| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Georgia |
| County | Bleckley |
| Mayor | Billy Yeomans |
| City Manager | Richard Newbern |
| Unit pref | Imperial |
| Area total | 12.58 km² |
| Area land | 12.14 km² |
| Area water | 0.44 km² |
| Area total | 4.86 sq mi |
| Area land | 4.69 sq mi |
| Area water | 0.17 sq mi |
| Population as of | 2020 |
| Population total | 5026 |
| Population density | 414.16 km² |
| Population density | 1072.56 sq mi |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| Time zone (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Coordinates | 32°23′12″N 83°21′2″W |
| Elevation | 104 m |
| Elevation | 341 ft |
| ZIP code | 31014 |
| Area code | 478 |
| FIPS code | 13-17328[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0355210[2] |
| Website | cityofcochran.com |
Cochran is a city in Bleckley County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 5,026. The city is the county seat of Bleckley County.[3]
Cochran is named for Judge Arthur E. Cochran and was incorporated on March 19, 1869. Judge Cochran was largely instrumental in developing this section of Georgia through his work as president of the Macon and Brunswick Railroad, now the Southern Railway (a component of Norfolk Southern Railway). Once known as Dykesboro, Cochran was settled by B. B. Dykes, who owned the site on which the town is built. The earliest settlers located here to work in the turpentine industry.
Cochran is home to Bleckley County High School and Middle Georgia State University. The city's nickname, Castle City, comes from the similar theme the mascots of each school's athletic program share (Barons, Royals, and Knights).
Three properties in Cochran are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: the Bleckley County Courthouse in Courthouse Square, the Cochran Municipal Building and School at the junction of Dykes and Second streets, and Hillcrest at 706 Beech Street.
History
Cochran, originally known as Dykesboro, was settled in the 1850s by B. B. Dykes. It was renamed Cochran in 1869 after Arthur Cochran, a railroad official who brought the Macon and Brunswick Railroad to town. In 1912, Cochran was designated seat of the newly formed Bleckley County.[4]
Geography
Cochran is located at 32°23′12″N 83°21′2″W (32.386646, -83.350684).[5]
The city is located in the central part of the state along U.S. Route 23, which runs from southeast to northwest to the northeast of downtown, leading northwest 40 mi (64 km) to Macon and southeast 18 mi (29 km) to Eastman. Georgia State Route 26 runs from southwest to northeast through the center of the city, leading northeast 21 mi (34 km) to Dudley (after meeting U.S. Route 80), and southwest 11 mi (18 km) to Hawkinsville, concurrent with U.S. Route 129 Alternate.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.7 sq mi (12.3 square kilometres), of which 4.6 sq mi (11.9 square kilometres) is land and 0.15 sq mi (0.4 square kilometres), or 3.63%, is water.[6]
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Cochran had a population of 5,026. The median age was 28.1 years. About 26.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.8% were age 65 or older. For every 100 females there were 111.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 100.9 males age 18 and over.[7][8]
According to the 2020 census, 96.4% of residents lived in urban areas and 3.6% lived in rural areas.[9]
There were 1,621 households in Cochran, of which 38.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 37.4% were married-couple households, 17.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 40.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.1% had someone living alone who was age 65 or older. There were 814 families residing in the city.[7][10]
There were 1,902 housing units, of which 14.8% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.5%.[7]
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 2,612 | 51.97% |
| Black or African American | 1,854 | 36.89% |
| Native American | 3 | 0.06% |
| Asian | 112 | 2.23% |
| Pacific Islander | 4 | 0.08% |
| Other/Mixed | 133 | 2.65% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 308 | 6.13% |
Education
Bleckley County School District
Bleckley County students in kindergarten to grade twelve are in the Bleckley County School District, which consists of a primary school, an elementary school, a middle school and a high school.[11] The district has 151 full-time teachers and over 2,355 students.[12]
- Bleckley County Learning Center
- Bleckley County Primary School
- Bleckley County Elementary School
- Bleckley County Middle School
- Bleckley County Success Academy
- Bleckley County High School
Middle Georgia State University
Middle Georgia State University is a public university with its main campus in Macon, Georgia. It was founded in 2013 through the merger of Middle Georgia College and Macon State College. Middle Georgia College's main campus in Cochran is now one of the multiple campuses of Middle Georgia State University.
Government
Cochran operates under a Mayor-Council system of government, with the day-to-day business being handled by a city manager. The city manager is Richard Newbern. The Mayor is Billy Yeomans. The Police Chief is Jeff Trawick, and the fire chief is Brock Wilcher.
In 2016, at a City Council meeting held on October 11, Mayor Michael Stoy resigned from office, alleging that certain City Council members had participated in an illegal meeting. Since there was more than a year remaining in his term, a special election was held to elect another Mayor.[13]
In 2013, the city manager decided to terminate the employment of the police and fire chief, and replace them with a public safety director in order to save money, but rescinded his decision days later amidst public disapproval, and announced the appointment of a task force to look at the budget and advise him on choices.[14]
In 2011, Mayor Cliff Avant was charged with felony theft for allegedly donating city-owned PVC pipe to a local church. He admitted the donation and the mistake of not having it declared surplus property by the city council.[15] On the day of the trial, as a result of a plea deal, Avant resigned as mayor, and pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal trespass.[16]
In 2008, some of the Cochran Police Force came under scrutiny for various acts of misconduct, which included child molestation charges. One officer was charged and another resigned after being investigated for interference with custody.[17]
Tourist attractions
- Cochran-Bleckley Cotton & Peanut Museum
- Terry L. Coleman Museum and Archives
- Old Bleckley County Jail
- Tessie W. Norris Cochran-Bleckley Library
- Cochran Bleckley County Recreation Department
- Uchee Trail Country Club
- The Woods Golf Course. Cochran Motor Speedway.
Notable people
- Danny Mathis - Politician and coroner.[18]
- Nancye Radmin (1938–2020), American businesswoman, founder of The Forgotten Woman retail chain
- Clarence Reid, a.k.a. Blowfly - musician and songwriter
- Ed Roberts - Physician and founder of MITS where he created the Altair 8800 microcomputer, starting the microcomputer revolution. It featured Microsoft's first software, the Altair BASIC and employed Bill Gates, Paul Allen, and Monte Davidoff.
- Obie Walker - claimant of the World Colored Heavyweight Championship boxing title in the 1930s
- Amarius Mims - NFL player
References
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ Hellmann, Paul T. (May 13, 2013). Historical Gazetteer of the United States. Routledge. p. 224. ISBN 978-1135948597. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Cochran city, Georgia". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
- ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
- ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
- ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
- ^ Georgia Board of Education[dead link], Retrieved May 31, 2010.
- ^ School Stats, Retrieved May 31, 2010.
- ^ "Cochran mayor discloses reason he resigns; council fires city clerk/election superintendent". macon.com. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
- ^ "Cochran Backs Off on Public-Safety Changes". 13wmaz.com. Archived from the original on June 20, 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-18.
- ^ "Cochran's Mayor Defends Himself On Theft Charge". 13Wmaz.com. Archived from the original on June 20, 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-18.
- ^ "Cochran's Mayor Resigns After Guilty Plea". 13Wmaz.com. Archived from the original on 2013-06-20. Retrieved 2013-06-18.
- ^ "Second Cochran Georgia Police Officer Morris Ross Arrested, Quits, Charged In Child Molestation Case - Officer Brent Powell Arrested Last Week". Bad Cop News. Archived from the original on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2012-09-03.
- ^ "Danny Mathis' Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
External links
- Official website
- Evergreen Baptist Church historical marker
- Longstreet Methodist Church historical marker