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Cullman, Alabama

Coordinates: 34°10′39″N 86°50′42″W / 34.177508°N 86.844996°W / 34.177508; -86.844996
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Cullman, Alabama
City
Location in Cullman County and the state of Alabama
Location in Cullman County and the state of Alabama
CountryUnited States
StateAlabama
CountyCullman
Settled1873
Incorporated1878
Founded byColonel Johann Gottfried Cullmann
Named forColonel Johann Gottfried Cullmann
Government
 • TypeMayor-Council
 • MayorMax Townson
 • City Councilman (Sanitation)Ernest W. Faulk
Area
 • Total19.2 sq mi (49.6 km2)
 • Land18.3 sq mi (47.4 km2)
 • Water0.9 sq mi (2.2 km2)
Elevation
898 ft (251 m)
Population
 (2008)
 • Total15,295
 • Density728.9/sq mi (282.2/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central Standard Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
35055-35058
Area code256
FIPS code01-18976
GNIS feature ID0116948
WebsiteCity of Cullman Official Website

Cullman is a city in Cullman County, Alabama, United States. It is located along Interstate 65, 50 miles (80 km) north of Birmingham, Alabama and 55 miles (89 km) south of Huntsville, Alabama. According to the 2008 census, the city has a population of 15,295.[1] The city is the county seat of Cullman County.

History

In the time before European settlement, the area that today includes Cullman was originally in the territory of the Cherokee Nation. The region was traversed by a trail known as the Black Warrior's Path, which led from the Tennessee River near the present location of Florence, Alabama to a point on the Black Warrior River south of Cullman. The trail figured significantly in Cherokee history, and featured prominently in the American Indian Wars prior to the establishment of the state of Alabama and the relocation of several American Indian tribes, including the Creek tribe. During the Creek Indian War in 1813, General Andrew Jackson of the U.S. Army dispatched a contingent of troops down the trail, one of which included famous frontiersman Davy Crockett.[2]

During the American Civil War, the future location of Cullman was the site of the Battle of Day's Gap. On 30 April 1863, Union forces under the command of Colonel Abel Streight won a victory over forces under Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest. This battle was part of a campaign and chase known collectively as Streight's Raid. Although Streight got the upper hand in this battle, Forrest would have the last laugh. In one of the more humorous moments of the war, Streight sought a truce and negotiations with Forrest in present-day Cherokee County near present-day Gaylesville. Although Streight's force was larger than Forrest's, while the two were negotiating, Forrest had his troops march repeatedly in a circuitous route past the site of the talks. Thinking himself badly outnumbered, Streight surrendered to Forrest on the spot.[3]

Colonel John Cullmann, founder of Cullman (1823-1895)

Cullman itself was founded in 1873 by Colonel John G. Cullmann, a German refugee who arrived in America. (The city's name was Americanized to "Cullman", although some sources state that Cullmann had earlier Americanized his name from "Kullmann". Stanley Johnson, his only surviving American descendant, told The Cullman Times in 1998 that there are no German records indicating "Kullmann", and that "Cullmann" was always the correct spelling.)[4] Cullmann had been an advocate of democratic reforms in his native Germany, who fled when the autocratic Prussian-dominated regime emerged ascendant after the Revolutions of 1848. In 1873, Cullmann purchased 349 acres (1.41 km2) of land from the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company, on which he established a colony for German immigrants.[5]

Five German families moved to the area in March 1873; in 1878, the town was incorporated and named after Colonel Cullmann. Over the next twenty years, Cullmann encouraged around 10,000 Germans to immigrate to the United States, with many settling in the Cullman area. Cullmann drew on his military engineering training in laying out and planning the town. During this period, Cullman underwent considerable growth. German continued to be widely spoken, and Cullmann himself was the publisher of a German-language newspaper. When Cullmann died in 1895, at the age of 72, his funeral was marked by the attendance of Governor William C. Oates.[5] The site Cullmann selected for his headquarters is now his gravesite.

For many years Cullman was a college town, with Saint Bernard College serving as the home of several hundred students. In the mid-1970s, it briefly merged with Sacred Heart College (a two-year Benedictine women’s college), to become Southern Benedictine College. That college closed in 1979, and it now operates as Saint Bernard Preparatory School. The former site of Sacred Heart College is now the Sacred Heart Monastery, which serves as a retreat center operated by the Benedictine Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery.[6]

During the twentieth century, Cullman developed a more diverse economy, including several manufacturing and distribution facilities. However, its economy remains primarily based on agriculture and providing services to the agricultural workforce. Cullman County has the highest agricultural production in the state, and is one of the sixty largest agricultural-production counties in dollar terms in the United States.[7]

Cullman gained national attention in early 2008, when a special election was held to fill a vacancy in the Alabama House of Representatives. Cullman is known throughout the region as a sundown town. Those allegations were laid to rest when the district that included Cullman elected James C. Fields, an African-American, in that special election by an overwhelming margin.The Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce[8]

Cullman's German heritage was repressed during both World War I and World War II, as the United States was fighting Germany. This was reversed in the 1970s, with renewed interest in the city's history and heritage. Today, Cullman holds an annual Oktoberfest—although without the traditional beer, as Cullman is in a dry county.[5][9] An honorary "Bürgermeister" is elected for each Oktoberfest.

Geography

Cullman is located on top of Brindley Mountain plateau at 34°10′39″N 86°50′42″W / 34.17750°N 86.84500°W / 34.17750; -86.84500 (34.177508, -86.844996).Template:GR This is a close offshoot of the long geographic ridge called Sand Mountain, a southmost extension of the Appalachian Mountains. The elevation is 826 feet (252 m), close to the watershed between the Tennessee River and the Black Warrior River. Cullman provides its own town water supply from a city-owned lake within the city limits, Lake Catoma.[citation needed]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.1 square miles (49 km2). 18.3 square miles (47 km2) of this is land, with water making up 4.5%, or 0.9 square miles (2.3 km2).[10]

Education

The Cullman City School System operates five schools: Cullman Primary School (Pre-K - First Grade), East Elementary (Second Grade - Sixth Grade), West Elementary (Second Grade - Sixth Grade), John G. Cullman Middle School (Seventh and Eighth Grades) and Cullman High School (Ninth Grade - Twelfth Grade).[11] Other schools include Saint Bernard Preparatory School, a Benedictine boarding school (Ninth Grade - Twelfth Grade), Saint Bernard Middle School (Seventh and Eighth Grade), Sacred Heart Elementary School (Pre-K - Sixth Grade), and Saint Paul's Lutheran School (Pre-K - Sixth Grade).

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1880426—
18901,017138.7%
19001,25523.4%
19102,13069.7%
19202,46715.8%
19302,78612.9%
19405,07482.1%
19507,52348.3%
196010,85344.3%
197012,60116.1%
198013,0843.8%
199013,3672.2%
200013,9954.7%
2008 (est.)15,295

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 13,995 people, 6,059 households, and 3,762 families residing in the city.[12] The population density was 765.0 inhabitants per square mile (295.4/km2). There were 6,679 housing units at an average density of 365.1 per square mile (141.0/km2).[10] The racial makeup of the city was 96.43% White, 0.36% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.06% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. 4.85% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[12]

There were 6,059 households, out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 35.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.85.[12]

In the city the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 22.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.4 males.[12]

The median income for a household in the city was $29,164, and the median income for a family was $41,313. Males had a median income of $32,863 versus $21,647 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,484. About 9.4% of families and 13.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.3% of those under age 18 and 18.5% of those age 65 or over.[12]

Media

Radio stations

Newspaper

Health Care

  • Cullman Regional Medical Center - 115 bed facility

Transportation

Sister City

Notable persons from Cullman

References

  1. ^ "Detailed Tables". American Fact Finder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
  2. ^ Fulenwider first= Dan. "Cullman County, Alabama History: The Black Warrior's Path". Cullman County, Alabama. Retrieved 28 January 2010. {{cite web}}: Missing pipe in: |last= (help)
  3. ^ Partain, Rich. "Streight's Raid". co.cullman.al.us. Retrieved January 28, 2010.
  4. ^ "Cullman: Moving Forward while Treasuring the Past", The Cullman Times, 1998
  5. ^ a b c Johnson, Stanley. "Founding of Cullman". co.cullman.al.us. Retrieved January 28, 2010.
  6. ^ "History of St Bernard Prep". stbernardprep.com. Retrieved January 28, 2010.
  7. ^ "The Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce- Business Climate". cullmanchamber.org. Retrieved January 28, 2010.
  8. ^ NOSSITER, Adam (February 21, 2008). "Race Matters Less in Politics of South". The New York Times. p. A1. Retrieved 28 Januart 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  9. ^ "Oktoberfest Celebration Traces Back to Cullman's German Roots," The Birmingham News, October 2, 2004 p. 1B
  10. ^ a b "Geographic Comparison Table- Alabama". American Fast Facts. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
  11. ^ "Cullman City Schools". cullmancats.net. Retrieved January 28, 2010.
  12. ^ a b c d e "Fact Sheet- Cullman city, Alabama". American Fast Facts. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 27 January 2010.

34°10′39″N 86°50′42″W / 34.177508°N 86.844996°W / 34.177508; -86.844996

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