Brundidge is the second-largest city in Pike County,

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 ...

, United States. The population was 2,076 at the 2010 census, down from 2,341 in 2000. The city was once a major producer of peanut butter. Brundidge holds a Peanut Butter Festival during the last Saturday of each October, which includes live music, a recipe contest, and a parade. The city has a large number of antique stores in its historic downtown.

History

The town was founded prior to the Civil War by George C. Collier, who established a trading post and saloon. First called "Collier's Store", the town changed its name around 1854 to honor James M. Brundidge, a prominent citizen and founder of the local Masonic lodge. During the Civil War, men from Pike County joined "Company F", the "Brundidge Guards", of the

15th Regiment Alabama Infantry The 15th Alabama Infantry Regiment was a Confederate States Army, Confederate volunteer infantry unit from the state of Alabama during the American Civil War. Recruited from six counties in the southeastern part of the state, it fought mostly ...

. Brundidge grew as an agricultural center after the war. A depot of the newly constructed

Alabama Midland Railway The Alabama Midland Railway was incorporated in Alabama and Georgia in 1887, and built a line from Bainbridge, Georgia, to a point near Montgomery, Alabama. The route was completed in 1890. It became part of the Plant System in 1894, and in 1901 ...

was established in Brundidge in 1889. Several hotels and businesses followed. Passenger trains such as the ''

South Wind The south wind is the wind that originates from the south and blows north. South Wind may also refer to: * ''South Wind'' (film), 2018 Serbian film * ''South Wind'' (TV series), 2020 Serbian TV series * , 2021 Serbian film * , 2022 Serbian TV s ...

'' once passed. The railway line is now the Dothan Subdivision, used for freight operations by

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 ...

. Brundidge incorporated in 1893. In 1900, the Brundidge Banking Company opened, followed by the First National Bank in 1904. Brundidge has had three newspapers: the ''Brundidge News'' began publication in 1893, the ''Brundidge Sentinel'' began in 1926, and the ''Brundidge Banner'' in 1962. All have ceased publication. In the 1920s, Brundidge native Alonza E. Johnston opened a peanut butter mill, and his Johnston Oil Company was soon shipping more than two million jars per year. The company also produced velvet bread and mayonnaise, and operated warehouses, gins, and an ice plant. The business has ceased operation. The old Johnston Mill and General Store has been adapted as a museum. The mill, as well as the Lightfoot House in Brundidge, are both listed on the

Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage The Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage (ARLH), commonly referred to as the Alabama Register, is an official listing of buildings, sites, structures, objects, and districts deemed worthy of preservation in the U.S. state of Alabama. These pr ...

Geography

Brundidge is located at (31.719218, -85.818119). 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 (0.31%) 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 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, Brundidge 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

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 2,341 people, 1,014 households, and 652 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,192 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 63.52%

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 ...

, 33.40%

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 ...

, 0.51% Native American, 0.26% Asian, and 2.31% from two or more races. 0.81% 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 1,014 households, out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.7% 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, 24.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.6% 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 2.93. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 23.3% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 19.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $16,774, and the median income for a family was $19,531. Males had a median income of $25,720 versus $16,358 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 $12,357. About 31.6% of families and 35.5% 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 51.0% of those under age 18 and 37.0% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 2,076 people, 940 households, and 559 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,086 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 62.9%

, 34.1%

, 0.5% Native American, 0.6% Asian, and 1.3% from two or more races. 3.0% of the population were

or Latino of any race. There were 940 households, out of which 18.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.2% were

living together, 20.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.5% were non-families. 37.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.86. In the city, the population was spread out, with 19.7% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 21.5% from 25 to 44, 30.4% from 45 to 64, and 21.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $21,798, and the median income for a family was $29,073. Males had a median income of $30,517 versus $19,315 for females. The

for the city was $14,671. About 23.7% of families and 33.5% of the population were below the

, including 55.5% of those under age 18 and 21.3% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,073 people, 748 households, and 485 families residing in the city.

Economy

Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...

distribution center is located west of the city along

U.S. Route 231 U.S. Route 231 (US 231) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway System, U.S highway that is a parallel route of U.S. Route 31, US 31. It runs for from St. John, Indiana, St. John, Indiana, at U.S. Route 41 in Indiana, US&nbs ...

. It is the area's largest employer, employing about 800 people.

Education

Brundidge Public Schools are part of the Pike County School District. Schools in the district include Goshen Elementary School, Pike County Elementary School, Banks Middle School, Goshen High School, Pike County High School and the Troy-Pike Center for Technology. Pike County Elementary School and Pike County High School are located in Brundidge. Dr. Mark Bazzell is the Superintendent of Schools.

Infrastructure

U.S. Route 231 passes west of the city, and

Alabama State Route 93 State Route 93 (SR 93) is an state highway in Pike County, Alabama, United States, that serves as a connection between the towns of Brundidge and Banks . Route description SR 93 begins at an intersection with U.S. Route& ...

and

Alabama State Route 10 State Route 10 (SR 10) is a major west–east state highway in the U.S. state of Alabama, running for through the southern part of the state. It is the lowest even-numbered route in the state that is not an unsigned partner route a ...

bisect the center of Brundidge. The Brundidge Municipal Airport is now closed. The nearest airport is Troy Municipal Airport.

Notable people

Fred Baxter Frederick Denard Baxter (born June 14, 1971) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers and was selected by the ...

, professional football player for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins. * Walter L. Fleming, historian of the Dunning School and leader at Vanderbilt University. *

Cornelius Griffin Cornelius Griffin (; born December 3, 1976) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2000 NFL draft. H ...

, professional football player for the Washington Redskins. * William Oscar Mulkey,

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 Alabama. * Jacob Broughton Nelson, founder of Phi Kappa secondary school fraternity. *

Herb Siler Herb Siler (born January 5, 1935, Brundidge, Alabama, United States – d. March 25, 2001, Miami) was a heavyweight boxer. He won 16 fights (including seven by knockout) and lost 12, with no draws. His career started in 1960 and ended in 1967. S ...

, heavyweight boxer who went four rounds against

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...

in 1960. *

Robert L. Williams Robert Lee Williams (December 20, 1868 – April 10, 1948) was an American lawyer, judge, and the third governor of Oklahoma. Williams played a role in the drafting of the Oklahoma Constitution and served as the first Oklahoma Supreme Court chie ...

, third

governor of Oklahoma The governor of Oklahoma is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor serves as the head of the Oklahoma Executive (government), executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The gover ...

References

External links

*
Brundidge Business Association

Tupper Lightfoot Memorial Library

We Piddle Around Theater
{{authority control Cities in Alabama Cities in Pike County, Alabama