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History · Pavo

Pavo’s post office opened in 1895, and 21% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1961 on and the census since 1900.

1895first post office
0on the National Register
21%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Michael Rivera · CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answers

How Pavo began

When was Pavo founded?

1895

The Pavo post office opened in 1895, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 262 in 19002020 census: 622131 years
Founding year: the first Pavo post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about Pavo’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Pavo are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 990 in 1920; 622 people lived here in 2020.Old housesHalf of Pavo’s homes were built before 1964.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Pavo’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Pavo’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Pavo, census by census

02004006008001,0001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 990

Peaked at 990 in 1920; 622 people lived here in 2020.

13 censuses, 1900–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Pavo’s Wikipedia page.

The story

How Pavo came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Pavo.

Read it all →

The community was originally known as McDonald, named after one of two prominent families in the area. However, concerns were raised about misdirected mail, resulting from confusion between McDonald, in the southern part of the state, and McDonough located in the north. The community was then renamed after an early postmaster, Duncan D. Peacock,"Pavo" being the Latin word meaning "peacock".

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Pavo, 1895 to 1996

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1895Post officeThe Pavo post office opens
  3. 20th century
  4. 1920CensusPopulation peaks at 990
  5. 1936Born hereReatha King is born here
  6. 1961On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  7. 1996Born hereAustin Bryant is born here
By decade

Pavo, decade by decade

Today20 recent
Pavo city limit Beaty Rd NB2022Pavo city limit Beaty Rd NBChristmas decorations 20192019Christmas decorations 2019Thomas County Line, GA SR 122 WB2013Thomas County Line, GA SR 122 WBPavo Welcome Sign, GA SR 122 WB2013Pavo Welcome Sign, GA SR 122 WBPavo Post Office2013Pavo Post OfficePavo Police Department2013Pavo Police DepartmentPavo Library2013Pavo LibraryPavo Fire Rescue2013Pavo Fire RescuePavo Election Polling Place2013Pavo Election Polling PlacePavo City Limit, GA SR 122 WB2013Pavo City Limit, GA SR 122 WBPavo City Hall Municipal Building2013Pavo City Hall Municipal BuildingNix Service Station, BP2013Nix Service Station, BPIGA Express2013IGA ExpressGA 33 122 Int2013GA 33 122 IntFast Serv2013Fast ServEvangelizing the Word Church, Inc2013Evangelizing the Word Church, IncDollar General2013Dollar GeneralBurger Shack2013Burger ShackBrooks County Line, GA SR 122 EB2013Brooks County Line, GA SR 122 EBGAMap-doton-Pavo2005GAMap-doton-Pavo
On the map

Pavo on the map, 1961 to 1987

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Pavo. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Pavo on the 1961 USGS mapPavo on the 1978 USGS mapPavo on the 1987 USGS map1961Quitman sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Pavo.

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Pavo

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Austin BryantAmerican football player · b. 1996
Reatha KingAmerican chemist and businessperson · b. 1936

Questions about Pavo’s history

What year was Pavo founded?

The Pavo post office opened in 1895, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (20), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.