Bay Minette, Alabama

Coordinates: 30°53′00″N 87°46′38″W / 30.883446°N 87.777183°W / 30.883446; -87.777183
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Magnolia677 (talk | contribs) at 00:15, 15 February 2014 (removed name from notable people list with no article or reliable source to establish notability and/or connection to this article). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Bay Minette, Alabama
The concrete water tower in Bay Minette, built in 1915
The concrete water tower in Bay Minette, built in 1915
Location in Baldwin County and the state of Alabama
Location in Baldwin County and the state of Alabama
CountryUnited States
StateAlabama
CountyBaldwin
Government
 • MayorRobert "Bob" Wills
Area
 • Total8.6 sq mi (22.4 km2)
 • Land8.6 sq mi (22.2 km2)
 • Water0.08 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation
269 ft (82 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total8,044
 • Density939/sq mi (362.4/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
36507
Area code251
FIPS code01-04660
GNIS feature ID0113588
Websitewww.cityofbayminette.org

Bay Minette is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 8,044.[1] The city is the county seat of Baldwin County. It is part of the DaphneFairhopeFoley Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

In the first days of Baldwin County, the town of McIntosh Bluff (now in Mobile County, west of Baldwin County) on the Tombigbee River was the county seat. After being transferred to the town of Blakeley in 1810, the county seat was later moved to the city of Daphne in 1868. In 1900, by an act of the legislature of Alabama, the county seat was authorized for relocation to the city of Bay Minette; however, the city of Daphne resisted relocation. The citizens of Bay Minette moved the county records from Daphne in the middle of the night on October 11–12, 1901[2] and delivered them to the city of Bay Minette - where the Baldwin County seat remains to this day.[3] A mural for the new post office built in 1937 was commissioned by the WPA and painted by Hilton Leech of Bridgeport, Connecticut, to commemorate this event.[2]

In September 2011, the town attempted to enact a program called "Operation Restore Our Community". It would have allowed those convicted of a misdemeanor to substitute imprisonment with mandatory church attendance for one year.[4] However, this program was challenged due to violating separation of church and state, and the program's start was delayed for judicial review.[5] It appears to have been scrapped.

Geography

Bay Minette is located near the center of Baldwin County in southern Alabama at 30°53′0″N 87°46′38″W / 30.88333°N 87.77722°W / 30.88333; -87.77722 (30.883446, -87.777183).Template:GR It is sited on high ground 5 miles (8 km) east of the Mobile River/Tensaw River valley and 6 miles (10 km) west of the Florida border formed by the Perdido River. U.S. Route 31 passes through the center of the city, leading south to Spanish Fort and northeast to Atmore. Interstate 65 passes about 5 miles (8 km) north of the city, with access from Exit 34 (Alabama State Route 59) and Exit 37 (Alabama State Route 287).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.6 square miles (22.4 km2), of which 8.6 square miles (22.2 km2) is land and 0.077 square miles (0.2 km2), or 0.75%, is water.[1]

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Bay Minette has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. [6]

Climate data for Bay Minette, Alabama
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 17
(62)
18
(65)
22
(72)
26
(78)
29
(85)
32
(90)
32
(90)
32
(90)
31
(87)
27
(80)
21
(70)
18
(64)
25
(78)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 5
(41)
6
(43)
10
(50)
13
(55)
17
(63)
21
(70)
22
(71)
22
(71)
19
(67)
14
(57)
9
(48)
6
(42)
14
(57)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 140
(5.4)
130
(5.1)
160
(6.3)
130
(5.2)
140
(5.4)
150
(5.8)
210
(8.3)
170
(6.6)
150
(5.9)
84
(3.3)
110
(4.4)
130
(5.2)
1,704
(66.9)
Source: Weatherbase [7]

Demographics

2000 Census data

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 7,820 people, 2,950 households, and 1,911 families residing in the city. The population density was 977.6 inhabitants per square mile (377.5/km2) . There were 2,950 housing units at an average density of 368.8 square miles (955 km2) . The racial makeup of the city was 64.3% White, 33.5% Black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.4% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races. 1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[8]

There were 2,739 households out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 18.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.11.[8]

In the city the population was 25.7% under the age of 18, 13.4% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.4 years. For every 100 females there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.[8] The median income for a household in the city was $27,226, and the median income for a family was $34,605. Males had a median income of $30,149 versus $21,369 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,093. About 20.0% of families and 22.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.0% of those under age 18 and 19.0% of those age 65 or over.[8]

Government

Aerial view of the Bay Minette Municipal Airport taken in 2006

Bay Minette uses a mayor council government. The mayor is elected at large. The city council consists of five members who are elected from one of five districts.[9]

Education

Public schools

Bay Minette is a part of the Baldwin County Public Schools system.[10]

High schools

Middle school

  • Bay Minette Middle School (grades 7 and 8)

Intermediate school

  • Bay Minette Intermediate School (grades 4 through 6)

Elementary school

  • Bay Minette Elementary School (grades K through 3)

Higher education

Culture

Portions of the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind were filmed near the town's Louisville and Nashville Railroad depot,[citation needed] and Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood was filmed in rural portions of Baldwin County near Bay Minette.[citation needed]

Notable people

References

  1. ^ a b "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Bay Minette city, Alabama". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
  2. ^ a b John C. Lewis and Harriet Brill Outlaw. Images of America: Baldwin County. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 14–16. ISBN 978-0-7385-6834-8.
  3. ^ "Various Historical Compilations about Baldwin County, Alabama". Baldwin County, Alabama. Baldwin County, AL. 2009. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
  4. ^ "Ala. town's criminals get choice: Jail or church". CBS News. 23 September 2011. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  5. ^ Cox, Carmen. (2011-09-27) Church or Jail? Alabama Alternative to Incarceration Program on Hold - National News - ABC News Radio. Abcnewsradioonline.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-21.
  6. ^ Climate Summary for Bay Minette, Alabama
  7. ^ "Weatherbase.com". Weatherbase. 2013. Retrieved on November 3, 2013.
  8. ^ a b c d "Bay Minette city, Alabama fact sheet". United States Census. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
  9. ^ "Bay Minette Municipal Government". City of Bay Minette. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
  10. ^ "Baldwin County Public Schools". SchoolInSites.com. 2010. Archived from the original on 11 January 2010. Retrieved 5 January 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

External links

30°53′00″N 87°46′38″W / 30.883446°N 87.777183°W / 30.883446; -87.777183