Jasper, Alabama
| Jasper, Alabama | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Motto: "Experience from the past, knowledge for the future." | |
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| Coordinates: 33°50′32″N 87°16′38″W / 33.84222°N 87.27722°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alabama |
| County | Walker |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Sonny Posey |
| Area | |
| • Total | 26.9 sq mi (69.6 km2) |
| • Land | 26.9 sq mi (69.6 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 328 ft (100 m) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 13,857 |
| • Density | 522.4/sq mi (201.9/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP codes | 35501-35504 |
| Area code(s) | 205 |
| FIPS code | 01-38416 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0120822 |
| Website | http://www.jaspercity.com/ |
Jasper is a city in Walker County, Alabama, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 13,857.[1] The city is the county seat of Walker County,[2] and once ranked among the world's leading producers of coal.
Contents |
Geography [edit]
Jasper is located at 33°50′32″N 87°16′38″W / 33.84222°N 87.27722°W (33.842347, -87.277174).[3]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 26.9 square miles (70 km2), of which 26.9 square miles (70 km2) is land and 0.04% is water.
History [edit]
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Jasper, named in honor of Sergeant William Jasper, an American Revolutionary War hero, was settled around 1815, but was not incorporated until August 18, 1886.[4]
During the Civil War, Union troops marching toward Selma burned the courthouse and several other buildings in town and raided neighboring farms for supplies.[4]
The first significant growth of the area was realized in 1886, when the Kansas City-Memphis & Birmingham and the Sheffield & Birmingham Railroads were completed through Jasper. The population grew from 200 people in 1886 to more than 3,000 in 1890.[4] In a special edition in 1891, the Mountain Eagle stated there were six coal mines, two sandstone quarries, 400 coke ovens, one foundry and machine shop, two saw mills, one brick works, four hotels, and two banks.
President Franklin Roosevelt visited the town in 1940 to attend a memorial service for his friend and supporter, William Bankhead.[4]
Historic sites [edit]
Jasper has several sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the John Hollis Bankhead House, First United Methodist Church, Jasper Downtown Historic District, and Walker County Hospital.[5]
Notable residents [edit]
- Jason Aaron, Comic Writer
- John H. Bankhead II, United States Senator
- Tallulah Brockman Bankhead, actress
- William Brockman Bankhead, Speaker of the House of the United States Congress
- Tom Bevill, member, United States Congress
- Ronnie Coleman, former NFL player[6]
- Eric Dover, Vocalist/Guitarist for Slash's Snakepit and Sextus (Band)
- Eric Esch, professional boxer, MMA fighter and kick boxer, Star of Big Law: Deputy Butterbean
- Raymond D. Fowler, American psychologist and Professor Emeritus of the University of Alabama
- James Shepherd Freeman, admiral, United States Navy
- James Stanley Freeman, businessman
- Polly Holliday, actress
- Steven Jack Land, noted renewal theologian within the Pentecostal movement began serving as the president of the Church of God Theological Seminary in 2002
- George Lindsey, actor
- Carter Manasco, U.S. Representative from Alabama; member of the first Hoover Commission on Reorganization of the Executive Departments from 1947 to 1949
- Terry Owens, former offensive lineman for the San Diego Chargers
- Sandy Posey, singer
- Jim Pyburn, American professional baseball player
- Greg Reed, Republican member of the Alabama Senate, representing the 5th District beginning in 2010
- Michael Rooker, (former resident) actor
Popular culture [edit]
Jasper is the hometown of Lost character James "Sawyer" Ford, and also where he lost his family.
Demographics [edit]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 269 |
|
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| 1890 | 780 | 190.0% | |
| 1900 | 1,661 | 112.9% | |
| 1910 | 2,509 | 51.1% | |
| 1920 | 3,246 | 29.4% | |
| 1930 | 5,313 | 63.7% | |
| 1940 | 6,847 | 28.9% | |
| 1950 | 8,589 | 25.4% | |
| 1960 | 10,799 | 25.7% | |
| 1970 | 10,798 | 0% | |
| 1980 | 11,894 | 10.2% | |
| 1990 | 13,553 | 13.9% | |
| 2000 | 14,052 | 3.7% | |
| 2010 | 13,857 | −1.4% | |
As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 14,052 people, 5,728 households, and 3,809 families residing in the city. The population density was 523.0 people per square mile (201.9/km²). There were 6,473 housing units at an average density of 240.9 per square mile (93.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.15% White, 13.98% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.l.
There were 5,728 households out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33, and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 86.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,044, and the median income for a family was $43,674. Males had a median income of $35,182 versus $22,868 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,491. About 10.2% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.3% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.
Schools [edit]
- Elementary (K-5)
Memorial Park School, T.R. Simmons Elementary School, West Jasper Elementary School
- Junior High (6-8)
Maddox Middle School (formerly "Jasper Junior High", grades 6 - 8)
- High School (9-12)
- North Highlands School
School for disabled of all grades
Media [edit]
Television [edit]
Combs Broadcasting
- TV16HD
- W16CM-D
- 16.1, 16.2, 16.3, 16.4
Radio [edit]
- WQJJ-LP 97.7 FM (Adult Contemporary/Oldies )
- WJLX 1240 AM (Oldies)
- WIXI 1360 AM (Classic Country)
Newspaper [edit]
- The Daily Mountain Eagle(daily)
- The Corridor Messenger (weekly)
References [edit]
- ^ Best Places to Live in Jasper, Alabama
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ a b c d Kaetz, James P. "Encyclopedia of Alabama: Jasper". encyclopediaofalabama.org. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-07-09.
- ^ http://www.nfl.com/player/ronniecoleman/2511750/profile
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
External links [edit]
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Wikisource has the text of a 1920 Encyclopedia Americana article about Jasper, Alabama. |
Coordinates: 33°50′32″N 87°16′38″W / 33.842347°N 87.277174°W
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