Leeds is a tri-county
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
located in
Jefferson Jefferson may refer to:
Names
* Jefferson (surname)
* Jefferson (given name)
People
* Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), third president of the United States
* Jefferson (footballer, born 1970), full name Jefferson Tomaz de Souza, Brazilian foo ...
,
St. Clair, and
Shelby counties in the
State
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
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 ...
and is an eastern suburb of
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
. As of the
2020 census, the population of the city was 12,324.
Leeds was founded in 1877, during the final years of the post-
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
Reconstruction Era
The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...
. It housed the workers and their families of Lehigh, a
Portland cement
Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world as a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar, stucco, and non-specialty grout. It was developed from other types of hydraulic lime in England in the early 19th c ...
manufacturing plant.
History
History
The
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
, geography, geology, and three cultures shaped the history of Leeds. Lying at the crossroads of ancient Native American paths in the center of Alabama, Leeds drew European settlers and their African-American slaves to a land of fertile growing seasons and rich sources of coal and mineral ore. The early settlers built churches and schools with many remaining in Cedar Grove, Oak Ridge, Ohanafeefee and Mt. Pleasant. The principal survey of Leeds was entered into Jefferson County Map Book 10, page 21, in 1908. The settlement, dating to 1818 and incorporating on April 27, 1887 as "Leeds", has existed along the banks of the Little Cahaba River; beside an historic stagecoach route; and along two large railroads for the greater part of American History.
[content work of The Alabama Tourism Department and the City of Leeds, September 2010]
James Hamilton, a Scottish-Irish American veteran of the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
and first sheriff of
Shelby County, settled in Cedar Grove in 1816. John Richard Ingram Pashal Stewart, a Cherokee English teacher and American veteran of the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
, settled at Ohanafeefee Village c.1840. At Oak Ridge in 1820 or 1821, European settlers formed Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian Church, the first CPC congregation in middle Alabama. By 1887, the original railroad pioneers included free African-American settlers who came to work at the Leeds cement plant and the Central of Georgia as the Georgia Pacific railroads. Some gravitated to historic Mt. Pleasant Church where a handful of freed slaves had founded Scott City, Hillard Holley, Ciscero Davis, Jeff Harris, and Bill Johnson started Leeds Negro/Primary School in 1921.
Folklore
The
tale
Tale may refer to:
* Narrative, or story, a report of real or imaginary connected events
* TAL effector (TALE), a type of DNA binding protein
* Tale, Albania, a resort town
* Tale, Iran, a village
* Tale, Maharashtra, a village in Ratnagiri distri ...
of
John Henry was believed to have originated in Leeds. In this folk story, John Henry, the "steel-drivin' man", races and wins against a steam engine in the laying of railroad that penetrates the Oak Mountain Tunnel in Leeds. Retired chemistry professor and folklorist John Garst, of the
University of Georgia
, mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things."
, establ ...
, has argued that the contest happened at the Coosa Mountain Tunnel or the Oak Mountain Tunnel of the
Columbus and Western Railway The Columbus and Western Railway (C&W) is a historic railroad that operated in Georgia, United States.
Organized in 1880, the C&W was founded to connect Columbus, Georgia, to Birmingham, Alabama. The same year, the C&W started by purchasing the S ...
(now part of
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31 ...
) in Leeds on September 20, 1887.
Based on documentation that corresponds with the account of C.C. Spencer, who claimed in the 1920s to have witnessed the contest, Garst speculates that John Henry may have been a man named Henry who was born a
slave
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
to P.A.L. Dabney, the father of the chief engineer of that railroad, in 1850.
Since 2007, the city of Leeds has honored John Henry's legend during an annual festival held on the third weekend in September, the Leeds Downtown Folk Festival & John Henry Celebration.
Geography
Leeds is located at (33.545592, -86.557388),
primarily within
Jefferson County.
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 (0.67%) is water.
The city is located east of Birmingham along
Interstate 20
Interstate 20 (I‑20) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I-20 runs beginning at an interchange with Interstate 10, I-10 in Scroggins Draw, Texas, and ending at an interchange with Interstate 95, I-95 in Flo ...
, which runs north of the city. Access to the city is found from exits 140 and 144. Via I-20, downtown Birmingham is 18 mi (29 km) west, and
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
is east 129 mi (208 km).
U.S. Route 411
U.S. Route 411 (US 411) is an alternate parallel-highway associated with US 11. US 411 extends for about from US 78 in Leeds, Alabama, to US 25W/ US 70 in Newport, Tennessee. US 411 travels through no ...
begins in the city from its junction with
U.S. Route 78
U.S. Route 78 (US 78) is an east–west United States highway that runs for 715 miles (1,151 km) from Memphis, Tennessee, to Charleston, South Carolina. From Byhalia, Mississippi to Birmingham, Alabama, US 78 is concurrent with Interstate 2 ...
. US 411 leads northeast 5 mi (8 km) to
Moody.
In November 2019, the Alabama Political Reporter announced that the
Superfund site at Interstate Lead Co. (ILCO) in Leeds was at risk due to
flood hazards associated with
climate change
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...
.
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 of ...
, there were 12,324 people, 4,792 households, and 3,388 families residing in the city.
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 incl ...
of 2010, there were 11,773 people and 4,818 households. 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 RosenberPopul ...
was 514.9 people per square mile. There were 5,221 housing units at an average density of 205.2 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 78.7%
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 on ...
, 14.3%
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 ens ...
, 0.4%
Native American, 0.6%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.1%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, and 2% from two or more races. 6.6% of the population were
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race.
There were 4,818 households, out of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48. Not much family data was found.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18 and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. No gender ratios were found.
The median income for a household in the city was $44,149. 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 city was $22,716. About 14.6% 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 ...
.
Education
Leeds is served by the
Leeds City School District.
In 2009, the City of Leeds Board of Education authorized the construction of two new schools - Leeds Middle School and Leeds High School. Construction began in 2009. The Leeds BOE also authorized the renovations of and additions to Leeds Elementary School, which began in 2008. These renovations included an expanded office and a new awning around the front of the school.
In 2013, Leeds Elementary School gained attention for asking parents for permission to administer
corporal punishment to their children. Alabama is one of 19 states that allow corporal punishment in schools, and ranks third in the rate of students subjected to physical punishment.
Leeds Primary School was constructed in 2016 to house Pre-K through 2nd graders to ease overcrowding at its elementary school. The school opened that same year.
On December 4, 2008, the Leeds High School Greenwave football team won the Class 3A AHSAA State Football Championship and finished the year 15–0. On February 28, 2009, the Greenwave basketball team won the 3A AHSAA State Basketball Championship. On December 6, 2010, the Greenwave football team won the Class 3A AHSAA State Football Championship and finishing the year 15–0. On December 5, 2014, the Greenwave football team won the Class 4A AHSAA State Football Championship and finished the year 14–1. On December 5, 2015, the Greenwave football team won the 4A AHSAA State Football Championship and finished the year 14–1. On February 14, 2015, the Greenwave wrestling team won the Class 1A-5A AHSAA State Wrestling Championship.
The Leeds High School Track and Field team has won several state championships.
The 2007 Leeds High School Softball team won the 3A state championship after winning six straight games from the loser's bracket.
Notable people
*
Rebecca Bace
Rebecca "Becky" Gurley Bace (1955–2017) was an American computer security expert and pioneer in intrusion detection. She spent 12 years at the US National Security Agency where she created the Computer Misuse and Anomaly Detection
(CMAD) resear ...
, computer security expert and pioneer in
intrusion detection
An intrusion detection system (IDS; also intrusion prevention system or IPS) is a device or software application that monitors a network or systems for malicious activity or policy violations. Any intrusion activity or violation is typically rep ...
*
Charles Barkley
Charles Wade Barkley (born February 20, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player who is a television analyst on NBA on TNT, TNT. Nicknamed "Sir Charles", "Chuck", and "the Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley played 16 seasons ...
,
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
r
*
Chandler Champion
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 wo ...
,
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 w ...
(2013)
*
Henry E. Erwin
Henry Eugene Erwin Sr. (May 8, 1921 – January 16, 2002) was a United States Army Air Forces airman and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II. He earned the award as a staff ...
, U.S. Army Air Forces, Medal of Honor recipient, World War II
*
Kenneth L. Farmer, Jr., U.S. Army major general (Retired); U.S. Army Deputy Surgeon General and Army Chief of Staff, Medical Command
*
Nathan Glick, artist and illustrator
*
Caitlín R. Kiernan
Caitlín Rebekah Kiernan (born 26 May 1964) is an Irish-born American published paleontologist and author of science fiction and dark fantasy works, including 10 novels, series of comic books, and more than 250 published short stories, novella ...
, author and paleontologist
*
Ramey Channell, author and illustrator
*
William R. Lawley, Jr., U.S. Army Air Forces, Medal of Honor recipient, World War II
*
Harry Lee, former
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
player
*
Mark Martin
Mark Anthony Martin (born January 9, 1959) is a retired American stock car racing driver. He has the second most wins all time in what is now the Xfinity Series with 49. He scored 40 Cup Series wins. He finished second in the NASCAR Cup Series s ...
, cartoonist
*
Alford L. McLaughlin, U.S. Marine Corps, Medal of Honor recipient, Korean War
*
Harry Walker
Harry William Walker (October 22, 1918 – August 8, 1999) was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. Known by the nickname "Harry the Hat", he played as a center fielder in Major League Baseball between 1940 and 1955, ...
, Major League Baseball player and manager. Two-time All Star and 1947 NL batting champion.
*
Dixie Walker (pitcher) (Ewart Gladstone Walker), Major League Baseball player. Father of
Dixie Walker (Fred E Walker, Sr.) and
Harry Walker
Harry William Walker (October 22, 1918 – August 8, 1999) was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. Known by the nickname "Harry the Hat", he played as a center fielder in Major League Baseball between 1940 and 1955, ...
.
References
External links
Official website
{{Authority control
Populated places established in 1877
Cities in Alabama
Cities in Jefferson County, Alabama
Cities in St. Clair County, Alabama
Cities in Shelby County, Alabama
Birmingham metropolitan area, Alabama
1877 establishments in Alabama