University of West Georgia

In 1907, trustees of the Fourth District Agricultural & Mechanical School purchased this property to build a school and educate the rural white youth here and in nearby counties. The school grew, adding more faculty and programs. In 1933, the school became West Georgia Junior College, then West Georgia College in 1957, the State University of West Georgia in 1996, and finally the University of West Georgia in 2005. The land the university stands on today has a complex history, before the school was established.

Welcome to the University of West Georgia. The land you stand on today has a complex history. It started off as a plantation owned by Thomas Bonner in the 1840s. Bonner Enslaved more than 20 African Americans here. After the Civil War, he sold the land, but it remained a working farm. Some of the African Americans formerly enslaved on the property, such as Abraham Bonner, decided to stay in the West Georgia region and make a life here. Throughout the 20th century the African American community in Carrollton and Carroll County grew stronger and stronger. 

Meanwhile, in 1907, trustees of the Fourth District Agricultural & Mechanical School purchased this property to build a school and educate the rural white youth here and in nearby counties. The school grew, adding more faculty and programs. In 1933, the school became West Georgia Junior College, then West Georgia College in 1957, the State University of West Georgia in 1996, and finally the University of West Georgia in 2005.