Cumming, Georgia

History

The area now called Cumming is located west of the historic location of Vann's Ferry between Forsyth County and Hall County.

Early history

The area, now called Cumming, was first inhabited by Cherokee tribes. They came in 1755. The Cherokee and Creek people developed disputes over hunting land. After two years of fighting, the Cherokee won the land in the Battle of Taliwa. The Creek people were forced to move south of the Chattahoochee River.

The Cherokee coexisted with white settlers until the discovery of gold in Georgia in 1828. Settlers that moved to the area to mine for gold pushed for the removal of the Cherokee. In 1835, the Treaty of New Echota was signed. The treaty stated that the Cherokee Nation must move to the Indian Territory, west of the Mississippi River. This resulted in the Trail of Tears. The Cherokee territory was then formed into Cherokee County in 1831. In 1832, the county was split into several counties including Forsyth County.

In 1833, the town of Cumming was formed from two 40-acre (16 ha) land lots that had been issued as part of a Georgia State Land Lottery in 1832. The two lots designated as Land Lot 1269 and Land Lot 1270 were purchased by a couple of Forsyth County Inferior Court justices who realized that it was necessary to have a seat of government to conduct county business. The boundaries of the two lots ended at what is now Tolbert Street on the west side, Eastern Circle on the east side, Resthaven Street on the south side, and School Street on the north side. In 1834 the post office was established and began delivering mail. The justices of the Inferior Court divided the town land into smaller lots and began selling them to people over the next several years, reserving one lot for the county courthouse. During that same year, the Georgia State Legislature incorporated the town of Cumming into the City of Cumming and made it the official government seat of Forsyth County. Cumming was named after Colonel William Cumming.

Modern history

During the 1830s and 1840s, Cumming benefited from the gold mining industry as many businesses were created to meet the needs of the miners. However, the California Gold Rush in 1849 put the city into an economic depression. Newly built railroads bypassed the city and took traffic from the Federal Road that ran near Cumming. The city was spared during the Civil War because William T. Sherman did not pass through the city during his March to the Sea. In 1900, the county courthouse was destroyed in a fire; it was rebuilt in 1905.

1912 racial cleansing

In 1912, Governor Joseph M. Brown sent four companies of state militia to Cumming to prevent riots after several rapes of young white women allegedly by African-American men.

The governor then declared martial law, but the effort did little to stop a month-long barrage of attacks by night riders on the African-American citizens. This led to the banishment of African-Americans, and the city had virtually no black population.

Racial tensions were strained again in 1987 when a group of blacks were assaulted while camping at a park on Lake Lanier. This was widely reported by local newspapers and in Atlanta. As a result of this a local businessman decided to hold a "Peace March" the following week. Civil rights leader, the Reverend Hosea Williams joined the local businessman in a march along Bethelview and Castleberry Road in south Forsyth County into the City of Cumming, where they were assaulted by whites. The marchers retreated and vowed to return. During the following "Brotherhood March" on January 24, 1987, another racially mixed group returned to Forsyth County to complete the march the previous group had been unable to finish. March organizers estimated the number at 20,000, while police estimates ran from 12-14,000. Hosea Williams and former senator Gary Hart were in the demonstration. A group of the National Guard kept the opposition of about 1,000 in check. Oprah Winfrey featured Cumming and Forsyth County on her Oprah Winfrey Show. She formed a town hall meeting where one audience member said:

However, most of the audience members agreed that Forsyth County should integrate. Rev. Hosea Williams was excluded from Oprah's show and arrested for trespassing.

Today, the city is experiencing new growth. The completion of Georgia 400 has helped turn Cumming into a commuter town for Atlanta. The city holds the Cumming Country Fair & Festival every October. The Sawnee Mountain Preserve provides views of the city from the top of Sawnee Mountain. In 1956, Buford Dam, along the Chattahoochee River, started operating. The reservoir that it created is called Lake Lanier. The lake, a popular spot for boaters, has generated income from tourists for Cumming as well as provides a source of drinking water. However, because of rapid growth of the Atlanta area, drought, and mishandling of a stream gauge, Lake Lanier has seen record-low water levels. Moreover, the lake is involved in a longstanding lawsuit between Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. Because of a recent ruling, the city may not be able to withdraw its water. However, the city is looking into different sources of water such as wells and various creeks.

Geography

Cumming is located in the center of Forsyth County at 34°12′30″N 84°8′15″W (34.208464, -84.137575). It is 39 miles (63 km) northeast of downtown Atlanta and 15 miles (24 km) northeast of Alpharetta.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Cumming has a total area of 6.1 square miles (15.9 km²), of which 6.1 square miles (15.8 km²) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²), or 0.58%, is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 5,430 people, 1,893 households (of which 57.1% were families), and 1,081 families residing in the city. The population density was 787.0 people per square mile (276.6/km²). There were 2,037 housing units at an average density of 295.2 per square mile (98.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.6% White, 2.9% African American, 0.5% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 16.9% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 31.4% of the population.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,118, and the median income for a family was $48,947. Full-time, year-round male workers had a median income of $35,402 versus $31,892 for similarly situated females. The per capita income for the city was $18,326. About 27.9% of families and 22.0% of the adult population were below the poverty line.

Education

Cumming is served by Forsyth County Schools. The following schools are located in the county:

Elementary schools

Middle schools

High schools

Alternative schools

Notable people

In popular culture