Blount County is a
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
located in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its s ...
of
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 = 135,76 ...
. As of the
2020 census, the population was 59,134.
Its
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 ...
is
Oneonta.
Blount County is a
moist county. In the November 6, 2012 elections, a countywide ballot initiative to allow alcohol sales was narrowly defeated, but Blountsville, Cleveland and Oneonta have allowed for the sale of alcohol since 2013.
Blount County has been dubbed the "Covered Bridge Capital of Alabama" since it has more historic covered bridges standing within a single county than any other in the state - with earlier covered bridges known of. This county celebrates the Covered Bridge Festival every autumn in Oneonta to commemorate its three remaining covered bridges.
History
Blount County was created by the
Alabama Territorial Legislature on February 6, 1818, formed from land ceded to the
federal government
A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-govern ...
by 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 ...
on August 9, 1814. This county was named for
Governor
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 ...
Willie Blount of
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
, who provided assistance to settlers in Alabama during the
Creek War. This county lies in the northeastern quadrant of the state, which is sometimes known as the mineral region of Alabama. Blount County is bordered by Cullman, Marshall, Etowah, Jefferson, Walker, and St. Clair Counties. This county is drained by the Locust and Mulberry Forks 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 southern edges of the Appalachian Highlands and flows 178 miles (286 km) to the Tombigbee River, of which the Bl ...
. Blount County covers . The Warrior coal field is located in Blount County.
Caleb Fryley and John Jones established Bear Meat Cabin in 1816. Its post office was opened in 1821, and the settlement was incorporated as
Blountsville on December 13, 1827. In 1889, an election resulted in the county seat being transferred to
Oneonta, Alabama.
Geography
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 th ...
, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.9%) is water.
Adjacent counties
*
Marshall County – northeast
*
Etowah County – east
*
St. Clair County – southeast
*
Walker County – southwest
*
Jefferson County – south
*
Cullman County – northwest
Transportation
Major highways
*
Interstate 65
Interstate 65 (I-65) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates ending in 5, it is a major crosscountry, north–south route, connecting between the Great Lakes and the Gulf ...
*
U.S. Highway 31
*
U.S. Highway 231
*
U.S. Highway 278
*
State Route 67
*
State Route 75
*
State Route 79
*
State Route 132
*
State Route 160
Rail
*
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track ...
, formerly the
Louisville and Nashville Railroad
The Louisville and Nashville Railroad , commonly called the L&N, was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States.
Chartered by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1850, the road grew into one of the ...
Demographics
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 59,134 people, 20,847 households, and 14,874 families residing in the county.
2010 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...
of 2010, there were 57,322 people, 16,175 households, and 16,175 families residing in the county. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberP ...
was 88.79 people per square mile. There were 23,887 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 92.6%
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 o ...
, 1.3%
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 ...
or
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 ensl ...
, 0.5%
Native American, 0.2%
Asian, 0.1%
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 ...
, 4.1% from
other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. 8.1% of the population were
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 form ...
or
Latino of any race.
There were 16,175 family households, of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25% were non-families. Alternative households included: 22.2% of households were made up of those living alone and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.72.
Blount County's population spread was as follows: 25.40% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 29.20% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 12.90% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,241, and the median income for a family was $41,573. Males had a median income of $31,455 versus $22,459 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 county was $16,325. About 8.60% of families and 11.70% 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 13.20% of those under age 18 and 17.40% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Blount County contains two
public school districts. There are approximately 9,200 students in public
PK-12 schools in Blount County.
Districts
School districts include:
*
Blount County School District
*
Oneonta City School District
Communities
Cities
*
Oneonta (county seat)
*
Warrior
A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal society, tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, social class, class, or caste.
History ...
(Partly in
Jefferson County)
Towns
*
Allgood
*
Altoona (partly in
Etowah County)
*
Blountsville
*
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U ...
*
County Line
Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders ...
(partly in
Jefferson County)
*
Garden City (partly in
Cullman County)
*
Hayden
*
Highland Lake
*
Locust Fork
*
Nectar
Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries or nectarines, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualist ...
*
Rosa
*
Snead
*
Susan Moore
*
Trafford
Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England, with an estimated population of 235,493 in 2017. It covers Retrieved on 13 December 2007. and includes the area of Old Trafford and the towns of Altrincham, Stretford, U ...
(partly in
Jefferson County)
Census-designated places
*
Remlap
*
Smoke Rise
Unincorporated communities
*
Bangor
*
Blount Springs
*
Bright Star
*
Brooksville
*
Hopewell
*
Little Warrior
*
Mount High
*
Sky Ball
*
Summit
A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous.
The term (mountain top) is generally used only for ...
Government
Blount County is a stronghold for
Republicans. Since
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight ...
, it has voted for the Republican presidential nominee with at least eighty percent of the vote every time. It was
Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. (May 27, 1911 – January 13, 1978) was an American pharmacist and politician who served as the 38th vice president of the United States from 1965 to 1969. He twice served in the United States Senate, representing M ...
's weakest county in the nation in
1968
The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide.
Events January–February
* January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
* Jan ...
with only 3.64 percent of the vote.
Places of interest
Blount County is home to an abundance of outdoor activities, such as
Rickwood Caverns State Park and the
Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River that are used by canoeists and kayakers. The county is also home to the picturesque covered bridges mentioned below: the
Swann Covered Bridge, the
Horton Mill Covered Bridge, and the
Easley Covered Bridge. As of summer 2009, all three bridges were closed due to safety concerns at the recommendation of the Alabama Department of Transportation. Restorations were completed from 2011 through 2013 and they are once again open.
See also
*
List of Alabama covered bridges
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Blount County, Alabama
*
Properties on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in Blount County, Alabama
References
External links
official site
{{authority control
Birmingham metropolitan area, Alabama
1818 establishments in Alabama Territory
Populated places established in 1818
Counties of Appalachia