was itself declared unfit for use and torn down. A third jail was completed by 1888, which stands to this day. Rise and Fall On January 2, 1827, Knoxville Academy opened, the town's first school. In 1888 The Knoxville Journal was founded. Publisher Percy V. Howell printed advertisements for the sale of real estate in the as-yet-unnamed town of Roberta, which was speculated to become a boomtown. Yet, by 1892, The Crawford County Herald was the official newspaper of Crawford County, and was published in Roberta rather than Knoxville. Knoxville's population by 1886 numbered around 200, but was expected to increase to 3,000. The A&F Railroad, also known as the Atlanta and Hawkinsville Railroad, missed Knoxville to the southwest by about one mile. This is believed to be the result of local opposition of out-of-state intruders penetrating Knoxville. A new railroad station began to be built around this time, in the area which would later become Roberta. Inhabitants of Knoxville began the one-mile shift to Roberta once the new railroad was completed, dooming Knoxville's growth. Thenceforth, Knoxville was merely a community that held the title of county seat. 1995 Municipal Charter Law In 1993 the Georgia Legislature passed a law detailing the minimum requirements for a city to remain incorporated in Georgia, resulting, in 1995, in Knoxville's unincorporation. Geography Knoxville is located in central Crawford County and is bordered to the west by the city of Roberta, the only incorporated place in the county. U.S. Route 80 passes through Knoxville, leading east 25 mi (40 km) to Macon and west 70 mi (113 km) to Columbus. Georgia State Route 42 also runs through the community, leading southeast 18 mi (29 km) to Byron and west to Roberta with U.S. 80. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Knoxville CDP has an area of , all land. Demographics 2020 census Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race. Notable people Knoxville is the birthplace of John Pemberton, the inventor of Coca-Cola, although he moved to Columbus, Georgia, while a child. Knoxville was also home to Joanna Troutman, a young girl who sewed a single star on a white banner to give to a battalion of Georgia troops headed west to assist Texas citizens in their fight for independence.