Tifton

Tifton, Georgia, USA
—  City  —
Tifton City Hall
Nickname(s): Friendly City (city nickname is also shared with Hazel Park, Michigan)
Location in Tift County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 31°27′48″N 83°30′36″W / 31.46333°N 83.51°W / 31.46333; -83.51
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Tift
Government
- Mayor	Jamie Cater
- City Manager	Michael Vollmer
Area
- Total	9.0 sq mi (23.4 km2)
- Land	8.9 sq mi (23.1 km2)
- Water	0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2)
Elevation	354 ft (108 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	15,060
- Density	1,686.2/sq mi (651.1/km2)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	31793-31794
Area code(s)	229
FIPS code	13-76476[1]
GNIS feature ID	0324159[2]
Website	http://www.tifton.net

Tifton is a city in Tift County, Georgia, United States. The population was 15,060 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Tift County^[3].

Geography

Tifton is located at 31°27′48″N 83°30′36″W / 31.46333°N 83.51°W / 31.46333; -83.51 (31.463418, -83.510065)^[4].

Major highways

• Interstate 75
• U.S. Highway 41
• U.S. Highway 82
• U.S. Highway 319
• Georgia State Route 125

Airports

• Henry Tift Myers Airport

Henry Tift Myers Airport (IATA: TMA, ICAO: KTMA, FAA LID: TMA) is a public airport located 2 miles southeast of Tifton, Georgia. The airport serves the general aviation community, with no scheduled commercial airline service.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 15,060 people, 5,532 households, and 3,601 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,686.2 people per square mile (651.1/km²). There were 6,102 housing units at an average density of 683.2/sq mi (263.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 61.26% White, 31.57% African American, 0.23% Native American, 1.64% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 4.61% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.56% of the population.

Workers in the Tifton Cotton Mills. January 1909. Photographed by Lewis Hine.

There were 5,532 households out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were married couples living together, 20.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.8% under the age of 18, 14.3% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,234, and the median income for a family was $37,023. Males had a median income of $27,206 versus $20,174 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,455. About 20.7% of families and 26.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.0% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65 or over.

History

An example of the frequent Interstate 75 billboards that advertise Tifton and its amenities.

Starting in the mid 1800s, Captain Henry Harding Tift left his home in Mystic, Connecticut for South Georgia to harvest timber for the family ship building business. Little did Captain Tift know that the sawmill he built to prepare the lumber for shipping, and the train tracks that were laid to ship the lumber would be the beginning of Tifton, Georgia.

As Tifts Town (as it was known until 1890 when the name was changed to Tifton) grew, Captain Tift and his associates adopted the same town layout that Mystic, Connecticut had, with even numbered streets running east and west as one traveled north from the center of town, and odd numbered streets following the same suit as one traveled south. Tifton had no town square and the city was crisscrossed with rail lines, all heading from the center of town like spokes on a wagon wheel. The town boasted the same grand facilities as many small South Georgia towns a courthouse, a town hotel, commercial buildings and other features. Many of these buildings featured interesting interior and exterior architectural embellishments of the times. As the town grew, Tifton built an opera house, several silent movie theatres, churches, and saloons. At the turn of the century, a thriving community had evolved from the pine forests and electrical lighting was the rage. The Myon Hotel, built in 1906 was billed as the grandest hotel south of Atlanta, entertained many a guest in splendid surroundings. Tifton grew and so did the opportunity for commerce. The once dirt roads were paved. Captain Tift set aside land for a public park. Governmental offices were being created and filled. Tifton now had its own telephone system. Indoor plumbing was the norm and plans were being made to construct a grand movie theatre at the center of town. The Tift Theatre was built, the Myon Hotel business was booming, and nearly all the businesses of the community were located within a twelve block area. Town streets were the setting for parades, tobacco balls, pageants, and community activities. Men and women returned home from World War II and enjoyed the air-conditioned comfort of the Tift Theatre complete with color movies and improved sound. Children could walk safely to the corner drug store for a hotdog and cold coke. The Post Office was a place to meet your neighbor and catch up on the latest gossip, or maybe the barbershop across the street held more interesting company. Progress met the south when President Eisenhower proposed a new road system that would allow travelers to get from place to place in record time. He would call it the interstate system and it began, right here in Tifton, Georgia.

Unfortunately, the interstate was a major contributor of the demise of many downtowns. As the interstate was built, new areas of development came along side these roadways. Since WWII, many women had joined the workforce and did not have the time or luxury of staying home with children while father was at work. Quietly, the communities focus on town activities shifted from the town center to the new suburbs. With more income for families, automobiles that were once extravagant luxuries were in every driveway, and they were ready to travel the interstate for destinations beyond home. Tifton was growing and changing. Hotels were being built along the interstate to accommodate the travelers. Service stations and shopping areas were going where the development was occurring, on the interstate. The location along a major junction of highways made Tifton the ideal location for medical services serving a large (HSA 4140) geographic area.

In 2000, Tifton officially became the Reading Capital of the World, a distinction based on amassing over 2 million points in the Accelerated Reader program and achieving other goals such as increasing library circulation and reducing illiteracy rates. This distinction was celebrated on Nov. 15, 2000, when a packed high school stadium read aloud from Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat, as a 30-foot Cat in the Hat balloon swayed overhead. The crowd then read silently from books of their own, earning the city dual entries in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most people reading together in one place^{[citation needed]} as well as the most reading together silently^{[citation needed]}. Although Tifton is the reading capital of the world, the only public bookstore in town is The Christian Bookstore on Main Street. Tifton has a public library, in addition to an extensive college library located at nearby Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. [1]

The city has previously been recognized as a Top 100 Small Town and as the Cleanest City in America.^{[citation needed]}

See also: http://www.tifton.net/tiftonhistory.html

Agrirama

Agrirama located in Tifton, Georgia, Georgia’s Museum of Agriculture and Living History Museum opened on July 4, 1976. The grounds consist of five areas: a traditional farm community of the 1870s, an 1890s progressive farmstead, an industrial sites complex, rural town, national peanut complex, and the Museum of Agriculture Center. Over 35 structures have been relocated to the 95 acre site and faithfully restored or preserved. Costumed interpreters explain and demonstrate the life-style and activities of this time in Georgia’s history.

Tifton Gazette

The Tifton Gazette is a daily newspaper published in Tifton, Georgia. It is operated by South Georgia Media Group, a division of Community Newspaper Holdings Inc.

Education

Tifton's education is mostly run by the "Tift County Board of Education" it is the Tift County's public school system. Tiftarea Academy a private school located in Chula, Georgia in Tift County just a few miles from Tifton. Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) is a coeducational college.

High Schools

• Tift County High School
• Northeast Campus, Tift County High School

Middle Schools (7-8)

• Eighth Street Middle School

Elementary Schools (4-6)

• Charles Spencer Elementary School
• J. T. Reddick Elementary School
• Matt Wilson Elementary School
• Omega Elementary School (located in Omega, Georgia, the school includes grades K-6)

Primary (K-3)

• G.O Bailey Primary School
• Len Lastinger Primary School
• Northside Primary School
• Annie Belle Clark Primary

Preschools

• Tift County Pre-K Center

Private Schools (K-12)

• Tiftarea Academy, located in Chula, Georgia

Alternative Schools (6-12)

• 6th Street Academy

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) is a coeducational college specializing in agriculture, located in Tifton, Georgia. It is a part of the University System of Georgia, and is named for Abraham Baldwin, the first president of the University of Georgia, Georgia's first university.

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College was established in 1908 as the Second District A&M School, became South Georgia A&M College in 1924 and Georgia State College for Men in 1929. Named for a signer of the United States Constitution and the first president of the University of Georgia, the college assumed its present name in 1933 when it became a unit of the University System of Georgia. At that time ABAC embarked on a mission devoted primarily to associate-level studies in agriculture, home economics, and related fields. ABAC's role later expanded to include a diverse educational program.

The Division of Agriculture and Forest Resources is the largest division on campus, and nursing is ABAC's largest single program major. The college offers 40 college transfer programs in which students move on to four-year colleges and universities after their ABAC careers are complete. Students can also choose from 15 two-year career technological degrees which take them into the job market. Another option is the certificate program, where ABAC offers 19 selections, each of which can be completed in one year.

Points of interest

• Coastal Plain Research Arboretum
• Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC)
• Georgia Agrirama

Until recently, Tifton was the home of the world's second largest magnolia tree, which was located in Magnolia Tree Park. According to an article published in the Tifton Gazette in March 2006, the magnolia somehow caught fire and was burned down in August 2004 and the gates around it remain locked to this day.^[5] Although it no longer grows, the tree still stands. It is not known where the new second largest magnolia tree resides.

Tifton also has a large music demographic with several venues including the Lamplighter Pub and New Boys Bar and Grill.

Notable Residents and Natives

• Adriana Zabala, classical Singer
• Cyndi Thomson, Country Singer
• Nanci Bowen, LPGA Major Winner
• Dennis Dove, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher
• Members of alternative rock band September Hase.
• Nick Green, a pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, attended high school in Tifton^[6].
• Dina Titus, Nevada state senator who was the 2006 Democratic nominee for governor of Nevada and is now a U.S Congresswoman-elect, grew up in Tifton.
• Clay Shiver, an All-American American football player and a member of Florida State University's all-time football team^[7]. Shiver continued his career by playing for the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
4. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
5. ^ "Landmark still recuperating from fire". The Tifton Gazette. 2006. http://www.tiftongazette.com/archivesearch/local_story_070221211.html. Retrieved 2008-02-13. 
6. ^ "Green reporting to Major League camp". 2008-02-12. http://www.tiftongazette.com/sports/local_story_043222542.html. Retrieved 2008-02-24. 
7. ^ "Florida State all-time team". 2001-01-31. http://www.athlonsports.com/college-football/4210/florida-state-all-time-team. Retrieved 2008-02-24. 

External links

• Tifton, Georgia website

• Tifton, Georgia is at coordinates 31°27′48″N 83°30′36″W / 31.463418°N 83.510065°W / 31.463418; -83.510065 (Tifton, Georgia)Coordinates: 31°27′48″N 83°30′36″W / 31.463418°N 83.510065°W / 31.463418; -83.510065 (Tifton, Georgia)

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Tift County, Georgia County seat: Tifton Cities Omega‡ | Tifton | Ty Ty CDPs Phillipsburg | Unionville Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties