Hahira, Georgia

History

According to legend, the town of Hahira was named after a local cotton plantation. The planter was said to have named his estate after a West African village, Hairaairee, which was described to him by an English traveler.

Lowndes County was developed for cotton cultivation in large plantations, with labor taken from enslaved African Americans. Many had been transported to this region in the domestic slave trade from the Low Country and Upper South, breaking up their families.

Geography

Hahira is located at 30°59′26″N 83°22′17″W (30.990537, -83.371433).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.3 square miles (6.0 km²), of which, 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) of it (3.93%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,626 people, 643 households, and 448 families residing in the city. The population density was 739.4 people per square mile (285.4/km²). There were 715 housing units at an average density of 325.1 per square mile (125.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 73.49% White, 22.32% African American, 0.92% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 1.97% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.43% of the population.

There were 643 households out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were married couples living together, 18.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.3% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.1% 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 29.4% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 83.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,946, and the median income for a family was $37,188. Males had a median income of $27,121 versus $18,981 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,899. About 13.9% of families and 17.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.1% of those under age 18 and 19.6% of those age 65 or over.

Schools

Students in Hahira are part of the Lowndes County School District (Georgia). The following schools are in Hahira:

Clothing ordinance

Citing public safety concerns, in March 2008, the Hahira City Council, with a vote by the mayor, passed a clothing ordinance that bans residents from wearing pants that have a top falling below the waist in fit and reveal skin or undergarments (see sagging). The council was split 2–2, and their tie was broken by the mayor in favor of the ordinance.

Notable people

Hahira Honey Bee Festival

Begun in 1981, The Honey Bee Festival is an annual event held during the first week of October. It has become one of the largest festivals in south Georgia, attracting thousands each year, and featuring arts, crafts, a beauty pageant and a parade. It is said that the Honey Bee Festival attracts close to 15,000 visitors.

Great Hahira Pick-In

From the early 1980s to the mid-1990s, Wilby and Gloria Coleman of Valdosta, together with family and friends, sponsored an annual bluegrass festival in Hahira. The Pick-In featured a weekend of bluegrass bands on the mountain stage as well as pickers and grinners in camp sites throughout the city. Citing falling revenues, organizers ended the Pick-Ins in the mid-1990s. In the Fall of 2009, Harvey's Supermarket sponsored a "Great Hahira Pick-In," before building a store on the traditional site of the festival.