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Official name | Rome, Georgia, United States |
---|---|
Native name | |
Settlement type | City |
Map caption | Location in Floyd County and the state of Georgia |
Pushpin map | |
Pushpin label position | |
Subdivision type | Country |
Subdivision name | United States |
Subdivision type1 | State |
Subdivision name1 | Georgia |
Subdivision type2 | County |
Subdivision name2 | Floyd |
Government type | Council-Manager |
Leader title | Mayor |
Leader name | Evie McNiece |
Leader title1 | City Manager |
Leader name1 | John Bennett |
Established title | |
Established title2 | |
Established title3 | |
Area magnitude | 1 E9 |
Unit pref | Imperial |
Area total km2 | 77.3 |
Area land km2 | 76.1 |
Area water km2 | 1.2 |
Area total sq mi | 29.8 |
Area land sq mi | 29.4 |
Area water sq mi | 0.5 |
Population as of | 2000 |
Population total | 34,980 |
Population density km2 | 459.7 |
Population density sq mi | 1190.5 |
Timezone | EST |
Utc offset | -5 |
Timezone dst | EDT |
Utc offset dst | -4 |
Coordinates display | inline,title |
Coordinates type | region:US_type:city |
Elevation footnotes | |
Elevation m | 187 |
Elevation ft | 614 |
Area code | 706 |
Blank name | FIPS code |
Blank info | 13-66668 |
Blank1 name | GNIS feature ID |
Blank1 info | 0356504 |
Website | www.romega.us |
Latitude | 34°15′35″N |
Longitude | 85°11′6″W |
Although no Interstate highway passes through Rome, it is the largest city near the center of the triangular area defined by the Interstate highways between Atlanta, Birmingham and Chattanooga, which contributes to its importance as a regional center in several areas, such as medical care and education.
Rome's name is a commemoration of the Italian city of Rome. Rome, Georgia, was built on seven hills with a river running between them, a feature that was an inspiration for the name. This connection is emphasized by a replica of the statue of Romulus and Remus nursing from a mother wolf, a symbol of the original Rome, which was a 1929 gift from Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.
The seven hills that inspired the name of Rome are Blossom Hill, Jackson Hill, Lumpkin Hill, Mount Aventine Hill, Myrtle Hill, Old Shorter Hill, and Neely Hill (also known as Tower Hill and Clock Tower Hill). Some of the hills have been partially graded since Rome was founded.
The Abihka tribe of Creek in the area of Rome later became part of the Upper Creek, and merged with other tribes to become the Ulibahalis, who later migrated westerward into Alabama in the general region of Gadsden, and were replaced by the Cherokee in the mid-18th century.
, 1732-1777, and the Proclamation Line of 1763.]] There was a Cherokee village named Hightower on the site of Rome, but its people later moved to Cartersville, Georgia, taking the name with them. The Cherokee also referred to the area that would become Rome as "Head of Coosa", and it eventually became home to several Cherokee leaders, including Chiefs Major Ridge and John Ross. Ridge's home here was known for years as Chieftains House, and is now Chieftains Museum.
In the 18th century, a high demand in Europe for American deer skins had led to a brisk trade between Indian hunters and white traders, and as a result, a few white traders and some settlers (primarily from the British Colonies of Georgia and Carolina) were accepted by the Head of Coosa Cherokee. These were later joined by missionaries, and then more settlers. After the American War of Independence, most new settlers came from the area of the Georgia East of the Proclamation Line of 1763.
. The triangular section labeled "Assigned to Georgia 1802" was Cherokee land claimed as part of the Compact of 1802 between Georgia and the United States.]] In 1793, in response to a Cherokee raid into Tennessee, John Sevier, the Governor of Tennessee, led a retaliatory raid against the Cherokee in the Battle of Hightower, in the vicinity of Myrtle Hill. In 1802, the United States and Georgia executed the Compact of 1802, in which Georgia sold its claimed Western lands to the United States and the United States agreed to ignore Cherokee land titles and remove all Cherokee from Georgia. The commitment to evict the Cherokee was not immediately enforced, and Chiefs John Ross and Major Ridge led efforts to stop their removal, including several Federal lawsuits.
During the 1813 Creek Civil War, most Cherokee took the side of the Upper Creek Indians against the Red Stick Creek Indians. Before they moved to Head of Coosa, Chief Ridge commanded a company of Cherokee warriors as a unit of the Tennessee militia, with Chief Ross as adjutant. This unit was under the overall command of Andrew Jackson, and supported the Upper Creek.
In 1829, gold was discovered near Dahlonega, Georgia, starting the first gold rush in the United States. The Indian Removal Act of 1830, which fulfilled the Compact of 1802, was a direct result of this, and Georgia's General Assembly passed legislation in 1831 that claimed all Cherokee land in Northwest Georgia. This entire territory was called Cherokee County until additional legislation in 1832 divided the territory into the nine counties that exist today.
With the entire area still occupied primarily by Cherokee, the city served the agrarian needs of the new cotton-based economy that had begun to replace deer-skin trading after the invention of the cotton gin. The first steamboat navigated the Coosa River to Rome in 1836, reducing the time-to-market for the cotton trade and speeding travel between Rome and the Gulf Coast.
By 1838, the Cherokee had run out of legal options, and were the last of the major tribes to be forcibly moved to the Indian Territories (in modern-day Oklahoma) on the Trail of Tears. After the removal of the Cherokee, their homes and businesses were taken over by whites, and the Roman economy continued to grow. In 1849, an 18-mile rail spur to the Western and Atlantic Railroad in Kingston was completed roughly along the current path of Georgia Highway 293, significantly improving transportation to the east.
In April 1863, during the U.S. Civil War, the city was defended by Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest against Union Colonel Abel Streight's "lightning mule" raid from the area east of modern day Cedar Bluff, Alabama. General Forrest tricked Colonel Streight into surrendering just a few miles shy of Rome. Realizing their vulnerability, Rome's city council allocated $3,000 to build three fortifications. Although these became operational by October 1863, efforts to strengthen the forts continued as the war progressed. These forts were named after Romans who had been killed in action: Fort Attaway was on the western bank of the Oostanaula River, Fort Norton was on the eastern bank of the Oostanaula, and Fort Stovall was on the southern bank of the Etowah River. At least one other fort was later built on the northern side of the Coosa River.
Campus.]] In May 1864, Union General Jefferson C. Davis, under the command of Major General William Tecumseh Sherman, attacked and captured Rome when the outflanked Confederate defenders retreated under command of Major GeneralSamuel Gibbs French. Union General William Vandever was stationed in Rome and is depicted with his staff in a picture taken there. Due to Rome's forts and iron works, which included the manufacture of cannons, Rome was a significant target during Sherman's destructive march through Georgia. Davis's forces occupied Rome for several months, making repairs to the damaged forts and briefly quartering General Sherman. Foreshadowing Sherman's Special Field Orders, No. 120, Union forces destroyed Rome's forts, iron works, the rail line to Kingston, and any other material that could be useful to the South's war effort as they withdrew from Rome to participate in the Atlanta Campaign.
In 1871, Rome constructed a water tank on Neely Hill, which overlooks the downtown district. This later became a clock tower, and has served as the town's iconic landmark ever since, appearing in the city's crest and local business logos. As a result, Neely Hill is also referred to as Clock Tower Hill.
With two rivers merging to form a third, Rome has occasionally been subjected to serious flooding. The first severe flood after Rome became a city was the flood of 1886, which inundated the city and allowed a steamboat to travel down Broad Street. In the late 1890s, additional flood control measures were instituted, including raising the height of Broad Street by about 15 feet. As a result, many of the below-ground basements of Rome's historic buildings were originally ground level entrances.
"This statue of the Capitoline Wolf, as a forecast of prosperity and glory, has been sent from Ancient Rome to New Rome during the consulship of Benito Mussolini in the year 1929."
In 1940, anti-Italian sentiment due to World War II became so strong that the Rome city commission moved the statue into storage to prevent vandalism and replaced it with an American flag. In 1952, the statue was restored to its former location in front of City Hall.
An important segue into the Great Depression was the "Cotton Bust" which had hit Rome in mid 1920s, and caused many farmers to move away, sell their land or convert to other agricultural crops, such as corn. The "Cotton Bust" was the effect of the Boll Weevil, a tiny bug which was introduced to Georgia in 1915. Before the Boll Weevil came to Georgia, cotton was an abundant and cheap resource, but when the boil weevil came to Rome and North Georgia it destroyed many fields of cotton and put a damper on Rome's economy.
While the Great Depression had its effect on Rome, the area was not as devastated as many of the big cities; however, it did put many families through hard financial times. Jobs were scarce and prices of food and basic commodities went up. Even the "postal employees took a fifteen per cent cut in pay, and volunteered a further ten per cent reduction in work time in order to save the jobs of substitute employees who otherwise would have been thrown out of work." Romans bought tickets to a show put on by local performers and the fares went directly to grocers who made boxes of food to sell at a discount price to the needy families.
To lower the number of unemployed during this time, S.H. Smith, Sr. tore down the Armstrong hotel. Afterward, he employed many people to help build the towering Greystone Hotel at the corner of Broad St. and East Second St. in 1927. The Rome News-Tribune reported on November 30, 1933 ang increase in local building permits for a total of $95,800; of this amount, $85,000 was invested by S.H. Smith, Sr., in the construction of the Greystone Hotel. The Greystone Apartments were added in 1936.
! Year Built ! Address ! Year Registered |- align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#DCE5E5" | align="left" | Dr. Robert Battey House | align="left" | 1850 | align="left" | 725 East 2nd Ave. | align="left" | 1982 |- align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#DCE5E5" | align="left" | Berry Schools | align="left" | | align="left" | North of Rome on U.S. Hwy 27 | align="left" | 1978 |- align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#DCE5E5" | align="left" | Between the Rivers Historic District | align="left" | | align="left" | Roughly bounded by the Etowah and Oostanaula Rivers, 7th Ave., and West 4th St. | align="left" | 1983Ext. 1989 |- align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#DCE5E5" | align="left" | Chieftains | align="left" | 1792 | align="left" | 501 Riverside Parkway. | align="left" | 1971 |- align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#DCE5E5" | align="left" | Double-Cola Bottling Company | align="left" | | align="left" | 419 East Second Ave. | align="left" | 2006 |- align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#DCE5E5" | align="left" | East Rome Historic District | align="left" | | align="left" | Roughly bounded by Walnut Ave., McCall Blvd., East 8th and 10th Sts. | align="left" | 1985 |- align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#DCE5E5" | align="left" | Etowah Indian Mounds | align="left" | | align="left" | North bank of Etowah River | align="left" | 1966 |- align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#DCE5E5" | align="left" | Floyd County Courthouse | align="left" | | align="left" | 5th Ave. and Tribune St. | align="left" | 1980 |- align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#DCE5E5" | align="left" | Jackson Hill Historic District | align="left" | | align="left" | Jackson Hill, between GA Hwy 53 and the Oostanaula River | align="left" | 1997 |- align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#DCE5E5" | align="left" | Lower Avenue A Historic District | align="left" | | align="left" | Avenue A between North 5th St. and Turner-McCall Blvd. | align="left" | 1983 |- align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#DCE5E5" | align="left" | Main High School | align="left" | | align="left" | 41 Washington Dr. | align="left" | 2002 |- align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#DCE5E5" | align="left" | Mayo's Bar Lock and Dam | align="left" | | align="left" | On the Coosa River, 8 miles SW of Rome | align="left" | 1989 |- align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#DCE5E5" | align="left" | Mt. Aventine Historic District | align="left" | | align="left" | Address restricted | align="left" | 1983 |- align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#DCE5E5" | align="left" | Myrtle Hill Cemetery | align="left" | 1857 | align="left" | Bounded by S. Broad, and Myrtle Sts., Pennington, and Branham Aves. | align="left" | 1983 |- align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#DCE5E5" | align="left" | Oakdene Place | align="left" | | align="left" | Roughly bounded by the Etowah River, Queen, and East 6th Sts. | align="left" | 1983 |- align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#DCE5E5" | align="left" | Rome Clock Tower | align="left" | 1871 | align="left" | Corner of East 2nd Street and East 5th Avenue | align="left" | 1980 |- align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#DCE5E5" | align="left" | South Broad Street Historic District | align="left" | | align="left" | South Broad St. and Etowah Terrace | align="left" | 1983 |- align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#DCE5E5" | align="left" | Sullivan—Hillyer House | align="left" | | align="left" | 309 East 2nd Ave. | align="left" | 2002 |- align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#DCE5E5" | align="left" | Thankful Baptist Church | align="left" | | align="left" | 935 Spiderwebb Dr. | align="left" | 1985 |- align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#DCE5E5" | align="left" | U.S. Post Office and Courthouse | align="left" | | align="left" | West 4th Ave. and East 1st St. | align="left" | 1975 |- align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#DCE5E5" | align="left" | Upper Avenue A Historic District | align="left" | | align="left" | Roughly bounded by Oostanaula River, Turner-McCall Blvd., Avenue B and W. 11th St. | align="left" | 1983 |}
There were 13,320 households of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 41.2% were married couples living together, 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present, wend 36.7% are non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.1% have someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.07.
The age distribution was 24.2% under the age of 18, 12.1% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.
The median household income was $30,930, and the median family income was $37,775. Males had a median income of $30,179 versus $22,421 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,327. About 15.3% of families and 20.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.1% of those under the age of 18 and 16.3% of those 65 and older.
In 1954, General Electric established a factory to build medium transformers. In the 1960s, Rome contributed to the American effort in the Vietnam War when the Rome Plow Company produced Rome plows, which were large armored vehicles used by the U.S. Military to clear jungles. In the latter part of the 20th century, many carpet mills prospered in the areas surrounding Rome.
Rome is also well known in the region for its medical facilities, particularly Floyd Medical Center, Redmond Regional Medical Center, and the Harbin Clinic. Partnering with these facilities for physician development and medical education is the the Northwest Georgia Clinical Campus of The Medical College of Georgia, which is part of Georgia Health Sciences University.
National companies that are part of Rome's technology industry include Brugg Cable and Telecom, Suzuki Manufacturing of America, automobile parts makers Neaton Rome and F&P; Georgia, Peach State Labs, and the North American headquarters of Pirelli Tire.
According to the most recent numbers released on 2010, sports tourism is a major industry in Rome and Floyd County. In 2010, sport events netted over $10 million to the local economy, as reported by the Greater Rome Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Tennis tournaments accounted for over $6 million to the Rome economy in 2010. The district has 645 full-time teachers and over 10,272 students.
College | Public/Private | Type | Notes |
Berry College | Private | Liberal Arts | Founded in 1902 by Martha Berry |
Georgia Northwestern Technical College | Public | Technical | Formerly "Coosa Valley Technical College" which was founded in 1962 |
Georgia Highlands College | Public | GA Community College | Formerly Floyd Junior College |
Shorter University | Private | Liberal Arts | Founded in 1873 |
Category:Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) Category:Floyd County, Georgia Category:County seats in Georgia (U.S. state) Category:Rome, Georgia Category:The Lightning Mule Brigade
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