Calhoun, Georgia
| Calhoun, Georgia | |
|---|---|
| City | |
Downtown Calhoun and Courthouse
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| Motto: "Land of the Cherokee" | |
 Location in Gordon County and the state of Georgia |
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| Coordinates: 34°30′0″N 84°56′33″W / 34.50000°N 84.94250°WCoordinates: 34°30′0″N 84°56′33″W / 34.50000°N 84.94250°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Gordon |
| Incorporated (city) | January 1852 |
| Named for | John C. Calhoun |
| Area | |
| • Total | 15.0 sq mi (38.9 km2) |
| • Land | 14.9 sq mi (38.7 km2) |
| • Water | 0.08 sq mi (0.2 km2) |
| Elevation | 659 ft (201 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 15,650 |
| • Density | 1,048/sq mi (404.7/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 30701, 30703 (PO Boxes) |
| Area code(s) | 706/762 |
| FIPS code | 13-12456 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0354936 |
| Website | www |
Calhoun is a city in Gordon County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 15,650, up from 10,667 at the 2000 census. Calhoun is the county seat of Gordon County.
Calhoun was a part of the Cherokee Nation (including New Echota, capital of the Cherokee Nation) until December 29, 1835. Cherokee leaders such as The Ridge and William Hicks had developed numerous productive farms in the fertile Oothcaloga Valley. When the Cherokee refused to give up the remainder of their lands under the Indian Removal Act, after years of land cessions to the United States for white settlers in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee, President Andrew Jackson sent US troops to the northern region of Georgia to force most of the tribe to move to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River, most notably present-day Oklahoma. (See more information on Trail of Tears.)
In December 1827, Georgia had already claimed the Cherokee lands that became Gordon County and other counties. A small town called "Dawsonville" was created and founded in the Gordon County, named for the owner of an early general store. Dawsonville was later renamed "Calhoun" to honor U.S. Senator John C. Calhoun, following his death in 1850.
Gordon County's inferior court called an election for the selection of the county seat, offering voters a choice between a site on the Western & Atlantic Railroad (near Adairsville) or a site more centrally located within the county. Voters chose a site along the railroad, so the inferior court designated Calhoun as county seat in 1851. The legislature incorporated Calhoun in an act approved on January 12, 1852.
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