5 8 5 0 4 ). ▁It ▁is ▁ ▁sout heast ▁of ▁Way nes bor o , ▁the ▁Bur ke ▁County ▁seat . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Census ▁Bureau , ▁the ▁city ▁has ▁a ▁total ▁area ▁of ▁, ▁of ▁which ▁, ▁or ▁ 0 . 9 5 %, ▁is ▁water . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Ar ound ▁the ▁turn ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁Century , ▁a ▁small ▁cross ro ads ▁community ▁called ▁F rog ▁W allow ▁was ▁developing ▁in ▁sout heast ▁Bur ke ▁County . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁Sav ann ah ▁& ▁Atlanta ▁Railway , ▁the ▁tiny ▁town ▁lay ▁on ▁the ▁new ▁rail road ▁connecting ▁the ▁two ▁large ▁hub s . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 2 , ▁the ▁town ▁was ▁incorpor ated ▁as ▁S ard is ▁by ▁the ▁Georgia ▁Legisl ature , ▁named ▁after ▁the ▁Bapt ist ▁church ▁that ▁had ▁fl our ished ▁in ▁the ▁town ▁over ▁the ▁past ▁dec ades . ▁The ▁church ' s ▁name , ▁in ▁turn , ▁is ▁a ▁transfer ▁from ▁S ard is , ▁an ▁ancient ▁city ▁in ▁present - day ▁Turkey . ▁ ▁S ard is ▁saw ▁several ▁dec ades ▁of ▁growth ▁including ▁a ▁bo oming ▁l umber ▁industry . ▁ ▁Then , ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 , ▁the ▁owner ▁of ▁the ▁rail road ▁( Cent ral ▁of ▁Georgia ) ▁abandoned ▁the ▁section ▁of ▁tracks ▁between ▁Way nes bor o ▁and ▁S ylvan ia , ▁which ▁neg atively ▁affected ▁the ▁local ▁economy . ▁ ▁The ▁tracks ▁were