Fitzgerald, Georgia

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Fitzgerald is a city in Ben Hill and Irwin Counties in the U.S. state of Georgia, and the county seat of Ben Hill County. The population was 8,758 at the 2000 census. Fitzgerald is the principal city of the Fitzgerald Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Ben Hill and Irwin counties. It was created in 1895, as a community for Civil War veterans by Indianapolis newspaper editor Philander H. Fitzgerald, a former drummer boy in the Union army. The town is located less than 15 miles from the site of the capture of Confederate president Jefferson Davis on May 10, 1865. In recent years, the unofficial, and sometimes controversial mascot of the city has become the Red Junglefowl, a wild chicken native to the Indian subcontinent. In the late 1960s, a small number were released into the woods surrounding the city and have thrived to this day. Fitzgerald is also home to the famous Dorminy-Massee Bed and Breakfast. Built in 1915 by J. J. (Captain Jack) Dorminy for his family, this two-story, colonial-style home is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The bed and breakfast features eight bedrooms, each with a private bath, an elegant living room and parlor, and spacious grounds. The Inn is within walking distance of Fitzgerald's historic downtown area, as well as, The Blue and Gray Museum.