Lamar County, Alabama

Lamar County, Alabama
Lamar County Courthouse in Vernon, Alabama
Location in the state of Alabama
Alabama's location in the U.S.
Founded	February 8, 1877 (as it is at present)
Seat	Vernon
Largest city	Sulligent
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	605.47 sq mi (1,568 km²) 604.85 sq mi (1,567 km²) 0.62 sq mi (2 km²), (0.10%)
Population  - (2010)  - Density	14,564 24/sq mi (9.2/km²)
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5

Lamar County (formerly Jones County and Sanford County) is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar, member of the United States Senate from Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,564. Its county seat is Vernon and it is a prohibition or dry county.

History

Jones County, Alabama was established on February 4, 1867, with land taken from the southern part of Marion County and the western part of Fayette County, and was named for E. P. Jones of Fayette County, with its county seat at Vernon. This county was abolished on November 13, 1867. On October 8, 1868, the area was again organized into a county, but as Covington County had been renamed "Jones County" the same year (a change that lasted only a few months), the new county was named Sanford, in honor of H. C. Sanford of Cherokee County. On February 8, 1877, the county was renamed Lamar in honor of Senator L.Q.C. Lamar of Mississippi.

Newspapers

• The Vernon Pioneer - (1875–1878) The first newspaper published in Lamar County was The Vernon Pioneer. The Editors and Proprietors included William R. Smith, William R. Smith Jr., Smith, McCullough & Co, Sid B. Smith, and Don R. Aldridge.
• The Vernon Clipper - (1879–1880) - Alexander Cobb as Editor and Proprietor and later Alex A. Wall as Proprietor.
• The Lamar News - (1886–1887) - E. J. McNatt as Editor and Proprietor
• The Sulligent Lightning
• The Vernon Courier - (1886–1890) - Alex A. Wall as Editor and Publisher, then Courier Publishing Co. (R. J. Young as Editor-in-Chief and Mollie C. Young as partner)
• The Eagle-Eye (1894)
• The Lamar Democrat (1901 - present)
• The Rural Educator (1908)
• The Sulligent News (1942–1952)

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 605.47 square miles (1,568.2 km²), of which 604.85 square miles (1,566.6 km²) (or 99.90%) is land and 0.62 square miles (1.6 km²) (or 0.10%) is water.

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 278
• State Route 17
• State Route 18
• State Route 96

Rail

• BNSF Railway
• Luxapalila Valley Railroad

Adjacent counties

• Marion County (north)
• Fayette County (east)
• Pickens County (south)
• Lowndes County, Mississippi (southwest)
• Monroe County, Mississippi (west)

Cemeteries

• Blooming Grove Baptist Church Cemetery
• Christian Chapel Church of Christ Cemetery
• Fellowship Baptist Church Cemetery
• Furnace Hill Cemetery
• Kennedy Town Cemetery
• Liberty Baptist Church Cemetery
• Macedonia Baptist Church Cemetery
• Meadow Branch Baptist Church Cemetery
• Mount Olive Church of Christ Cemetery
• Old Mount Nebo Cemetery
• Shiloh (Pinhook) United Methodist Church Cemetery
• Sulligent City Cemetery
• Vernon City Cemetery

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1870	8,893		—
1880	12,142		36.5%
1890	14,187		16.8%
1900	16,084		13.4%
1910	17,487		8.7%
1920	18,149		3.8%
1930	18,001		−0.8%
1940	19,708		9.5%
1950	16,441		−16.6%
1960	14,271		−13.2%
1970	14,335		0.4%
1980	16,453		14.8%
1990	15,715		−4.5%
2000	15,904		1.2%
2010	14,564		−8.4%
Est. 2011	14,311		−1.7%
U.S. Decennial Census 2011 estimate through 1960

As of the census of 2000, there were 15,904 people, 6,468 households, and 4,715 families residing in the county. The population density was 26 people per square mile (10/km²). There were 7,517 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 86.87% White, 11.98% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.46% from other races, and 0.51% from two or more races. 1.30% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,468 households out of which 31.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.60% were married couples living together, 10.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.10% were non-families. 25.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the county the population was spread out with 23.60% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 15.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,059, and the median income for a family was $33,050. Males had a median income of $30,453 versus $18,947 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,435. About 13.30% of families and 16.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.10% of those under age 18 and 18.60% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

• Beaverton
• Detroit
• Hightogy
• Kennedy
• Millport
• Sulligent
• Vernon

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Lamar County, Alabama
• Properties on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in Lamar County, Alabama

External links

• Lamar County legends