Hackleburg is a town in
Marion 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. It incorporated on August 23, 1909.
[Christopher Maloney,]
Hackleburg
" ''Encyclopedia of Alabama'', 16 July 2018. At the 2020 census, its population was 1,425,
down from 1,516 at the 2010 census.
History
Hackleburg developed in the early 19th century as a stop along
Jackson's Military Road
Jackson's Military Road was a 19th-century route connecting Nashville, Tennessee, with New Orleans, Louisiana. After the War of 1812, Congress appropriated funds in 1816 to build and improve this road. It was completed in 1820. The road was named ...
. It was named by the early drovers of sheep who passed through the region while ''en route'' to market in
Tuscumbia, and whose sheep encountered a thorny plant growing in abundance in that area and known locally by the name
hack burrs (often corrupted to "hack berries") and which same plants were often fatal to sheep, besides being destructive to their wool.
A post office opened in the town in 1885.
Hackleburg incorporated in 1909 following the construction of a branch line of the
Illinois Central Railroad
The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, was a railroad in the Central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois, with New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama. A line also c ...
through the area.
Hackleburg marks the highest point (some 931 feet above sea level) along the route connecting Miami, Florida with Chicago, Illinois.
2011 tornado
On April 27, 2011, Hackleburg suffered catastrophic damage when it was hit by an
EF5 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 ...
– part of the
2011 Super Outbreak. Eighteen Hackleburg residents died in the storm. On May 2, the
Red Cross
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
declared the city 75 percent destroyed.
Many people rebuilt here, although 2017 population estimates showed a slight decline from 2010.
Geography
Hackleburg is located in northern Marion County at .
U.S. Route 43
U.S. Route 43 (US 43) is a north–south United States Highway in the Southern United States, Southern states of Alabama and Tennessee. It travels from Prichard, Alabama, to Columbia, Tennessee. The highway's southern terminus is in Pr ...
and
Alabama State Route 172
State Route 172 (SR 172) is a state highway that serves as an east-west connection between Vina and Bear Creek through Franklin and Marion Counties. SR 172 intersects SR 19 at its western terminus and SR 13 at its eastern terminus.
Route d ...
intersect in the center of town. US 43 connects the town with
Russellville to the north and
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to:
People
* Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname
** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland
** Lord Hamilt ...
, the Marion
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 ...
, to the southwest.
Dismals Canyon
Dismals Canyon is a sandstone Canyon, gorge near Phil Campbell, Alabama, Phil Campbell in Franklin County, Alabama. It was declared a National Natural Landmark in May 1974.
Dismals Canyon is one of only a few places where insects called dismalite ...
, a
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...
, is located northeast of Hackleburg. 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 ...
, the town has a total area of , of which , or 0.07%, are water.
The town center is on 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 ...
(
watershed), with half of the town draining north toward
Bear 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 names, ...
, and half draining south to tributaries of Clifty Creek, part of the
Tombigbee River
The Tombigbee River is a tributary of the Mobile River, approximately 200 mi (325 km) long, in the U.S. states of Mississippi and Alabama. Together with the Alabama, it merges to form the short Mobile River before the latter empties int ...
basin.
Demographics
2000 census
At the
2000 census there were 1,527 people, 657 households, and 444 families in the town. The population density was . There were 737 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 99.21% White, 0.13% Black or African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.07% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. 0.26% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 657 households 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 29.5% of households were one person and 16.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.88.
The age distribution was 23.2% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.
The median household income was $26,075 and the median family income was $30,938. Males had a median income of $26,542 versus $20,739 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,239. About 10.8% of families and 14.8% 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 13.2% of those under age 18 and 25.8% of those age 65 or over.
2010 census
At the
2010 census there were 1,516 people, 656 households, and 433 families in the town. The population density was . There were 769 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 97.7% White, 0.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.0% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. 1.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 656 households 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 30.5% of households were one person and 17.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.83.
The age distribution was 20.5% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 21.1% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 21.1% 65 or older. The median age was 44.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.5 males.
The median household income was $29,350 and the median family income was $34,375. Males had a median income of $27,426 versus $24,625 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,584. About 27.4% of families and 31.1% 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 51.3% of those under age 18 and 18.5% 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 1,425 people, 536 households, and 344 families residing in the town.
Education
Hackleburg is a part of the Marion County Schools district.
Hackleburg Elementary and High School's mascot is the Panther, and the school colors are Black and Gold. The schools were among the many buildings destroyed by the tornado of April 27, 2011.
The Marion County Board of Education initiated construction of a $25 million total K-12 academic complex in Hackleburg. It opened for the 2015–2016 school year.
Athletics
The 2003 and the 2004 Hackleburg High School baseball teams finished as runners-up in the Alabama High School Athletic Association state baseball tournament. The 2007 Hackleburg High School baseball team won the 1A State Championship in the Alabama High School Athletic Association state baseball tournament. It marked the first state championship in the school's history. In December 2009 the High School football team became 1A State runners-up in the AHSAA football championship losing to the
Brantley Bulldogs.
Notable people
*
Sonny James
Jimmie Hugh Loden (May 1, 1928February 22, 2016), known professionally as Sonny James, was an American country music singer and songwriter best known for his 1957 hit, " Young Love", topping both of the early versions of today's ''Billboard'' ...
,
Country Music Hall of Fame
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amass ...
singer
*
Charles Moore, civil rights
photojournalist
Photojournalism is journalism that uses images to tell a news story. It usually only refers to still images, but can also refer to video used in broadcast journalism. Photojournalism is distinguished from other close branches of photography (such ...
*
Gary Palmer, congressman
References
External links
*
*
{{authority control
Towns in Marion County, Alabama
Towns in Alabama