Gilbertown is a town in Choctaw 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. At the 2020 census, the population was 739.

Geography

Gilbertown is located in southern Choctaw County at 31°52'36.034" North, 88°19'15.265" West (31.876676, -88.320907). 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 town has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

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 187 people, 90 households, and 54 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 111 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 86.63%

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 ...

, 10.70%

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 ...

, 1.07% Native American, and 1.60% from two or more races. There were 90 households, out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% 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, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.69. In the town, the population was spread out, with 18.7% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 30.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.4 males. The median income for a household in the town was $27,917, and the median income for a family was $44,167. Males had a median income of $40,625 versus $21,250 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 town was $18,492. About 15.5% of families and 23.1% 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 38.6% of those under the age of eighteen and 19.4% of those 65 or over. Local events include the Choctaw County Heritage Festival, which takes place usually between May 30 and June 3. Gilbertown is the site of the first producing oil well in Alabama.

First permitted oil well in Alabama

The first permit to drill an

oil well An oil well is a drillhole boring in Earth that is designed to bring petroleum oil hydrocarbons to the surface. Usually some natural gas is released as associated petroleum gas along with the oil. A well that is designed to produce only gas m ...

in Alabama, the A. R. Jackson Well No. 1, was granted to the

Hunt Oil Company Hunt Oil Co. is an independent oil and gas company headquartered in Dallas, Texas. It conducts its main oil production activities in the United States, Canada and, as of 1984, in Yemen. In the past, the company was owned by American oil tycoon ...

on January 2, 1944, near Gilbertown. Drilling started January 10, 1944, and struck in

chalk Chalk is a soft, white, porous, sedimentary carbonate rock. It is a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite and originally formed deep under the sea by the compression of microscopic plankton that had settled to the sea floor. Ch ...

of the

Selma Group The Selma Group is a geological formation in North America, within the U.S. states of Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The strata date from the Santonian to the Maastrichtian stages of the Late Cretaceous. The group is composed of, in ascend ...

approximately one month later at a depth of .

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, Gilbertown 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.Climate Summary for Gilbertown, Alabama
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Notable people

* Angela Quentina Arnold (known as AQA),

professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...

signed to

AEW All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. It is owned and operated by Shahid and Tony Khan, with the latter serving as president and chief executive officer. AEW was foun ...

. *

Gary Banks Gary Rashad Banks (born November 4, 1981) is an American college football coach and former professional wide receiver. He is the wide receivers coach for Troy University, a position he has held since 2021. He previously played for the San Diego ...

, 2000 graduate of Southern Choctaw High School; former right fielder for Chicago Cubs minor league; former wide receiver for San Diego Chargers * Jeff Branson, former infielder for Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, and Los Angeles Dodgers; and former hitting coach for Pittsburgh Pirates. * Spencer Johnson, former defensive tackle for Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills * Paul Ruffin, first African American to be promoted to senior research scientist within the civilian U.S. Army workforce

References

External links

Gilbertown, AL profile at Choctaw County Public Library
Broken Link
Coastal Gateway Regional Economic Development Alliance
{{authority control Towns in Alabama Towns in Choctaw County, Alabama