You are right. I was thinking of Oconee County which is to the west of Clarke. And I am part right. Part of Clarke was split off and given to Oglethorpe. At one time, Clarke County was geographically huge. Various sections were carved off to make Clarke the smallest land area in the state. Thus, Clarke had little or no political or economic strength. The University would be a special district of the State and would by law pay zero property taxes to Athens/Clarke and Athens/Clarke would sort of provide janitors and cooks for the College. Heavy duty industries were kept out of Athens to prevent the college guys from dropping out of school to get great wage manufacturing jobs in the town. Thus, lots of poverty and lots of crime. No jobs worth having and no hope for the future. That is for the unskilled.
I seem to recall a clock factory where they would use radioactive paint on the dials so the clock faces and hands were readable at night. (Westclox?)