Pitts is a city in Wilcox County, Georgia, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 252.[4]

Pitts, Georgia
Location in Wilcox County and the state of Georgia
Location in Wilcox County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 31°56′43″N 83°32′24″W / 31.94528°N 83.54000°W / 31.94528; -83.54000
CountryUnited States
StateGeorgia
CountyWilcox
Area
 • Total0.80 sq mi (2.07 km2)
 • Land0.80 sq mi (2.07 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
381 ft (116 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total252
 • Density314.61/sq mi (121.45/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
31072
Area code229
FIPS code13-61544[2]
GNIS feature ID0332700[3]

Geography

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Pitts is located at 31°56′43″N 83°32′24″W / 31.94528°N 83.54000°W / 31.94528; -83.54000 (31.945270, -83.540004).[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km2), all land.

History

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The community which later became Pitts began as a settlement in the area of the home of Lyston Clyde Peebles, Sr., two miles east of the Alapaha River. Brock Owens and Ashley J. Pitts operated the first store there in the mid-1880s. Pitts was called Kings' Crossing at the time. When application was made for a post office, the Postmaster General preferred a shorter name. J.A. King suggested the name Pitts, in honor of his son-in-law, Ashley J. Pitts. The name was accepted, and the post office was established on 1 November 1888 with Pitts as postmaster.

The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Pitts as a town in 1905.[6]

On April 20, 1921, various people throughout southwest and south-central Georgia observed a meteor trail across the sky which culminated in an explosion and impact at a minimum of four spots slightly north of Pitts. Three fragments of the meteorite were recovered, one falling within a few feet of a child playing outside. It was classified as an iron meteorite.[7] The largest recovered fragment weighed 3.76 kilograms and is currently housed in the Smithsonian Institution Collection. The other fragments remain in private collections. Local accounts and fragments were collected and documented in the Geological Survey of Georgia Bulletin, Issue 29.[8]

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1910279
192035226.2%
19303643.4%
19403711.9%
19503977.0%
1960388−2.3%
1970345−11.1%
198038411.3%
1990214−44.3%
200030843.9%
20103203.9%
2020252−21.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
2010[10] 2020[11]
Pitts city, 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.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2010[10] Pop 2020[11] % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 241 192 75.31% 76.19%
Black or African American alone (NH) 75 54 23.44% 21.43%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 1 0 0.31% 0.00%
Asian alone (NH) 0 0 0.00% 0.00%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 0 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other race alone (NH) alone (NH) 0 0 0.00% 0.00%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 1 0 0.31% 0.00%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2 6 0.63% 2.38%
Total 320 252 100.00% 100.00%

In 2020, the population was 252, down from 320 in 2010.

Education

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The Wilcox County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school.[12] The district has 90 full-time teachers and over 1,439 students.[13]

The schools, located in Rochelle, are:

References

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  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  2. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ "Pitts city, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  5. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  6. ^ Acts and Resolutions of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia. Clark & Hines, State Printers. 1905. p. 1045.
  7. ^ "Meteoritical Bulletin: Entry for Pitts".
  8. ^ Bulletin - Geological Survey. Geological Survey. 1922. p. 141.
  9. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
  10. ^ a b "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Pitts city, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
  11. ^ a b "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Pitts city, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
  12. ^ Georgia Board of Education[permanent dead link], Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  13. ^ School Stats, Retrieved June 30, 2010.