# Resaca, Georgia

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Town in Georgia, United States

Resaca, Georgia Town Resaca in 2022 Location in Gordon County and the state of Georgia Coordinates: 34°34′45″N 84°56′38″W / 34.57917°N 84.94389°W / 34.57917; -84.94389 Country United States State Georgia County Gordon Incorporated (town) January 1, 1981 Government • Mayor Travis D. Rogers Area [1] • Total 2.83 sq mi (7.33 km2) • Land 2.77 sq mi (7.18 km2) • Water 0.058 sq mi (0.15 km2) Elevation 643 ft (196 m) Population (2020) • Total 1,142 • Density 411.9/sq mi (159.05/km2) Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT) ZIP code 30735, 30701 Area codes 706/762 FIPS code 13-64736[2] GNIS feature ID 0356494[3] Website https://www.resacaga.org/

**Resaca** is a town in [Gordon County](/source/Gordon_County%2C_Georgia), [Georgia](/source/Georgia_(U.S._state)), United States, with unincorporated areas extending into [Whitfield County](/source/Whitfield_County%2C_Georgia). Resaca lies along the [Oostanaula River](/source/Oostanaula_River). The town population is 1,142 as of the 2020 Census.[4] It is home to the [Resaca Confederate Cemetery](/source/Resaca_Confederate_Cemetery) ([Battle of Resaca](/source/Battle_of_Resaca)) and the only Orthodox Christian monastery in Georgia.

## Geography

Resaca is located at [34°34′45″N 84°56′38″W / 34.57917°N 84.94389°W / 34.57917; -84.94389](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Resaca,_Georgia&params=34_34_45_N_84_56_38_W_type:city) (34.579116, −84.943989).[5]

According to the [United States Census Bureau](/source/United_States_Census_Bureau), the town has a total area of 2.9 square miles (7.5 km2), of which 0.1 sq mi (0.26 km2) (2.47%) is covered by water.

## History

Resaca, originally known as Dublin when it was founded in 1848 with the arrival of the [Western and Atlantic Railroad](/source/Western_and_Atlantic_Railroad) into the area, was renamed **Resacca** when it was incorporated as a town in 1854. In 1871, the spelling of the town was shortened to its present form.[6]

The town was named by returning [Mexican–American War](/source/Mexican%E2%80%93American_War) inductees who fought at the [Battle of Resaca de la Palma](/source/Battle_of_Resaca_de_la_Palma) (translated Dry River Bed of the Palms) in [Brownsville, Texas](/source/Brownsville%2C_Texas), in 1846.[7]

### Civil War era

The [Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War) [Battle of Resaca](/source/Battle_of_Resaca) was fought in and around Resaca in May 1864. Each year, a re-enactment of the battle, the largest of the [Atlanta campaign](/source/Atlanta_campaign), is held on the third weekend of May.

Painting depicting the [Battle of Resaca](/source/Battle_of_Resaca)

Resaca is also the location of the first [Confederate cemetery](/source/Resaca_Confederate_Cemetery) in Georgia. The story of the cemetery is:[8]

The memory of a Georgia woman, Mary J. Green, who with her own hands gathered and interred the bones and bodies of the Confederate dead left lying on the Resaca Battlefield, should always be sacred to us. The sight that greeted the Green family when they returned to their plantation after the battle was almost more than they could bear. Around the house on all sides were scattered graves of Confederates who had been buried where they fell. The Green daughters conceived the idea of collecting all the bodies and re-interring them in a plot of land to be known as a Confederate cemetery. The one great drawback, however, was that they had no money. In the summer of 1866, Mary began writing to her friends around the state, begging them to try and raise money for the cemetery. Although poverty was rampant in the South, the citizenry responded by giving what they could, be it a nickel, a dime, a quarter, or a dollar. Col. Green gave his daughters 2.5 acres [1.0 ha] of land with rustic bridges spanning the stream through the grounds of their cemetery. The account of the first Memorial Day, October 25, 1866, written by Mary Green: "The day selected for the dedication ... was bright and beautiful, one of those charming days of our Indian summers where no sound was heard save the fluttering of falling leaves – a suitable accompaniment to our sad thoughts, as we stood in the 'bivouac of the dead.'" This cemetery and one at [Winchester, Virginia](/source/Winchester%2C_Virginia), were consecrated and dedicated on the same day, each sponsoring group thinking theirs was the first Confederate Cemetery.

[Adolph Metzner](/source/Adolph_Metzner)'s depiction of a view inside a confederate fortification at Resaca

[Mathew Brady](/source/Mathew_Brady) captured several photographs of the battlefield. Scenes of the conflict and its aftermath were also depicted by various artists including [Adolph Metzner](/source/Adolph_Metzner).

### 20th century

The Town of Resaca was incorporated and granted a charter by the State of Georgia in 1981.

## Nomenclature

Resacas are former channels of the [Rio Grande](/source/Rio_Grande). Two explanations are given for the origin of the word "resaca". The less likely holds that it is a contraction of Spanish *rio seco* ("dry river"). The other is that the word stems from the Spanish *resacar* ("to retake"), since the primary geological function of a resaca seems to be diversion and dissipation of floodwater from the river. Resacas are naturally cut off from the river, having no inlet or outlet. Vernacular northern Mexican and other Latin American Spanish dialects translate *resaca* as "hangover" - undoubtedly referencing the dry cotton-mouth condition the morning after heavy alcohol consumption - as a dry river bed.

Anecdotes abound as to the derivation of the place name, one involving the capture of an Indian maiden by settlers to be offered in marriage to the single man of her choosing. Transported by her captors to the center of the settlement in a gunnysack, she was ceremoniously unveiled to the awaiting public. Upon seeing her in the sunlight, onlookers were aghast at her homeliness, whereupon chants of "Re-sack-'er" arose.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## Monastery

Since 1977, the Resaca area has been the home of the [Monastery of the Glorious Ascension](/source/Monastery_of_the_Glorious_Ascension), housed in the former [mid-century modern](/source/Mid-century_modern) hilltop residence purchased from the late Thurman Chitwood, local entrepreneur and ordained minister in the Church of Christ. The monastery is the only [Orthodox Christian](/source/Eastern_Orthodox_Church) monastery in the state. At one time, it offered [hospice](/source/Hospice) to those afflicted with [AIDS](/source/AIDS). Local detractors, with unfounded fears of casual communicability of AIDS, unsuccessfully sought to have its permitting revoked.

The monastery, just across the line in Whitfield County, maintains a cemetery for Orthodox Christians. It has been under the authority of various "national" jurisdictions, which is not uncommon for an Orthodox monastery. It is currently part of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. The Abbot is Archimandrite Maximos Weimar.

## Pageant

The Resaca Beach Poster Girl Contest,[9] a swimsuit pageant at one time known throughout the South, was founded in the nearby city of Dalton in 1983 as a marketing gimmick of Conquest Carpet Mills, Inc. The name is tongue-in-cheek, since no ocean is located for hundreds of miles, although it draws reference to a once-popular bathing spot on the [Oostanaula River](/source/Oostanaula_River) bank commonly deemed Resaca Beach. Local boosterism proclaims: "Resaca Beach – North Georgia's Gateway to the Gulf". The pageant, which launched the career of Whitfield County native [Marla Maples](/source/Marla_Maples), former spouse of real estate magnate and President [Donald Trump](/source/Donald_Trump), had been held intermittently since the mid-1980s, most recently in 2008.

## Demographics

Historical population Census Pop. Note %± 1880 191 — 1890 197 3.1% 1900 128 −35.0% 1910 112 −12.5% 1990 410 — 2000 815 98.8% 2010 544 −33.3% 2020 1,142 109.9% U.S. Decennial Census[10]

### 2020 census

As of the [2020 census](/source/2020_United_States_census), Resaca had a population of 1,142. The median age was 33.8 years. 23.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 10.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 117.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 123.9 males age 18 and over.[11][12]

67.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 32.5% lived in rural areas.[13]

There were 288 households in Resaca, of which 45.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 53.1% were married-couple households, 11.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 17.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[11]

There were 314 housing units, of which 8.3% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.2%.[11]

Racial composition as of the 2020 census[12] Race Number Percent White 693 60.7% Black or African American 71 6.2% American Indian and Alaska Native 15 1.3% Asian 11 1.0% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 2 0.2% Some other race 206 18.0% Two or more races 144 12.6% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 432 37.8%

### 2000 census

As of the 2000 [census](/source/Census),[2] 815 people, 263 households, and 189 families were residing in the city. The population density was 295.4 inhabitants per square mile (114.1/km2). The 280 housing units had an average density of 101.5 units per square mile (39.2 units/km2). The [racial makeup](/source/Race_(United_States_Census)) of the city was 78.90% White, 2.70% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.86% Asian, 15.58% from other races, and 1.72% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 18.77% of the population.

Of the 263 households, 37.3% had children under 18 living with them, 43.7% were married couples living together, 20.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.1% were not families. About 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the city, the age distribution was 26.3% under 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,170, and for a family was $30,938. Males had a median income of $22,321 versus $20,132 for females. The [per capita income](/source/Per_capita_income) for the city was $13,052. About 8.6% of families and 11.3% of the population were below the [poverty line](/source/Poverty_line), including 15.4% of those under 18 and 6.5% of those 65 or over.

## Education

- Tolbert Elementary School[14]

## See also

- [Resaca Confederate Cemetery](/source/Resaca_Confederate_Cemetery)

## References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Resaca, Georgia](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Resaca,_Georgia).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-CenPopGazetteer2020_1-0)** ["2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files"](https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_13.txt). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-GR2_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-GR2_2-1) ["U.S. Census website"](https://www.census.gov). [United States Census Bureau](/source/United_States_Census_Bureau). Retrieved January 31, 2008.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-GR3_3-0)** ["US Board on Geographic Names"](https://geonames.usgs.gov). [United States Geological Survey](/source/United_States_Geological_Survey). October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["2020 Census data for Resaca, GA"](https://web.archive.org/web/20240707052726/https://data.census.gov/profile/?g=160XX00US1364736). *data.census.gov*. Archived from [the original](https://data.census.gov/profile/?g=160XX00US1364736) on July 7, 2024. Retrieved July 7, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-GR1_5-0)** ["US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990"](https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html). [United States Census Bureau](/source/United_States_Census_Bureau). February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Hellmann, Paul T. (May 13, 2013). [*Historical Gazetteer of the United States*](https://books.google.com/books?id=REtEXQNWq6MC&pg=PA243). Routledge. p. 243. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1135948597](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1135948597). Retrieved November 30, 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). [*Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins*](http://www.kenkrakow.com/gpn/r.pdf) (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 187. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-915430-00-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-915430-00-2).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ConfedCemetary_8-0)** ["Georgia's First Confederate Cemetery at Resaca"](https://www.rootsweb.com/~gagordo3/resaca_cem_hx.htm). Retrieved June 21, 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Resaca Beach Poster Girl Contest"](http://www.resacabeach.com/). *www.resacabeach.com*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-DecennialCensus_10-0)** ["Census of Population and Housing"](https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html). Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Census2020DP_11-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Census2020DP_11-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Census2020DP_11-2) ["2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)"](https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dp?get=NAME,DP1_0021P,DP1_0024P,DP1_0025C,DP1_0049C,DP1_0045C,DP1_0069C,DP1_0073C,DP1_0125P,DP1_0126P,DP1_0129P,DP1_0133P,DP1_0137P,DP1_0138P,DP1_0139P,DP1_0141P,DP1_0142P,DP1_0143P,DP1_0145P,DP1_0146P,DP1_0147C,DP1_0148C,DP1_0149C,DP1_0156C,DP1_0157C,DP1_0158C,DP1_0159P,DP1_0160P&for=place%3A64736&in=state%3A13). *United States Census Bureau*. 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2026.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Census2020PL_12-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Census2020PL_12-1) ["2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)"](https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=NAME,P1_001N,P1_003N,P1_004N,P1_005N,P1_006N,P1_007N,P1_008N,P1_009N,P2_001N,P2_002N,H1_001N,H1_002N&for=place%3A64736&in=state%3A13). *United States Census Bureau*. 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Census2020DHC_13-0)** ["2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)"](https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dhc?get=NAME,P2_002N,P2_003N&for=place%3A64736&in=state%3A13). *United States Census Bureau*. 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["Tolbert Elementary School"](https://www.gcbe.org/o/tes/). *www.gcbe.org*. Retrieved July 7, 2024.

v t e Municipalities and communities of Gordon County, Georgia, United States County seat: Calhoun Cities Calhoun Fairmount Plainville Map of Georgia highlighting Gordon County Town Resaca Unincorporated communities Audubon Blackwood Bobo Cash Colima Crane Eater Curryville Damascus Decora Farmville Fidelle Hill City Lewis Corner Lily Pond McDaniels New Town Nickelsville Oakman Oostanaula Petersburg Ranger Red Bud Reeves Ryo Sonoraville Soapstick Sugar Valley Georgia portal United States portal

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Resaca, Georgia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resaca%2C_Georgia) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resaca%2C_Georgia?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.