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Numbers on map are the Council of Economic Development Organizations (CEDO) Regions 
 
 SNAPSHOTS OF County Description 
 
G E O R G 
 
A  Meriwether County was created in 1827; the 73rd county created. The county was named for 
 
General David Meriwether, a state militiaman often called on by the federal government to negotiate 
 
with the Indians. General Meriwether served in the Revolutionary War and was a state legislator 
 
and a member of Congress. 
 
Community Meriwether County 
Gay Greenville Lone Oak Luthersville Manchester Wann Springs Woodbury 
 
Population 
 
1970) 1980) 
 
19461 21229 
 
200 
 
175 
 
1085 
 
1213 
 
129 
 
119 
 
400 
 
597 
 
4779 
 
4796 
 
523 
 
425 
 
1422 
 
1738 
 
1990 22411 
133 1167 
161 741 4104 407 1429 
 
Growth 
 
1910-1980 I 1980-1990 
 
9.1% 
 
5.6% 
 
-12.5% -24.0% 
 
11.8% 
 
-3.8% 
 
-7.8% 
 
35.3% 
 
49.3% 
 
24.1% 
 
0.4% 
 
-14.4% 
 
-18.7% 
 
-4.2% 
 
22.2% 
 
-17.8% 
 
 The county is 505 square miles in area; the 28th largest county in the state. 
 The county seat is Greenville, population 1,167, named for Revolutionary War hero, General Nathaniel Greene. The county's largest municipality is Manchester, with a population of about 4,000. The county includes five other municipalities: Gay, Lone Oak, Luthersville, Warm Springs, and Woodbury. 
 
 Meriwether County is in CEDO Region 5 and the Chattahoochee Flint Regional Development Center. 
 
 The county is in the 2nd and 3rd U.S. Congressional Districts, the 29th State Senatorial District, and the 131st and 137th State House Districts. 
 
 Warm Springs-site of President Roosevelt's "Little White House"-is in the county. The historic site there run by the Georgia Department ofNatural Resources drew over I00,000 in 1993 
 
 The springs water stays naturally at 90 degrees and was used by Indians as a healing spring and later as a spa for white settlers-among them Franklin D. Roosevelt and other polio suffers. The Warm Springs Foundation opened its doors to people suffering from other types of crippling diseases and conditions after the discovery ofthe polio vaccine. An effort is underway to rehabilitate the warm springs pools used by Roosevelt and others in the 1930s and 1940s. 
 
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C. 0 
o.. 100% 
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State 
 
Demographics 
 Meriwether County's population grew slowly in the 1980s, increasing only 5.6%. 
 Meriwether County's population is about 45% black. 
 
1970 
 
County 1980 
 
 Almost half of the county's adult population 
 
(48%) have not completed high school; 
 
1990 
 
2000 2010 Meriwether County ranks in the bottom 25% 
 
among all ofthe counties on this measure ofeducational attainment. Only 
 
19.6% of the county's adult population have either some college or a college degree, compared to 41.3% statewide. 
 
 Over22% ofthe county's population have incomes below the poverty level, compared to 15% statewide. 
 
 <HS Grad  HS Grad Ill Coll Not Grad 
 Coll Grad+ 
 
 Demographics-cont'd 
 
MERIWETHER 
 
 In 1990, per capita income was $11,713 - about 63% of U.S. per capita income. The county 
 
COUNTY 
 
ranks in the bottom one-third ofGeorgia's counties on this income measure.  Meriwether County's economy depends heavily on manufacturing and ,,,,,...... " 
 
i 
 
: 
 
..... 
 
government. In 1990, almost 35% of the county's jobs were in the manufacturing sector. The location of the State Park and Rehabilitation Center are reflected in the county's employment figures. State and local 
 
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I 
 
 
 
100% 
 
i 
 
i 0 ~ 
 
I 
 
I g_ 75% C 
 
- 
 
1n 
 
1J 
 
50% 
 
~ 0 
 
 
 
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government provide about 20% ofthe county'sjobs. 
 Forty-seven percent of the county's workforce commute to jobs outside of the county. The county 
 
-:,-": ,.;:,:,,, 
 
State County 
 
"2. 
iii f----! 25% 5" 
Cl 0 
3 
(D 
 
is located near a number of job centers; about 53% 1970 1980 
 
1990 
 
2000 
 
2010 
 
ofthe commuters travel to Coweta, Clayton, Fayette, 
 
and Fulton counties, and about 36% of the 
 
12% 
 
commuters travel to Harris, Muscogee, and Troup 
 
D Work in 
 
counties. 
 
9% ~ 0 
 
County 
 
:C:, 
 
 The county's manufacturing base is primarily 
 
6% 
 
CD 
3 
 
Commute 
Ill Outside 
County 
 
in the lumber and wood and printing industries. 
 Meriwether's unemployment has been consistently higher than the state's since 1980. 
 
- County I 
 
-0 
0 
'< 
,3% ~ 
 
Unemployment topped 10% in 1982, 1983, and 1985. 
 
I 
1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 
 
Governments 
 Meriwether County has a commission-manager form of government, with a five member board. 
 
$$$ Per Capita 500 
 
 Meriwether County raises and spends less money than similarly sized counties. In 1993, the county raised $240 in per capita general revenues, vs. $349.20 for similarly sized counties. In the same year, the county reported $208.09 in per capita general operating expenditures, vs. $282.30 for all similarly sized counties. 
 
 The county spends little for capital outlay and capital projects. In 1993, the county reported only $10.12 in per capita capital expenditures. Since 1989, capital expenditures have been less than 10% of current operation expenditures. 
 
 The county collects both the Local Option Sales Tax and Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). The SPLOST is levied for the county landfill.  In 1992, the county issued short-term debt equivalent to about 21 % of total net revenues.  In 1993, the county reported no outstanding long-term debt. 
 
 Meriwether 
ill All Counties 
 
 The county is involved in the Pine Mountain Ridge Regionally Important Resource effort with Harris, Talbot, and Upson counties. 
 The county and municipalities have an approved and adopted solid waste management plan and are currently eligible for solid waste grants, loans, and permits. 
 
General General Revenues Operating 
Expenditures 
 
 Meriwether County and its municipalities' comprehensive plans are due in June 1994. River Corridor Protection requirements do not apply to the county or its municipalities. 
 
Concludes on back page ~ 
 
 DCA Financial Assistance 
 
 Between July 1, 1990 and May 15, 1994, Meriwether County and its municipalities received $1,162,291 in financial assistance from DCA; $1,142,291 of that assistance was for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) projects. 
 
Source Community Development Block Grant 
Local Development Fund 
 
Amount 1,142,291 
20,000 
 
Number of Grants 4 2 
 
Total $1,162,291 
 
6 
 
 All four of the CDBG projects have been for water system projects. 
 
 Luthersville received a Local DevelopmentFund (LDF) grant to construct a community facility for use as a public library and Manchester received a LDF grant to rehabilitate a historic building for use as a community center. 
 
GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF 
 
COMMUNITY AFFAIRS 
 
SPECIAL PROJECTS SECTION 
 
1200 Equitable Building 
 
100 Peachtree Street 
 
Atlanta, Georgia 30303 
 
~- 
 
(404) 656-3851 
 
~\ 
 
An Equal Opportunity Employer