Jasper is a city in and 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 ...

of Walker 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 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 primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Its population was 14,352 as of the 2010 census. Named in honor of Sergeant

William Jasper William Jasper (''c.'' 1750 – October 9, 1779) was a noted American soldier in the Revolutionary War. He was a sergeant in the 2nd South Carolina Regiment. Jasper distinguished himself in the defense of Fort Moultrie (then called Fort Sulliv ...

, an

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

hero, Jasper was settled around 1815 and incorporated on August 18, 1886. The first significant growth of the area was in 1886, when the Kansas City, Memphis and Birmingham Railroad and the Sheffield & Birmingham Railroads were completed through Jasper. The population grew from 200 people in 1886 to more than 3,000 in 1890. In a special edition in 1891, the ''Mountain Eagle'' stated there were six coal mines, two sandstone quarries, 400 coke ovens, one foundry and machine shop, two saw mills, one brick works, four hotels, and two banks.

Historic sites

Jasper has several sites listed 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 v ...

. These include the

John Hollis Bankhead House John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

, First United Methodist Church, Jasper Downtown Historic District, and Walker County Hospital.

Geography

Jasper is located at (33.842347, -87.277174). 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 city has a total area of , of which is land and 0.04% is water.

Climate

Demographics

2000 census

At the 2000 census, there were 14,052 people, 5,728 households, and 3,809 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 6,473 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 84.15% White, 13.98% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.7% some other race, and 1.4% two or more races. 4.4% of the population was Hispanic. Of the 5,728 households 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 29.7% of households were one person and 13.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.38, and the average family size was 2.93. The age distribution was 21.5% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% 65 or older. The median age was 41.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.3 males. The median household income was $41,586 and the median family income was $54,059. Males had a median income of $51,548 versus $35,248 for females. The per capita income for the city was $27,927. About 14.8% 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 t ...

, including 29.5% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 14,352 people, 5,760 households, and 3,831 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 6,478 housing units at an average density of 241 per square mile (93/km). The

of the city was 81.3% White, 13.4% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.l. Of the 5,760 households 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 31.1% of households were one person and 14.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.33, and the average family size was 2.91. The age distribution was 21.9% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% 65 or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males. The median household income was $33,044 and the median family income was $43,674. Males had a median income of $35,182 versus $22,868 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,491. About 10.2% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the

, including 18.3% of those under age 18 and 13.2% 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 14,572 people, 5,269 households, and 3,176 families residing in the city.

Arts and culture

Jasper is the location of the

SyFy Channel Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...

's documentary show "Town of the Living Dead". The city is also home to the annual "Foothills Festival" that happens every year in "Historic Downtown Jasper Square." They hold live music and food vendors all around the Famous Downtown Jasper Square. In 2017 the dates for the "Foothills Festival" have been announced for September 15 and September 16. In the TV series ''Lost'', Jasper is the hometown of

James "Sawyer" Ford James Ford, better known by the alias "Sawyer" () and later as "Jim LaFleur", is a fictional character on the ABC television series ''Lost'', portrayed by Josh Holloway Josh Lee Holloway (born July 20, 1969) is an American actor best known ...

. The 2020 documentary film ''

Jasper Mall Jasper Mall is an enclosed shopping mall located in Jasper, Alabama, United States, approximately northwest of Birmingham. History The mall opened on August 8, 1981. It currently is approximately in size, and includes two anchors and about 10 ...

'' centers around the economically distressed

Schools

;Elementary T.R. Simmons Elementary School (PreK-1), Memorial Park Elementary School (2-3) ;Intermediate Maddox Intermediate School (4-6) ;Junior High Jasper Junior High (7-8) ;High School Jasper High School (9-12) (formerly Walker High School) (Originally Walker County High School, WCHS) ;North Highlands School School for students with disabilities of all grades ;Former Schools West Jasper Elementary School (Closed 2017)

Media

Newspaper

*The

Daily Mountain Eagle The ''Daily Mountain Eagle'' is a daily newspaper servicing the Jasper, Alabama area. The paper is owned by Paxton Media Group and operated locally. It is one of only two corporation papers that provides information to the locals in the immediate a ...

(daily)

Radio

* WJLX/1240 kHz (

Oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music (broadly characterized as classic rock and pop rock) from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as we ...

) *

WIXI WIXI (1360 AM) is a radio station licensed to serve the community of Jasper, Alabama, United States. The station, established in 1946 as WWWB, is currently owned and operated by Gary Richardson, through licensee Richardson Broadcasting Corporat ...

/1360 kHz (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

) * WQJJ-LP/101.9 MHz (

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

) *W268BM/101.5 MHz: rebroadcasts WJLX.

Television

* W25FC-D/25

Notable people

Jason Aaron Jason Aaron (born January 28, 1973) is an American comic book writer, known for his creator-owned series ''Scalped'' and ''Southern Bastards'', as well as his work on Marvel series '' Ghost Rider'', ''Wolverine'', '' PunisherMAX'', ''Thor'', and ...

, comic writer * John H. Bankhead II,

United States Senator The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...

Tallulah Bankhead Tallulah Brockman Bankhead (January 31, 1902 – December 12, 1968) was an American actress. Primarily an actress of the stage, Bankhead also appeared in several prominent films including an award-winning performance in Alfred Hitchcock's ''Lif ...

, actress * Walter W. Bankhead, member of the

77th United States Congress The 77th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1941, ...

William Brockman Bankhead William Brockman Bankhead (April 12, 1874 – September 15, 1940) was an American politician who served as the 42nd speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1936 to 1940, representing Alabama's 10th and later 7th congression ...

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives The speaker of the United States House of Representatives, commonly known as the speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives. The office was established in 1789 by Article I, Section 2 of the U. ...

Tom Bevill Tom Donald Fike Bevill (March 27, 1921 – March 28, 2005) was an American attorney, politician, and Democratic fifteen-term U.S. congressman who represented Alabama's 4th Congressional District and Alabama's 7th congressional district from 19 ...

, member,

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

Ronnie Coleman Ronald "Ronnie" Dean Coleman (born May 13, 1964) is an American retired professional bodybuilder. The winner of the Mr. Olympia title for eight consecutive years, he is widely regarded as either the greatest bodybuilder of all time or one of th ...

, NFL player *

Eric Dover Eric Dover (born January 19, 1967) is an American guitarist and singer, most notably with Jellyfish, Slash's Snakepit, Imperial Drag, and Alice Cooper. Biography Dover began playing guitar when he was 11 years old. He started playing around t ...

, musician * Violet Edwards, member of the Madison County Commission, representing the 6th District *

Eric Esch Eric Scott Esch (born August 3, 1966), better known by his nickname "Butterbean", is an American retired professional boxer, kickboxer, mixed martial artist, and professional wrestler who competed in the heavyweight division. He is also a televis ...

, professional boxer, MMA fighter and kick boxer * Raymond D. Fowler,

psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and interpretation of how indi ...

and Professor Emeritus at the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...

* James Shepherd Freeman, admiral,

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

* James Stanley Freeman, businessman *

Polly Holliday Polly Dean Holliday (born July 2, 1937) is a retired American actress who has appeared on stage, television and in film. She is best known for her portrayal of sassy waitress Florence Jean "Flo" Castleberry on the 1970s sitcom '' Alice'', which ...

, actress * Steven Jack Land, renewal theologian within the

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement

movement *

George Lindsey George Smith Lindsey (December 17, 1928 – May 6, 2012) was an American actor and stand-up comedian, best known for his role as Goober Pyle on ''The Andy Griffith Show'', ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' and his subsequent tenure on '' Hee-Haw''. Life and ...

, actor *

Carter Manasco Carter Manasco (January 3, 1902 – February 5, 1992) was a U.S. Representative from Alabama. Born in Townley, Alabama, Manasco attended the public schools and Howard College, Birmingham, Alabama. He graduated from the University of Alabama Sch ...

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

* Terry Owens, NFL player *

Sandy Posey Sandy Posey (born Sandra Lou Posey, June 18, 1944) is an American popular singer who enjoyed success in the 1960s with singles such as her 1966 recording of Martha Sharp's compositions "Born a Woman" and "Single Girl". She is often described as a ...

, singer * Jim Pyburn, professional baseball player *

Greg Reed Greg Reed (born June 5, 1965) is an American politician. He serves as a Republican Party (United States), Republican member of the Alabama Senate, representing the 5th District since 2010. He defeated Democrat Brett Wadsworth in the 2010 midterm ...

, member of the

Alabama Senate The Alabama State Senate is the upper house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alabama. The body is composed of 35 members representing an equal number of districts across the state, with each district conta ...

, representing the 5th District *

Michael Rooker Michael Rooker (born April 6, 1955) is an American actor known for his roles as Henry in '' Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer'' (1986), Chick Gandil in ''Eight Men Out'' (1988), Frank Baily in ''Mississippi Burning'' (1988), Terry Cruger in ''S ...

, actor *

Leigh Sherer Leigh Sherer Seirafi (born August 29, 1973) is an American beauty pageant title of honor, titleholder from Jasper, Alabama, who was named Miss Alabama 1995. She was a top ten finalist for Miss America 1996. Pageant career While a freshman at Samf ...

Miss Alabama The Miss Alabama competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Alabama in the annual Miss America Competition. Alabama has won three Miss America titles: Deidre Downs in 2005, Heather Whitestone (the first deaf ...

1995

References

External links

City of Jasper
*http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-2536 {{Authority control Cities in Alabama Cities in Walker County, Alabama County seats in Alabama Birmingham metropolitan area, Alabama