Prattville, Alabama
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Prattville is a city located within both Autauga and Elmore 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 ...
but serves as 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 Autauga County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 37,781. Nicknamed "The Fountain City" due to the many artesian wells in the area, Prattville is part of the Montgomery
metropolitan statistical area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...
.


History

Prattville was founded in 1839 by industrialist and architect Daniel Pratt. The area was largely inhabited by Native Americans and a few settlers when Pratt, a native of
Temple, New Hampshire Temple is a New England town, town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,382 at the 2020 census. It is home to Temple Mountain State Reservation, formerly the Temple Mountain ...
, first observed the Autauga Creek in the 1830s. He purchased approximately from Joseph May at $21.00 an acre, and set out to build his manufacturing facilities and the town along the banks of Autauga Creek. The location was chosen because the creek could supply power to the
cotton gin A cotton gin—meaning "cotton engine"—is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, enabling much greater productivity than manual cotton separation.. Reprinted by McGraw-Hill, New York and London, 1926 (); a ...
manufacturing equipment. The town became an industrial center and rapidly grew. In 1868, it was named the county seat for Autauga County. Prattville contains several sites 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 ...
, including the Daniel Pratt Historic District, Bell House and
Buena Vista Buena Vista, meaning "good view" in Spanish, may refer to: Places Canada *Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, with the name being originally derived from “Buena Vista” *Buena Vista, Saskatchewan *Buena Vista, Saskatoon, a neighborhood in ...
.


Severe weather

On February 17, 2008, Prattville was hit by an EF3
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 ...
which destroyed more than 45 homes and businesses and damaged over 700. Twenty-nine people were injured with no fatalities. Preliminary estimates put the damage at $85 million in insured and uninsured damages.


Geography

Prattville is located at (32.462235, -86.461264). 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 (3.09%) is water. The city is located northwest of Montgomery and along
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 ...
and
U.S. Route 82 U.S. Route 82 (US 82) is an east–west United States highway in the Southern United States. Created on July 1, 1931 across central Mississippi and southern Arkansas, US 82 eventually became a 1,625-mile (2,615 km) route extending from ...
. I-65 runs north to south east of downtown, with access from exits 179 and 181, both in the Elmore County portion of the city. I-65 leads southeast 14 mi (23 km) to downtown Montgomery and north 82 mi (132 km) to
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 ...
. US 82 runs south with I-65 to downtown Montgomery, and northwest 89 mi (143 km) to
Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa ( ) is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west-central Alabama, United States, on the Black Warrior River where the Gulf Coastal and Piedmont plains meet. Alabama's fifth-largest city, it had an estimated population of 1 ...
.


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 37,781 people, 14,069 households, and 9,658 families residing in the city.


2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 33,960 people, 12,711 households, and 9,305 families residing in Prattville. The population density was . There were 13,541 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 78.5%
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 ...
, 16.7%
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 have o ...
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, 1.4%
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 ...
, 1.1% from
other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.8% from two or more races. 3.1% 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 12,711 households, out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.1% were married couples living together, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.12. In the city, the age distribution of the population showed 27.1% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males. In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $45,728, and the median income for a family was $51,774. Males had a median income of $36,677 versus $22,978 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 city was $19,832. 8.3% of the population and 6.4% of families 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 ...
. Out of the total population, 9.3% of those under the age of 18 and 9.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.


Education

Most of Prattville (the Autauga County portion) is part of the
Autauga County School System Autauga County School System, based in Autauga County, Alabama, has 13 schools and over 9,900 students as of 2007. The schools are located in the communities of Billingsley, Pine Level, and Marbury, and the cities of Autaugaville and Prat ...
, and has eight schools, including
Prattville High School Prattville High School, formerly Autauga County High School, is a high school in Prattville, Alabama, United States. It forms part of the Autauga County School System. In 2010, it had an enrollment of 2,109 students and a faculty of 103 teachers i ...
and the Autauga County Technology Center. The Elmore County portion is in the
Elmore County Public School System The Elmore County Public School System is a public school district serving most of Elmore County, Alabama. Text list/ref> Its headquarters are in Wetumpka.Text list
/ref> Prattville Christian Academy and
Autauga Academy Autauga Academy is a private coed PK-12 school in Prattville, Alabama, the seat of Autauga County. History Autauga Private Academy was founded in 1969 as a segregation academy. It is distinct from a seminary of the same name founded in 1888. A ...
are private schools based in the city. East Memorial Christian Academy was located in an
unincorporated area An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
of Autauga County, near Prattville, until it was closed down.


Media

Prattville is part of the Montgomery
television market A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area (DMA), television market area, or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same (or similar) television and radio station offerings, and may also incl ...
.
WOW! WideOpenWest (doing business as WOW!) is the sixth largest cable operator in the United States with their network passing 3,248,600 homes and businesses. The company offers landline telephone, cable television, and broadband Internet services ...
(formerly
Knology WideOpenWest (doing business as WOW!) is the sixth largest cable operator in the United States with their network passing 3,248,600 homes and businesses. The company offers landline telephone, cable television, and broadband Internet services ...
) and
Charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...
provide
cable television Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with broa ...
service.
DirecTV DirecTV (trademarked as DIRECTV) is an American multichannel video programming distributor based in El Segundo, California. Originally launched on June 17, 1994, its primary service is a digital satellite service serving the United States. It ...
and
Dish Network DISH Network Corporation (DISH, an acronym for DIgital Sky Highway) is an American television provider and the owner of the direct-broadcast satellite provider Dish, commonly known as Dish Network, and the over-the-top IPTV service, Sling TV. A ...
provide
direct broadcast satellite Satellite television is a service that delivers television programming to viewers by relaying it from a communications satellite orbiting the Earth directly to the viewer's location. The signals are received via an outdoor parabolic antenna comm ...
television including both local and national channels to area residents. Prattville is also served by the twice-weekly ''Prattville Progress'' newspaper.


Recreation

The city has become a popular
golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...
destination, featuring the Capitol Hill golf courses (part of the
Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is a collection of championship caliber golf courses, designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., distributed across the state of Alabama, as part of investments by the Retirement Systems of Alabama. The Trail started ...
). Its Senator Course hosted the Navistar (now Yokohama Tire) LPGA Classic on the
LPGA Tour The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is an American organization for female golfers. The organization is headquartered at the LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida, and is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekl ...
from
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
through
2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
when Navistar ended its sponsorship. There was no LPGA event at this course in 2013. The
2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
event, now known as the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic after its new sponsor, was scheduled for September 18–21. High Point Town Center is a large shopping center built in Prattville between 2007 and 2008. 10,000-capacity Stanley-Jensen Stadium is located in Prattville. It is mainly used for football and soccer.


Transportation

Major highways that pass through the city include: * * * * Prattville also has a small
airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...
about 3.5 miles from downtown.


Historical markers


Happy Hollow

Known for the signature hill that turns into a steep curve, located on present-day 6th Street, Happy Hollow was the center of African American life in Prattville in the 1950s. This marker was erected to honor the spirit of "equality" that resonated in Happy Hollow.


Notable people

*
Marlon Anderson Marlon Ordell Anderson (born January 6, 1974) is an American former professional baseball second baseman and outfielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for six teams, over 12 seasons. He was widely known for his clutch hits, and writers ...
,
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
player *
Kaitlan Collins Kaitlan Collins (born April 7, 1992) is an American journalist who served as chief White House correspondent for CNN until 2022. She currently hosts ''CNN This Morning'' alongside Don Lemon and Poppy Harlow. Previously, she was the White Hous ...
, journalist * Evan Crawford,
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
player * Bobby Greenwood, NFL
offensive tackle Offensive may refer to: * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Offensive (military), an attack * Offensive language ** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict inj ...
*
Roman Harper Roman Harper (born December 11, 1982) is a former American football safety. He played college football at Alabama, and was drafted by the Saints in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. In 2009, Harper earned his first Pro Bowl invitation (fir ...
, NFL player. *
O. J. Howard O'Terrius Jabari "O. J." Howard (born November 18, 1994) is an American football tight end for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama, and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fi ...
, former Tight End for the
Alabama Crimson Tide The Alabama Crimson Tide refers to the intercollegiate athletic varsity teams that represent the University of Alabama, located in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I as a mem ...
. He was drafted 1st Round 19th Overall to the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
* C. M. Hazen, head coach for the University of Richmond football team from 1882 to 1888 * Randy Hunt, former
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
catcher Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...
*
Wilson Pickett Wilson Pickett (March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006) was an American singer and songwriter. A major figure in the development of soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, many of which crossed over to the ''Bill ...
, R&B and
soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
singer and songwriter "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" * Charlie Lucas, sculptor *
Tommy Shaw Tommy Roland Shaw (born September 11, 1953) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter best known for his tenure in the rock band Styx (band), Styx as co-lead vocalist. In between his stints with Styx, he has played with other groups includi ...
, member of the band Styx * Brandon Taylor, author *
Daniel Holcombe Thomas Daniel Holcombe Thomas (August 25, 1906 – April 13, 2000) was a United States federal judge, United States district judge who served nearly five decades on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama. Early life and ed ...
, chief judge of the
United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama The United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama (in case citations, S.D. Ala.) is a federal court in the Eleventh Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appea ...
from 1966 to 1971 *
Trust Company A trust company is a corporation that acts as a fiduciary, trustee or agent of trusts and agencies. A professional trust company may be independently owned or owned by, for example, a bank or a law firm, and which specializes in being a trust ...
,
alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
/
post-grunge Post-grunge is a derivative of grunge that has a less abrasive or intense tone than traditional grunge. Originally, the term was used almost pejoratively to label mid-1990s rock bands such as Bush (British band), Bush, Candlebox and Collective So ...
band * Kevin Turner, NFL player *
Ernie Wingard Ernest James Wingard (October 17, 1900 – January 17, 1977) nicknamed "Jim", was a professional baseball pitcher. He played four seasons in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Browns. He started 77 games and relieved in 68 from 1924 to 1927. ...
,
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
for the
St. Louis Browns The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they p ...
from 1924 to 1927 *
Zac Woodfin Zac Woodfin (born March 19, 1983 in Montgomery, Alabama) is an American football coach and former linebacker. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2005, and went on to have stints with the Baltimore Rave ...
, NFL player. * Steve Gainer, Cinematographer * Nick Perry, NFL player and coach


Popular culture

Gabriel García Marquez In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብር ...
mentions Prattville in his well-known work '' One Hundred Years of Solitude''; Prattville is referred to as the original city of Jack Brown, the founder of the banana company.''One Hundred Years of Solitude'', page 124


Folklore

A popular ghost-story known as "The Black Lady," inspired by deaths caused by poor working conditions in the nearby factories of downtown Prattville, is a popular phenomenon described by most as a black, ghastly figure that goes across the nearby dam during the night hours of 1 A.M to 4 A.M, and has been featured on the ghost hunting show, '' Deep South Paranormal''. This story, and additional Prattville ghost stories are cited by Digital Alabama.


Gallery

File:Autauga County Courthouse March 2010 02.jpg, Autauga County Courthouse File:Bell House Prattville March 2010 01.jpg, Bell House File:First Methodist Prattville March 2010.jpg, First United Methodist Church


References


External links

* {{Authority control Cities in Alabama Cities in Autauga County, Alabama Cities in Elmore County, Alabama Populated places established in 1839 County seats in Alabama Montgomery metropolitan area 1839 establishments in the United States