Albertville is a city in Marshall County,

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, and is included in the

Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area The Huntsville–Decatur, AL Combined Statistical Area is the most populated sub-region of North Alabama, and is the second fastest growing region in the State of Alabama, with 659,486 living within the CSA. It is also currently the 57th largest ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 22,386. It is the largest city in Marshall County.

History

The area which today includes Albertville was inhabited by the indigenous

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, th ...

, until their removal to Oklahoma in the 1830s. It was near the territory of the

Creek nation The Muscogee Nation, or Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is a federally recognized Native American tribe based in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The nation descends from the historic Muscogee Confederacy, a large group of indigenous peoples of the South ...

, and several major trails which afforded communication (or military action) between the two nations crossed the area. It is believed to have been crossed by Spanish explorer

Hernando de Soto Hernando de Soto (; ; 1500 – 21 May, 1542) was a Spanish explorer and ''conquistador'' who was involved in expeditions in Nicaragua and the Yucatan Peninsula. He played an important role in Francisco Pizarro's conquest of the Inca Empire ...

during his expeditions in 1540. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

, the area around Albertville was the scene of several mid-level clashes between Union and Confederate forces. The first non-indigenous settlement in what is today Albertville began in the 1850s. It was named for Thomas A. Albert, an early settler who moved from

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

and was a town leader until his death in 1876. The city was incorporated in 1891. A post office was established in 1910. Albertville Cyclone2

At about 4:10 p.m. on April 24, 1908, the city was virtually wiped out by a

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, alt ...

that became commonly called "The Great Cyclone", or "The Cyclone of 1908". The storm is believed to have killed 35 people across northeastern Alabama, including 15 in Albertville. Relief was largely delivered by railroad, particularly from the nearby city of Gadsden. Trains from Gadsden transported doctors, nurses, and the Queen City Guards, the Alabama militia company based in Gadsden. The commander of the latter, future Gadsden mayor and Col. R.A. Mitchell, reported in a dispatch to Governor B.B. Comer:

... The destruction of property here is, I think, unprecedented in the history of the state. I have never seen anything like it, so complete and absolute as to leave little of worth in the path of the storm through town. On viewing the wreckage, covering easily forty acres or more in the heart of town, it appears incredible that any living being could have escaped the fury of the storm and death ...

In 1893, the Alabama Legislature passed an act for the erection of an agricultural college in each of the state's congressional districts. After some competition, Albertville was awarded the school for the Seventh District. This is the school that evolved into today's Albertville High School, whose sports teams are still known as the "Aggies". In 1910, Albertville had a population of 1,544, becoming the largest community in Marshall County. Before the

New Deal The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Con ...

, when the

Tennessee Valley Authority The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federally owned electric utility corporation in the United States. TVA's service area covers all of Tennessee, portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, and small areas of Georgia, North Carolin ...

built Guntersville Dam, flooding on the Tennessee River would frequently leave the county courthouse in

Guntersville Guntersville (previously known as Gunter's Ferry and later Gunter's Landing) is a city and the county seat of Marshall County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population of the city was 8,553. Guntersville is located in a HUBZ ...

inaccessible for residents of Albertville and other areas atop Sand Mountain. In 1919, the Alabama Legislature responded by requiring the erection of a courthouse at Albertville, in which cases arising in that part of the county would be heard. In 1950, Albertville had a population of 5,397, and reclaimed the title (from Guntersville) of the largest city in the county, and has held the distinction ever since. On June 1, 2009, the city council voted to establish

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

as the town's official language. On April 24, 2010, an EF-3 tornado ripped through downtown Albertville. The storm resulted in no deaths. The high school was severely damaged, nearly every home had some type of damage, and many were destroyed beyond repair.

Geography

Albertville is located in southeastern Marshall County at (34.265362, -86.211261). It is bordered to the southeast by the city of Boaz and to the northwest by the city of

. According to the

U.S. 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 ...

, Albertville has a total area of , of which , or 0.37%, are water. The city sits at an elevation of atop Sand Mountain, a plateau that in this area is about wide. The

Tennessee Valley Divide The Tennessee Valley Divide is the boundary of the drainage basin of the Tennessee River and its tributaries. The Tennessee River drainage basin begins with its tributaries in southwestern Virginia and flows generally west to the confluence of t ...

passes through the southern part of the city. The majority of the city drains north to Short Creek, a tributary of the

Tennessee River The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other name ...

, while the southern part drains to Slab Creek, a west-flowing tributary of the

Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River The Locust Fork River, in the U.S. State of Alabama, is one of three major tributaries of the Black Warrior River The Black Warrior River is a waterway in west-central Alabama in the southeastern United States. The river rises in the extreme ...

. The current slogan of Albertville is "The Heart of Sand Mountain", which can be seen on the welcome sign coming into the city.

Climate

Demographics

City of Albertville

Albertville first appeared as an incorporated town on the 1910 U.S. Census. It was also the same name as its precinct/census division, which preceded it in reporting on the census since 1880 (See Albertville Precinct below).

2000 Census data

At the 2000 census, there were 17,247 people in 6,566 households, including 4,615 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 7,090 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 city was 86.15%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 2.05%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.31% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.10%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 9.78% from other races, and 1.35% from two or more races. 16.08% of the population are

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino. By 2007, the Hispanic population was estimated at 25%. In 2000 Of the 6,566 households 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 25.9% of households were one person and 12.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.08. The age distribution was 26.0% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males. The median household income was $31,893 and the median family income was $38,508. Males had a median income of $30,076 versus $20,275 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,336. About 14.1% of families and 16.7% 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 ...

, including 21.8% of those under age 18 and 21.0% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 21,160 people in 7,497 households, including 5,270 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 8,128 housing units at an average density of . The

of the city was 75.9%

, 1.9%

, 0.8% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1%

, 18.7% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. 27.9% of the population are

or Latino. In 2010, of the 7,497 households 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 24.6% of households were one person and 11.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.27. The age distribution was 28.2% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% 65 or older. The median age was 32.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.2 males. The median household income was $35,843 and the median family income was $41,862. Males had a median income of $30,164 versus $25,700 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,839. About 15.8% of families and 23.6% of the population were below the

, including 35.6% of those under age 18 and 7.6% 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 off ...

, there were 22,386 people, 7,249 households, and 5,099 families residing in the city.

Albertville Precinct/Division (1880-1970); Albertville-Boaz Division (1980-)

Albertville, the 4th Beat/Precinct of Marshall County, first appeared on the 1880 U.S. Census. In 1960, Albertville precinct was changed to census division as part of a general reorganization of counties. In 1980, Albertville and Boaz Census Divisions were merged to become the Albertville-Boaz Census Division.

Education

Public schools are overseen by

Albertville City Schools The Albertville City Schools or Albertville City School System is the public school district of Albertville, Alabama. Albertville City School System serves 5,842 students and employs 302 teachers and 155 staff as of the 2020-2021 school year. T ...

. There are six schools in the city: * Albertville Kindergarten and Pre-K - Kindergarten * Albertville Primary School- 1st and 2nd grades * Albertville Elementary School- 3rd and 4th grades * Albertville Intermediate School - 5th and 6th grades * Albertville Middle School- 7th and 8th grades * Albertville High School - 9th through 12th grades

Healthcare

* Marshall Medical Center South, a 150-bed facility, serves the region.

Industry

Albertville is home to the Mueller Company, which produces fire hydrants, thus Albertville holds the title of "Fire Hydrant Capital of the World." To commemorate the one millionth fire hydrant, a chrome fire hydrant was placed outside the Albertville Chamber of Commerce. Albertville is also home to poultry plants operated by Wayne Farms,

Pilgrim's Pride Pilgrim's Pride Corporation is an American, multi-national food company, currently one of the largest chicken producers in the United States and Puerto Rico and the second-largest chicken producer in Mexico. It exited bankruptcy in December 2009 ...

, and

Tyson Foods Tyson Foods, Inc. is an American multinational corporation, based in Springdale, Arkansas, that operates in the food industry. The company is the world's second-largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork after JBS S.A. It annually ...

.
Mitchell Grocery Corporation
located in Albertville, is a wholesale grocery distribution center serving more than 200 independent supermarkets in the Southeast. In April 2012
Newman Technology
broke ground on an auto parts manufacturing facility in Albertville. This plant will build component parts for Honda, Acura and Subaru and is expected to begin operating in early 2013. Newman was established in 1987 and is a wholly owned subsidiary o

of Japan. It is a supplier of fabricated and value-added assemblies to the automotive and recreational vehicle markets with facilities current in Mansfield, Ohio, and Aiken, S.C.

Popular culture

When the

1992 Winter Olympics ) , nations = 64 , athletes = 1,801 (1313 men, 488 women) , events = 57 in 6 sports (12 disciplines) , opening = 8 February 1992 , closing = 23 February 1992 , opened_by = President François Mitterrand , cauldron ...

were held in Albertville, France, the citizens of its heteronymic counterpart in Alabama took full advantage of the opportunity to put their town on display. Mock winter games were held in this subtropical city, and one

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

radio station offered listeners a chance to win a trip to "the Albertville games" in Alabama. In 2008, Albertville was featured in an episode in the fifth season of the A&E television documentary series '' Intervention'' titled "Meth Mountain". Among the featured Albertville residents was Dr. Mary Holley, an obstetrician whose

methamphetamine Methamphetamine (contracted from ) is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug and less commonly as a second-line treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity. Methamp ...

-addicted brother committed suicide, and who founded the anti-methamphetamine group "Mothers Against Methamphetamine". Albertville was featured in two episodes of the radio show and podcast ''

This American Life ''This American Life'' (''TAL'') is an American monthly hour-long radio program produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media and hosted by Ira Glass. It is broadcast on numerous public radio stations in the United States and internati ...

''. The episodes focused on the influx of Latino immigrants in the town's chicken plants and the impact this had on the community.

Transportation

U.S. Highway 431 U.S. Route 431 (US 431) is a spur of U.S. Route 31. It currently travels for approximately from US 231/ Alabama State Route 210 and US 231 Business (US 231 Bus.) and US 431 Bus. in Dothan, Alabama, to Owensboro, ...

Alabama Highway 75 * alabama 205

Alabama State Route 205 State Route 205 (SR 205) is a state highway that serves as a connection between the towns of Guntersville in Marshall County and Boaz in Etowah County. The highway serves as an alternate to U.S. Route 431 (US 431) through ...

* Thomas J. Brumlik Field (Albertville Regional Airport) *

Alabama and Tennessee River Railway The Alabama and Tennessee River Railway is a shortline railway operating (via lease) over trackage formerly operated by CSX Transportation. The line's western terminus is a junction with the CSX (former Louisville and Nashville Railroad) main line ...

Notable people

Edward Earl Carnes Edward Earl Carnes (born June 3, 1950) is a Senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Education and legal career Carnes received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Al ...

, judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit * Rusty Greer, professional baseball player with the Texas Rangers *

Charley Hannah Charles Alvin Hannah (born July 26, 1955) is a former American football offensive guard and defensive end who played in the National Football League from 1977 to 1988. Charley played six years for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and six years for the L ...

, former professional football

offensive guard Offensive may refer to: * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative (Netherlands), Socialist Alternative * Offensive (military), an attack * Offensive language ** Fighting words or insulting language, words that ...

and

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is p ...

* John Hannah, professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

offensive lineman; elected to the

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coa ...

Glenn Hearn Glenn Hubbard Hearn (April 17, 1914 – January 7, 1978) was an American politician who served as mayor of Huntsville, Alabama, from 1964 to 1968. He also served as a special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1941 until becoming ...

, former mayor of

Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in ...

, FBI Special Agent, Alabama State Legislator * Angela Little, model, actress, and ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...

Playmate of the Month A Playmate is a female model featured in the centerfold/gatefold of ''Playboy'' magazine as Playmate of the Month (PMOTM). The PMOTM's pictorial includes nude photographs and a centerfold poster, along with a pictorial biography and the "Play ...

* Ola L. Mize,

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

officer and recipient of the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...

for his actions in the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...

Charley Pell Charles Byron Pell (February 17, 1941 – May 29, 2001) was an American college football player and coach. Pell was an Alabama native and an alumnus of the University of Alabama, where he played college football. He is most notably remembere ...

, former head football coach at

Clemson University Clemson University () is a public land-grant research university in Clemson, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Clemson is the second-largest university in the student population in South Carolina. For the fall 2019 semester, the university enr ...

and the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

* Susan Story, utility executive * Bobby Thomason, first professional football

quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...

to throw for over 400 yards in a single game

Gallery

File:Albertville, Alabama City Hall.JPG, Albertville City Hall File:Marshall County, Alabama Courthouse.JPG, Marshall County Satellite Courthouse in Albertville File:United States Post Office (Albertville, Alabama).JPG, The U.S. Post Office building in Albertville (currently in use by the Albertville Board of Education) was built in 1931 and placed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on June 21, 1983. File:Albertville, Alabama Depot.JPG, The Albertville L&N Railroad Depot was placed on the

on February 20, 1975. File:Albertville Alabama Aerial - January 2015 (30213969638).jpg, Albertville aerial photo, 2015 File:AL205RoadSign-Albertville (27068070514).jpg, AL 205 road sign - Albertville File:1942 map of Albertville, Alabama.jpeg, 1942 map of Albertville, AL File:Albertville Galaxy (14933436956).jpg, Aerial photo over Albertville at night, 2014 File:Albertville Regional Airport.jpg, Albertville Regional Airport File:AL75 North - AL205 Signs (46432303965).jpg, Road signs in downtown Albertville

References

Notes

References

External links

*
Albertville Chamber of CommerceMarshall County Economic Development CouncilMarshall County Tourism & Sports
{{Authority control Populated places established in 1891 Cities in Alabama Cities in Marshall County, Alabama Huntsville-Decatur, AL Combined Statistical Area 1891 establishments in Alabama

History

Geography

Climate

Demographics

City of Albertville

2000 Census data

2010 census

2020 census

Albertville Precinct/Division (1880-1970); Albertville-Boaz Division (1980-)

Education

Healthcare

Industry

Popular culture

Transportation

Notable people

Gallery

See also

References

Notes

References

External links