Bremen, Georgia

Bremen is located in southern Haralson County and northern Carroll County at 33°42′57″N 85°8′50″W (33.715933, -85.147213).^[7] U.S. Route 78 passes through the center of the city, leading east 6 miles (10 km) to Temple and west 9 miles (14 km) to Tallapoosa. U.S. Route 27 passes through the western part of the city, leading north 45 miles (72 km) to Rome and south 53 miles (85 km) to LaGrange. Interstate 20 passes through the southern part of the city, leading east 46 miles (74 km) to Atlanta and west 100 miles (160 km) to Birmingham, Alabama.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Bremen has a total area of 10.5 square miles (27.3 km²), of which 0.027 square miles (0.07 km²), or 0.27%, is water.^[8]

This region experiences hot and wet summers with rainy days^[9]. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Bremen has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa).

There are cool winters during which intense rainfall occurs.

Snow in Bremen is possible in winter months due to the higher latitude.

Bremen is the home of Hugh McGraw, a noted scholar of American hymnody and the foremost expert in and promoter of the Sacred Harp tradition of shape note singing. The Sacred Harp Publishing Company, which McGraw led from 1958 to 2002, is located in nearby Carrollton.^[17] Holly Springs Primitive Baptist Church, which holds an annual two-day Sacred Harp singing convention in June and an-all day singing in November, is located in Bremen.^[18] The Church at Chapelhill meets at Mill Town Music Hall on Sunday at 11am.^[19]

Prior to the early 18th century, Bremen and most of Georgia were home to American Indians belonging to a southeastern alliance known as the Creek Confederacy. The present day Creek Nation, also known as the Muskogee, were the major tribe in that alliance. According to Creek traditions, the Creek Confederacy migrated to the southeastern United States from the Southwest. The confederacy was probably formed as a defense against other large groups to the north. The name "Creek" came from the shortening of "Ocheese Creek" Indians, a name given by the English to the native people living along the Ocheese Creek (or Ocmulgee River). In time, the name was applied to all groups of the Creek Confederacy.

The town of Kramer was incorporated on September 5, 1883, and given the name Bremen. It was originally named for a German immigrant who owned a local vineyard but the name was changed at Kramer's request to honor the city of Bremen, Germany.

Bremen's economy was given a significant boost when the Chattanooga, Rome and Columbus Railroad was built, intersecting the Georgia Pacific at Bremen. This and other circumstances have helped Bremen to grow from a simple railroad junction settled by German immigrants to the largest town in Haralson County.

Higgins General Hospital became affiliated with Tanner Health System in 1998. The 25-bed critical access hospital recently underwent an extensive $7.5 million renovation and expansion and offers its community inpatient as well as outpatient medical services including a 24-hour Emergency Department, same-day surgery, lithotripsy, and a wide range of outpatient services.

It was originally named Bremen General Hospital when it opened on January 3, 1955.^[22] The name was changed to Higgins General Hospital on May 1, 1973, in recognition of the work and dedication of its chairman, S.O. (Samuel) Higgins Sr.

The December 2009 cost of living index in Bremen was 81.9 (low, compared with the U.S. average of 100).

U.S. 78 runs east-west through Bremen. U.S. 27 runs north–south to the west of the city. Business route 27 runs through the center of Bremen. Interstate 20 runs to the south of Bremen.

West Georgia Regional Airport is seven miles south of Bremen.

Historically, the Southern Railway ran several daily passenger trains, including the Kansas City-Florida Special, the Sunnyland and an Atlanta-Birmingham section of the Piedmont Limited, making stops in Bremen.^[23] The last trains made stops in 1967.^[24][25] The former the Southern Railway train (Now Amtrak) Crescent, which operates from New York City to New Orleans passes through Bremen twice a day on the Norfolk Southern, but makes no stops.^[26]

• Sammy Byrd (1906–1981), major league baseball player and professional golfer
• Neal Horsley (1944–2015), anti-abortion activist
• Hugh McGraw (1931–2017), Sacred Harp singing master and composer
• Thomas Bailey Murphy (1924–2007), speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives^[27]
• Harold Shedd (born 1931), country music industry executive and producer
• Jake Verity, placekicker for the Indianapolis Colts
• John Jackson Mangham SR.(1877-1971) 1938 Gubernatorial Candidate^[28]