Executive mayor elected by the people, elected legislative City council
26-448: Lanierland Music Park was a country music venue in the town of Cumming , Forsyth County , Georgia. The venue was opened in 1970 and hosted notable musical acts until 2006. The venue's land was then converted to Lanierland Park, a Forsyth County Parks and Recreation facility for community use. Lanierland Music Park was founded in 1970 by Forsyth County-natives, C.E."Crant" Samples and M.L. "Shorty" Hamby, as an 1800-person music venue under
52-513: A town hall meeting where one audience member said: I'm afraid of [blacks] coming to Forsyth County. I was born in Atlanta, and in 1963, the first blacks were bussed to West Fulton High School. I go down there now and I see my neighborhood and my community, which was a nice community, and now it's nothing but a rat-infested slum area because they don't care. However, most of the audience members agreed that Forsyth County should integrate. Williams
78-470: A "Peace March" the following week. Civil rights leader Reverend Hosea Williams joined the local businessman in a march along Bethelview and Castleberry Road in south Forsyth County into the City of Cumming where they were assaulted by whites. The marchers retreated and vowed to return. During the following "Brotherhood March" on January 24, 1987, another racially mixed group returned to Forsyth County to complete
104-403: A local historian posits the name honors Rev. Frederick Cumming, a professor of Jacob Scudder, a resident of the area since 1815 who owned land in present-day downtown. Yet another theory is that the town is named after Alexander Cuming , the son of a Scottish baronet. During the 1830s and 1840s, Cumming benefited from the gold mining industry as many businesses were created to meet the needs of
130-409: A month-long barrage of attacks by night riders on the black citizens. This led to the banishment of blacks, and the city had virtually no black population. Racial tensions were strained again in 1987 when a group of black people were assaulted while camping at a park on Lake Lanier . This was widely reported by local newspapers and in Atlanta. As a result of this, a local businessman decided to hold
156-413: A tent. The venue opened with Hank Williams Jr. performing two sold-out shows. In order to extend capital and grow the venue, eventually new owners Leon Jones, Robert Jones and Tommy Bagwell were added to the team. As the venue grew, ownership dwindled to Leon Jones and his wife, Brenda, as well as Tommy Bagwell. In 1973 the tent was replaced by a large, metal, open-air pavilion with folding chairs. Though
182-525: Is 39 miles (63 km) northeast of downtown Atlanta and 15 miles (24 km) northeast of Alpharetta . According to the United States Census Bureau , Cumming has a total area of 6.1 square miles (15.9 km ), of which 6.1 square miles (15.8 km ) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km ), or 0.58%, is water. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 7,318 people, 2,480 households, and 1,368 families residing in
208-459: Is a city in and the county seat of Forsyth County, Georgia , United States, and the sole incorporated area in the county. It is a suburban city, and part of the Atlanta metropolitan area . In the 2020 census , the population is 7,318, up from 5,430 in 2010 . Surrounding unincorporated areas with a Cumming mailing address have a population of approximately 100,000. The area now called Cumming
234-542: Is located west of the historic location of Vann's Ferry between Forsyth County and Hall County . The area, now called Cumming, was inhabited earlier by Cherokee tribes, who are thought to have arrived in the mid-18th century. The Cherokee and Creek people developed disputes over hunting land . After two years of fighting, the Cherokee won the land in the Battle of Taliwa . The Creek people were forced to move south of
260-511: Is served by Forsyth County Schools . The following schools are located in the county school district: Elementary schools Middle schools High schools Alternative schools In 2012, the University of North Georgia established its Cumming campus. Mayor%E2%80%93council government Council - Manager Executive leader elected by the council from among themselves Elected mayor and cabinet Executive mayor elected by
286-863: The Chattahoochee River . The Cherokee coexisted with white settlers until the discovery of gold in Georgia in 1828. Settlers that moved to the area to mine for gold pushed for the removal of the Cherokee . In 1835, the Treaty of New Echota was signed. The treaty stated that the Cherokee Nation must move to the Indian Territory , west of the Mississippi River . This resulted in the Trail of Tears . The Cherokee territory
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#1732792922504312-475: The United States , and is the form most frequently adopted in large cities, although the other common form, council–manager government , is the local government form of more municipalities. The form may be categorized into two main variations depending on the relative power of the mayor compared to the council, the strong-mayor variant and the weak-mayor variant. In a typical strong-mayor system,
338-575: The city from the top of Sawnee Mountain . In 1956, Buford Dam , along the Chattahoochee River, started operating. The reservoir that it created is called Lake Lanier . The lake, a popular spot for boaters, has generated income from tourists for Cumming as well as provides a source of drinking water. Cumming is located in the center of Forsyth County at 34°12′30″N 84°8′15″W / 34.20833°N 84.13750°W / 34.20833; -84.13750 (34.208464, -84.137575). It
364-570: The city. Cumming is a municipal corporation; since 1845 it has been governed by a mayor and a five-member city council. The mayor and council members serve staggered four-year terms. On December 22, 1834, Cumming was officially incorporated and five councilmen were appointed: John Jolly, William Martin, Daniel McCoy, John H. Russell, and Daniel Smith. The town of Cumming's charter was revised on December 22, 1845, resulting in new councilmen William F. Foster, Arthur Irwin, Major J. Lewis, Henry L. Sims, and Noah Strong. House Bill 334
390-488: The council able to override such a veto. Conversely, in a weak-mayor system, the mayor has no formal authority outside the council, serving a largely ceremonial role as council chairperson and is elected by the citizens of the city. The mayor cannot directly appoint or remove officials and lacks veto power over council votes. Most major North American cities use the strong-mayor form of the mayor–council system, whereas middle-sized and small North American cities tend to use
416-407: The elected mayor is granted almost total administrative authority with the power to appoint and dismiss department heads, although some city charters or prevailing state law may require council ratification. In such a system, the mayor's administrative staff often prepares the city budget, although that budget must be approved by the council. The mayor may also have veto rights over council votes, with
442-465: The march the previous group had been unable to finish. March organizers estimated the number at 20,000, while police estimates ran from 12,000 to 14,000. Hosea Williams and former senator Gary Hart were in the demonstration. A group of the National Guard kept the opposition of about 1,000 in check. Oprah Winfrey featured Cumming and Forsyth County on her The Oprah Winfrey Show . She formed
468-661: The miners. However, the California Gold Rush in 1849 put the city into an economic depression. Newly built railroads bypassed the city and took traffic from the Federal Road that ran near Cumming. The city was spared during the Civil War because William T. Sherman did not pass through the city during his March to the Sea . In 1900, the county courthouse was destroyed in a fire after being struck by lightning; it
494-562: The next several years, reserving one lot for the county courthouse. During that same year, the Georgia State Legislature incorporated the town of Cumming into the City of Cumming and made it the official government seat of Forsyth County. A second charter was issued in 1845, decreeing that Cumming's government would follow the mayor–council model of government. The community is commonly thought to be named after Colonel William Cumming . An alternate theory proposed by
520-481: The overhang changed, the sawdust floors remained until the venue's closing, providing a unique acoustical experience. At the time of its closing, the venue boasted a 100-foot stage and seating for 4,346. Brenda Jones' mother, known as Mama Lois, provided performers with a home-cooked southern meal prior to each performance. 34°18′52″N 84°2′2″W / 34.31444°N 84.03389°W / 34.31444; -84.03389 Cumming, Georgia Cumming
546-406: The people Committee system Executive leader and executive committees elected by the council from among themselves A mayor–council government is a system of local government in which a mayor who is directly elected by the voters acts as chief executive, while a separately elected city council constitutes the legislative body. It is one of the two most common forms of local government in
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#1732792922504572-567: Was enacted on October 10, 1885, giving Cumming a mayor and five-person city council. Former mayor H. Ford Gravitt was first elected to the city council in 1966, and went on to be elected mayor in 1970. Gravitt was mayor of Cumming for 48 years before losing to rival candidate Troy Brumbalow. Brumbalow has held the office since January 2018 and was re-elected in November 2021. Many historical records have been destroyed in fires, leaving some information unavailable or unverifiable. Cumming
598-535: Was excluded from Oprah's show and arrested for trespassing. Today, the city is experiencing new growth and bears little resemblance to the small rural town it was mere decades ago. The completion of Georgia 400 has helped turn Cumming into a commuter town for metropolitan Atlanta . The city holds the Cumming Country Fair & Festival every October. The Sawnee Mountain Preserve provides views of
624-505: Was necessary to have a seat of government to conduct county business. The boundaries of the two lots ended at what is now Tolbert Street on the west side, Eastern Circle on the east side, Resthaven Street on the south side, and School Street on the north side. In 1834 the post office was established and began delivering mail. The justices of the Inferior Court divided the town land into smaller lots and began selling them to people over
650-465: Was rebuilt in 1905. In 1912, Governor Joseph M. Brown sent four companies of state militia to Cumming to prevent riots after two reported attacks of young white women, allegedly by black men. A suspect in the second assault, in which the victim was also raped and later died, was dragged from the Cumming county jail and lynched. The governor then declared martial law, but the effort did little to stop
676-436: Was then formed into Cherokee County in 1831. In 1832, the county had been split into several counties including Forsyth County . In 1833, the town of Cumming was formed from two 40-acre (16 ha) land lots that had been issued as part of a Georgia State Land Lottery in 1832. The two lots designated as Land Lot 1269 and Land Lot 1270 were purchased by a couple of Forsyth County Inferior Court justices who realized that it
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