Augusta (Georgia)

Augusta (Georgia), also Augusta-Richmond County, consolidated city with Richmond County, eastern Georgia, a port on the Savannah River, opposite South Carolina. It is the commercial, manufacturing, transportation, and medical center of a large bistate area. Manufactures include textiles, pulp and paper, clay products, fertilizer, and processed food. The city is the seat of Paine College (1882), Augusta State University (1925), and the Medical College of Georgia (1828). Nearby Fort Gordon, home of the U.S. Army Signal Corps, is important to the economy. Known for its beautiful gardens and mild winters, Augusta is a resort and golfing center; the Augusta National Golf Course here is the site of the annual Masters golf tournament. The city's many historic structures include the boyhood home of President Woodrow Wilson. Augusta was founded in 1735 on the site of a fur-trading post and is named for the mother of George III of England. The city incorporated in 1736. Augusta was the capital of Georgia from 1783 to 1795. It merged with Richmond County in 1996. Population 47,532 (1980); 44,639 (1990); 199,775 (2000); 195,769 (2005 estimate).