Union Springs, AL
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Union Springs is a city in and county seat of Bullock County, Alabama, United States. The population was 3,980 at the 2010 census.


History

The area that became Union Springs was first settled by white men after the
Creek A creek in North America and elsewhere, such as Australia, is a stream that is usually smaller than a river. In the British Isles it is a small tidal inlet. Creek may also refer to: People * Creek people, also known as Muscogee, Native Americans ...
Indian removal Indian removal was the United States government policy of forced displacement of self-governing tribes of Native Americans from their ancestral homelands in the eastern United States to lands west of the Mississippi Riverspecifically, to a de ...
of the 1830s. Twenty-seven springs watered the land, giving rise to the name of Union Springs. The city was incorporated on January 13, 1844. Voters selected Union Springs as the county seat when Bullock County was formed in 1866.


Geography

Union Springs is located in southeastern Alabama near the center of Bullock County at 32°8'24.407" North, 85°42'46.094" West (32.140113, -85.712804). The source of the Conecuh River is within the city limits. The city is located at the intersection of
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 ...
and U.S. Route 29. Route 82 leads east to Eufaula and northwest to Montgomery, the state capital. Route 29 leads north to Tuskegee and southwest to Troy. 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 ...
, Union Springs has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.93%, is water.


Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Union Springs has a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.


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 3,358 people, 1,353 households, and 856 families residing in the city.


2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 3,980 people, 1,461 households, and 915 families residing in the city.The population density was . There were 1,664 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 71.8% Black or African American, 12.9% White, 0.2% Native American, 0.4%
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 ...
, 1.1% Pacific Islander, 12.8% from other races, and .8% from two or more races. Hispanic 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 were 17.0% of the population. There were 1,461 households, out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 24.4% were married couples living together, 32.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.27. In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 29.5% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $22,476, and the median income for a family was $26,167. Males had a median income of $37,689 versus $21,372 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,485. About 39.0% of families and 44.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 73.9% of those under age 18 and 19.4% of those age 65 or over.


Education

Union Springs is served by the Bullock County School District. There are two highs schools in the city: Bullock County High School and Bullock County Career Technical Center. There is one middle school, South Highlands Middle School, and one elementary school, Union Springs Elementary. Conecuh Springs Christian School is a private school for grades K through 12.


Media


Newspaper

*
Union Springs Herald Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''U ...


Radio

* WQSI 93.9 FM ( Modern Rock)


Infrastructure

The United States Postal Service operates the Union Springs Post Office. The
Alabama Department of Corrections The Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) is the agency responsible for incarceration of convicted felons in the state of Alabama in the United States. It is headquartered in the Alabama Criminal Justice Center in Montgomery. Alabama has rela ...
operates the
Bullock Correctional Facility Bullock Correctional Facility is a medium level security Alabama Department of Corrections prison in unincorporated Bullock County, Alabama, near Union Springs.Unincorporated community in
Bullock County Bullock County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,357. Union Springs was chosen as the county seat in 1867, and presently is the county's only incorporated city. The county was named for Conf ...
, east of Union Springs.Bullock Correctional Facility
."
Alabama Department of Corrections The Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) is the agency responsible for incarceration of convicted felons in the state of Alabama in the United States. It is headquartered in the Alabama Criminal Justice Center in Montgomery. Alabama has rela ...
. Retrieved on July 1, 2011.


Economy

A cotton growing region, the arrival of the railroad spurred new economic growth after the Civil War. By the early 1900s, many of the old cotton plantations had become hunting preserves, attracting tourists. The city remains the economic hub of the surrounding agricultural counties. A major employer in the city is
Bonnie Plants, Inc. Bonnie, is a Scottish given name and is sometimes used as a descriptive reference, as in the Scottish folk song, My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean. It comes from the Scots language word "bonnie" (pretty, attractive), or the French bonne (good). That ...
, a plant wholesaler founded in 1918 with revenue exceeding over $250 million by 2020.


Recreation and culture

Union Springs hosts annual field trials for hunting dogs. These trials take place between October and March and attract participants from around the country.


Notable people

*
Henry Babers Pastor Henry L. Babers, Sr. (born May 31, 1957 in Union Springs, Alabama) is an American Christian evangelist, bible teacher and scholar whose television program appears on both various television stations nationally, (namely on the Word Network) ...
, Christian evangelist, Bible teacher, and scholar *
Winton M. Blount Winton Malcolm Blount Jr., known as Red Blount (February 1, 1921 – October 24, 2002), was an American philanthropist and politician who served as the United States Postmaster General from January 22, 1969, to January 1, 1972. He founded and ser ...
, United States Postmaster General (1969–1972) *
John Warren Branscomb John Warren Branscomb (1905-1959) was an American bishop of the Methodist Church, elected in 1952. He was born 11 May 1905 in Union Springs, Alabama. He attended Emory University and was a clergy member of the Florida Annual Conference A con ...
, bishop of the United Methodist Church *
Edith Burroughs Edith Burroughs (born 1939) was a pro-bowler who was born in Union Springs, Alabama Union Springs is a city in and county seat of Bullock County, Alabama, United States. The population was 3,980 at the 2010 census. History The area that becam ...
, first African American to win a professional bowling tournament in the United States *
Helen Claire Helen Claire (October 18, 1911January 12, 1974)DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 54. was an actress on Broadway and in old-time ...
, Broadway actress * John Henrik Clarke, Pan-Africanist *
Fate Echols Fate Leonard Echols (June 29, 1939 – October 10, 2002) was an American football offensive tackle who played two seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the first round of ...
, NFL player *
Lucy Feagin Lucy Harris Feagin (January 13, 1876 – May 8, 1963) was an American teacher and founder of the Feagin School of Dramatic Art in New York City. She was the first woman to establish and operate a drama school in New York City where she taugh ...
, first woman to operate a drama school in New York City * Seal Harris, former heavyweight
boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...
* Jimmy Hitchcock, first All-American football player at Auburn University * Eddie Kendricks, co-founder of The Temptations *
Thom S. Rainer Thom S. Rainer (born July 16, 1955) is an American writer, researcher, speaker, and former president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. He is the author of several best sell ...
, President and CEO, LifeWay Christian Resources * Tim Stowers, college football coach * Mary Hardway Walker, one of the last surviving enslaved people


Gallery

File:Bullock County Courthouse.jpg, The
Bullock County Courthouse Bullock may refer to: Animals * Bullock (in British English), a castrated male bovine animal of any age * Bullock (in North America), a young bull (an uncastrated male bovine animal) * Bullock (in Australia, India and New Zealand), an ox, an adu ...
in Union Springs is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. File:Union Springs Alabama At Sunset 2.JPG, Union Springs at sundown File:Sardis Baptist Church Union Springs Alabama.JPG, Sardis Baptist Church, located just outside Union Springs, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 29, 2001. File:Treaty of Fort Jackson Historical Marker.JPG, A historical marker near Union Springs shows the Indian Territory boundary line created by the Treaty of Fort Jackson. File:Mrs. Hugh Foster House, 201 Kennon Street, Union Springs (Bullock County, Alabama).jpg, Foster House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. File:Life-size bronze statue of an English pointer, Union Springs, Alabama LCCN2010638588.tif, Bird dog monument, Life-size bronze statue of an English pointer


References


External links


Union Springs tourism website

Bullock County School District
{{authority control Cities in Alabama Cities in Bullock County, Alabama County seats in Alabama Populated places established in 1835