Wilton, also known by the previous names of Birmingham Junction, Bismark, and Catoosa, is a town in Shelby County,

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

, United States. It was incorporated in 1918. This town is part of the Birmingham–Hoover–Cullman Combined Statistical Area. At the 2010 census the population was 687, up from 580 in 2000.

History

Wilton was originally known as Birmingham Junction, in reference to when the Southern Railroad was joined here with the Alabama and Tennessee River Railroad. It was next known as Bismark, in honor of Otto von Bismarck. Next, the community was known as Catoosa, in honor of

Catoosa County, Georgia Catoosa County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 67,872. The county seat is Ringgold. The county was created on December 5, 1853. The meaning of the Cherokee ...

. Finally, the town went by Wilton, in honor of Wilton, England. One structure in Wilton, the Woods-Cleveland-Cooling House, located on the Head-Cleveland farm, is listed on the

Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage The Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage, commonly referred to as the Alabama Register, is an official listing of buildings, sites, structures, objects, and districts deemed worthy of preservation in the U.S. state of Alabama. These properties ...

Geography

Wilton is located at (33.081799, -86.879458). 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 , all land.

Demographics

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 in ...

of 2000, there were 580 people, 222 households, and 166 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 253 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 73.28%

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, 23.62%

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 ...

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 ...

, 0.86% Native American, 0.17%

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, and 2.07% from two or more races. 3.28% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...

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 222 households, out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.07. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $33,750, and the median income for a family was $40,833. Males had a median income of $30,893 versus $20,500 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 town was $15,056. About 9.4% of families and 12.9% 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 27.5% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.

References

{{authority control Towns in Shelby County, Alabama Towns in Alabama Birmingham metropolitan area, Alabama