Athens is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Limestone County, in the U.S. state of

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

; it is included in the Huntsville-Decatur-Albertville, AL Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city is 25,406.

History

Founded in 1818 by John Coffee, Robert Beaty, John D. Carroll, and John Read, Athens is one of the oldest incorporated cities in the state, having been incorporated one year prior to the state's

admittance to the Union Admission to the Union is provided by the Admissions Clause of the United States Constitution in Article IV, Section 3, Clause 1, which authorizes the United States Congress to admit new states into the Union beyond the thirteen states that ...

in 1819. Limestone County was also created by an act of the Alabama Territorial Legislature in 1818.A Digest of the Laws of the State of Alabama: Containing The Statutes and Resolutions in Force at the end of the General Assembly in January 1823. Published by Ginn & Curtis, J. & J. Harper, Printers, New-York, 1828. Title 62. Chapter XXV. Page 803
"An Act to Incorporate the Town of Athens, in Limestone County.—Passed November 19, 1818." (Google Books)
/ref> The town was first called Athenson, but was incorporated as Athens after the

ancient city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

in Greece. The town's first mayor was Samuel Tanner, and the Tanner area, south of Athens, was named on his behalf. The Athens area was the home of

William Wyatt Bibb William Wyatt Bibb (October 2, 1781 – July 10, 1820) was a United States Senator from Georgia, the first governor of the Alabama Territory, and the first Governor of the U.S. state of Alabama. Bibb was a member of the Democratic-Republic ...

, the first governor of Alabama, and its second governor, his brother

Thomas Bibb Thomas Bibb (May 8, 1783 – September 20, 1839) was the second governor of the US state of Alabama and served from 1820 to 1821. He was the president of the Alabama Senate when his brother, Governor William Wyatt Bibb, died in office on July 1 ...

, who succeeded him in office when he died in a fall from his horse. In 1822, local residents purchased of land and constructed a building to house the Athens Female Academy. The school became affiliated with the Methodist church in 1842, and was eventually renamed Athens Female College. After becoming coeducational in 1932, the school changed its name again to Athens College. After being taken over by the State of Alabama in 1974, the college was converted to a "reverse junior college", offering the last two years of instruction for graduates of area community colleges. It is today known as

Athens State University Athens State University is a Public university, public Upper division college, upper-division university in Athens, Alabama. Its academics are housed in three colleges: Education, Arts and Sciences, and Business. History Athens State Universit ...

. Many homes in the central part of modern Athens date to the antebellum period, and are part of historic preservation districts. On May 2, 1862, during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, 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.J ...

, Athens was seized by Union forces under the command of Col. John Basil Turchin. After occupying the town on May 2, 1862, Turchin assembled his men and reportedly told them: "I shut my eyes for two hours. I see nothing". He did, in fact, leave the town to reconnoiter defensive positions, during which time his men ransacked the town. Turchin was later court-martialed over his treatment of Athens. The incident was controversial, and

Lost Cause The Lost Cause of the Confederacy, known simply as the Lost Cause, is an American pseudohistorical and historical negationist myth that argues the cause of the Confederate States during the American Civil War was just, heroic, and not cente ...

supporters vilified Turchin. Athens was the home of Governor George S. Houston, Alabama's first post-Reconstruction Democratic governor, who served from 1874 through 1878. Houston was noted for reducing the debts incurred to benefit private railroad speculators and others by his Reconstruction Republican predecessors. During Reconstruction, Athens was the home of the Trinity School, a school founded for the children of former slaves by Mary Fletcher Wells and funded by the

American Missionary Association The American Missionary Association (AMA) was a Protestant-based abolitionist group founded on in Albany, New York. The main purpose of the organization was abolition of slavery, education of African Americans, promotion of racial equality, and ...

. Athens was traditionally a

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

and

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

town, but since the local

aerospace Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial, and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astron ...

boom of the 1950s and 1960s, it has increasingly entered the orbit of nearby industry center

Huntsville Huntsville is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population of the city is estimated to be 241,114 in 2024, making it the 100th-most populous city in the U.S. The Huntsville metropolitan area had an estimated 525,465 ...

as the area's cotton production has steadily declined. Athens is the home of

Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant The Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant is located on the Tennessee River near Decatur and Athens, Alabama, on the north side (right bank) of Wheeler Lake. The site has three General Electric boiling water reactor (BWR) nuclear generating units and ...

, a Tennessee Valley Authority installation first operated in 1974, that was once the world's largest

nuclear plant A nuclear power plant (NPP), also known as a nuclear power station (NPS), nuclear generating station (NGS) or atomic power station (APS) is a thermal power station in which the heat source is a nuclear reactor. As is typical of thermal power s ...

. It provides many jobs to the area and most of the electricity for the Huntsville-Decatur Metro Area. On March 22, 1975, the Browns Ferry plant became the scene of what was, with the exception of the

Three Mile Island accident The Three Mile Island accident was a partial nuclear meltdown of the Unit 2 reactor (TMI-2) of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station, located on the Susquehanna River in Londonderry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Londonderry T ...

, the most serious

nuclear accident A nuclear and radiation accident is defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as "an event that has led to significant consequences to people, the environment or the facility." Examples include radiation poisoning, lethal effect ...

in United States history. A worker using a candle to check for air leaks started a fire among control wires, causing a temporary threat to operational control of the reactor (see Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant article on Unit One Fire). On December 28, 2024, a high-end EF1 tornado struck downtown Athens causing significant damage to the Limestone Courthouse square and caused roof damage to many businesses in downtown Athens and several trees were uprooted including one outside the courthouse. Tree damage outside limestone county courthouse

Tree damage outside limestone county courthouse

Geography

Athens is midway between Nashville and Birmingham on

Interstate 65 Interstate 65 (I-65) is a major north–south Interstate Highway System, 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 th ...

. Athens shares a boundary with Huntsville. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.23%) is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally cool winters. According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Athens has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

Athens first appeared on the 1850 U.S. Census as an incorporated place. It did not appear on the 1860 census, but returned again in 1870 and every census to date. Athens was one of the fastest growing areas in Alabama in the 2023 census estimates with 30,904 people recorded in the estimates.

2000 Census data

As of the census of 2000, there were 18,967 people, 7,742 households, and 5,140 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 8,449 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 77.72%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 18.26%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.40% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, 1.92% from other races, and 0.97% from two or more races. 4.86% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. There were 7,742 households, of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.97. In the city, the age distribution of the population showed 23.9% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males. The median income for a household in the city of Athens was $33,980, and the median income for a family was $44,544. Males had a median income of $37,191 versus $22,748 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $19,315. About 13.7% of families and 16.3% 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 ...

, including 21.2% of those under age 45 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 21,897 people, 9,038 households, and 5,881 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 9,862 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 73.0%

, 17.5%

, 0.6% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.1%

, 5.9% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. 8.8% of the population were

or Latino of any race. There were 9,038 households, of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.96. In the city, the age distribution of the population showed 22.8% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.7 males. The median income for a household in the city of Athens was $42,127, and the median income for a family was $54,013. Males had a median income of $43,672 versus $31,601 for females. The

for the city was $26,136. About 15.5% of families and 17.5% of the population were below the

, including 26.4% of those under age 45 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 25,406 people, 9,397 households, and 6,080 families residing in the city.

Athens Precinct/Division (1870–)

Athens, the 1st Beat/Precinct of Limestone County first reported on the 1870 U.S. Census. This included both the town/city of Athens and the surrounding area. It did not report a figure for 1880, but returned in 1890 and every census to date. In 1870, when racial demographics were reported, it had a Black majority in that beat. In 1960, Athens precinct was changed to a census division as part of a general reorganization of counties.

Transportation

I-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 ...

US 31 U.S. Route 31 or U.S. Highway 31 (US 31) is a major north–south U.S. highway connecting southern Alabama to northern Michigan. Its southern terminus is at an intersection with US 90/ US 98 in Spanish Fort, Alabama. I ...

US 72 U.S. Route 72 (US 72) is an east–west United States highway that travels for from southwestern Tennessee, throughout North Mississippi, North Alabama, and southeastern Tennessee. The highway's western terminus is in Memphis, Tennessee a ...

Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...

CSX Transportation CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of track, it is the lead ...

railroad *

Pryor Field Regional Airport Pryor Field Regional Airport , named for Schyler Pryor, a Southern Aviation Training School (SATS) instructor who was killed in a midair collision in February 1944, is a public airport located three miles (5 km) northeast of the central busi ...

(regional/municipal airport) Intercity bus service is provided by

Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc. is an American operator of Intercity bus service, intercity bus services. Greyhound operates the largest intercity bus network in the United States, and also operates charter and Amtrak Thruway services, as well as interci ...

Education

* Athens City Schools *

Media

*''

The News Courier ''The News Courier'' is a daily newspaper published in Athens, Alabama, covering Limestone County, Alabama. It is owned by Carpenter Media Group. History Today's ''News Courier'' was created in 1969, when ''The Alabama Courier'' (founded 1892) ...

'', daily newspaper * WVNN 770 AM * WKAC 1080 AM * WZYP 104.3 FM *WTZT-CD TV channel 11

Notable people

* Woody Abernathy, former professional baseball outfielder *

Sheila Andrews Sheila Marlene Andrews (April 10, 1953 – December 26, 1984) was an American country music singer. Signed to the Ovation Records, Ovation label, she recorded three studio albums in her career and released several singles on the ''Billboard (mag ...

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

singer *

Bill Arnsparger William Stephen Arnsparger (December 16, 1926 – July 17, 2015) was an American college and professional football coach. He was born and raised in Paris, Kentucky, served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, and graduated from ...

, defensive coordinator in the National Football League (NFL) for

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...

teams that won consecutive

Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...

s (

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...

and

1973 Events January * January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...

); head coach of the

LSU Tigers The LSU Tigers and Lady Tigers (also known as the Fighting Tigers) are the athletic teams representing Louisiana State University (LSU), a state university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. LSU competes in Division I of the National Collegiat ...

Football team. *

Keith Askins Keith Bernard Askins (born December 15, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player. Basketball career After playing at the University of Alabama, the 6'7" Askins signed with the National Basketball Association's Miami Heat in 19 ...

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

assistant coach, former player

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...

* Don Black, KKK

Grand Wizard The grand wizard (sometimes called the imperial wizard or national director) is the national leader of several different Ku Klux Klan organizations in the United States and abroad. The title "Grand Wizard" was used by the first Klan which was fo ...

Neo Nazi Neo-Nazism comprises the post–World War II militant, social, and political movements that seek to revive and reinstate Nazi ideology. Neo-Nazis employ their ideology to promote hatred and racial supremacy (often white supremacy), to atta ...

White Nationalist White nationalism is a type of racial nationalism or pan-nationalism which espouses the belief that white people are a Race (human categorization), raceHeidi Beirich and Kevin Hicks. "Chapter 7: White nationalism in America". In Perry, Barbara ...

. * Reed Blankenship,

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

Safety, for the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

* Michael Boley,

Outside linebacker

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

* George Ruffin Bridgeforth, professor

Tuskegee Institute Tuskegee University (Tuskegee or TU; formerly known as the Tuskegee Institute) is a Private university, private, Historically black colleges and universities, historically black land-grant university in Tuskegee, Alabama, United States. It was f ...

, first Black alumnus,

University of Massachusetts Amherst The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) is a public land-grant research university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system and was founded in 1863 as the ...

* Wally Bullington, head football coach for

Abilene Christian University Abilene Christian University (ACU) is a Private university, private Christian research university in Abilene, Texas, United States. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as an R2 (High Research Spending and Doctorate Production) institutio ...

from 1968 to 1976 * Tom Calvin, former NFL halfback * Dick Coffman, former

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

player * Slick Coffman, former Major League Baseball player * Billy Davis, former member of the

Arizona State Senate The Arizona State Senate is part of the Arizona Legislature, the state legislature (United States), state legislature of the US state of Arizona. The Senate consists of 30 members each representing an average of 219,859 constituents (2009 figure ...

* P. O. Davis, early radio pioneer, agricultural editor and Alabama Cooperative Extension Service educator and administrator *

Anderson East Michael Cameron Anderson (born July 17, 1987), known professionally as Anderson East, is an American musician from Athens, Alabama, who currently is based in Nashville, Tennessee. East's sound is notable for combining R&B, soul, and roots roc ...

, R&B singer who is featured on the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack *

Richard Hendrix Venard Richard Hendrix (Macedonian: Венард Ричард Хендрикс; born November 15, 1986) is an American-born naturalized Macedonian former professional basketball player. Hendrix attended the University of Alabama, where he played ...

, professional basketball player *

Jake Hess Jake Hess (December 24, 1927 – January 4, 2004) was an American Grammy Award-winning southern gospel singer.McNeil, W.K., Ed. (2010). ''Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music''. Routledge. . Pp. 201-202. Life The son of "a sharecropper who wa ...

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

-winning southern gospel singer *

Brittany Howard Brittany Amber Howard (born October 2, 1988) is an American musician from Athens, Alabama. She rose to prominence in the early 2010s as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and primary songwriter of Alabama Shakes. Her work with Alabama Shakes ...

, singer and guitarist with

Alabama Shakes Alabama Shakes are an American rock band formed in Athens, Alabama, in 2009. The band currently consists of lead singer and guitarist Brittany Howard, guitarist Heath Fogg, and bassist Zac Cockrell. The band began its career touring and perfor ...

* C. Eric Lincoln, African-American scholar * Patti J. Malone, noted African-American mezzo-soprano singer * Bobby Marlow, former

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...

running back * John Mason Martin, U.S. Representative from 1885 to 1887 *

Mitch McConnell Addison Mitchell McConnell III (; born February 20, 1942) is an American politician and attorney serving as the senior United States senator from Kentucky, a seat he has held since 1985. McConnell is in his seventh Senate term and is the long ...

, U. S. Senator from Kentucky, lived in Athens from 1942 to 1950 * Alfred McCullough, American football player * Kevin Miller, radio talk show host *

Roger Murrah Roger Alan Murrah (born November 20, 1946) is an American songwriter and independent music publisher who has written hits for artists including Waylon Jennings, Alan Jackson, Al Jarreau, and Alabama. Jessie Murph, Country Singer * Andy Nelson, former

safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...

for the

Baltimore Colts The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team that played in Baltimore from 1953 to 1983, when owner Robert Irsay moved the franchise to Indianapolis. The team was named for Baltimore's history of horse breeding and racing. It w ...

and

* Edmund Pettus, lawyer, soldier, and

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...

from 1897 to 1907 * Luke Pryor, served as a U.S. Senator in 1880, and as a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from 1883 to 1885 * Wayne Redmond, former baseball player for the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

* William N. Richardson, U.S. Representative from 1900 to 1914 *

Philip Rivers Philip Michael Rivers (born December 8, 1981) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Chargers franchise. He played college football for the ...

quarterback,

San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...

Charles Henry Sykes Charles Henry "Bill" Sykes (November 12, 1882 – December 19, 1942) was an American cartoonist associated with the Philadelphia ''Public Ledger'' and ''Evening Ledger'' from 1911 until its closing in 1942. Born in Athens, Alabama, to William H ...

, editorial cartoonist * Charles Coleman Thach, president of

Auburn University Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 26,800 undergraduate students, over 6,100 post-graduate students, and a tota ...

from 1902 to 1920 * Alice Vassar LaCour, Fisk Jubilee singer and teacher * Lee Vickers, professional football player for the

Omaha Nighthawks The Omaha Nighthawks were a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which played in the United Football League (2009–2012), United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010 UFL season, 2010. During ...

* James C. Watkins, ceramic artist * Quez Watkins, professional football player * Henry A. White, Alabama educator and state representative; served on the Athens City Council * Pryor Williams, former professional football player

In popular culture

Athens was the primary filming location of

's "Stay High" music video. The video stars

Terry Crews Terry Alan Crews (born July 30, 1968) is an American actor, television host, and former professional American football, football player. He played Julius Rock in the UPN/The CW Television Network, CW sitcom ''Everybody Hates Chris'', which air ...

as a

blue-collar A blue-collar worker is a person who performs manual labor or skilled trades. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled labor. The type of work may involve manufacturing, retail, warehousing, mining, carpentry, electrical work, custodia ...

man driving home from a job at a nearby Decatur plant. The video also stars several Athens citizens and members of Howards' family. Howard, an Athens native and member of

, wrote in a press release that "Terry Crews plays a man who isn't out to change the world, he plays a man who just wants to come home to those who understand and love him best". The video features Crews singing along to the

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

-winning "Stay High" while visiting local landmarks and establishments, such as Decatur's US-72 ALT Bridge, and Athens's Hometown Grocery, Dub's Burgers, and historic Kreme Delite. The video was dedicated to Howard's father, K.J. Howard

https://www.npr.org/2019/07/16/742164387/terry-crews-lip-syncs-brittany-howards-stay-hig

Gallery

File:Limestone County Courthouse, Athens, Alabama 02.jpg, Limestone County Courthouse, Athens File:Downtown Athens, Alabama LCCN2010640842.tif, Downtown Athens File:Downtown Athens, Alabama LCCN2010640839.tif, Downtown Athens File:Athens, Alabama LCCN2010640828.tif, Downtown Athens File:Governor George S. Houston House, 101 Houston Street, Athens (Limestone County, Alabama).jpg, Governor George S. Houston House, Athens File:Athens Masonic Hall.jpg, Athens Masonic Hall File:Athens former post office, 35611.jpg, Athens Former Post Office File:Confederate soldiers monument, Athens, Alabama LCCN2010640840.tif, Confederate soldiers monument, Athens File:Athens First Methodist Church.jpg, Athens First Methodist Church File:"Sacked and Plundered" historic sign, Athens, Alabama LCCN2010640827.tif, "Sacked and Plundered" historic sign, Athens File:Presbyterian Church built in 1895, Athens, Alabama LCCN2010640834.tif, Presbyterian Church, Athens File:Limestone Drug building, Athens, Alabama LCCN2010640841.tif, Limestone Drug building, Athens File:FRONT VIEW. - Frances Snow Pryor House, Jefferson Street, Athens, Limestone County, AL HABS ALA,42-ATH,2-1.tif, Frances Snow Pryor House, Athens File:FRONT VIEW. - Vining-Wood-Vasser House, 301 East Washington Street, Athens, Limestone County, AL HABS ALA,42-ATH,10-1.tif, Vining-Wood-Vasser House, Athens File:WEST FRONT AND NORTH SIDE - Judge William Harrison Walker House, 309 East Clinton Street, Athens, Limestone County, AL HABS ALA,42-ATH,9-1.tif, Judge William Harrison Walker House, Athens File:WEST FRONT AND SOUTH SIDE - Dr. R. H. Richardson House, 401 South Clinton Street, Athens, Limestone County, AL HABS ALA,42-ATH,8-1.tif, Dr. R. H. Richardson House, Athens File:Pryor Field Regional Airport.jpg, Pryor Field Regional Airport, Athens File:WEST FRONT, SOUTH SIDE - Father Robert Donnell House, 601 South Clinton Street, Athens, Limestone County, AL HABS ALA,42-ATH,7-1.tif, Father Robert Donnell House, Athens

References

External links

*
Athens-Limestone Public Library

*
Built in America Collection from Library of Congress American Memory Collection
contains historic drawings, photographs, and descriptions of homes and buildings in Athens.
James Croley Smith Collection, The University of Alabama in Huntsville Archives and Special Collections
contains sketches of historic buildings in Athens.
Downtown Different Athens, Alabama
{{authority control Populated places established in 1818 Cities in Alabama Huntsville-Decatur, AL Combined Statistical Area Cities in Limestone County, Alabama County seats in Alabama 1818 establishments in Alabama Territory