Lincoln Park, GA

Lincoln Park is an unincorporated census-designated place in Upson County, Georgia, within the Thomaston-area landscape. The 2020 census counted 817 residents. Its strongest civic landmark is the park that carries the same name. In 1927, the Emancipation Committee of Upson purchased 14 acres there, creating a place for the county’s freedom observance and community gatherings. The committee traces that tradition to an emancipation celebration held in 1866, after William Guildford organized the first event.

The annual celebration at Lincoln Park brings a parade, speakers, music, food, vendors, and activities into the open-air setting. The committee also supports heritage awards and youth scholarships, so the park’s role reaches beyond a single day. Lincoln Park is a small named place whose story is tied to Upson County’s Black history and to the work of keeping that history visible. The surrounding roads lead toward Thomaston and the rest of the county, but the park gives this CDP a particular address: a stretch of Upson County where remembrance, celebration, and community organizing meet.