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

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 ...

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. Union Springs AL from airplane

The city is located at the intersection of U.S. Route 82 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 Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in present-day Turkey, south-west of Ç ...

. 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 The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

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 off ...

, 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 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 ha ...

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 ...

, 12.9%

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 ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 1.1%

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 O ...

, 12.8% 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 .8% from two or more races.

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 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 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 $20,485. About 39.0% of families and 44.4% 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 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

Radio

WQSI WQSI (93.9 FM, "FM Talk 93.9") is an American radio station broadcasting a News/Talk format. Licensed to Union Springs, Alabama, the station serves the Auburn, Alabama, area. The station is currently owned by Tiger Communications, Inc. On May ...

93.9 FM (

Modern Rock Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music. Radio format Mod ...

)

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 Union Springs Post Office. The Alabama Department of Corrections operates the

Bullock Correctional Facility Bullock Correctional Facility is a medium level security Alabama Department of Corrections prison in unincorporated Bullock County, Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , s ...

in an

Unincorporated community 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 ...

in Bullock County, east of Union Springs.Bullock Correctional Facility
." Alabama Department of Corrections. Retrieved on July 1, 2011.

Economy

A cotton growing region, the arrival of the railroad spurred new economic growth after the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. 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., a plant wholesaler founded in 1918 with revenue exceeding over $250 million by 2020.

Recreation and culture

Union Springs hosts annual

field trial A field trial is a competitive event for gundogs. Field trials are conducted for pointing dogs and setters, retrievers and spaniels, with each assessing the different types various working traits. In the United States, field trials are also co ...

s for

hunting dog A hunting dog is a canine that hunts with or for hunters. There are several different types of hunting dog developed for various tasks and purposes. The major categories of hunting dog include hounds, terriers, dachshunds, cur type dogs, and g ...

s. These trials take place between October and March and attract participants from around the country.

Notable people

* Henry Babers, Christian evangelist, Bible teacher, and scholar * Winton M. Blount,

United States Postmaster General The United States Postmaster General (PMG) is the chief executive officer of the United States Postal Service (USPS). The PMG is responsible for managing and directing the day-to-day operations of the agency. The PMG is selected and appointed by ...

(1969–1972) * John Warren Branscomb,

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

of the

United Methodist Church The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelic ...

* Edith Burroughs, first African American to win a professional

bowling Bowling is a target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a ball toward pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). The term ''bowling'' usually refers to pin bowling (most commonly ten-pin bowling), thou ...

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 John Henrik Clarke (born John Henry Clark; January 1, 1915 - July 16, 1998) was an African-American historian, professor, and pioneer in the creation of Pan-African and Africana studies and professional institutions in academia starting in the ...

, 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 Seal Harris (20 January 1906 – ?) was an African American heavyweight boxer who fought some of the top black boxers of the day and fought former colored heavyweight champion George Godfrey for the world colored heavyweight title vacated by Larr ...

, 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 James Franklin Hitchcock Jr. (June 28, 1911 – July 23, 1959) was an American college football player and Major League Baseball player during the Depression Era. Hitchcock played for the Auburn Tigers football team of Auburn University (then Al ...

, first All-American football player at Auburn University *

Eddie Kendricks Edward James Kendrick (December 17, 1939 – October 5, 1992), better known as Eddie Kendricks, was an American singer and songwriter. Noted for his distinctive falsetto singing style, Kendricks co-founded the Motown singing group the Temptation ...

, co-founder of

The Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...

* Thom S. Rainer, President and CEO,

LifeWay Christian Resources Lifeway Christian Resources, based in Nashville, Tennessee, is the Christian media publishing and distribution division of the Southern Baptist Convention and provider of church business services. Until the end of their physical retail presenc ...

Tim Stowers Tim Stowers (born February 8, 1958) is an American football coach and former player. He served as the head football coach at the Georgia Southern University from 1990 to 1995 and the University of Rhode Island from 2000 to 2007, compiling a care ...

, college football coach *

Mary Hardway Walker Mary Hardway Walker (c. 1848–1969) was purportedly one of the last surviving American former enslaved persons when she died in 1969 and received acclaim as allegedly America's oldest student. Walker was purportedly born in Union Springs, Alaba ...

, one of the last surviving enslaved people

Gallery

File:Bullock County Courthouse.jpg, The Bullock County Courthouse in Union Springs is listed 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 ...

. 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

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 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 ...

. File:Mrs. Hugh Foster House, 201 Kennon Street, Union Springs (Bullock County, Alabama).jpg, Foster House is listed on the

. 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