Sulligent, Alabama
| Sulligent | |
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| — City — | |
 Sulligent
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| Coordinates: 33°53′41″N 88°7′55″W / 33.89472°N 88.13194°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alabama |
| County | Lamar |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.9 sq mi (20.3 km2) |
| • Land | 7.9 sq mi (20.3 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 325 ft (99 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 2,151 |
| • Density | 272.3/sq mi (106/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 35586 |
| Area code(s) | 205 |
| FIPS code | 01-73728 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0153600 |
Sulligent is a city in Lamar County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 2,151. The name is derived from railroad personae.
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[edit] History
Sulligent was first called "Elliott" named in honor of the chief engineer of the Kansas City-Memphis-Birmingham Railroad, renamed one month later, “Sulligent”, in honor of Sullivan, the superintendent of the railroad, and in honor of Sargeant, the passenger agent of the railroad.
The town was incorporated October 1887.
S. F. Pennington owned the first general store and Dr. R. J. Redden owned the first drugstore.
The production and processing of cotton was an important industry. The primary business in Sulligent in the mid 1890’s was cotton with over 2500 bales ginned each year and shipped by way of the railroad. At one time Sulligent Cotton Oil Company was known as the largest cotton gin under one roof.
Sulligent is home to Lamar County's only structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Greer Bankhead House. It predates the city by almost four decades.[1]
[edit] Notable residents
Sulligent is the birthplace of former Auburn University and NFL running back Joe Cribbs and home to former University of Alabama All SEC and All American Safety, Arizona Cardinals Safety Rashad Johnson. Sulligent is also the home of current University of North Alabama Safety, Caleb Massey.
Three local artists claim Sulligent, Alabama as their home. Annette Otts is a local artist who paints fine art on canvas and rocks. She has an exhibit at the local library. Virginia Wadsworth paints realistic abstract with brilliant colors on canvas. She painted "Blackout- Bama style" in honor of Alabama's victory over Georgia in the 2008 football game. Chris Griffin realized his artistic talent while still in high school. Some of his artwork is currently on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
John Hollis Bankhead
1842-1920
Confederate War Hero, Congressman, Statesman
John Hollis Bankhead, lifelong resident of Alabama, was born in 1842 on his father's farm near Moscow in that part of Marion County which is now Lamar County. The modern town of Sulligent was built upon part of the Bankhead farm. He became a farmer, a legislator, a hero in the Confederacy and a member of both the House and Senate of the United States.
Reared upon his father's plantation in pioneer country, he supplemented his meager formal education by avid reading and contact with the issues and the world. He enlisted in the Confederate Army at age 19. He served from the beginning to the end of the conflict, participating heroically in many battles. As Captain he led the 16th Alabama Regiment in a successful charge at Chickamauga, where he was wounded. In spite of one useless arm, he saved the life of John Custer. After the close of the war he married Tallulah Brockman of Wetumpka.
Captain Bankhead served in the Alabama legislature in both houses. In 1880 Governor Rufus Cobb offered him the wardenship of the State penitentiary. Under his regime as head of the prison system, he initiated many reforms, among which was the establishment of the Boys Industrial School. This was later developed at Roebuck Springs, under the leadership of club women.
From 1887 to 1907, Bankhead served in the US Congress and was active in the establishment of the Library of Congress. He was instrumental in the development of waterways including the deepening of Mobile Bay. Lake Bankhead was named for him.
In 1907 he was elected to fill the vacancy in the US Senate left by the death of Sen. John T. Morgan. He concentrated his efforts on establishing a national system of highways and despite opposition, was successful. In appreciation, the grateful public named the transcontinental highway from the "Zero Stone" in Washington, DC the "Bankhead Highway". Senator Bankhead continued to work on the highway system at the request of President Roosevelt.
A dramatic moment in the life of Senator Bankhead took place at the 1912 Democratic Convention in Baltimore. Bankhead's son, William B. Bankhead, the a member of Congress, stepped to the platform and presented his father's name as Alabama's nominee for presidency of the United States.
Senator Bankhead died in Washington, DC on March 1, 1920, and is buried in the family plot in Oak Hill Cemetery, Jasper, Alabama.
[edit] Geography
Sulligent is located at 33°53′41″N 88°7′55″W / 33.89472°N 88.13194°W (33.894807, -88.131920)[2].
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.8 square miles (20 km2), all land.
U.S. Route 278 passes through Sulligent, intersecting State Highway 17.
BNSF Railway provides railroad service with a line running east-west.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 2,151 people, 901 households, and 637 families residing in the city. The population density was 273.9 people per square mile (105.8/km²). There were 1,029 housing units at an average density of 131.0 per square mile (50.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 77.08% White, 21.80% Black or African American, 0.60% from other races, and 0.51% from two or more races. 1.58% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 901 households out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 87.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,541, and the median income for a family was $30,645. Males had a median income of $29,966 versus $19,537 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,794. About 18.0% of families and 21.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.7% of those under age 18 and 27.1% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-07-09. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
[edit] External links
Coordinates: 33°53′41″N 88°07′55″W / 33.894807°N 88.13192°W
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