Only 22 People Left in Rest Haven

DG readers who have been following the Mulberry saga may be wondering what is going on out in Rest Haven. It appears unlikely that the hamlet bordering Buford will last long enough for the 2038 Rest Haven Centennial Gala, as there are apparently only a handful of Rest Havenites left.

Incorporated in 1938, Rest Haven was long known as a lawless jerkwater famed for moonshining and bootlegging. Teens seeking to purchase alcohol underage traveled from all over Gwinnett and the surrounding area to partake of Rest Haven's illicit libations, no IDs required. As seen in the census data above, the townlet's population peaked in the 1980s and has been falling ever since, no doubt in part due to a complete absence of working moonshine stills. 

Much of the decline has also been a result of Rest Haven voluntarily ceding territory to Buford in recent decades, as though the town itself has a death wish. According to an AJC interview with Rest Haven mayor Kenneth Waycaster, there are only about 22 official Rest Havenites left, a fact almost as shocking as the realization that Rest Haven actually has a mayor. Visit our neighbors to the south at the AJC for the full story. 

If you're one of the 22 surviving Rest Havenites, we'd love to sit down for an interview.