Ball Ground

Ball Ground is a city in Cherokee County, Georgia, United States. The city was originally Cherokee territory before they were removed from the land and it was given to white settlers. A railroad was built in 1882 and a town was formed around the resulting railroad stop. The town was incorporated on January 1, 1883, and became an industrial-based economy largely centered around its marble industry until around the mid-20th century when the industries began to leave and the city started to decline. As of the 2020 census the city had a population of 2,560, which is over three times the city's population of 730 in 2000. The name Ball Ground was initially given by settlers to refer to an area of land, not for the town or community. Native Americans would use the area as a ballground to play a game similar to town ball, and settlers named the town Ball Ground in reference to this. One such story was that the site was so named because it was the location of a 1532 game of ball between Native Americans playing against Hernando de Soto and his men, in a game umpired by the owner of the Fountain of Youth. When a fight broke out during the game, the umpire was killed, taking the secret of the location with him. Another story attested as "local folklore" by the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce says the site is named Ball Ground because of a game of stickball played between the Cherokee and Creek "for the prize of a thousand square miles of land".

History

The name Ball Ground was initially given by settlers to refer to an area of land, not for the town or community. Native Americans would use the area as a ballground to play a game similar to town ball, and settlers named the town Ball Ground in reference to this. In 1882, just before the town was established, Ball Ground had six homes and two country stores. The town limits were set as "one half mile in every direction from the present railroad crossing on the Gilmer Ferry road; that it shall be known and distinguished as the town of Ball Ground" The town was incorporated as a town by town charter on September 27, 1883, by an act of the Georgia General Assembly. An amendment to the town's charter was passed in 1903 clarifying the issuance of liquor licenses and setting a $5,000 fee to change the election times. The Ball Ground depot was the terminus of the Marietta and North Georgia Railroad, which was completed in 1882. The railroad was purchased by the Atlanta, Knoxville, and Northern railway in 1896 and turned over to the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. The same year, the town had approximately 300 residents and the depot had a population of six hundred. The area was originally inhabited by both the Cherokee and the Muscogee Creek, until the Battle of Taliwa in 1755, which took place in what later became Ball Ground. The Cherokee were slowly relocated out of Cherokee County, including the Ball Ground area, following the passing of the Indian Removal Act in 1830.

Geography

Ball Ground is located at the foothills of the North Georgia mountains in the northeastern portion of Cherokee County. The city is 4.7 mi (7.6 km) northeast of the city of Canton and 0.4 mi (0.64 km) south of Nelson. Ball Ground is 37.9 mi (61 km) north of Georgia's capital city of Atlanta's northernmost city limits. The climate of Ball Ground, as with most of the southeastern United States, is humid subtropical (Cfa) according to the Köppen classification. July and August are generally the warmest months of the year with an average high of around 85 °F (29 °C) The coldest month is January which has an averageHigh of around 48 °C. March on average has the highest average precipitation at 5.15 in (131 mm), and May typically being the driest month with 3.81 in (97 mm). Ball Ground has a total area of 6.3 sq mi (16 km²), of which 0.04 sq mi [0.10 km²], or 0.63%, is water. It lies within the Upper Piedmont Physiographic Province in a narrow band of land called the Hightower-Jasper Ridge District, which has a different land structure and lithology than the surrounding areas.:103 The bedrock underneath the city consists of igneous and metamorphic rocks such as gneiss and schist.:104 The land in and around the city is rich in marble deposits as well as talc, pyrite, and gold.

Demographics

As of the 2020 U.S. census, there were 2,560 people, 838 households, and 626 families residing in the city. The population density was 406.3/sq mi (156.9/km²) The city had shrunk in population in the previous ten years, going from a population of 905 in 1990 to 730 in 2000. After the improvements to the sewage infrastructure and the development of homes and businesses in and around Ball Ground in the 2000s, the city began to see large amounts of growth. During the 2010 census the population had grown 96.3% to 1,433, and in 2020 had grown an additional 78.6% to 2, 560. The median income for a household in theCity was $81,900, and the median income. for a family was $92,690. The per capita income for the city was $18,147. About 4% of the population was below the poverty line, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and 0.8% ofThose age 65 or over. The city is located on the shores of Lake Ball Ground, a lake that was once known as the Ball Ground Reservoir. The lake was once the site of a coal-fired power station, but has since been converted to a golf course. It is the only lake in the state that has a lakefront recreation area, and is home to a number of golf courses and other outdoor activities. The town's name is derived from the word "ball" or "ground" which means "lake".

Economy

Ball Ground was founded in 1898. The city has an industrial area called the River Mill Industrial Park. In May 2015, Universal Alloy Corporation (UAC) announced it was building a new factory in Ball Ground to supply Boeing with parts for aircraft wing assemblies. UAC is one of Cherokee County's largest employers, with over 500 employees. The Coca-Cola Company opened a bottling plant in the city in 1903:6 which operated for 30 years, closing in 1933. Tyson Foods operated a feed mill in Ball ground from 1965 to 1998, when it moved to a larger facility in Bartow County. The UAC factory completed their 110,000 sq ft (10,000 m2) Ball Ground facility in 2017. It will supply parts for Boeing's parts for the wings of its aircraft. It is the largest employer in Cherokee County and one of the largest employers in the state of Georgia. It has a population of around 2,000. The town is located on the banks of the Chattahoochee River, which runs through the center of the city. The river is a major source of water supply for Ball Ground. It also provides a source of drinking water for the city and the surrounding area. Ball Ground is the location of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers's Camp Pendleton, which is a training center for the Army National Guard and the Georgia National Guard. The Ball Ground Airport is located near the city's downtown area. It was built in the early 1900s as a result of the railroad that passed through the area. The railroad brought marble from Tate, Georgia to be processed and finished by marble companies in the town.

Arts and culture

The Ball Ground Library has a 9,000 sq ft (840 m2) facility with approximately 30,000 books in its collection. The Alfred W. Roberts House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. Ball Ground's City Park hosts weekly movies and concerts in the summers. During Independence Day celebrations, the city hosts annual fireworks shows around the areas of City Park and Calvin Farmer Park in downtown Ball Ground. Since 2014 Ball Ground has held an annual Christmas parade called the March of the Toys Parade, which helps benefit the Toys for Tots program. It was estimated that approximately 5,000 people attended the event in 2017, where attendees are asked to bring unwrapped presents to donate to Toys For Tots. In 2010, following the State of Georgia passing a law allowing for city governments to establish historic commissions to handle historic preservation efforts within their cities, Ball Ground passed an ordinance establishing an historic preservation commission to help regulate the status, treatment, and repairs of objects and buildings within the city that are designated as historic. In 2009, the Ball Ground Historic District was listed. on the NRHP, for its significance to Native American and early national history. Many homes still present in Ball Ground were built during the 1880s1920s and are regarded as historic.:136137. It is the only house in Cherokee County that has this recognition. During July 4th celebrations, there are fireworks shows in the area around the City Park. The city also hosts weekly Movies and Concerts in City Park in the summer.

Parks and recreation

Ball Ground has several parks, including a 15 acres (6.1 ha; 0.023 sq mi) park, baseball fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, ponds, open fields, and wooded areas. Several of the parks also have walking trails and areas for fishing. There are two botanical gardens in Ball Ground. Gibbs Gardens has over 20 million daffodils that bloom in the spring. In 2020 Business Jet Traveler ranked Gibbs Gardens #2 on its list of "13 best U.S. botanical Gardens" The McGraw Ford Wildlife Management Area is a 2,255 acres (913 ha) wildlife management area along the Etowah River that is managed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources with various multi-purpose trails along with fishing and hunting areas. It is located 2.9 mi (3.1 km) outside of Ball Ground's city limits in unincorporated Ball Ground, Georgia. The city's parks and recreation department is run by the city's mayor and city council. The mayor and council are responsible for running the parks and recreational facilities. The parks and Recreation department is overseen by the mayor and the city council's vice-mayor, both of whom live in the city. It has been named one of the best cities in Georgia to live in by CNN.com's "Best of Georgia" list of the top cities to live and work in in the state for the past five years. It was named the best city in Georgia for the first time in 2012.

Government

Ball Ground is part of Georgia's 9th congressional district. It is also part of the Georgia State Senate's 21st district and the 22nd district for the Georgia House of Representatives. The city is managed by a mayor and five council-members, who meet on the second Thursday of each month. Most services are provided by Cherokee County, including animal control, building inspections, planning and zoning, parks and recreation, and jail operations. Ball Ground has a small police department managed by the city. It has a municipal court which is held on the third Friday of the month. It also has a city clerk, city attorney, and a city manager. In the U.S. House of Reps, Ball Ground is split between the 9th and 11th congressional districts. The town has a fire department, and Fire Station #2 is located in Ball Ground. The mayor and city council are responsible for fire protection in the city, and Cherokee County Fire Department is responsible for the fire protection. The fire department is managed in part by Ball Ground's city manager, who is also the city clerk and city attorney. The City of Ball Ground was incorporated in 1883, and the first mayor was elected in 1881. The first city council meeting was held in 1882. It was the first city to be incorporated in Georgia, and was held on November 14, 1883. The current mayor is  James "Jimmy" Smith, who was elected on November 26, 1882, and served until November 30, 1884.

Education

Public education for students in Ball Ground is administrated by the Cherokee County School District. The nearest college or university is Reinhardt University in Waleska, Georgia in Cherokee County, 12.1 mi (19.5 km) from Ball Ground. TLE Christian Academy at Gospel Outreach Inc is a private K-12 school with a 2021 enrollment of 30 students. Mountain Education Charter High School (MECHS) is an alternative school program that offers evening classes for obtaining a high school diploma. While MECHS has eighteen campuses throughout the North Georgia area, Cherokee County classes are held at the Etowah High School campus in Woodstock, Georgia. It is the only private school in the city and has an enrollment of 20 students. The city is home to the Georgia State Museum, which is located on the campus of Ball Ground High School. The museum is open to the public and offers a wide variety of exhibits and activities for the general public to enjoy. It also offers a museum of Georgia history, including the remains of the Georgia National Guard and the U.S. Army Signal Corps, which was stationed in the area from 1871 to 1875. The Georgia State Capitol is located in downtown Ball Ground and has a seating capacity of 2,000. The U.N. Peace Corps is based in the town and has offices in Georgia and South Carolina. It has a mission to promote peace and democracy in the region and is based on the principles of non-violence and non-interference in the affairs of the state.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Ball Ground, Cherokee County, Georgia = 73.6. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 51. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 99. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Ball Ground = 5.2 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 2,560 individuals with a median age of 35.1 age the population grows by 8.77% in Ball Ground, Cherokee County, Georgia population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 405.71 residents per square mile of area (156.63/km²). There are average 2.69 people per household in the 295 households with an average household income of $53,200 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 9.60% of the available work force and has dropped -6.39% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 17.62%. The number of physicians in Ball Ground per 100,000 population = 80.8.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Ball Ground = 55.6 inches and the annual snowfall = 1.9 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 110. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 219. 87 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 30.8 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 35, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Ball Ground, Cherokee County, Georgia which are owned by the occupant = 67.84%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 27 years with median home cost = $133,950 and home appreciation of -5.08%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $9.20 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $5,502 per student. There are 14.8 students for each teacher in the school, 550 students for each Librarian and 484 students for each Counselor. 4.78% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 9.76% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 2.59% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).