Blount County, Alabama
| Blount County, Alabama | |
 Location in the state of Alabama |
|
 Alabama's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | February 6, 1818 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Oneonta |
| Largest city | Oneonta |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
650.60 sq mi (1,685 km²) 645.59 sq mi (1,672 km²) 5.02 sq mi (13 km²), 0.77% |
| Population - (2010) - Density |
57,322 89/sq mi (34/km²) |
Blount County is a county located in the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 57,322. Its county seat is Oneonta.
Blount County is a dry county.
Contents |
[edit] History
Blount County was created by the Alabama Territorial Legislature on February 6, 1818, formed from land ceded to the federal government by the Creek Nation on August 9, 1814. This county was named for Governor Willie Blount of Tennessee, who provided assistance to settlers in Alabama during the Creek War of 1813-14. This county lies in the northeastern quadrant of the state, which is sometimes known as the mineral region of Alabama. Blount County is bordered by Cullman, Marshall, Etowah, Jefferson, Walker, and St. Clair Counties. This county is drained by the Locust and Mulberry Forks of the Black Warrior River. Blount County covers 650 square miles (1,700 km2). The Warrior coal field is located in Blount County.
Caleb Fryley and John Jones established Bear Meat Cabin in 1816. Its post office was opened in 1821, and the settlement was incorporated as Blountsville on December 13, 1827. In 1889, an election resulted in this county's county seat being transferred to Oneonta, Alabama.
[edit] Geography
According to the Census Bureau, this county has a total area of 650.60 square miles (1,685.0 km2), of which 645.59 square miles (1,672.1 km2) is land and 5.02 square miles (13.0 km2) (0.77%) is water.[1]
[edit] Major highways
Interstate 65
U.S. Highway 31
U.S. Highway 231
U.S. Highway 278
State Route 75
State Route 79
State Route 132
State Route 160
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[edit] Rail
- CSX Transportation, formerly the Louisville and Nashville Railroad
[edit] Adjacent counties
- Marshall County, Alabama - northeast
- Etowah County, Alabama - east
- St. Clair County, Alabama - southeast
- Walker County, Alabama - southwest
- Jefferson County, Alabama - south
- Cullman County, Alabama - west & northwest
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1820 | 2,415 | — |
| 1830 | 4,233 | +75.3% |
| 1840 | 5,570 | +31.6% |
| 1850 | 7,367 | +32.3% |
| 1860 | 10,865 | +47.5% |
| 1870 | 9,945 | −8.5% |
| 1880 | 15,369 | +54.5% |
| 1890 | 21,927 | +42.7% |
| 1900 | 23,119 | +5.4% |
| 1910 | 21,456 | −7.2% |
| 1920 | 25,538 | +19.0% |
| 1930 | 28,020 | +9.7% |
| 1940 | 29,490 | +5.2% |
| 1950 | 28,975 | −1.7% |
| 1960 | 25,449 | −12.2% |
| 1970 | 26,853 | +5.5% |
| 1980 | 36,459 | +35.8% |
| 1990 | 39,248 | +7.6% |
| 2000 | 51,024 | +30.0% |
| 2010 | 57,322 | +12.3% |
| Sources: "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml. through 1960 | ||
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 51,024 people, 19,265 households, and 14,814 families residing in the county. The population density was 79 people per square mile (31/km2). There were 21,158 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile (13/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.08% White, 1.19% Black or African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.07% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. 5.33% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 19,265 households out of which 34.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.50% were married couples living together, 7.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.10% were non-families. 20.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.02.
Blount County's population spread was as follows: 25.40% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 29.20% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 12.90% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,241, and the median income for a family was $41,573. Males had a median income of $31,455 versus $22,459 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,325. About 8.60% of families and 11.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.20% of those under age 18 and 17.40% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Cities and towns
- Allgood
- Altoona (part - part of Altoona is in Etowah County)
- Blountsville
- Cleveland
- County Line (part - part of County Line is in Jefferson County)
- Garden City (part - part of Garden City is in Cullman County)
- Hayden
- Highland Lake
- Locust Fork
- Nectar
- Oneonta
- Rosa
- Smoke Rise
- Snead
- Susan Moore
- Warrior (part - part of Warrior is in Jefferson County)
Blount County has been dubbed the "Covered Bridge Capital of Alabama" since it has more historic covered bridges standing within a single county than any other in the state - with earlier covered bridges known of. This county celebrates the Covered Bridge Festival every autumn in Oneonta to commemorate its three remaining covered bridges.
[edit] Places of interest
Blount County is home to an abundance of outdoor activities, such as Rickwood Caverns State Park and the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River that are used by canoeists and kayakers. The county is also home to the picturesque covered bridges mentioned above: the Swann Covered Bridge, the Horton Mill Covered Bridge, and the Easley Covered Bridge. As of summer 2009, all three bridges were closed due to safety concerns at the recommendation of the Alabama Department of Transportation. Repairs are scheduled to be completed in 2011.[3]
[edit] See also
- List of Alabama covered bridges
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Blount County, Alabama
- Properties on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in Blount County, Alabama
[edit] References
- ^ "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. http://www.census.gov/tiger/tms/gazetteer/county2k.txt. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ http://www.blountcountian.com/news/2010-02-17/News/Citizen_concerns_prompt_covered_bridge_update.html Retrieved June 20, 2010
[edit] External links
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Cullman County | Marshall County | |
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| Cullman County |  |
Etowah County | ||
 Blount County, Alabama  |
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| Walker County | Jefferson County | St. Clair County |
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