Site Restoration in Commerce Georgia

Commerce is a city in Jackson County, Georgia, 70 miles (110 km) northeast of Atlanta. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 7,387.

Before European settlers arrived, the area around present-day Commerce was inhabited by the Creek and the Cherokee people.

The Lacoda Trail, which outstretched from present-day Athens to the north Georgia mountains, was a significant trade and travel route through this area. (Georgia State Route 334, which follows a 9-mile (14 km) section of this ancient trail, was designated the “Lacoda Trail Memorial Parkway” by the Georgia General Assembly in 1998.)

Local histories that originated in the mid-1800s describe a territorial combat between the Creeks and Cherokees greater than the home in the county during the 1770s. This court case never occurred. The Cherokees were decisively defeated by the Koweta Creeks in 1754. For not quite a decade after their 1754 defeat, all Cherokee villages in the Georgia colony and the Hiwassee River valley in North Carolina were abandoned. William Bartram traveled through northeastern Georgia in 1773 and described the Creeks as being unquestionably dominant greater than the Cherokees. The Cherokees never occupied or held title to lands within the boundaries of Jackson County.

The Creek Confederacy ceded its lands east of the Oconee River in 1785. A subsequent deal in 1793 ceded the remainder of the land that was to become Jackson County. The last corridor of Creek land, located west of Jackson County, was ceded in 1818.

The first unshakable white treaty in Jackson County began close present-day Commerce upon January 20, 1784, when German immigrant William Dunson was awarded a house grant upon Little Sandy Creek. The pact was named “Groaning Rock”, supposedly because of a nearby hollow rock formation that produced a moaning sound subsequently the wind passed on culmination of it. (Descendants of William Dunson are yet living upon the native tract of land.)

A trading herald was traditional by Eli Shankle near Groaning Rock in 1808, named “Harmony Grove”. The common description is that the read out is a play on his wife, Rebecca’s, maiden name: Hargrove. There is next an out of date Appalachian hymn space called “Harmony Grove”, found in an 1830 autograph album called The Virginia Harmony. This reveal is popular today as the tone to “Amazing Grace”.

The Harmony Grove Female Academy, the first all-female scholastic chartered in the state of Georgia, was chartered by the divulge legislature on December 20, 1824.

The Harmony Grove publish office was established upon October 14, 1825; Russell Jones was its first postmaster.

On September 1, 1876, the North Eastern Railroad opened its extraction from Athens to Lula, which passed through the heart of Harmony Grove. The railroad descent had the most significant impact upon the move of the city, which began expanding both directions along the line. These tracks are now owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway.

The Harmony Grove community was officially incorporated as a town on December 24, 1884, including all areas within a one-mile radius of the railroad depot, one half mile east, and 400 yards west.

Harmony Grove Mills, Inc. was organized below the laws of Jackson County upon April 3, 1893, for the target of organization and producing cotton textiles. It served various purposes over the years, including the fabricate of denim overalls and the antediluvian production of electricity in the city. The mill village created to house employees makes in the works a significant ration of the homes upon the southeast fall of Commerce today. The mill had been in operation under various corporations until the spring of 2004, when it closed operations and was sold; it has been used for warehouse storage aerate since, and is currently for sale. The building is nevertheless a major feature of the city.

Near the end of the 19th century, many began to character that the name “Harmony Grove” was too long to write and sounded too much taking into account a country village. In addition, many didn’t considering the fact that mail frequently went to marginal post office by the similar name in Dawson County. Harmony Grove was reincorporated and renamed “Commerce” on August 6, 1904, in an effort to domicile these concerns and reflect the city’s classified ad dominance in the north Georgia cotton trade.

In 1959, a series of controversial town hall meetings were held to attempt to persuade members of the federal Interstate Highway System to re-route the proposed Interstate 85, originally planned to go through Gainesville (Hall County), through Commerce and Lavonia (Franklin County). The proposal was changed, and the interstate was routed through Jackson County. Even more thus than the railroad nearly a century before, this major transportation artery brought tremendous billboard advantage to Commerce, at a mature it desperately needed it.

Commerce is located in northeastern Jackson County at 34°12′23″N 83°27′40″W / 34.20639°N 83.46111°W / 34.20639; -83.46111 (34.206520, -83.461203). Interstate 85 runs through the northern ration of the city, with permission from Exits 147 and 149. I-85 leads southwest 70 miles (110 km) to Atlanta and northeast 78 miles (126 km) to Greenville, South Carolina. U.S. Route 441 runs along the eastern link up of Commerce, leading north 27 miles (43 km) to Demorest and south 19 miles (31 km) to Athens.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Commerce has a total area of 11.8 square miles (30.6 km), of which 11.7 square miles (30.3 km²) are house and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km), or 0.77%, are water. Commerce sits upon a drainage divide with tributaries of the Oconee River to the southwest and tributaries of the Savannah River to the northeast.

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 7,387 people, 2,547 households, and 1,824 families residing in the city.

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,292 people, 2,051 households, and 1,433 families residing in the city. The population density was 637.3 inhabitants per square mile (246.1/km²). There were 2,273 housing units at an average density of 273.7 per square mile (105.7/km). The racial makeup of the city was 83.13% White, 14.74% African American (Black), 0.15% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.60% from supplementary races, and 0.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.55% of the population.

There were 2,051 households, out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples animate together, 15.3% had a female householder later no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. 26.3% of whatever households were made taking place of individuals, and 12.4% had someone vivacious alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average associates size was 2.94.

In the city, the population was forward movement out, with 22.6% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For all 100 females, there were 85.7 males. For all 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.6 males.

The median pension for a household in the city was $33,897, and the median income for a relatives was $39,615. Males had a median pension of $34,185 versus $22,028 for females. The per capita pension for the city was $19,270. About 10.2% of families and 12.7% of the population were under the poverty line, including 17.5% of those under age 18 and 26.1% of those age 65 or over.

For the population of persons aged 25 and over, 65.0% are at least tall school former students or an equivalent. Of these, 7.4% have a bachelor’s degree and 3.5% have a graduate degree. The remainder, 35% of the adult population, lack a tall school or equivalent diploma.

All portions of the Commerce city limits are in the Commerce City School District.

The Commerce City School District oversees public education for pre-school to grade twelve. It consists of two elementary schools (the primary assistant professor includes a pre-school program), a center school and a tall school. As of August 2010, district has 89 full-time teachers and exceeding 1,358 students.

Jackson County School District includes areas outside of the city of Commerce.