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Roberta, Georgia

Coordinates: 32°43′17″N 84°0′45″W / 32.72139°N 84.01250°W / 32.72139; -84.01250
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Roberta, Georgia
City
Roberta City Hall
Roberta City Hall
Motto: 
A small town with a big heart
Location in Crawford County and the state of Georgia
Location in Crawford County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 32°43′17″N 84°0′45″W / 32.72139°N 84.01250°W / 32.72139; -84.01250
CountryUnited States
StateGeorgia
CountyCrawford
Area
[1]
 • Total
1.51 sq mi (3.90 km2)
 • Land1.49 sq mi (3.86 km2)
 • Water0.02 sq mi (0.04 km2)
Elevation
505 ft (154 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
813
 • Density546.00/sq mi (210.80/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
31078
Area code478
FIPS code13-65856[2]
GNIS feature ID0321670[3]
Websitecityofroberta.com

Roberta is a city in Crawford County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,007 at the 2010 census.[4] It is part of the Macon metropolitan statistical area.

History

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Creek Agency

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In the early nineteenth century, Indian agent Benjamin Hawkins built his plantation on the Flint River near Roberta. This was also a trading post and the Creek Agency.

New Knoxville

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Originally in Crawford County, Knoxville was the only stop in the county, until the A&F Railroad bypassed it by about a mile to the southwest when it was built in 1888. A train station was built, and a new town sprang up. People migrated towards this new town, called "New Knoxville."

Hiram David McCrary allowed the railroad to use part of his land, and was given naming rights to the town, which he named "Roberta" for his 7-year-old daughter.[5] McCrary later became the owner of the first general store in Roberta, was its first elected mayor, co-owned its first motel, and served as tax collector and a railroad station agent.

In 1910, Roberta was incorporated as a city and was expanded in every direction by 1200 yards.

In 1949, the original train depot burned. It was replaced about a year later by a smaller concrete block building. A replica of the original depot was built in 2003 and currently houses the Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center.

Rise and demise

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With the construction of the A&F Railroad and U.S. Highway 341, Roberta became a rapidly growing tourist town, with restaurants and hotels springing up. However, in the 1940s, passenger rail service ended in Roberta, ending one of the two main traffic flows. A decade later, Interstate 75 bypassed Roberta to the east, diverting much traffic. After these events, Roberta relaxed into a more small-town setting.[6]

Geography

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Downtown Roberta

Roberta is located near the center of Crawford County at 32°43′17″N 84°0′45″W / 32.72139°N 84.01250°W / 32.72139; -84.01250 (32.721283, -84.012512).[7] U.S. Route 80 passes through the city, leading east 26 miles (42 km) to Macon and west 69 miles (111 km) to Columbus. U.S. Route 341 crosses US 80 in the city center, leading north 27 miles (43 km) to Barnesville and southeast 27 miles (43 km) to Perry.

The city is located roughly on the fall line of the eastern U.S., meaning that it is located between the hillier Piedmont region to the north and the flatter Atlantic coastal plain to the south.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Roberta has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2), of which 0.02 square miles (0.04 km2), or 1.11%, is water.[4]

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1900252—
1910227−9.9%
192040478.0%
193044911.1%
194053519.2%
195067325.8%
19607146.1%
19707464.5%
198085915.1%
19909399.3%
2000808−14.0%
20101,00724.6%
2020813−19.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1850-1870[9] 1870-1880[10]
1890-1910[11] 1920-1930[12]
1940[13] 1950[14] 1960[15]
1970[16] 1980[17] 1990[18]
2000[19]
Roberta racial composition as of 2020[20]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 475 58.43%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 301 37.02%
Asian 5 0.62%
Pacific Islander 1 0.12%
Other/Mixed 21 2.58%
Hispanic or Latino 10 1.23%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 813 people, 354 households, and 206 families residing in the city.

Education

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Crawford County School District

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The Crawford County School District holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of one elementary school, a middle school, and a high school.[21] The district has 127 full-time teachers and over 2,090 students.[22]

Tourism

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The Benjamin Hawkins Monument.

The city has a restored 1962 Seaboard Coastline caboose next to the railroad depot in the downtown area. The caboose holds a small history of Roberta's railroad heritage and a memorial to employees of Southern Railroad. Also in the downtown block is the Benjamin Hawkins Monument, constructed in 1931.[6]

References

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  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  2. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ a b "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Roberta city, Georgia". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
  5. ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 190. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
  6. ^ a b Powell, Billy. "History of Crawford County: Knoxville, and Roberta". TheGagenWeb. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  7. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  8. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade". United States Census Bureau.
  9. ^ "1870 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1870.
  10. ^ "1880 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
  11. ^ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930.
  12. ^ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930. pp. 251–256.
  13. ^ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1940.
  14. ^ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
  15. ^ "1960 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1960.
  16. ^ "1970 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1970.
  17. ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
  18. ^ "1990 Census of Population - Summary Social, Economic, and Housing Characteristics - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1990.
  19. ^ "2000 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000.
  20. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  21. ^ Georgia Board of Education[permanent dead link‍], Retrieved June 6, 2010.
  22. ^ School Stats, Retrieved June 6, 2010.
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