Kingston

History

Native American tribes once inhabited the area. People of the Mississippian culture were in the vicinity until about 1500 AD. Cherokee removal occurred locally by 1838. White settlers were moved in as early as 1832, after a land lottery. The city was named for John Pendleton King, a United States Senator from Georgia. On April 12, 1862, James J. Andrews with 18 Union soldiers in disguise, and 1 civilian, having seized the locomotive The General at Big Shanty (now Kennesaw) intending to wreck the Western and Atlantic Railroad, were forced to side-track here and wait for the southbound freights to pass. After a long delay The General continued north. Pursuing from Big Shanty, William Allen Fuller (conductor) led a crew which used a push-car and other means and eventually caught the highjackers. Confederate hospitals located here during 1862–1864. 250 Confederate and two Union soldiers died of wounds, disease and sickness. These men were wounded in the battles of Perryville, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, and in the Dalton-Kingston Campaign. The patients were moved to Atlanta in May 1864 to avoid capture by the Union, who later used the hospitals. The dead are buried in unmarked graves nearby. Union general William T. Sherman made his headquarters in the Hargis House May 16–19, for reorganization of forces in the campaign that would end at Atlanta. Assuming Johnston's army had moved, from Adairsville, directly on Kingston and the river crossings south, May 18, led Sherman to concentrate his forces here—only to discover that Johnston had gone directly to Cassville where, without making a stand, he continued to Allatoona on May 20. Sherman countered on May 23, by moving due south. On May 18, 1864, Lieutenant General William J. Hardee's corps marched from Adairsville on…

Geography

Kingston is located in west-central Bartow County. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. Georgia State Route 293 (Kingston Highway) passes through the center of town, leading southeast to Cartersville and west to Rome. U.S. Route 411 is a four-lane highway that passes south of Kingston, connecting the same two larger communities.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,086
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,881
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  3,728
• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,627
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  3,513
• Eastern Bluebird

  Sialia sialis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,490
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  3,375
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  3,287

Largest nearby schools

• Cartersville High School
  High · Cartersville · 1,398 students · 15.7:1 ratio
• Adairsville High School
  High · Adairsville · 1,170 students · 18.9:1 ratio
• Cartersville Primary School
  Elementary · Cartersville · 1,109 students · 14.2:1 ratio
• Cartersville Middle School
  Middle · Cartersville · 1,036 students · 16.7:1 ratio
• Cartersville Elementary School
  Elementary · Cartersville · 954 students · 14.7:1 ratio
• Cass Middle School
  Middle · Cartersville · 879 students · 16.6:1 ratio
• Adairsville Elementary School
  Elementary · Adairsville · 869 students · 15.8:1 ratio
• Adairsville Middle School
  Middle · Adairsville · 843 students · 17.6:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.58 — 2025-02-25
  8 km N of Menlo, Georgia
• M 2.94 — 2022-01-21
  16 km NNE of Eton, Georgia
• M 2.52 — 2021-03-14
  5 km NNE of East Brainerd, Tennessee
• M 2.5 — 2020-11-16
  9 km SW of Wildwood Lake, TN
• M 2.51 — 2020-07-06
  5 km S of Tunnel Hill, Georgia
• M 2.67 — 2020-06-27
  6 km WSW of Chickamauga, Georgia