Midway, Georgia

Midway is a city in Liberty County, Georgia, United States. It is a part of the Hinesville-Fort Stewart metropolitan statistical area. The population was 2,141 in 2020.

Midway, Georgia
City
Motto:  "A growing city with a hometown feel"
Location in Liberty County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 31°48′00″N 81°24′44″W
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Liberty
Settled	1752
Incorporated	1925
Government
Area [1]
• Total	6.44 sq mi (16.68 km2)
• Land	6.44 sq mi (16.67 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation	10 ft (3 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,141
• Density	332.61/sq mi (128.42/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	31320
Area code	912
FIPS code	13-51352[2]
GNIS feature ID	0356389[3]
Website	historicmidway.com

Midway has several museums, including the Midway Museum and the Dorchester Academy Museum. The Midway Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History

Declaration of Independence Signers from Georgia

Midway Church and cemetery

Midway's history dates back to the 18th century. Puritans migrated to St. John's Parish, Georgia, from Dorchester, South Carolina, in 1752 and established several settlements, including what became the Midway community. The Council of Georgia granted them 31,950 acres (129.3 km²), as colonial officials wanted a large number of settlers in the area to help protect them from the Creek Indians. The original Midway settlers were primarily rice planters and developed a strong agricultural economy, aided by the 1,500 slaves they brought from South Carolina.^[4]

The city of Midway was incorporated in 1925.

In 1973, the Midway Historic District, encompassing the Midway Congregational Church and Cemetery, the Midway Museum, and the Old Sunbury Road, was added to the National Register of Historic Places.^[5]

Geography

Midway is located in eastern Liberty County at 31°48′00″N 81°24′44″W (31.799873, -81.412298).^[6] The current city limits include the former unincorporated community of Dorchester. The city limits extend east to include Exit 76 on Interstate 95, at the eastern terminus of U.S. Route 84. Via I-95 it is 32 miles (51 km) northeast to Savannah and 45 miles (72 km) south to Brunswick. US 84 leads west from I-95 through Midway 15 miles (24 km) to Hinesville, the Liberty county seat. To the east from I-95, Islands Highway continues 10 miles (16 km) to Colonels Island among the Atlantic coastal marshes.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Midway has a total area of 6.4 square miles (16.7 km²), of which 1.74 acres (7,053 m²), or 0.04%, are water.^[7]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1930	42		—
1940	96		128.6%
1950	228		137.5%
1960	240		5.3%
1970	167		−30.4%
1980	457		173.7%
1990	863		88.8%
2000	1,100		27.5%
2010	2,121		92.8%
2020	2,141		0.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]

Midway racial composition as of 2020^[9]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	871	40.68%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	951	44.42%
Native American	5	0.23%
Asian	26	1.21%
Other/Mixed	122	5.7%
Hispanic or Latino	166	7.75%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,141 people, 615 households, and 457 families residing in the city.

Industry

Midway has an industrial park with nine manufacturing facilities. In 2007, Target Corporation opened a 1,500,000-square-foot (140,000 m²) regional distribution center, with two sections to the facility being present: Tradeport East and Tradeport West ^[10]

Culture

The Midway Museum is home to documents, exhibits, and furnishings associated with the Midway Society from the Colonial period through its last meeting in December 1865. The Midway Museum was Georgia's first colonial museum.^{[citation needed]}

Lemonade stand shutdown

In July 2011 Midway received national attention after city police shut down a lemonade stand run by young girls attempting to earn money for a waterpark trip. Police and city officials maintained the girls were required to obtain a business license.^[11] Neighboring Richmond Hill allowed the girls to set up their lemonade stand at its first farmer's market later that month.^[12]

In the media

The 2014 award-winning independent film A Promise was filmed in Liberty County.^[13][14]

In 1980 key scenes for the Italian horror film City of the Living Dead were shot within Midway Cemetery across the road from Midway Congregational Church.

Education

Public education is provided by the Liberty County School System.^[15] Public schools located in Midway are:

• Liberty Elementary School (grades K through 5)^[16]
• Midway Middle School (grades 6 through 8)^[17]

Notable people

• Moses Allen, minister (d. 1779)
• Benjamin Andrew, planter (d. 1790)
• Daniel Baker, Presbyterian minister (d. 1857)
• Nathan Brownson, physician and statesman (d. 1796)
• Lyman Hall, physician and statesman (d. 1790)
• Abiel Holmes, clergyman and historian (d. 1837)
• Raekwon McMillan, American football linebacker (b. 1995)
• Daniel Stewart (Brigadier General), politician and brigadier general, (d. 1829)
• John W. Wilcox Jr., rear admiral in the U.S. Navy (d. 1942)