Lauderdale County, Alabama

Lauderdale County, Alabama

Lauderdale County Courthouse in Florence
Map of Alabama highlighting Lauderdale County
Location in the U.S. state of Alabama
Map of the United States highlighting Alabama
Alabama's location in the U.S.
Founded February 6, 1818[1]
Named for James Lauderdale
Seat Florence
Largest city Florence
Area
 • Total 721 sq mi (1,867 km2)
 • Land 668 sq mi (1,730 km2)
 • Water 53 sq mi (137 km2), 7.4%
Population (est.)
 • (2015) 92,596
 • Density 139/sq mi (54/km²)
Congressional district 5th
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Website www.lauderdalecountyonline.com

Footnotes:  

  • County Number 41 on Alabama Licence Plates

Lauderdale County is a county located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2010 census the population was 92,709.[2] Its county seat is Florence.[3] Its name is in honor of Colonel James Lauderdale, of Tennessee.

Lauderdale is part of the Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL Metropolitan Statistical Area, also known as "The Shoals".

History

Lauderdale County was named in honor of Col. James Lauderdale[4] who was born in Virginia about 1780. In the early 19th century, Lauderdale, who moved to West Tennessee, became a major in General John Coffee's cavalry of volunteers. Later promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, he commanded a brigade of mounted riflemen, serving under Andrew Jackson in many battles against the Indians. According to reliable historians, Col. Lauderdale did not die in the Battle of New Orleans, but was wounded in the Battle of Talladega and died on December 23, 1814, seventeen days before Jackson's crushing defeat of the British at New Orleans. Several towns and counties in the southern states were named in his honor, though it is said that he never set foot in Lauderdale County.

Lauderdale County was established in 1818,[1] a year before Alabama became a state. Florence, the county seat of Lauderdale County, was also established in 1818. At this time a group of investors, under the name of Cypress Land Company purchased from the government 5,515 acres (22.32 km2) of land consisting of the original town site. Other towns in Lauderdale County competing for early settlers because of their proximity to the river were Savage's Spring, nine miles (14 km) below Florence and Waterloo, some 20 miles (32 km) downriver.

Among the older settlements in the county is Center Star, located between Killen and Rogersville. This area was once claimed by both the Chickasaws and Cherokees, necessitating a cession of territory from each tribe before the settlement could be established. At one time, he remains of an old Indian village could be seen southwest of Center Star. Other old settlements included Middleton and Elgin, the latter known first as Ingram's Elgin Cross Roads.

Rogersville, lying some 23 miles (37 km) to the east of Florence, was named for John Rogers, an Indian Trader, whose sons were fast friends of the great Sam Houston. The late Will Rogers is said to have been a descendant of this same family. An early ferry that operated for many years was Lamb's Ferry near Rogersville.

Lexington, Springfield, and Anderson lie to the north of the Lee Highway, the town of Lexington being a part of the territory once claimed by the Cherokees. Many of the settlers of that area came from Tennessee and the Carolinas. The first post office of record at Lexington was on the Loretto Road, north of town, in 1880. Mail at that time was brought in from Loretto, Tennessee, by horseback and carts.

The town of St. Florian was established in 1872 on the Jackson Highway and named by its German Catholic founders for their patron saint.

Four Alabama governors were from the County, Hugh McVay, Robert M. Patton, Edward A. O'Neal, and Emmett O'Neal.[5]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 721 square miles (1,870 km2), of which 668 square miles (1,730 km2) is land and 53 square miles (140 km2) (7.4%) is water.[6]

National protected areas

Rivers

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
18204,963—
183011,781137.4%
184014,48523.0%
185017,17218.6%
186017,4201.4%
187015,091−13.4%
188021,03539.4%
189023,73912.9%
190026,55911.9%
191030,93616.5%
192039,55627.9%
193041,1304.0%
194046,23012.4%
195054,17917.2%
196061,62213.7%
197068,11110.5%
198080,54618.3%
199079,661−1.1%
200087,96610.4%
201092,7095.4%
Est. 201592,596[7]−0.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790–1960[9] 1900–1990[10]
1990–2000[11] 2010–2015[2]

2010

According to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:

2000

As of the census[12] of 2000, there were 87,966 people, 36,088 households, and 25,153 families residing in the county. The population density was 131 people per square mile (51/km2). There were 40,424 housing units at an average density of 60 per square mile (23/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 84.38% White or European American, 13.85% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. 1.02% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

In 2005 87.8% of the county population was non-Hispanic whites. African Americans were 11.7% of the population and Latinos 1.2% of the population.

According to the census[13] of 2000, the largest ancestry groups in Lauderdale County were English 41.9%, African 13.85%, Scots-Irish 9.66%, Scottish 4.11%, Irish 3.19% and Welsh 2.5%

In 2000 there were 36,088 households out of which 30.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.80% were married couples living together, 10.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.30% were non-families. 26.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.00% 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 2.89.

In the county the population was spread out with 23.00% under the age of 18, 10.10% from 18 to 24, 27.90% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,354, and the median income for a family was $41,438. Males had a median income of $33,943 versus $20,804 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,626. About 10.50% of families and 14.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.50% of those under age 18 and 11.30% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Major highways

Rail

Points of interest

Lauderdale County is home to the W. C. Handy Home and Museum and the Rosenbaum House.

Recreation

Government

Lauderdale County vote
by party in presidential elections [15]
Year GOP DNC Others
2016 70.6% 27,735 25.2% 9,877 4.2% 1,663
2012 64.8% 23,902 33.9% 12,504 1.3% 502
2008 63.2% 24,068 35.0% 13,329 1.8% 707
2004 59.7% 22,161 39.4% 14,628 0.9% 318
2000 54.4% 17,478 43.2% 13,875 2.4% 784

Communities

Florence
Lexington

City

Towns

Census-designated place

Unincorporated communities

See also

References

  1. 1 2 A digest of the laws of the State of Alabama: containing the statutes and resolutions in force at the end of the General Assembly in January, 1823. Published by Ginn & Curtis, J. & J. Harper, Printers, New-York, 1828. Title 10. Chapter XII. Pages 85. An Act to establish the western and southern Boundaries of Madison County, and to establish the Counties of Limestone and Lauderdale--Passed February 6, 1818.
  2. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  4. ↑ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 182.
  5. ↑ "The History of Lauderdale County". Lauderdale County, Alabama Government. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  6. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  7. ↑ "County Totals Dataset: Population, Population Change and Estimated Components of Population Change: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  8. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  10. ↑ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 24, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  12. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  13. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  14. ↑ "26. The Shoal Creek Preserve Tract". Forever Wild Program Land Tracts. Outdoor Alabama: Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  15. ↑ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Retrieved November 21, 2016.

Additional reading

William Lindsey McDonald (2003). A Walk Through the Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. Heart of Dixie Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9719945-6-0. 

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Coordinates: 34°53′57″N 87°39′01″W / 34.89917°N 87.65028°W / 34.89917; -87.65028

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