Aliceville is a city in Pickens County,

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, located thirty-six miles west of

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 of 1 ...

. At the 2010 census its population was 2,486, down from 2,567 in 2000. Founded in the first decade of the 20th century and incorporated in 1907, the city has become notable for its

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

-era prisoner-of-war camp,

Camp Aliceville Camp Aliceville was a World War II era prisoner of war (POW) camp in Aliceville, Alabama. Its construction began in August 1942, it received its first prisoners in June 1943, and it shut down in September 1945. It was the largest World War II POW ...

. Since 1930, it has been the largest municipality in Pickens County.

History

In 1902 the settlement that would become Aliceville was founded with the opening of a single store. The city was named in honor of the wife of John T. Cochrane, founder of the

Alabama, Tennessee and Northern Railroad The Alabama, Tennessee and Northern Railroad was a short line railroad which operated in the state of Alabama. The company grew from an acquisition of an existing logging railroad in 1897, and merged with the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway (th ...

and moving force behind the construction of the short line from

Carrollton, Alabama Carrollton is a city in and the county seat of Pickens County, Alabama, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 1,019, up from 987 in 2000. The Pickens County Courthouse in the center of Carrollton was erected in 1877. The first c ...

to Aliceville. Within two years of the completion of the short line, Aliceville had grown to what the ''

Montgomery Advertiser The ''Montgomery Advertiser'' is a daily newspaper and news website located in Montgomery, Alabama. It was founded in 1829. History The newspaper began publication in 1829 as ''The Planter's Gazette.'' Its first editor was Moseley Baker. It ...

'' called in 1905 "a town of considerable pretensions. There are about a dozen stores, a bank, public buildings and numerous enterprises." In 1907 an election was scheduled to allow the citizens of Aliceville to decide whether their community should be incorporated. Incorporation was approved by the voters, and on March 19, 1907, a municipal election was held to choose municipal officers, including a mayor and five aldermen: T.H. Sommerville, J.M. Summerville, A. Hood, J.D. Sanders, W.E. Stringfellow, and J.B. Cunningham, respectively. In August 1907 a black man named Gibson was

lynched Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, punish a convicted transgressor, or intimidate people. It can also be an ex ...

in Aliceville, which caused civil disturbances in the community. Rumors swirled that "the negroes were arming themselves," and a group of blacks on horseback were fired on in the street. Gibson's father was subsequently "ordered to leave the county on account of some impertient (sic) talk." By March 1908, municipal officials had decreed that all streets should have ten-foot sidewalks built on both sides. Property owners were to be responsible for building the sidewalks in front of their parcels. This work, along with the paving of the streets, was largely completed by June 1910 and the city began considering the installation of water and electricity.

Camp Aliceville

During

, a

Prisoner-of-war camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, and military prisons. P ...

was set up in Aliceville to hold 6,000

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

prisoners, most from the

Afrika Korps The Afrika Korps or German Africa Corps (, }; DAK) was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African Campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of its African colonies, the ...

, although the population of the camp rarely exceeded 3,500. The camp operated between June 2, 1943 and September 30, 1945. Prisoners were brought to the camp via the St. Louis – San Francisco Railway. The only remaining trace of the camp is an old stone chimney. However, there is a German POW collection at the Aliceville Museum and Cultural Arts Center which retains documentation from the camp including maps, photographs, camp publications, letters, and artwork. 1937

Civil rights movement

1960

During the

civil rights movement The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, Racial discrimination ...

, organizing in small communities such as Aliceville was often more dangerous for activists than it was in larger cities because of their isolation. As late as 1965, according to James Corder, a

Primitive Baptist Primitive Baptists – also known as Hard Shell Baptists, Foot Washing Baptists or Old School Baptists – are conservative Baptists adhering to a degree of Calvinist beliefs who coalesced out of the controversy among Baptists in the early 19th c ...

minister from Aliceville, Pickens County had not yet experienced any civil unrest related to the movement. Jordan was inspired by the

Selma to Montgomery marches The Selma to Montgomery marches were three protest marches, held in 1965, along the 54-mile (87 km) highway from Selma, Alabama, to the state capital of Montgomery. The marches were organized by nonviolent activists to demonstrate the ...

in March of that year to organize a civil rights group in Aliceville, which he called the "Rural Farm and Development Council" in order to avoid scrutiny. The group organized protests at the Aliceville city hall to oppose officially sanctioned racism in the city. In September 1969 black students held protests against the principal of an all-black school in Aliceville, prompting governor

Albert Brewer Albert Preston Brewer (October 26, 1928 – January 2, 2017) was an American politician who was the 47th governor of Alabama from 1968 to 1971. Early life Albert Preston Brewer was born on October 26, 1928, in Bethel Springs, Tennessee, Un ...

to send

National Guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. Nat ...

troops into the city. Two of the city's all-black schools were closed on September 4 due to the demonstrations, and they reopened the next day under National Guard supervision.

1970s and 1980s

In 1982, Aliceville native Maggie Bozeman testified at Congressional hearings held in

Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama and the county seat of Montgomery County. Named for the Irish soldier Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River, on the coastal Plain of the Gulf of Mexico. In the 202 ...

, concerning proposed amendments to the

Voting Rights Act of 1965 The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. It was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson during the height of the civil rights movement ...

. She testified that as late as 1980 in Aliceville and Pickens County voting took place in the open rather than in private booths and that white police officers were stationed in polling places, taking photographs of people who assisted black voters. This revelation outraged Republican congressman

Henry Hyde Henry John Hyde (April 18, 1924 – November 29, 2007) was an American politician who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 2007, representing the 6th District of Illinois, an area of Chicago's ...

, who had previously been unconvinced of the necessity of amending the law. Bozeman's testimony followed her 1979 arrest, conviction, and sentencing for vote fraud. Bozeman and fellow political activist Julia Wilder of Olney, Alabama were given "the sternest sentences for a vote fraud conviction in recent Alabama history": five years for Wilder and four for Bozeman. The sentences were upheld on appeal, prompting the formation of an organization, the National Coalition to Free Julia Wilder and Maggie Bozeman and Save the Voting Rights Act, and a march through Aliceville from

, to Montgomery to publicize their cause. The

United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United State ...

sent eight poll-watchers to Aliceville to observe the 1984

primary election Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the ...

runoffs following reports from observers of the July 1984 main primaries.

And after

In November 2013 three tanker cars carrying

crude oil Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crude ...

exploded when an

Alabama and Gulf Coast Railway The Alabama and Gulf Coast Railway is a Class II railroad owned by Genesee & Wyoming. It operates of track from the Pensacola, Florida export terminals, west of downtown, north to Columbus, Mississippi, with trackage rights along BNSF Railway ...

train derailed near Aliceville. As of March 2014, the cleanup of the spilt oil was still not complete, despite four months of work. About 750,000 gallons of

Bakken crude The Bakken Formation () is a rock unit from the Late Devonian to Early Mississippian age occupying about of the subsurface of the Williston Basin, underlying parts of Montana, North Dakota, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The formation was init ...

was released.

Geography

Aliceville is located at (33.126276, -88.154427). 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 , all land.

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, notabl ...

system, Aliceville 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

Aliceville

Aliceville first appeared on the 1910 U.S. Census as an incorporated town. It became the largest town in Pickens County in 1930, surpassing

Reform Reform ( lat, reformo) means the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The use of the word in this way emerges in the late 18th century and is believed to originate from Christopher Wyvill#The Yorkshire Associati ...

, and continues to hold the title as of 2010.

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 2,177 people, 898 households, and 625 families residing in the city.

2010 Census data

As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

, there were 2,486 people living in the city. 74.9% were

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 ...

, 22.6%

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 ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.0%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.8% from some other race and 1.6% of two or more races. 1.2% were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

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.

2000 Census data

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 2,567 people, 978 households, and 646 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,092 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 32.29%

, 66.54%

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 o ...

, 0.12% Native American, 0.31%

, and 0.74% from two or more races. 0.39% of the population were

of any race. There were 978 households, out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 28.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.20. In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.2% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 21.4% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 75.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 64.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $17,092, and the median income for a family was $23,233. Males had a median income of $25,114 versus $15,952 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 $11,028. About 38.7% of families and 44.7% 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 64.6% of those under age 18 and 29.9% of those age 65 or over.

Aliceville Precinct/Division (1930-)

The Aliceville Precinct (Pickens County Precinct 19) first appeared on the 1930 U.S. Census.http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/03815512v1ch02.pdf, 1930 AL Census Prior to that, from 1880-1920, it had been known as the Franconia Precinct. In 1960, Aliceville precinct was changed to a census division as part of a general reorganization of counties.http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/37721510v1p2ch2.pdf, 1960 AL Census In 2000, it was merged with the Raleigh Census Division and renamed South Pickens Division.http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/phc-1-2.pdf, 2000 AL Census In 2010, the name was changed back to Aliceville Census Division.http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-1-2.pdf, 2010 AL Census

Economy

Aliceville is home to the

Federal Correctional Institution, Aliceville The Federal Correctional Institution, Aliceville (FCI Aliceville) is a low security United States federal prison for female inmates in Alabama. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice ...

. Construction on the $250 million, 1,500-bed medium-security women’s prison began in 2008 and was completed in 2011. The facility also includes a 256-bed minimum-security work camp.

Arts and culture

Aliceville is home to the

Aliceville POW Museum Aliceville is a city in Pickens County, Alabama, United States, located thirty-six miles west of Tuscaloosa. At the 2010 census its population was 2,486, down from 2,567 in 2000. Founded in the first decade of the 20th century and incorporate ...

, which houses papers, letters, documents, maps, and other material from the World War II prisoner of war camp situated in the city from 1942 to 1945. The museum opened in 1995 and, in addition to the POW material, houses a permanent exhibit on the Aliceville

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...

bottling plant.

Education

* Aliceville High School * Aliceville Middle School * Aliceville Elementary School

Notable people

Stephen Fleck Stephen Fleck (September 18, 1912 – December 19, 2002) was a professor in the psychiatry, epidemiology and public health departments at the Yale University School of Medicine from 1953 to 1983 and professor emeritus from 1983 until his death. He ...

, medical officer at Camp Aliceville *

Butch Hobson Clell Lavern "Butch" Hobson Jr. (born August 17, 1951) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and manager. He is the current manager for the Chicago Dogs of the American Association of Professional Baseball. Hobson played in ...

, major league

third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...

and manager *

Amos Jones Amos Jones (born December 31, 1959) is an American football coach who is the assistant coach of special projects & situations for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). College playing career Jones played safety and running ...

, American football coach * Walter Jones, former offensive tackle for the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...

Simmie Knox Simmie Lee Knox (born August 18, 1935) is an American painter who painted the official White House portrait of former United States President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton. He was the first black American artist to receive a presiden ...

portrait A portrait is a portrait painting, painting, portrait photography, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expressions are predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, Personality type ...

artist * Henry Smith, former NFL

defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the la ...

Photo Gallery

File:AL17nRoad-AL14ewSigns-Aliceville (39078261005).jpg, Roadsigns at Aliceville File:George Downer Airport.jpg, George Downer Airport, Aliceville File:FCIalicevillefull.jpg, Federal Correctional Institution, Aliceville File:Dr. William Hughes Plantation 01.jpg, Dr. William Hughes Plantation, 1937 (near Aliceville) File:Dr. William Hughes Plantation 02.jpg, Dr. William Hughes Plantation, 1937 (near Aliceville) File:Dr. William Hughes Plantation 04.jpg, Interior Stairway, Dr. William Hughes Plantation, 1937 (near Aliceville) File:Historic American Buildings Survey Alex Bush, Photographer, June 2, 1937 LOOKING NORTHEAST AT REAR. - Dr. William Hughes House and Outbuildings, Hughes Creek vicinity, HABS ALA,54-ALIC.V,1-2.tif, Dr. William Hughes Plantation, 1937 (near Aliceville) File:Historic American Buildings Survey Alex Bush, Photographer, June 2, 1937 LOOKING NORTH EAST AT FRONT. - Ingleside, House and Outbuildings, Second Street (State Highway 14), HABS ALA,54-ALIC,1-1.tif, Ingleside House, 1937, Aliceville

Notes

: "The onlooker," but literally "the fence-guest."

References

Notes

References

External links

Archived version of Camp Alice POW Museum Official Website

Library of Congress record for ''Der Zaungast'', Camp Alice prisoner newsletter
{{Authority control Cities in Alabama Cities in Pickens County, Alabama 1902 establishments in Alabama

History

Camp Aliceville

Civil rights movement

1960

1970s and 1980s

And after

Geography

Climate

Demographics

Aliceville

2020 census

2010 Census data

2000 Census data

Aliceville Precinct/Division (1930-)

Economy

Arts and culture

Education

Notable people

Photo Gallery

See also

Further reading

Notes

References

Notes

References

External links