Albertville, Alabama

Albertville is a city in Marshall County, Alabama, United States, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 21,160 and it is the largest city in Marshall County.

Albertville, Alabama
City
Albertville in 2012.
Location of Albertville in Marshall County, Alabama.
Albertville
Location of Albertville in Marshall County, Alabama.
Coordinates: 34°15′55″N 86°12′40″W
CountryUnited States
StateAlabama
CountyMarshall
IncorporatedFebruary 18, 1891[1]
Government
 • TypeMayor Council
 • MayorTracy Honea
Area
 • Total26.90 sq mi (69.67 km2)
 • Land26.80 sq mi (69.41 km2)
 • Water0.10 sq mi (0.26 km2)
Elevation
1,089 ft (332 m)
Population
 • Total21,160
 • Estimate 
(2019)[4]
21,711
 • Density810.17/sq mi (312.80/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
35950-35951
Area code(s)256/938
FIPS code01-00988
GNIS feature ID0112970
Websitecityofalbertville.com

History

The area which today includes Albertville was inhabited by the Cherokee Indians until their removal to Oklahoma in the 1830s. It was, however, near the territory of the Creek nation, and several major trails which afforded communication (or military action) between the two nations crossed the area. It is believed to have been crossed by Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto during his expeditions in 1540.[5]

During the American Civil War, the area around Albertville was the scene of several mid-level clashes between Union and Confederate forces.[5]

The first non-indigenous settlement in what is today Albertville began in the 1850s, and the settlement was named for Thomas A. Albert, an early settler who moved from Georgia and was a town leader until his death in 1876. The city was incorporated in 1891.[1][6] A post office was established in 1910.[7]

Tornado damage from "The Great Cyclone of 1908," Albertville, Alabama.

At about 4:10 p.m. on April 24, 1908, the city was virtually wiped out by a tornado that became commonly called "The Great Cyclone," or "The Cyclone of 1908."[8] The storm is believed to have killed 35 people across northeastern Alabama, including 15 in Albertville.[9] Relief was largely delivered by railroad, particularly from the nearby city of Gadsden. Trains from Gadsden transported doctors, nurses, and the Queen City Guards, the Alabama militia company based in Gadsden. The commander of the latter, future Gadsden mayor and Col. R.A. Mitchell, reported in a dispatch to Governor B.B. Comer:

... The destruction of property here is, I think, unprecedented in the history of the state. I have never seen anything like it, so complete and absolute as to leave little of worth in the path of the storm through town. On viewing the wreckage, covering easily forty acres or more in the heart of town, it appears incredible that any living being could have escaped the fury of the storm and death ...[10]

In 1893, the Alabama Legislature passed an act for the erection of an agricultural college in each of the state's Congressional districts. After some competition, Albertville was awarded the school for the Seventh District. This is the school that evolved into today's Albertville High School, whose sports teams are still known as the "Aggies."[8]

In 1910 Albertville had a population of 1,544,[11] becoming the largest community in Marshall County.

Before the New Deal, when the Tennessee Valley Authority built Guntersville Dam, flooding on the Tennessee River would frequently leave the county courthouse in Guntersville inaccessible for residents of Albertville and other areas atop Sand Mountain. In 1919, the Alabama Legislature responded by requiring the erection of a courthouse at Albertville, in which cases arising in that part of the county would be heard.[12]

In 1950 Albertville had a population of 5,397,[13] and reclaimed the title (from Guntersville) of the largest city in the county, and has held the distinction to date (2010 census).

On June 1, 2009 the city council voted to establish English as the town's official language.[14]

On April 24, 2010, an EF-3 tornado ripped through downtown Albertville. The storm resulted in no deaths. The High School was severely damaged, nearly every home had some type of damage, and many were destroyed beyond repair.[15]

Geography

Albertville is located at 34°15′55″N 86°12′41″W (34.265362, -86.211261).[16]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 26.0 square miles (67.3 km2), of which 26.0 square miles (67.3 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2) (0.38%) is water.

The current slogan of Albertville is "The Heart of Sand Mountain"[17] and can be seen on the welcome sign coming into the city.[18]

Climate
Climate data for Albertville, Alabama
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 51.2
(10.7)		 54.1
(12.3)		 62.3
(16.8)		 71.8
(22.1)		 79.6
(26.4)		 86.9
(30.5)		 88.7
(31.5)		 88.2
(31.2)		 83.5
(28.6)		 73.9
(23.3)		 61.2
(16.2)		 52.9
(11.6)		 71.2
(21.8)
Average low °F (°C) 32.5
(0.3)		 33.7
(0.9)		 40.4
(4.7)		 48.8
(9.3)		 56.9
(13.8)		 63.8
(17.7)		 66.9
(19.4)		 66.0
(18.9)		 60.4
(15.8)		 49.6
(9.8)		 39.2
(4.0)		 33.8
(1.0)		 49.3
(9.6)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 5.3
(130)		 5.0
(130)		 6.3
(160)		 4.6
(120)		 4.3
(110)		 3.5
(89)		 4.7
(120)		 3.6
(91)		 3.4
(86)		 2.9
(74)		 3.6
(91)		 5.1
(130)		 52.4
(1,330)
Source: Weatherbase [19]

Demographics

City of Albertville
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
19101,544—
19201,6667.9%
19302,71663.0%
19403,65134.4%
19505,39747.8%
19608,25052.9%
19709,96320.8%
198012,03920.8%
199014,50720.5%
200017,24718.9%
201021,16022.7%
Est. 201921,711[4]2.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[20]
2018 Estimate[21]

Albertville first appeared as an incorporated town on the 1910 U.S. Census.[22] It was also the same name as its precinct/census division, which preceded it in reporting on the census since 1880 (See Albertville Precinct below).

2000 Census data

At the 2000 census, there were 17,247 people in 6,566 households, including 4,615 families, in the city. The population density was 664.6 people per square mile (256.6/km2). There were 7,090 housing units at an average density of 273.2 per square mile (105.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 86.15% White, 2.05% Black or African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 9.78% from other races, and 1.35% from two or more races. 16.08% of the population are Hispanic or Latino. By 2007, the Hispanic population was estimated at 25%.[23]

In 2000 Of the 6,566 households 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 25.9% of households were one person and 12.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.08.

The age distribution was 26.0% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.

The median household income was $31,893 and the median family income was $38,508. Males had a median income of $30,076 versus $20,275 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,336. About 14.1% of families and 16.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.8% of those under age 18 and 21.0% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 21,160 people in 7,497 households, including 5,270 families, in the city. The population density was 813.8 people per square mile (314.9/km2). There were 8,128 housing units at an average density of 312.6 per square mile (121.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 75.9% White, 1.9% Black or African American, 0.8% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 18.7% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. 27.9% of the population are Hispanic or Latino.

In 2010 Of the 7,497 households 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 24.6% of households were one person and 11.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.27.

The age distribution was 28.2% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% 65 or older. The median age was 32.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.2 males.

The median household income was $35,843 and the median family income was $41,862. Males had a median income of $30,164 versus $25,700 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,839. About 15.8% of families and 23.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.6% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

Albertville Precinct/Division (1880-1970); Albertville-Boaz Division (1980-)
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
1880569—
18901,388143.9%
19002,47978.6%
19103,82054.1%
19204,32213.1%
19305,30922.8%
19405,87310.6%
19507,83933.5%
196012,04453.6%
197013,75614.2%
198024,97081.5%
199026,5376.3%
200031,40718.4%
201037,95020.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[24]

Albertville, the 4th Beat/Precinct of Marshall County, first appeared on the 1880 U.S. Census.[25] In 1960, Albertville precinct was changed to census division as part of a general reorganization of counties.[26] In 1980, Albertville and Boaz Census Divisions were merged to become the Albertville-Boaz Census Division.[27]

Education

Public schools are overseen by Albertville City Schools. There are six schools in the city:

Health care
  • Marshall Medical Center South, 150-bed facility, serves the region.

Industry

Albertville is home to the Mueller Company, which produces fire hydrants, thus Albertville holds the title of "Fire Hydrant Capital of the World." To commemorate the one millionth fire hydrant a chrome fire hydrant was placed outside the Albertville Chamber of Commerce.[28]

Albertville is also home to poultry plants operated by Wayne Farms,[29] Pilgrim's Pride, and Tyson Foods.

Mitchell Grocery Corporation, located in Albertville, is a wholesale grocery distribution center serving more than 200 independent supermarkets in the Southeast.

In April 2012, Newman Technology, broke ground on auto parts manufacturing facility in Albertville. This plant will build component parts for Honda, Acura and Subaru and is expected to begin operating in early 2013. Newman was established in 1987 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sankei Giken Kogyo Co., Ltd., of Japan. It is a supplier of fabricated and value-added assemblies to the automotive and recreational vehicle markets with facilities current in Mansfield, Ohio., and Aiken, S.C.

When the 1992 Winter Olympics were held in Albertville, France, the citizens of its heteronymic counterpart in Alabama took full advantage of the opportunity to put their town on display. Mock winter games were held in this subtropical city, and one New Orleans radio station offered listeners a chance to win a trip to "the Albertville games" - those in Alabama.[30]

In 2008, Albertville was featured in an episode in the fifth season of the A&E Television documentary series Intervention titled "Meth Mountain". Among the featured Albertville residents was Dr. Mary Holley, an obstetrician whose methamphetamine-addicted brother committed suicide, and who founded the anti-methamphetamine group "Mothers Against Methamphetamine".[31]

Albertville was featured in 2 episodes of the radio show and podcast, This American Life. The episodes focused on the influx of Latino immigrants in the town's chicken plants and the impact this had on the community.[32][33]

Transportation

Notable people
  • Albertville City Hall
  • Marshall County Satellite Courthouse in Albertville
  • The U.S. Post Office building in Albertville (currently in use by the Albertville Board of Education) was built in 1931 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 21, 1983.
  • The Albertville L&N Railroad Depot was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 20, 1975.
  • Albertville aerial photo, 2015
  • AL 205 road sign - Albertville
  • 1942 map of Albertville, AL
  • Aerial photo over Albertville at night, 2014
  • Albertville Regional Airport
  • Road signs in downtown Albertville
gollark: I'm glad *someone* knows what I do and do not understand regarding things.
gollark: Great!
gollark: I generally want less, but pandemic control is somewhat hard to do outside of governments with how things currently work.
gollark: Arguably, people infecting you with viruses infringes on your rights.
gollark: Fine. I think it's reasonable to have governments remove some rights in some situations, then.

See also
  • Impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic on the meat industry in the United States

References

Notes

    References
    1. Alabama Laws and Joint Resolutions of the Legislature of Alabama. 1891. pp. 971–981. Retrieved 2013-08-24. Act 404. AN ACT To establish a charter for the town of Albertville in Marshall county, Alabama.
    2. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
    3. "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2014-06-07.
    4. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
    5. "History". www.marshallco.org. Archived from the original on 2010-12-20. Retrieved 2010-08-10.
    6. "Albertville, Alabama". www.u-s-history.com. Retrieved 2010-08-10.
    7. Foscue, Virginia. Place Names in Alabama. University: University of Alabama Press, 1989.
    8. Dennis Burgess, Images of America: Albertville pp. 53-57, 67-70 (Charleston, SC Arcadia Publishing 2004)
    9. "Deadly Tornadoes of April 1908". The Weather Doctor Almanac 2008. www.islandnet.com. Retrieved 2010-08-10.
    10. "1908: After the Storm," The Gadsden Times, April 20, 2008, p. C1
    11. Farm Journal Complete Atlas of the World 1910 Edition
    12. Alabama Local Acts 1919, no. 23, p. 14
    13. Encyclopædia Britannica World Atlas, 1959 Edition, p. 299
    14. Doyle, Niki (June 2, 2009). "Albertville adopts English as official language". The Huntsville Times. Huntsville, AL. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
    15. "Tornado causes major damage to Albertville and Geraldine". www.waff.com. May 25, 2010. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
    16. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
    17. Christopher, Charlotte. "Sand Mountain Reporter". Sand Mountain Reporter. Albertville, AL: Southern Newspapers, Inc. Archived from the original on 2003-11-03. Retrieved 2010-08-10.
    18. Saxon, Pat. "Letters to the Editor". Sand Mountain Reporter. Albertville, AL: Southern Newspapers, Inc. Archived from the original on 2007-08-11. Retrieved 2010-08-10.
    19. "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Albertville, Alabama". Weatherbase. 2011. Retrieved on November 24, 2011.
    20. United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing". Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
    21. "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
    22. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/41033935v1-8ch1.pdf
    23. Bob Sims, "Birmingham News," May 17, 2009 http://blog.al.com/bn/2009/05/immigration.html
    24. "U.S. Decennial Census". Census.gov. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
    25. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1880a_v1-09.pdf
    26. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/37721510v1p2ch2.pdf, 1960 AL Census
    27. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_alABC-01.pdf, 1980 AL Census
    28. Maney, Kevin (May 20, 2005). "Claims to Fame". USA Today. Gannet Co. Retrieved 2010-08-10.
    29. Wayne Farms Albertville
    30. "Albertville Basks in Olympian Glow of its French Sister City," The Huntsville Times, January 31, 1992, p. B1
    31. "Intervention - Episode Guide". A&E TV. Retrieved 2010-08-10.
    32. "This American Life: Our Town". Retrieved 2017-12-19.
    33. "This American Life: Our Town - Part Two". Retrieved 2017-12-19.
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