Wetumpka () is a city in and the county seat of Elmore 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 = 135,7 ...

, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,220. In the early 21st century Elmore County became one of the fastest-growing counties in the state. The city is considered part of the

Montgomery Metropolitan Area The Montgomery, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area (commonly known as the Tri-Counties or the River Region) is a metropolitan area in central Alabama. As of 2020, the MSA had a population of 386,047, ranking it 142nd among United States Metr ...

. Wetumpka identifies as "The City of Natural Beauty". Among the notable landmarks are the Wetumpka crater and the Jasmine Hill Gardens, with a full-sized replica of the Temple of Hera of

Olympia, Greece Olympia ( el, label=Modern Greek, Ολυμπία ; grc, Ὀλυμπία ), officially Archaia Olympia ( el, label=Modern Greek, Αρχαία Ολυμπία; grc, Ἀρχαία Ὀλυμπία, links=no; "Ancient Olympia"), is a small town in E ...

. Historic downtown Wetumpka developed on both sides of the

Coosa River The Coosa River is a tributary of the Alabama River in the U.S. states of Alabama and Georgia. The river is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 27, 201 ...

. It was near

Fort Toulouse Fort Toulouse and Fort Jackson are two forts that shared the same site at the fork of the Coosa River and the Tallapoosa River, near Wetumpka, Alabama. Fort Toulouse Fort Toulouse (Muscogee: Franca choka chula), also called Fort des Alibamons a ...

, built by French colonists in 1717, when they had claimed this territory for the king. Wetumpka is currently best known for jailing two elderly women attempting to feed stray cats.

Etymology

The placename ''Wetumpka'' is derived from the Muscogee Creek Native American language phrase ''we-wau'' ''tum-cau'' meaning "rumbling waters", believed to be a description of the sound of the nearby

at the rapids of the Devil's Staircase. The roar of the rapids reportedly could be heard for miles before the construction in the 20th century of Walter Bouldin Dam and Jordan Dam, when the river was captured as a reservoir behind the dam. After being forced west to

Indian Territory The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans who held aboriginal title to their land as a sovereign i ...

(present-day Oklahoma), by United States soldiers under the

Indian Removal Act The Indian Removal Act was signed into law on May 28, 1830, by United States President Andrew Jackson. The law, as described by Congress, provided "for an exchange of lands with the Indians residing in any of the states or territories, and for ...

of 1830, the

Muscogee The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language), are a group of related indigenous (Native American) peoples of the Southeastern WoodlandsWetumka, after their historic village.

History

Wetumpka was long settled by the

Tallapoosa River The Tallapoosa River runs U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 27, 2011 from the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains in Georgia, United States, southward and we ...

, at Wetumpka and ''Talisi'' (now Tallassee), respectively.

French and British colonization

After moving the 1702 settlement of Mobile to

Mobile Bay Mobile Bay ( ) is a shallow inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, lying within the state of Alabama in the United States. Its mouth is formed by the Fort Morgan Peninsula on the eastern side and Dauphin Island, a barrier island on the western side. Th ...

in 1711,

Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville (; ; February 23, 1680 – March 7, 1767), also known as Sieur de Bienville, was a French colonial administrator in New France. Born in Montreal, he was an early governor of French Louisiana, appointed four ...

sent an expedition up the

Alabama River The Alabama River, in the U.S. state of Alabama, is formed by the Tallapoosa and Coosa rivers, which unite about north of Montgomery, near the town of Wetumpka. The river flows west to Selma, then southwest until, about from Mobile, it ...

to establish a fort in the interior of the colony, known as

La Louisiane Louisiana (french: La Louisiane; ''La Louisiane Française'') or French Louisiana was an administrative district of New France. Under French control from 1682 to 1769 and 1801 (nominally) to 1803, the area was named in honor of King Louis XIV, ...

New France New France (french: Nouvelle-France) was the area colonized by France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Great Britain and Spai ...

, to stop the encroachment of British colonists and to foster trade and goodwill with the Creek. Bienville directed the construction of

along the Coosa River in 1714, above the confluence of the Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers and the Creek village of ''Taskigi''. Bienville selected this area as a strategic locale for a fortification. The French traded at Wetumpka and garrisoned Fort Toulouse until 1763, when they ceded the territory to the British following defeat in the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754– ...

(known as the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the s ...

in North America). For nearly a quarter century, the British had control of this area. Several Scots and Irish traders, such as McGillivray and Weatherford, were active in the region. They married into the Creek

matrilineal Matrilineality is the tracing of kinship through the female line. It may also correlate with a social system in which each person is identified with their matriline – their mother's lineage – and which can involve the inheritance o ...

aristocracy and later claimed vast land grants. Their descendants became important Creek leaders because of their mothers' status.

United States rule

After Britain was defeated in the

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 ...

, it ceded its territory east of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...

to the United States in 1783. In 1798 the US made this area part of the

Mississippi Territory The Territory of Mississippi was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from April 7, 1798, until December 10, 1817, when the western half of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Mississippi. ...

, after cessions from the states of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

and

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

. Between 1800 and 1812, European-American pioneers began to arrive, many with enslaved African-American laborers, and encroach on the lands of the Southeast Indian tribes. By the early 19th century, there were tensions among the Creek, with young men of the Upper Creek promoting a revival of religion and traditional culture, and the Lower Creek, more influenced by settlement and trade with European Americans in Georgia, becoming more assimilated. In addition, in 1811, the

Shawnee The Shawnee are an Algonquian-speaking indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands. In the 17th century they lived in Pennsylvania, and in the 18th century they were in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, with some bands in Kentucky an ...

chief

Tecumseh Tecumseh ( ; October 5, 1813) was a Shawnee chief and warrior who promoted resistance to the expansion of the United States onto Native American lands. A persuasive orator, Tecumseh traveled widely, forming a Native American confederacy and ...

of the upper Northwest appealed to the Creek to join his

Western Confederacy The Northwestern Confederacy, or Northwestern Indian Confederacy, was a loose confederacy of Native Americans in the Great Lakes region of the United States created after the American Revolutionary War. Formally, the confederacy referred to it ...

to try to drive out and exterminate the European settlers west of the Appalachians. When the U.S. declared war on Britain in June 1812, the Upper Creek lost the assistance of the British, but they persisted with war against American settlers in the area. Upon receiving the news of the massacre at Fort Mims, whose refugees included many Lower Creek, American settlers appealed for government help. General

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...

led a militia with members from

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to t ...

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Missis ...

, and Georgia and attacked the Creek in Alabama. The path the militia traveled became known as "Jackson's Trace". Jackson's forces won a decisive victory at the

Battle of Horseshoe Bend The Battle of Horseshoe Bend (also known as ''Tohopeka'', ''Cholocco Litabixbee'', or ''The Horseshoe''), was fought during the War of 1812 in the Mississippi Territory, now central Alabama. On March 27, 1814, United States forces and Indian ...

. He moved on to Fort Toulouse, where he directed its repair. During his absence, the site was renamed Fort Jackson in his honor. Jackson made the fort his headquarters during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

. The newly created Montgomery County held its courts there. The defeated Creek were forced to sign the

Treaty of Fort Jackson The Treaty of Fort Jackson (also known as the Treaty with the Creeks, 1814) was signed on August 9, 1814 at Fort Jackson near Wetumpka, Alabama following the defeat of the Red Stick (Upper Creek) resistance by United States allied forces at ...

(1814), which ceded to the United States of Creek lands: much of the remainder of their territory in Georgia and most of central Alabama. After the war, many of Jackson's Tennessee militia returned home, collected their families and belongings, and brought them back to settle near the fort.

Growth and incorporation

Settlers, mostly from Georgia and

the Carolinas The Carolinas are the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina, considered collectively. They are bordered by Virginia to the north, Tennessee to the west, and Georgia to the southwest. The Atlantic Ocean is to the east. Combining Nort ...

, flooded into the fertile land that the Creeks had been forced to give up. With its strategic location at the river confluence, Wetumpka quickly became an important center of agricultural trade. The city was formally incorporated in 1834. Cotton was the commodity crop of the new state of Alabama, with cultivation of short-staple cotton in the upland areas made possible by

Eli Whitney Eli Whitney Jr. (December 8, 1765January 8, 1825) was an American inventor, widely known for inventing the cotton gin, one of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution that shaped the economy of the Antebellum South. Although Whitney hi ...

's invention of 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 (); ...

, which reduced the labor of processing. From the scattered fields and large plantations worked by

slave labor 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 ...

in the interior, cotton was carted overland to Wetumpka. At the

fall line A fall line (or fall zone) is the area where an upland region and a coastal plain meet and is typically prominent where rivers cross it, with resulting rapids or waterfalls. The uplands are relatively hard crystalline basement rock, and the coas ...

of the Coosa River, the port shipped out cotton bales by

steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is propelled primarily by steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S (for 'Screw Steamer') or PS (for 'Paddle Steamer'); however, these ...

s which went downriver to the markets at Mobile for sale. Wetumpka became a cotton boom town. The new city was divided in half. The part on the eastern bank of the river was commercial, with banks, stores, and hotels, and was located in Coosa County. The western section in Autauga County was residential, with houses and churches laid out on a grid pattern of streets. By 1836, the city's population was 1,200.

Harper's Weekly ''Harper's Weekly, A Journal of Civilization'' was an American political magazine based in New York City. Published by Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916, it featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays on many subjects, and humor, ...

asserted that "Wetumpka, Alabama and Chicago, Illinois are the most promising two cities of the West. The city commissioned a steamboat, ''The Coosa Belle'', to ferry passengers and cotton between Wetumpka and Mobile. The same forces contributing to Wetumpka's growth were shifting the balance of power within Alabama. A standoff between the farmers of the

Tennessee Valley The Tennessee Valley is the drainage basin of the Tennessee River and is largely within the U.S. state of Tennessee. It stretches from southwest Kentucky to north Alabama and from northeast Mississippi to the mountains of Virginia and North Car ...

, centered in the former capital of Huntsville, and the old mercantile wealth of Mobile, had resulted in the capital being located for many years at

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 o ...

. By 1845, the cotton planters in the interior Black Belt had become some of the wealthiest in the country, and power was shifting toward the southern and central part of the state. Both the Black Belt cotton barons and the Mobilians wanted the capital moved. Compromise indicated a new, centrally located capital, accessible by river and by steamboat. The lead contenders were Wetumpka (then straddling old Autauga and Coosa Counties) and the newer city of Montgomery (in Montgomery County), a few miles south. Neither city had a majority of support; representatives from north Alabama, enraged that the capital was being moved from Tuscaloosa, were indifferent to either site. Just before the vote, Montgomery lured an expensive French chef to the new hotel that had been built to house the state's representatives if Montgomery were selected. The city distributed elegant menus to the statesmen. The promise of luxury swayed the vote, and Montgomery won. That same year, a fire broke out in Wetumpka, burning warehouses and many commercial buildings. The charred bricks were carried downriver to Montgomery to supply the building boom in Alabama's new capital.

War and flood

Though their civic pride was wounded by losing the capital to Montgomery, Wetumpka's planters and merchants continued to flourish throughout the

antebellum Antebellum, Latin for "before war", may refer to: United States history * Antebellum South, the pre-American Civil War period in the Southern United States ** Antebellum Georgia ** Antebellum South Carolina ** Antebellum Virginia * Antebellum a ...

period. They promoted a plan to build a lock and dam so that boats would be able to pass above the

Fall Line A fall line (or fall zone) is the area where an upland region and a coastal plain meet and is typically prominent where rivers cross it, with resulting rapids or waterfalls. The uplands are relatively hard crystalline basement rock, and the coas ...

and travel up the Coosa as far as

Rome, Georgia Rome is the largest city in and the county seat of Floyd County, Georgia, United States. Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, it is the principal city of the Rome, Georgia metropolitan area, Rome, Georgia, metropolitan statisti ...

. One famous resident was

William Lowndes Yancey William Lowndes Yancey (August 10, 1814July 27, 1863) was an American journalist, politician, orator, diplomat and an American leader of the Southern secession movement. A member of the group known as the Fire-Eaters, Yancey was one of the mo ...

, a firebrand newspaper editor and statesman who was an influential advocate of

states' rights In American political discourse, states' rights are political powers held for the state governments rather than the federal government according to the United States Constitution, reflecting especially the enumerated powers of Congress and the ...

, slavery, and Southern

secession Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics lea ...

. In February 1861, representatives from seven Southern states met in Montgomery to form the Confederate government, inaugurating

Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a ...

as their president on the steps of the Alabama state capitol. The first six states to secede were those whose residents owned the most slaves in the South. The same year saw the majority of Wetumpka's male population going off to war. Wetumpka was never harmed by Federal troops. No

Union 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 ...

troops entered the area until early 1865, and they were driven to reach Montgomery to punish the former Confederate capital before the war ended. Veterans of the war returned to a city and a region whose economy had been completely destroyed. In 1866, a

Reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *''Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Union ...

government drew up a new plan of counties for the state, and Elmore County was created out of parts of Coosa, Autauga, and Montgomery counties, with Wetumpka as its county seat. ( Rockford was chosen as seat of the "new" Coosa County.) Despite this, the city's future seemed grim. Before the war (in 1850), the population had reached 3,824 to become the 3rd largest city in the state (behind Mobile and Montgomery). By 1870 it had 1,137 residents (with Black residents outnumbering Whites by a margin of 594 to 543); in 1880, 816 residents; by 1890, it had declined to 619, and would bottom out at 562 in 1900. Not until 1950 would it return to the population it had a century earlier (with 3,813 residents). In 1886, the worst flood in city history inundated the west bank and most of downtown. The bridge connecting the city's two halves was washed away, and more than a year passed before it was replaced. The Lexington Kentucky Morning Herald of October 3, 1900, had a rather grim addition to the Wetumpka region’s history:

Progress

The first paved road linking Wetumpka with Montgomery was completed in 1924. Montgomery continued to grow during the two World Wars because of military spending in the region and the growth of the state government. By the 1950s, the ubiquity of the automobile allowed Wetumpka's residents to commute daily to Montgomery for work.

"Cat Ladies"

Two women were arrested and charged for feeding cats, which is not a crime in Wetumpka. City Judge Jeff Courtney sentenced Beverly Roberts, 85, and Mary Alston, 61, each to two years of unsupervised probation and 10 days in jail. The jail sentence was suspended. They were also ordered to each pay $100 in fines, plus court costs. Some have thought the arrests and sentencing were overzealous.

Geography

Wetumpka is located southwest of the center of Elmore County at (32.540972, −86.207726), and sits on both sides of the

northeast of its confluence with the

, where they merge to become the

. The city is situated astride the

, where the Appalachian foothills give way to the flat

Gulf Coastal Plain The Gulf Coastal Plain extends around the Gulf of Mexico in the Southern United States and eastern Mexico. This coastal plain reaches from the Florida Panhandle, southwest Georgia, the southern two-thirds of Alabama, over most of Mississippi, we ...

. The city is located along many major US and state routes, notably U.S. Route 231, which runs east of downtown, leading north 28 mi (45 km) to Rockford and south 18 mi (29 km) to downtown Montgomery.

Alabama State Route 14 State Route 14 (SR 14) is a major east-to-west state highway in the U.S. state of Alabama. Spanning , the highway begins at the Mississippi state line at the terminus of Mississippi Highway 69 (MS 69) and connects the cities of Se ...

runs west to east through the downtown area, leading east 22 mi (35 km) to Tallassee and southwest 17 mi (27 km) to Prattville. Other state highways that run through the city include

Alabama State Route 9 State Route 9 (SR 9) is one of the longest state highways in the U.S. state of Alabama. From the Florida state line north to Montgomery, SR 9 is the unsigned partner route of U.S. Route 331 (US 331). As a signed route, ...

and Alabama State Route 170. Downtown Wetumpka covers two city blocks, and is bordered on the northwest by the Coosa River. The Bibb Graves Bridge crosses the river here, and is the city's most recognizable landmark. Directly across the bridge are the city's three antebellum churches, the First Methodist, First Presbyterian, and First Baptist. On January 19, 2019, a tornado destroyed the First Presbyterian church and badly damaged the first Baptist church. 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 , or 3.66%, 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, Wetumpka 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 off ...

, there were 7,220 people, 2,917 households, and 2,008 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 6,528 people and 2,206 households residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,139 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 64.88%

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 ...

, 32.83%

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 of ...

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 enslav ...

, 0.40% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.07%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Oce ...

, 1.38% 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 0.94% from two or more races. 2.32% 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 form ...

or Latino of any race. There were 1,797 households, out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.2% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.97. In the city, the population was spread out, with 18.4% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 36.5% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 62.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 54.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $35,536, and the median income for a family was $41,500. Males had a median income of $32,403 versus $23,234 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,729. About 7.7% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.5% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.

Culture, natural history, and recreation

Wetumpka on TV

In July 2020, Wetumpka was chosen out of 2,600 towns to be featured on

HGTV HGTV (an initialism for Home & Garden Television) is an American pay television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The network primarily broadcasts reality programming related to home improvement and real estate. As of February 2015, app ...

's 8-episode ''Home Town Takeover'', which started airing May 2, 2021. The series follows the efforts of Ben and Erin Napier of HGTV's '' Home Town'' (set in

Laurel, Mississippi Laurel is a city in and the second county seat of Jones County, Mississippi, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 17,161. It is located northeast of Ellisville, the first county seat, which contains the first cou ...

) to help revitalize Wetumpka by renovating 12 buildings and public spaces.

Wetumpka in movies

Four major films have been filmed on location in downtown Wetumpka. *''

The Grass Harp ''The Grass Harp'' is a novel by Truman Capote published on October 1, 1951Clarke, Gerald. ''Capote: A Biography'' (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1988), page 224. It tells the story of an orphaned boy and two elderly ladies who observe life from a ...

'' (1995) *'' The Rosa Parks Story'' (2002) *''

Big Fish ''Big Fish'' is a 2003 American fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Tim Burton, and based on the 1998 novel of the same name by Daniel Wallace. The film stars Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, Helena Bonham Carter, ...

'' (2003) *'' Son of the South'' (2020)

Wetumpka meteor crater

Wetumpka is the home of "Alabama's greatest natural disaster". A

meteorite A meteorite is a solid piece of debris from an object, such as a comet, asteroid, or meteoroid, that originates in outer space and survives its passage through the atmosphere to reach the surface of a planet or moon. When the original object en ...

, estimated to be wide, hit the area about 80 million years ago. The hills just east of downtown showcase the eroded remains of a

impact crater An impact crater is a circular depression (geology), depression in the surface of a solid astronomical object formed by the hypervelocity collision, impact of a smaller object. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or in ...

that was blasted into the bedrock, with the area labeled the Wetumpka crater or

astrobleme An impact structure is a generally circular or craterlike geologic structure of deformed bedrock or sediment produced by impact on a planetary surface, whatever the stage of erosion of the structure. In contrast, an impact crater is the surface ...

("star-wound") for the concentric rings of fractures and zones of shattered rock that can be found beneath the surface."Wetumpka Impact Crater"
Wetumpka Public Library, accessed August 21, 2007. In 2002,

Auburn University Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a public land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama. With more than 24,600 undergraduate students and a total enrollment of more than 30,000 with 1,330 faculty members, Auburn is the second largest uni ...

researchers published evidence and established the site as an internationally recognized impact crater.

Jasmine Hill Gardens

This outdoor museum was built in the 1930s on the estate of the Fitzpatrick family, who spent many years in

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

collecting replicas of ancient statuary to adorn their formal gardens at Jasmine Hill. The gardens are closed and will not re-open; they had several attractions including a full-sized replica of the Temple of Hera at Olympia.

Outdoor recreation

Wetumpka and the Coosa River annually play host to the Coosa River Challenge, which began in 2003 and regularly draws 150 to 200 participants. The race, a modified

triathlon A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of swimming, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the time transitioning between the ...

, starts at the Swayback Bridge Trail with a cross country run, a

mountain bike A mountain bike (MTB) or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling. Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain, which m ...

leg, and

paddling Paddling with regard to watercraft is the act of manually propelling a boat using a paddle. The paddle, which consists of one or two blades joined to a shaft, is also used to steer the vessel. The paddle is not connected to the boat (unlike in r ...

on the Coosa River to finish at Goldstar Park in downtown Wetumpka. The Swayback Bridge Trail is home to the annual mountain bike race, "Attack on Swayback". Wetumpka is popular with white water sports enthusiasts, attracting paddlers from all over the country. The city hosts the annual Coosa River Whitewater Festival, and was the site of the 2005 U.S. Freestyle Kayaking Nationals. The Coosa River Paddling Club has constructed Corn Creek Park, which offers public access to the river, along with nature and walking trails.

Christmas on the Coosa

Christmas on the Coosa is an annual series of events held in during the month of December. The event location is the Bibb Graves Memorial Bridge. The main event is the fireworks display and boat show held on the

. Observers watch from the Bibb Graves Memorial Bridge as a parade of boats decorated with Christmas lights float down the river under the bridge as fireworks go off. This is a unique experience due to the glow of fireworks illuminating the night sky as well as the placid river surface. A host of events proceeds the river show such as Miss Christmas on the Coosa Pageant, Pictures with Santa, tree lighting, and other events centralized around the city's Gold State Park.

Poarch Creek casino

The

Poarch Band of Creek Indians The Poarch Band of Creek Indians ( ;) are a federally recognized tribe of Native Americans in Alabama. Speaking the Muscogee language, they were formerly known as the Creek Nation East of the Mississippi. They are located mostly in Escambia Cou ...

, the only federally recognized tribe in Alabama, have built a

casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...

on land abutting the city. The tribe have announced plans for a major expansion of the casino to include a $246 million hotel, a second casino, and many other attractions in the complex as well. The new casino complex will employ over 1,000 people and have a 20-story, 285-room hotel named Wind Creek Wetumpka.

Government and infrastructure

The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U. ...

operates the Wetumpka Post Office. The

Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women The Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women is a prison for women of the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC), located in Wetumpka, Alabama. All female inmates entering ADOC are sent to the receiving unit in Tutwiler.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 ...

is in Wetumpka. The prison houses Alabama's female

death row Death row, also known as condemned row, is a place in a prison that houses inmates awaiting execution after being convicted of a capital crime and sentenced to death. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting execution ( ...

. Wetumpka was previously the site of the Wetumpka State Penitentiary.ADOC History
."

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 September 6, 2010. In 2022, the Wetumpka Police Department handcuffed and arrested a group of elderly ladies for feeding stray cats in a city park. They were convicted and sentenced by local judge Jeff Courtney. The case is now under appeal.

Education

The city is within the Elmore County Public School System. Public schools include Wetumpka Elementary School, Wetumpka Middle School,

Wetumpka High School Wetumpka High School is a public high school in Wetumpka, Alabama Wetumpka () is a city in and the county seat of Elmore County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,220. In the early 21st century Elmore Count ...

, and Redland Elementary School. Wetumpka Middle School was formed by a merger of Wetumpka Intermediate School and Wetumpka Junior High School.Montgomery and Elmore County Schools Moving Forward with Building Plans
."
Archive
''

WSFA-TV WSFA (channel 12) is a television station in Montgomery, Alabama, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Gray Television alongside low-power, Class A Telemundo affiliate WBXM-CD (channel 15). The two stations share studios on Dex ...

''. January 23, 2008. Retrieved on June 3, 2013.

Notable people

* James Anderson, actor, ''

To Kill a Mockingbird ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' is a novel by the American author Harper Lee. It was published in 1960 and was instantly successful. In the United States, it is widely read in high schools and middle schools. ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' has become a ...

'' * William B. Bryant,

United States federal judge In the United States, federal judges are judges who serve on courts established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. They include the chief justice and the associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, the circuit judges of the U.S. ...

from 1965 to 2005 *

James Daniel James Daniel (born January 17, 1953) is a former American football coach. He most recently served as the tight ends coach for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers. Biography College career Daniel was a 4-year letter winner playing offensive guard ...

tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like ...

coach for

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Stee ...

* John Kelly Fitzpatrick, painter * Hanley Funderburk, president of

from 1980 to 1983 and president of

Eastern Kentucky University Eastern Kentucky University (Eastern or EKU) is a public university in Richmond, Kentucky. As a regional comprehensive institution, EKU also maintains branch campuses in Corbin, Hazard, Lancaster, and Manchester and offers over 40 online u ...

from 1984 to 1998 * Robert D. Glass, first African American justice of the

Connecticut Supreme Court The Connecticut Supreme Court, formerly known as the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors, is the highest court in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. The seven justices sit in Hartford, ac ...

from 1987 to 1992 * Lewis Jackson, head basketball coach of

Alabama State University Alabama State University (ASU) is a public historically black university in Montgomery, Alabama. Founded in 1867, ASU is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. History Alabama State University was founded in 1867 as the Lin ...

* Jean Baptiste Louis DeCourtel Marchand, French soldier who died in Wetumpka; great-grandfather of Creek leader

William Weatherford William Weatherford, also known after his death as Red Eagle (ca. 1765 – March 24, 1824), was a Creek chief of the Upper Creek towns who led many of the Red Sticks actions in the Creek War (1813–1814) against Lower Creek towns and against a ...

and great-uncle of

Alexander McGillivray Alexander McGillivray, also known as ''Hoboi-Hili-Miko'' (December 15, 1750February 17, 1793), was a Muscogee (Creek) leader. The son of a Muscogee mother and a Scottish father, he had skills no other Creek of his day had: he was not only liter ...

, also a Creek chief * Joe McInnes, former director of

Alabama Department of Transportation The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) is the government agency responsible for transportation infrastructure in Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgo ...

* Jason McLaughlin,

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is t ...

player * Charles McMorris, US vice admiral * Benjamin White Norris,

congressman A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...

from 1868 to 1869 * Frank Oliver, former

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...

defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...

Blake Percival Blake Percival was the Director of Fieldwork Services, Western Pennsylvania,(WPA), for USIS. He became a whistleblower in July 2011, when he filed a ''qui tam'' suit saying he was fired from USIS, for not ordering his subordinates to submit case ...

whistleblower A whistleblower (also written as whistle-blower or whistle blower) is a person, often an employee, who reveals information about activity within a private or public organization that is deemed illegal, immoral, illicit, unsafe or fraudulent. Whi ...

Jim Rogers James Beeland Rogers Jr. (born October 19, 1942) is an American investor and financial commentator based in Singapore. Rogers is the chairman of Beeland Interests, Inc. He was the co-founder of the Quantum Fund and Soros Fund Management. He wa ...

, businessman and author *

Jason Sanford Jason Sanford is an American science fiction author best known for his short story writing. His fiction has been published in '' Interzone, Asimov's Science Fiction, Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Year's Best SF 14'', ''InterGalactic Medicine ...

, science-fiction author *

Elizabeth Spiers Elizabeth Spiers (born December 11, 1976) is an American web publisher and journalist, the founding editor of Gawker, a media gossip blog. From February 2011 until August 2012 she was the editor of ''The New York Observer''.

, writer and editor * Monica Lisa Stevenson, gospel musician *

Channing Tatum Channing Matthew Tatum (born April 26, 1980) is an American actor. Tatum made his film debut in the drama '' Coach Carter'' (2005), and had his breakthrough role in the 2006 dance film '' Step Up''. He gained wider attention for his leading ro ...

, actor, born in Cullman, spent part of childhood in Wetumpka and has family in area * Tevin Washington, football player,

quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ameri ...

for

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part o ...

* Thomas Williams, congressman from 1879 to 1885 *

Jamie Winborn Jamie Winborn (born May 14, 1979, in Wetumpka, Alabama) is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Vanderbilt. Winborn has also pl ...

, pro football player *

Jessica Meuse Jessica Rose Meuse (born October 19, 1990), also known as Jess Meuse, is an American singer-songwriter from Slapout, Alabama. After spending several years as an unsigned musician, she finished in fourth place on the thirteenth season of ''Amer ...

, she finished in fourth place on the thirteenth season of American Idol * Tyler Braden, country music recording artist signed with Warner Nashville *

, Confederate politician and diplomat * John Q. Loomis, Confederate army officer

Buildings

File:Elmore County Alabama Courthouse.JPG, The Elmore County Courthouse is located at 100 E Commerce St. in Wetumpka. File:Wetumpka Alabama City Hall.JPG, Wetumpka City Hall is located at 212 S. Main Street. File:Wetumpka Alabama Post Office.JPG, The Wetumpka Post Office is located at 216 W. Fort Toulouse Rd. File:First Methodist Wetumpka Sept10 01.jpg, First United Methodist Church of Wetumpka. Placed 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 ...

on February 15, 1973. File:Wetumpka L&N Depot Sept10 03.jpg, The Wetumpka L&N Depot was built in 1906 and placed on the

on July 1, 1975. File:First Presbyterian Wetumpka Sept10 01.jpg, First Presbyterian Church of Wetumpka. Placed on the

on October 8, 1976. File:First Baptist Wetumpka Sept10 03.jpg, First Baptist Church of Wetumpka. Placed on the

on October 24, 2008. File:Abel Hagerty House Wetumpka, AL.JPG, The Abel Hagerty House. Placed on the

on January 14, 2008. File:Julia Tutwiler Prison Wetumpka Alabama.JPG,

Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women The Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women is a prison for women of the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC), located in Wetumpka, Alabama. All female inmates entering ADOC are sent to the receiving unit in Tutwiler.maximum security prison Maximum security prisons and supermax prisons are grades of high security level used by prison systems in various countries, which pose a higher level of security Security is protection from, or resilience against, potential harm (or other unwan ...

located along U.S. Highway 231 in Wetumpka. file:FRONT AND SIDE VIEW, S.E. - J. Bruce Airey House, 1202 West Tuskeena Street, Wetumpka, Elmore County, AL HABS ALA,26-WETU,10-1.tif , John Bruce Airey House, 1202 West Tuskeena Street. John Bruce Airey (9 February 1880 – 3 January 1968) was born in Evergreen, Conecuh, Alabama. His father was John D Airey and his mother was Elizabeth Mary Lock. He died in Wetumpka.https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LY9N-R96/john-bruce-airey-1880-1968 file:CLOSE- UP OF FRONT PORCH, FACES EAST - Kelly Fitzpatrick House, Autauga Street, Wetumpka, Elmore County, AL HABS ALA,26-WETU,2-3.tif,

Kelly Fitzpatrick Kelly may refer to: Art and entertainment * Kelly (Kelly Price album) * Kelly (Andrea Faustini album) * ''Kelly'' (musical), a 1965 musical by Mark Charlap * "Kelly" (song), a 2018 single by Kelly Rowland * ''Kelly'' (film), a 1981 Canadi ...

House, Autauga Street. John Kelly Fitzpatrick (15 August 1888 – 18 April 1953) was born in Alabama. His father was Dr. Phillips Fitzpatrick and his mother was Jennie Lovedy Kelly. He died in Wetumpka. file:CLOSE- UP OF FRONT OF HOUSE FACES E. - Bates-Jesse House, 311 Government Street, Wetumpka, Elmore County, AL HABS ALA,26-WETU,3-3.tif, Paul M. Bates House, Mrs. Mary Jesse House (Bates-Jesse House; ca. 1830), 311 Government Street file:VIEW IN DINING ROOM SHOWING JAPANESE CHINA CLOSET, S.W. - John Bullard House, Harrogate Springs Road vicinity, Wetumpka, HABS ALA,26-WETU.V,1-3.tif, John Bullard House (1823), Harrogate Springs Road File:Benjamin Fitzpatrick House Wetumpka Sept10.jpg,

Benjamin Fitzpatrick Benjamin Fitzpatrick (June 30, 1802 – November 21, 1869) was the 11th Governor of the U.S. state of Alabama and a United States Senator from that state. He was a Democrat. Early life Born in Greene County, Georgia, Fitzpatrick was orphaned a ...

House in Wetumpka, Tuskeena Street District is listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage. File:400 E Tallassee Street Wetumpka Sept10.jpg, House, 400 E Tallassee Street, Tuskeena Street District is listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage. File:307 NW Main Street Wetumpka Sept10.jpg, House, 307 NW Main Street File:Florence Bateman House Wetumpka Sept10.jpg, Florence Bateman House (Bates-Jesse House), 311 Government StreetBates-Jesse House, 311 Government Street, Wetumpka, Elmore County, AL
/ref> File:McCowen House Wetumpka Sept10.jpg, McCowen House

References

External links

City of Wetumpka official website

WetumpkaOnline

Elmore County Tourism Council

Elmore County Economic Development Authority (ECEDA)

Wetumpka City Pages

Wetumpka Public Library

{{authority control Cities in Alabama Cities in Elmore County, Alabama County seats in Alabama Montgomery metropolitan area Populated places established in 1834 French-American culture in Alabama Lynching deaths in Alabama 1834 establishments in Alabama Alabama placenames of Native American origin