Macon is a city located in Bibb County, Georgia, USA. It lies near the geographic center of Georgia, approximately 80 miles (129 km) south of Atlanta, hence the city's nickname as the Heart of Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 97,255. The city is the county seat of Bibb County.
Macon is located at 32°50'5" North, 83°39'6" West (32.834839, -83.651672).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 145.7 km2 (56.3 mi2). 144.5 km2 (55.8 mi2) of it is land and 1.2 km2 (0.5 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 0.82% water.
Macon is approximately 381 feet (116 meters) above sea level.
As of the census of 2000, there are 97,255 people, 38,444 households, and 24,219 families residing in the city. The population density is 672.9/km2 (1,742.8/mi2). There are 44,341 housing units at an average density of 306.8/km2 (794.6/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 35.46% White, 62.45% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. 1.20% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 38,444 households out of which 30.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.0% are married couples living together, 25.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% are non-families. 31.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 12.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.44 and the average family size is 3.08.
In the city the population is spread out with 26.9% under the age of 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 79.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 72.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $27,405, and the median income for a family is $33,699. Males have a median income of $29,950 versus $22,865 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,082. 25.5% of the population and 21.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 37.7% of those under the age of 18 and 16.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Macon lies on the site of the Ocmulgee Old Fields, which were home to Creek Indians and their predecessors for as long as 12,000 years before Europeans arrived. The fields and forests around Macon and what is now the Ocmulgee National Monument were cultivated by the Creeks, who built temple and funeral mounds that survive today.
Prior to its establishment as a city, Macon was the site of Fort Benjamin Hawkins. After the Creeks ceded their lands east of the Ocmulgee River, President Thomas Jefferson ordered the fort built in 1806 on the fall line of the Ocmulgee River to protect the new frontier, as it was a major military distribution point during the War of 1812 and the Creek War of 1813. Afterwards, the fort became a trading post for a few more years before it fell to disuse, however, a replica of the fort stands today on a hill in East Macon. By this time, many settlers have already started moving into the area and later renamed Fort Hawkins Newtown. After the establishment of Bibb County in 1822, the city was chartered as the county seat in 1823 and officially named Macon, in honor of North Carolina statesman Nathaniel Macon because many of the city's early settlers hailed from North Carolina. The city planners of Macon envisioned "a city within a park" and went about creating a city of spacious streets and parks. They also designated 250 acres for Central City Park and citizens were required by ordinances to plant shade trees in their front yards.
The city thrived due to its location on the Ocmulgee River and cotton became the mainstay of Macon's early economy. Cotton boats, stage coaches, and later, in 1843, a railroad all brought economic prosperity to Macon. In 1836, Wesleyan College, the oldest women's college in the world, was founded in Macon. During the Civil War, Macon served as the official arsenal of the Confederacy and Macon City Hall, which would serve as the temporary state capitol in 1864, was converted to use as a hospital for the wounded. However, Macon was spared by General William Tecumseh Sherman on his march to the sea. The nearby state capital of Milledgeville had been sacked and Maconites prepared for an attack. But General Sherman feared that Confederate forces were preparing a unified attack of their own and therefore bypassed Macon. In 1855 a referendum was held to determine a capital city for Georgia. Macon came in last with 3,802 votes. Throughout the era of Reconstruction and into the twentieth century, Macon grew into a prospering town in Middle Georgia, and began to serve as a transportation hub for the entire state.
Source:
MaconGeorgia.com
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