Barbour County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

in the southeastern part of 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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,223. Its

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 ...

is Clayton. Its largest city is Eufaula. Its name is in honor of James Barbour, who served as

Governor of Virginia The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. The Governor (United States), governor is head of the Government_of_Virginia#Executive_branch, executive branch ...

History

Barbour County was established on December 18, 1832, from former

Muscogee The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek or just Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language; English: ), are a group of related Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands Here they waged war again ...

homelands and a portion of Pike County. Between the years of 1763 and 1783 the area which is now Barbour County was part of the colony of

British West Florida British West Florida was a colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain from 1763 until 1783, when it was ceded to Kingdom of Spain, Spain as part of the Peace of Paris (1783), Peace of Paris. British West Florida comprised parts of the modern U.S ...

. After 1783 the region fell under the jurisdiction of the newly created United States of America. The Muscogee Creek Confederacy was removed to territory west of the Mississippi River. The fertile land was developed by southern migrants as large cotton plantations dependent on

slave Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

labor. Due to the number of slaves, the population was soon majority black, a proportion that continued for decades. In the 21st century, the population has a slight white majority, but blacks make up more than 46% of the residents, which results in highly competitive politics. In 1833,

Louisville Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...

was chosen as the first county seat for Barbour County. The county seat was moved in 1834, after an eleven-member committee selected Clayton because of its central geographic location. Its boundaries were altered in 1866 and 1868. The Election Riot of 1874 occurred near Comer. By the 1870s, the city of Eufaula had surpassed Clayton in size, sparking debate about whether the county seat should be moved to the county's commercial center or remain at its geographic center. Reaching a compromise, the legislature passed Act No. 106 on February 12, 1879, to establish county courts in both Eufaula and Clayton. Today, two county courthouses continue to operate in Barbour County.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (2.2%) is water. The county is located within the Wiregrass region of southeast Alabama.

Major highways

* U.S. Highway 82 * U.S. Highway 431 * State Route 10 * State Route 30 * State Route 51 * State Route 95 * State Route 130 * State Route 131 * State Route 165 * State Route 198 * State Route 239

Adjacent counties

* Russell County - northeast * Quitman County, Georgia - east * Stewart County, Georgia - east * Clay County, Georgia - southeast * Henry County - south * Dale County - south * Pike County - west * Bullock County - northwest

National protected area

* Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

2020 Census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 25,223 people, 9,345 households, and 6,187 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 27,457 people living in the county. 48.0% were

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 ...

, 46.9% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.1%

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 ...

, 3.3% of some other race and 0.9% of two or more races. 5.1% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 29,038 people, 10,409 households, and 7,390 families living in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 12,461 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 51.27%

, 46.32%

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 ...

, 0.45% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.03%

, 0.91% from other races, and 0.73% from two or more races. 1.65% 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 670 people who spoke Spanish in their home. The only other language with over 100 speakers was French at 105. In 2005 Barbour County had a population that was 49.5% non-Hispanic whites. 46.8% of the population was African-American. 0.3% of the population reported more than one race. Latinos were now 3.1% of the population. 0.4% were Native American and 0.3% were Asian. (Sources census quickfacts) In 2000 There were 10,409 households, out of which 33.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.90% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 19.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.00% were non-families. 26.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.04. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.40% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 29.60% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 13.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 106.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.80 males. The median income for a household in the county was $25,101, and the median income for a family was $31,877. Males had a median income of $28,441 versus $19,882 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 county was $13,316. About 21.60% of families and 26.80% 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 37.10% of those under age 18 and 26.40% of those age 65 or over. In 2000, the largest denominational groups were

Evangelical Protestant Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of the Christian ...

s (with 8,935 adherents) and

Mainline Protestant The mainline Protestants (sometimes also known as oldline Protestants) are a group of Protestantism in the United States, Protestant denominations in the United States and Protestantism in Canada, Canada largely of the Liberal Christianity, theolo ...

s (with 2,492 adherents). The largest religious bodies were The

Southern Baptist Convention The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), alternatively the Great Commission Baptists (GCB), is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist organization, the largest Protestant, and the second-largest Chr ...

(with 7,576 members) and The

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

(with 1,811 members).

Education

Barbour County contains two public school districts. There are approximately 7,100 students in public K-12 schools in Barbour County. The county contains one public

higher education Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...

institution. Wallace Community College operates a campus located in Eufaula.

Districts

School districts include:Text list
* Barbour County School District * Eufaula City School District

Politics

Having been a historically Democratic county for much of the 20th century, the county has become more competitive. It has now voted for the Republican presidential candidate in four of the last five elections.

Communities

Cities

Clio In Greek mythology, Clio ( , ; ), also spelled Kleio, Сleio, or Cleo, is the muse of history, or in a few mythological accounts, the muse of lyre-playing. Etymology Clio's name is derived from the Greek root κλέω/κλείω (meaning ...

* Eufaula

Towns

* Bakerhill * Blue Springs * Clayton (County Seat) *

Unincorporated communities

* Batesville * Elamville * Spring Hill

Places of interest

Barbour County is home to Lakepoint Resort State Park, Blue Springs State Park, and the Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge.

Notable people

Governors from Barbour County

As a center of the planter elite class, Barbour County has produced more Alabama governors than any other county in the state. Six elected governors as well as two acting governors have lived in the county. In 2000, th
Barbour County Governors' Trail
was established by an act of the Alabama Legislature to honor the eight distinguished men and women who have served as governor from the county. Marking changes in 20th-century politics, Chauncey Sparks, the Wallaces, and Jere Beasley were not from the planter elite.

References

External links

Barbour WeatherBarbour County Clerk of CourtZone 1 News - Breaking News, Investigative Reports, Video CoverageBarbour County Sheriff's Office
{{authority control 1832 establishments in Alabama Populated places established in 1832 Majority-minority counties in Alabama