In 1941 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers took possession of farmland next to the railroad stop of Wellston to build Robins Field. The new military depot was named after Gen. Augustine Warner Robins. Wellston was renamed and incorporated as the city of Warner Robins on March 5, 1943. The new city grew rapidly as the depot became an important tool in the war effort. Before Robins Field, the community of Wellston had about 50 residents, but by the mid-1950s the population had soared to more than 8,000.
Today Robins Air Force Base plays a key role in Houston County’s economy. Employing more than 26,000 military personnel, defense contractors and civil-service workers, Robins Air Force Base is not only the major employer for the region, but also the largest industrial complex in the state and one of the largest Air Force bases in the South. The base’s net impact on Georgia’s economy is estimated at more than $4 billion. Because of the influence of the base and its related industries, a common saying in Houston County is “Every Day in Middle Georgia is Armed Forces Appreciation Day,” or “EDIMGIAFAD” for short.
Although the Air Force base greatly enhanced its profile, Houston County has been the “Crossroads of Georgia” since the days of the horse and carriage. In 1870, stagecoaches lined the street in front of the Perry Hotel, built across from the courthouse to accommodate business travelers. In the mid-1920s, about the time U.S. Highway 41 was paved from Tennessee to Florida, the New Perry Hotel was constructed on the site of the original. Famous for its white linen tablecloths and traditional Southern cooking, the hotel became a popular stop for travelers on their way to Florida beaches.
Houston County is still experiencing tremendous growth. The county grew 24 percent from 1990 to 2000 and has grown another 18 percent since then. Even using the most conservative population trends data available, Houston County is expected to have the largest population of any Middle Georgia County within the next three to five years.
Houston County contains three municipalities, each with its own government, community character and unique features: Perry (the county seat), Centerville and Warner Robins (with its borders lying partially in adjacent Peach County).
The Houston County School system has worked diligently to provide enough classroom space for the swelling population. With 37 schools and more than 25,200 students, Houston recently surpassed Bibb County as the largest school system in the area. Three new schools opened in 2007, and there are plans to build a new middle school and high school by 2010. Rapid growth has not affected the system’s quality, however. Four Houston County schools have been named National Blue Ribbon Schools, and 22 have been named Georgia Schools of Excellence at least once.
Higher education is important in Houston County. Middle Georgia Technical College, located in Warner Robins, serves the Robins region with a variety of degree and certificate programs and is a major factor in the area’s workforce development efforts aimed at assisting business and industry, including Robins Air Force Base. Macon State College, with a newly expanded campus in downtown Warner Robins, has seen huge increases in enrollment and offers an Aerospace Contracting Partnership program in conjunction with RAFB and the Warner Robins Area Chamber of Commerce. Georgia Military College and Fort Valley State University have campus facilities in Warner Robins even though their main campuses are located in nearby Baldwin and Peach counties, respectively. Georgia College and State University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University also offer programs with a year-round classroom presence in Houston County. And the Georgia Tech Research Institute recently completed a renovation and expansion of its facility in Warner Robins. In addition to Robins Air Force Base, Houston’s industrial sector is gaining strength. Poultry company Perdue Farms expanded its Perry facility to include new cooking product lines, a full distribution center and additional processing capacity. Employee levels have increased to 2,300.
In 2007 Frito Lay announced a $125 million expansion to its production plant in Kathleen, which is already Frito Lay’s largest production site in the world. Frito Lay currently employs nearly 1,200 people.
With the influence of to Robins Air Force Base and the county’s other industries, it’s no surprise that Houston County boasts one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state. Tourism is another major industry of Houston County, especially in Perry. In the late 1980s, the state selected Perry as the site of the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter. This state-of-the-art facility has grown to more than 1,100 acres. More than 250 events occur at the facility each year, including rodeos, horse shows and RV rallies.
Since its inception in 1990, the Georgia National Fair has won 81 awards from the International Association of Fairs and Expositions for its livestock and horse events, competitive exhibits and communications programs. It has also been designated a Southeast Tourism Society Top 20 Event for October 12 times and a Top 50 fair by Amusement Business magazine. Adjacent to Robins Air Force Base is the Museum of Aviation, which houses more than 100 aircraft and missiles within the four buildings and hangars. The museum welcomes half a million visitors every year. The planes on display range from the B-17 Flying Fortress bomber to the SR-71A Blackbird, the world’s fastest and highest-flying aircraft of its time. The museum also offers a simulator cockpit, local history and award-winning educational programs in math, science and technology. New this year is the World War II Hangar featuring a series of exhibits saluting the accomplishments of what many today call “the Greatest Generation.” The museum is Georgia’s largest tourist attraction outside of the metro Atlanta area.
Twice a year in the deep pine forest between Perry and Warner Robins, people come from all over to attend the Mossy Creek Barnyard Festival, an event celebrating “the way things used to be.” Artists include Ernie Mills, whose carved wood decoys are on display in the Smithsonian, and Jeanne Mack, who designs illustrations for Coca-Cola. Along with fine art, woodcarving, pewter, pottery and baskets, entertainment is plentiful with gospel, country, folk music and storytelling. The festival is complete with down-home Southern cooking and homemade ice cream. And the annual Dogwood Festival in Perry, Houston’s county seat, draws larger and larger crowds each year. Houston County residents love a good festival and enjoy participating not only in their own events, but also in nearby nationally renowned events such as the Cherry Blossom festival in Macon and the Peach Festival in Fort Valley and Byron.
The Warner Robins Area Chamber of Commerce, one of the largest chambers in the state, was recently selected as one of the top three chambers in the United States by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives and received a Circle of Excellence distinction from the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Executives in 2009 by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Executives. The chamber recently reinforced its commitment to the downtown Warner Robins area by relocating its headquarters to a newly refurbished state-of-the-art facility, doubling the organization’s available space and incorporating expanded conference, meeting, and parking facilities. The chamber is fully accredited by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a distinction shared with only 4 percent of chambers nationwide and by only one other chamber in Middle Georgia (Dublin).
Youth sports are an important part of life in Houston County. In 2009, Little League International announced the relocation of its Southeastern Headquarters from Florida to Warner Robins. Administrative and athletic facilities are currently under construction and should be ready for the 2010 season. Coincidentally, 2009 was also the year that both the boys and girls teams of Warner Robins American Little League advanced to their respective World Series. The girls won the softball World Series. With so much to offer on so many different levels, it’s no surprise that in 2009 Business Week magazine called Houston County the best place in Georgia to raise your kids.
