Johnson County was created by the Georgia legislature on December 11, 1858, from parts of Emanuel, Laurens, and Washington counties. Johnson County was named for Georgia governor, senator, and U.S. vice-presidential candidate Herschel Vespasian Johnson.[3]
In 1919, a deputy driving Jim Waters, a black prisoner accused of rape, out of the county was stopped by a group of 150 men at a bridge over the Ohoopee River. The men tied Waters to a tree and shot him numerous times. The case was closed without any investigation.[4]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 307 square miles (800km2), of which 303 square miles (780km2) is land and 3.6 square miles (9.3km2) (1.2%) is water.[5]
The vast majority of Johnson County is located in the Ohoopee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. Tiny portions of the northeastern borders of the county are located in the Upper Ogeechee River sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin, while the western corner of Johnson County is located in the Lower Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin.[6]
Johnson County, Georgia – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 9,189. The median age was 43.8 years. 18.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 128.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 134.4 males age 18 and over. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[25]
There were 3,100 households in the county, 2,208 of which were families; 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 34.5% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[26]
There were 3,542 housing units, of which 12.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.1% were owner-occupied and 26.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.4%.[26]
In 1970, Johnson County schools integrated peacefully due to careful planning by the county's board of education and firm management by superintendent Buren Claxton.
The county's public schools are located in Wrightsville. The school mascot is the Trojan, and the school colors are blue and white. The school fight song is the theme from the movie Hang 'Em High.
Sports
Herschel Walker, a Johnson County native, played on the county's only state championship football team in 1979.
Walker went on to play for the University of Georgia and won the Heisman Trophy. In 2004 Johnson County High School named its football field for Walker.
