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Today in History: White Mob Lynches Eight in Oconee County

6/30/2026

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Summary

Story summary

On June 30 1905, a white mob in Watkinsville, Oconee County, Georgia, stormed the jail, seized nine men and shot eight to death. The massacre, known as the Watkinsville lynching, epitomized the nadir of American race relations, ranking among Georgia’s most brutal episodes of racial violence.

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Story summary

On June 30 1905, a white mob in Watkinsville, Oconee County, Georgia, stormed the jail, seized nine men and shot eight to death. The massacre, known as the Watkinsville lynching, epitomized the nadir of American race relations, ranking among Georgia’s most brutal episodes of racial violence.