Kennesaw

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. No cleanup reason specified. Please add a |reason= parameter to this template. Please help improve this article if you can. The talk page may contain suggestions. (September 2010)

Kennesaw
—  City  —
Kennesaw City Hall
Location in Cobb County and the state of Georgia
Kennesaw Location of Kennesaw in Metro Atlanta
Coordinates: 34°1′24″N 84°36′55″W / 34.02333°N 84.61528°W / 34.02333; -84.61528Coordinates: 34°1′24″N 84°36′55″W / 34.02333°N 84.61528°W / 34.02333; -84.61528
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Cobb
Incorporated	September 21, 1887
Government
• Mayor	Mark Mathews (R)
Area
• Total	8.5 sq mi (22.0 km2)
• Land	8.4 sq mi (21.9 km2)
• Water	0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation	1,089 ft (332 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	29,783
• Density	3,500/sq mi (1,400/km2)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	30144/30152/
Area code(s)	678/770
FIPS code	13-43192[1]
GNIS feature ID	0316387[2]
Website	http://www.kennesaw-ga.gov

Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History

Kennesaw is a city in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. It had a population of 29,783 according to the 2010 census. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. Founded in 1887, Kennesaw has a past surrounded with railroad history. During the Civil War, Kennesaw was the staging ground for the Great Locomotive Chase on April 12, 1862.

In 2007, the city was selected by Family Circle magazine as one of the nation's "10 best towns for families".^[3] The city is perhaps best known nationally for its mandatory gun-possession law.^[4]

History

Etymology

As the Western and Atlantic Railroad was being built in the late 1830s, shanties arose to house the workers. These were near a big spring. A grade up from the Etowah River became known as "the big grade to the shanties, then "Big Shanty Grade," and finally "Big Shanty."^[5]

The name Kennesaw is derived from the Cherokee Indian word gah-nee-sah meaning cemetery, or burial ground.

Civil War and after

During the American Civil War, Big Shanty was the site of major fighting in the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, part of the larger Atlanta Campaign. Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park,^[6] located southeast of the city limits, now contains many of these historic areas, though much of the surrounding land has been developed, and some buried artifacts taken by people with metal detectors.

L.C. Chalker purchased a 1.25 acres (0.51 ha) tract of land adjacent to the Kennesaw Cemetery from J.W. Ellis in 1934, which was sold for burial purposes. Chalker purchased another 1 acre (0.40 ha) adjacent to the first parcel in 1948, which was also to be used for a cemetery. The Chalker family managed these portions of the cemetery until they were sold to the City of Kennesaw in the mid 50's. The earliest known burial is the infant Lucius B. Summers, who was interred in 1863. Other grave markers date as far back as the 1860s to the 1890s. The Kennesaw Cemetery Preservation is the home to many Civil War heroes as well as ancestors from the city of Kennesaw. Burials are still taken place to this day in the cemetery.

The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History^[7] is located downtown, next to the Western & Atlantic railroad tracks on Cherokee Street, just off Main Street (old U.S. 41 and Georgia 3). The museum is the current preservation and display location for The General, the locomotive that played the key role in the Great Locomotive Chase (the Texas which chased it is at the Atlanta Cyclorama).

In March 2004, First Lady Laura Bush designated Kennesaw a Preserve America Community.^[8]

Geography

Kennesaw is located at 34°1′31″N 84°36′57″W / 34.02528°N 84.61583°W / 34.02528; -84.61583 (34.025183, -84.615875)^[9].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.5 square miles (22 km²), of which 8.4 square miles (22 km²) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²), or 0.82%, is water.

Kennesaw Mountain (as well as conjoined Little Kennesaw Mountain) is located southeast of the city limits in the battlefield park. Its summit is the highest point in the Atlanta metro area, at an elevation of 1,808 feet (551 m) above sea level. The city was renamed for the mountain.

The area around Kennesaw is a major retail hub with a major regional mall, Town Center at Cobb, numerous restaurants and most major chain stores located along Barrett Parkway southeast of the city.

Climate

Kennesaw has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa).

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2010, there were 29,783 people, 11,413 households, and 7,375 families residing in the city. There were 12,328 housing units at an average density of 1,027.3 per square mile (396.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 64.2% White, 22.3% Black, 0.4% Native American, 5.3% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 4.7% from other races, and 3.0% two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.8% of the population.

There were 11,413 households out of which 38.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0% were married couples living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 7.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $61,355 and the median income for a family was $ 75,465 . Males had a median income of $46,953 ,versus $42.809 for females. The per capita income for the city was $27,165. About 8.2% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.1% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The city hall^[11] is located downtown, just off Main Street (old U.S. 41 and Georgia 3, later Georgia 293). It contains the offices of mayor and city council, the city jail in the basement, and a small 9-1-1 call center and other offices. It is the public-safety answering point for the city of Kennesaw and the neighboring city of Acworth, and dispatches the separate police departments of both cities. Calls for fire services are relayed to and dispatched from Cobb County's 911 center,^[12] and serviced by the Cobb County Fire Department, as neither city has its own fire department.

Wireless Internet in city parks

In 2008, the city of Kennesaw awarded a bid to Digitel Wireless for the implementation of city wireless Internet. In March 2008, the city of Kennesaw announced the grand opening of four new wireless areas: Swift-Cantrell Park and Adams Park, and the train depot area across from the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History. In addition, the city has provided Wi-Fi in the Ben Robertson Community Center.^[13]

Crime statistics

Kennesaw crime rates are less than half of US averages. Crime rates declined from 2003 through 2008.^[14][15]

County services

The Cobb County Public Library System operates a Kennesaw branch library. The Cobb County Police Department serves unincorporated areas, including the Town Center Area Community Improvement District and Kennesaw State University (in addition to KSU's own police).

Controversies

Gun law

In 1982 the city passed an ordinance [Sec 34-21]^[16]

(a) In order to provide for the emergency management of the city, and further in order to provide for and protect the safety, security and general welfare of the city and its inhabitants, every head of household residing in the city limits is required to maintain a firearm, together with ammunition therefore.
(b)Exempt from the effect of this section are those heads of households who suffer a physical or mental disability which would prohibit them from using such a firearm. Further exempt from the effect of this section are those heads of households who are paupers or who conscientiously oppose maintaining firearms as a result of beliefs or religious doctrine, or persons convicted of a felony.

Gun rights activist David Kopel has claimed that there is evidence that this gun law has reduced the incident rate of home burglaries citing that in the first year, home burglaries dropped from 65 before the ordinance, down to 26 in 1983, and to 11 in 1984.^[17] Another report observed a noticeable reduction in burglary from 1981, the year before the ordinance was passed, to 1999.^[18]

Statistical analysis of [the] data over a longer period of time did not show any evidence that [the law] reduced the rate of home burglaries [in Kennesaw.]^[19][20] In 2005, the overall crime rate had decreased by more than 50% since the law was put into affect.^[21]

The city's website^[22] claims the city has the lowest crime rate in the county.

2009 racial-discrimination suit

In August 2009, the Marietta Daily Journal published details regarding a lawsuit over racial discrimination filed against the city of Kennesaw and a number of its officials. The city settled the lawsuit, filed in March of that year, for $1.8 million. Three employees of the city's department of public works – two current and one former – alleged racial discrimination amid a hostile work environment. Willie Smith and Stanley Mitchell, who had worked for the city since 1995 and 1987, respectively, were each awarded $414,375.00, while Gary Redd, who had quit in August 2008 after two years, received $234,375.00. Buckley & Klein, the law firm representing the plaintiffs, received $736,875. In exchange, the settlement dismissed all charges filed by the plaintiffs to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), denied all wrongdoing on behalf of the defendants, and stated that plaintiffs cannot "attempt to re-initiate the claims set forth in the civil action".^[23]

Local attractions

• Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History
• Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
• The Kennesaw State University Museum of History and Holocaust Education^[24]
• The Kennesaw State University Bentley Rare Book Room and Archives^[25]
• Big Shanty Festival
• Pigs and Peaches BBQ Festival
• The Great Greased Pig Chase
• Wildman's Civil War Surplus (museum exhibit with racist posters and klansman mannequin)

Education

Public schools are provided by the Cobb County School District, including North Cobb High School, Harrison High School, and Kennesaw Mountain High School.

Public middle schools include: Awtrey, Lost Mountain, McClure, Palmer, and Pine Mountain.

Public elementary schools include: Bullard, Hayes Intermediate School, Lewis, Hayes Primary School, Kennesaw Elementary, Big Shanty Intermediate School, and Kennesaw Charter.

Kennesaw State University^[26] is located just east of the city limits, and uses the silhouette of the two mountains as its logo.

Mount Paran Christian School is a pre k-12 school located on Stanley Road.

The First Baptist Church of Kennesaw maintains the First Baptist Christian School of Kennesaw. St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church has a K-8 elementary school.

Notable residents

• Jesse James Dupree lead singer of American rock band Jackyl^[27]
• Sean O'Pry, model^{[citation needed]}
• Hal Suit, Television broadcaster, Republican nominee for governor of Georgia, 1970, lost to Jimmy Carter, resided in Kennesaw.
• Brian Voss, professional ten-pin bowler on the PBA Tour^[28]

References

External links

• City of Kennesaw official web site
• Kennesaw WiFi official web site
• Kennesaw State University
• Municipal Code, Kennesaw, GA
• Marietta Daily Journal
• Kennesaw Historical Society
• Town Center Area Community Improvement District

v t e Municipalities and communities of Cobb County, Georgia, United States County seat: Marietta Cities Acworth Austell‡ Kennesaw Marietta Powder Springs Smyrna CDPs Fair Oaks Mableton Vinings Unincorporated communities Chattahoochee Plantation Clarkdale Cumberland East Cobb Powers Park Spring Hill Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

v t e Metro Atlanta   Counties Barrow • Bartow • Butts • Carroll • Cherokee • Clayton • Cobb • Coweta • Dawson • DeKalb • Douglas • Fayette • Forsyth • Fulton • Gwinnett • Hall • Haralson • Heard • Henry • Jasper • Lamar • Meriwether • Newton • Paulding • Pickens • Pike • Rockdale • Spalding • Walton   Major city Atlanta   Municipalities & communities 100k-250k Cumberland • East Cobb • Roswell • Sandy Springs 25k-100k Alpharetta • Brookhaven • Candler-McAfee • Duluth • Dunwoody • East Point • Gainesville • Johns Creek • Lawrenceville • Mableton • Marietta • Milton • Newnan • Peachtree City • Peachtree Corners • Redan • Smyrna • Tucker 10k-25k Acworth • Belvedere Park • Buford • Carrollton • Cartersville • Chamblee • College Park • Conyers • Covington • Decatur • Doraville • Druid Hills • Douglasville • Fayetteville • Forest Park • Griffin • Kennesaw • Suwanee • Lilburn • Monroe • Mountain Park • North Decatur • North Druid Hills • Panthersville • Powder Springs • Riverdale • Snellville • Stockbridge • Sugar Hill • Union City • Vinings • Winder • Woodstock   Topics Architecture • Arts • Climate • Crime • Colleges and Universities • Demographics • Festivals • Government • Historic Districts • History • Media • Museums • Neighborhoods • Parks • People • Public Schools • Religion • Skyscrapers • Sports • Tourism • Transportation • Transportation Georgia ·  United States

v t e  State of Georgia Atlanta (capital) Topics Index Geology History Delegations Government Governors Culture People Music Elections Politics Geography State Parks Demographics Economy Sports Transportation Visitor Attractions Regions Atlantic coastal plain Blue Ridge Central Georgia Cumberland Plateau The Golden Isles Historic South Lower Coastal Plain Metro Atlanta North Georgia North Georgia Mountains Northeast Georgia Piedmont Ridge and Valley Sea Islands Southern Rivers Southeast Georgia Southwest Georgia Tennessee Valley Wiregrass Region Largest cities Albany Atlanta Athens Augusta Columbus Johns Creek Macon Marietta Roswell Valdosta Savannah Warner Robins Counties Appling Atkinson Bacon Baker Baldwin Banks Barrow Bartow Ben Hill Berrien Bibb Bleckley Brantley Brooks Bryan Bulloch Burke Butts Calhoun Camden Candler Carroll Catoosa Charlton Chatham Chattahoochee Chattooga Cherokee Clarke Clay Clayton Clinch Cobb Coffee Colquitt Columbia Cook Coweta Crawford Crisp Dade Dawson Decatur DeKalb Dodge Dooly Dougherty Douglas Early Echols Effingham Elbert Emanuel Evans Fannin Fayette Floyd Forsyth Franklin Fulton Gilmer Glascock Glynn Gordon Grady Greene Gwinnett Habersham Hall Hancock Haralson Harris Hart Heard Henry Houston Irwin Jackson Jasper Jeff Davis Jefferson Jenkins Johnson Jones Lamar Lanier Laurens Lee Liberty Lincoln Long Lowndes Lumpkin Macon Madison Marion McDuffie McIntosh Meriwether Miller Mitchell Monroe Montgomery Morgan Murray Muscogee Newton Oconee Oglethorpe Paulding Peach Pickens Pierce Pike Polk Pulaski Putnam Quitman Rabun Randolph Richmond Rockdale Schley Screven Seminole Spalding Stephens Stewart Sumter Talbot Taliaferro Tattnall Taylor Telfair Terrell Thomas Tift Toombs Towns Treutlen Troup Turner Twiggs Union Upson Walker Walton Ware Warren Washington Wayne Webster Wheeler White Whitfield Wilcox Wilkes Wilkinson Worth (Campbell) (Milton)

v t e Historic Districts in Metro Atlanta Clayton County Jonesboro Cobb County Acworth Acworth Collins Ave. Clarkdale Clarkdale Kennesaw Cherokee St. North Main St. Summers St. Marietta Church St.-Cherokee St. North Marietta Washington Ave. Whitlock Ave. Coweta County Newnan Cole Town Greenville St.-LaGrange St. Newnan Commercial Newnan Cotton Mill and Mill Village Northwest Newnan Residential Platinum Point Other Grantville Roscoe-Dunaway Gardens Sargent Senoia DeKalb County Atlanta Candler Park Druid Hills (Atlanta) Inman Park-Moreland Kirkwood Avondale Estates Brookhaven: Oglethorpe University Decatur Clairemont MAK (McDonough, Adams, King) Ponce de Leon Court South Candler Street-Agnes Scott College Winnona Park Druid Hills Emory Grove Emory University District University Park-Emory Highlands-Emory Estate Stone Mountain Douglas County Douglasville Fulton County Atlanta Adair Park Ansley Park Atkins Park Atlanta University Center Berkeley Park Brookhaven Brookwood Hills Cabbagetown Castleberry Hill Collier Heights Fairlie-Poplar Fox Theatre Historic District Garden Hills Georgia Tech Grant Park Hotel Row Howell Interlocking Knight Park-Howell Station Inman Park Inman Park-Moreland King Plow/Railroad Historic District (proposed) Knox Apts., Cauthorn House and Peachtree Rd. Apts. Lakewood Heights Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site Means St. Midtown Mozley Park Oakland City Peachtree Highlands-Peachtree Park Pittsburgh Reynoldstown Southern Ry. North Ave. Yards Sunset Ave. (proposed) Sweet Auburn Techwood Homes Underground Atlanta Virginia Highland Washington Park West End · Whittier Mills Other College Park East Point Industrial District Fairburn Hapeville Roswell Gwinnett County Norcross Hall County Gainesville: Brenau College Chicopee Mill and Village Gainesville Commercial Green Street Green St.-Brenau Other Clermont Flowery Branch Gillsville Lula Newton County Covington Covington Covington Mills and Mill Village Floyd Street Other Newborn North Covington Oxford Porterdale Starrsville Rockdale County Conyers Commercial Residential