Midway, Georgia

History

Midway's history dates back to the 18th century. Puritans migrated to St. John's Parish, Georgia from Dorchester, South Carolina in 1752 and established several settlements including what was later to become the Midway community. In 1752 the Council of Georgia granted the settlers 31,950 acres (129.3 km²), as colonial officials wanted a large number of settlers in the area to protect them from the Creek Indians. The original settlers were primarily rice planters and the Midway settlers developed a strong agricultural economy aided by the 1,500 slaves they brought from South Carolina.

The settlers in the area took an early stand for independence. In May 1775, Lyman Hall (a Midway Church member) was sent to the Continental Congress as a delegate from the parish of St. John. A year later Hall and St. John's Parish resident Button Gwinnett (along with George Walton of Augusta) signed the Declaration of Independence. Another Midway resident, Nathan Brownson, served in the Continental Congress from 1776 to 1778, but did not sign the Declaration. In 1777 St. John's Parish, St. Andrew's Parish, and St. James' Parish combined to become Liberty County.

Established in 1752, the Midway Congregational Church building was destroyed during the American Revolutionary War by the British, but it was rebuilt. The present building was completed in 1792. The religious welfare of the slaves was given consideration and the "colored" members of the church, with the blacks in the galleries and the whites in the pews below. Every April, the Midway Society conducts an annual service commemorating the town's settlement. The Church and the adjacent cemetery were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Among those buried here are two American Generals who served in the Revolutionary War, Daniel Stewart and James Screven. A large monument, erected in 1915 in the center of the cemetery, is dedicated to these men.

in 1973, the Midway Historic District, encompassing the Midway Congregational Church and Cemetery, the Midway Museum and the Old Sunbury Road, was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The City of Midway was Incorporated in 1925.

Industry

Midway has an industrial park with nine manufacturing facilities. In 2007, Target Corporation opened a 1,500,000-square-foot (140,000 m²) regional distribution center.

Geography

Midway is located at 31°48′00″N 81°24′44″W (31.799873, -81.412298).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.6 square miles (15 km²), of which 5.6 square miles (15 km²) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km²) (0.71%) is water.

Demographics

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 2,121 people residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 45.8% Black, 44.9% White, 0.2% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.4% from some other race and 2.5% from two or more races. 5.2% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,100 people, 331 households, and 241 families residing in the city. The population density was 197.8 people per square mile (76.4/km²). There were 395 housing units at an average density of 71.0 per square mile (27.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 58.82% White, 37.18% African American, 0.55% Native American, 1.27% Asian, 0.18% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races, and 1.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.36% of the population.

There were 331 households out of which 38.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.9% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.21.

In the city, the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,205, and the median income for a family was $31,607. Males had a median income of $27,014 versus $20,313 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,078. About 15.2% of families and 19.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.3% of those under age 18 and 20.6% of those age 65 or over.

Culture

The Midway Museum is home to documents, exhibits, and furnishings associated with the Midway Society from the Colonial period through its last meeting in December 1865. The Midway Museum was Georgia's first colonial museum.

Lemonade stand shutdown

In July 2011 Midway received national attention after city police shut down a lemonade stand run by young girls attempting to earn money for a waterpark trip. Police and city officials maintained the girls were required to obtain a business license. Neighboring Richmond Hill allowed the girls to set up their lemonade stand at its first farmer's market later that month.

In the Media

The 2014 award-winning Independent film, A Promise, was filmed in Liberty County.

Education

Public education is provided by the Liberty County School System. Public schools located in Midway are: