Ashville is a city in and one of the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
s of
St. Clair County,
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
, United States,
other seat being
Pell City
Pell City is a city in and one of the county seats of St. Clair County, Alabama, United States, other seat being Ashville. At the 2020 census, the population was 12,939. At the 2010 census, the city-limit population jumped to 12,695.
It was hom ...
. Its population was 2,212 at the
2010 census, down from 2,260, at which time it was a town. It incorporated in 1822.
History
Ashville was initially founded as the community of St. Clairsville, but the name was changed to honor John Ash, the first white settler of the area who arrived in 1817.
He became the first county judge and later state senator. His log cabin stands in the city center. Philip Coleman originally owned the land on which the town stands, but he sold 30 acres to the five county commissioners, which included Ash, who was appointed by Gov.
Thomas Bibb
Thomas Bibb (May 8, 1783 – September 20, 1839) was the second governor of the US state of Alabama and served from 1820 to 1821. He was the president of the Alabama Senate when his brother, Governor William Wyatt Bibb, died in office on July 1 ...
to establish a new county seat for St. Clair. It was designated the county seat in 1821 and the village incorporated in 1822. The first courthouse, also a log structure, was built two years later. It was replaced in 1844 with the current courthouse building.
In 1890, a group of investors organized the Tennessee River, Ashville and Coosa Railroad Company, and planned to build a railroad line from
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
to
Anniston via Ashville. It managed to build to Ashville from
Whitney Whitney may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Whitney'' (2015 film), a Whitney Houston biopic starring Yaya DaCosta
* ''Whitney'' (2018 film), a documentary about Whitney Houston
* ''Whitney'' (TV series), an American sitcom that premiered i ...
, connecting the town to the
Alabama Great Southern Railroad
The Alabama Great Southern Railroad is a railroad in the U.S. states of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. It is an operating subsidiary of the Norfolk Southern Corporation (NS), running southwest from Chattanooga (where it ...
. However, it went bankrupt during the mid-1890s, and the tracks were dismantled and sold for scrap.
Electric lights came to Ashville in 1891, and the first telephone company was chartered in the same year. Residents in the southern half of the county often complained of the difficulty of traveling to Ashville over Backbone Mountain, which divides the county, so the state legislature authorized a satellite county seat to be established in Pell City in 1907 on the southern side of the mountain.
Geography
Ashville is located at (33.843737, -86.266274).
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the town had a total area of , of which is land and 0.1 square mile (0.26 km
2) (0.46%) is water.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
system, Ashville has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
Demographics
Ashville
Ashville first appeared on the 1860 U.S. Census as an incorporated town. It would not appear again on the census as a town until 1900. See also precinct below.
2000 Census data
As of the
census of 2000,
there were 2,260 people, 814 households, and 608 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 905 housing units at an average density of . The
racial makeup
A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the town was 69.42% White, 26.55% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.31% Pacific Islander, 1.81% from other races, and 1.55% from two or more races. 2.88% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 814 households, out of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.6% were
married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the town the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,509, and the median income for a family was $38,355. Males had a median income of $31,081 versus $21,914 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the town was $15,867. About 11.4% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 14.1% of those under age 18 and 18.3% of those age 65 or over.
2010 census
As of the
census of 2010,
there were 2,212 people, 793 households, and 597 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 888 housing units at an average density of . The
racial makeup
A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the town was 75.8% White, 20.3% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 03% Asian, 0% Pacific Islander, 1.4% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. 3.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 793 households, out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were
married couples living together, 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.7% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the town the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $33,321, and the median income for a family was $34,607. Males had a median income of $32,026 versus $30,033 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the town was $16,419. About 14.2% of families and 19.9% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 32.0% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there were 2,346 people, 778 households, and 584 families residing in the city.
Ashville Precinct/Division
The Ashville Beat (St. Clair County 1st Beat) first appeared on the 1870 U.S. Census. In 1890, "beat" was changed to "precinct." In 1960, the precinct was changed to "census division" as part of a general reorganization of counties.
[http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/37721510v1p2ch2.pdf, 1960 AL Census]
April 27, 2011 tornado
On the evening of April 27, 2011, an EF-4
tornado
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...
ripped through the Shoal Creek Valley community south of Ashville, killing 13 people. The tornado also destroyed hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of property including homes, livestock, timberland, and farm equipment. Rescuers from neighboring communities immediately responded after the twister swept through the valley; however, due to the abundance of fallen timber blocking the roads and the remoteness of the community, many victims were forced to wait hours before aid could arrive. Following the devastation, then-Governor
Robert Bentley visited the community along with officials from the Alabama Emergency Management Agency and the
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...
. The community received both federal and state disaster aid for several weeks following the destructive tornado.
Education
*St. Clair County School System
**Ashville Elementary School
***Principal: Shane Parker
****Guidance Counselor: Summer Burke
**Ashville Middle School
*** Principal: Rusty St. John
****Assistant Principal: TBA
****Guidance Counselor: Kerry Montgomery
**Ashville High School
***Principal: Janet Johnson
****Assistant Principal: TBA
****Guidance Counselor: TBA
***Mascot: Bulldogs - School Colors: Kelly Green, White, and Orange
Notable people
*
Rufus W. Cobb
Rufus Willis Cobb (February 25, 1829 – November 26, 1913) was an American Democratic politician who was the 25th Governor of Alabama from 1878 to 1882. He is the only person to serve as both Governor of Alabama and Grand Master of the Grand Lo ...
,
Governor of Alabama
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...
from 1878–1882
*
John Grass
John Grass, Matȟó Watȟákpe or Charging Bear (1836–May 10, 1918) was a chief of the Sihasapa (Blackfeet) band of Lakota people during the 1870s through 1890s.Merkel, Diane and Dietmar Schulte-Möhring"John Grass."''American Tribes.'' 2009 ( ...
, Ashville High School: c/o 1985, head football coach for
Jacksonville State University
Jacksonville State University (JSU) is a public university in Jacksonville, Alabama. Founded in 1883, Jacksonville State offers programs of study in six academic schools leading to bachelor's, master's, education specialist, and doctorate degr ...
*
Howard Hill,
Hollywood archer, called "The World's Greatest Archer," winning 196 field archery competitions. Also stunt double for actor
Errol Flynn
Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Olivia ...
. Buried in Ashville
See also
*
Confederate Monument (Ashville, Alabama)
Photo Gallery
File:Court Street Ashville Alabama Oct 2014.jpg,
Court Street, Ashville
File:First Baptist Ashville Alabama Oct 2014.jpg, First Baptist Church, Ashville
File:St. Clair County Courthouse Ashville Oct 2014 2.jpg, St. Clair County Courthouse, Ashville
File:St. Clair County Courthouse Ashville Oct 2014 1.jpg, St. Clair County Courthouse, Ashville
File:Inzer House Oct 2014 1.jpg, Inzer House, Ashville
File:Dr. James J. Bothwell House Oct 2014 1.jpg, Dr. James J. Bothwell House, Ashville
File:Judge Elisha Robinson House Oct 2014 1.jpg, Judge Elisha Robinson House, Ashville
File:John Looney House.jpg, John Looney House, Ashville
References
External links
City website
{{authority control
Cities in St. Clair County, Alabama
Cities in Alabama
County seats in Alabama
Birmingham metropolitan area, Alabama