetta • College Park • East Point • Fairburn • Hapeville • Johns Creek • Milton • Mountain Park • Palmetto • Roswell • Sandy Springs • Union City
Census-designated places: Campbellton • Red Oak • Rico • Birmingham • Shakerag • Crabapple • Sandtown • Chattahoochee Hill Country • South Fulton
