Lamar County (formerly Jones County and Sanford 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

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

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 13,972. 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 Vernon and it is a

dry county In the United States, a dry county is a county whose local government forbids the sale of any kind of alcoholic beverages. Some prohibit off-premises sale, some prohibit on-premises sale, and some prohibit both. The vast majority of counties n ...

. It is named in honor of Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar, a former Confederate officer and former member of both houses of the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

from

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

History

Jones County, Alabama was established on February 4, 1867, with land taken from the southern part of Marion County and the western part of Fayette County. It was named for E. P. Jones of Fayette County, with its

in Vernon. This county was abolished on November 13, 1867. On October 8, 1868, the area was again organized into a county, but as Covington County had been renamed "Jones County" the same year (a change that lasted only a few months), the new county was named Sanford, in honor of H. C. Sanford of Cherokee County. On February 8, 1877, the county was renamed Lamar in honor of Congressman and Senator L.Q.C. Lamar of Mississippi.

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 (0.1%) is water.

Adjacent counties

* Marion County (north) * Fayette County (east) * Pickens County (south) * Lowndes County, Mississippi (southwest) *

Monroe County, Mississippi Monroe County is a county on the northeast border of the U.S. state of Mississippi next to Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 34,180. Its county seat is Aberdeen. History The county is named in honor of James Monroe, the fi ...

(west)

Cemeteries

*Asbury Methodist Church (2) * *Pine Springs Cemetery *Blooming Grove Baptist Church Cemetery *Christian Chapel Church of Christ Cemetery *Fellowship Baptist Church Cemetery *Furnace Hill Cemetery *Kennedy Town Cemetery *Liberty Baptist Church Cemetery *Macedonia Baptist Church Cemetery *Meadow Branch Baptist Church Cemetery *Mount Olive Church of Christ Cemetery *Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church Cemetery *Old Mount Nebo Cemetery *Shiloh (Pinhook) United Methodist Church Cemetery *Sulligent City Cemetery *Vernon City Cemetery *Providence United Methodist Cemetery *Union Chapel Church Cemetery near Crossville *Morton Chapel Methodist Church Cemetery near Vernon *Fairview Church Cemetery *Lebanon United Methodist Church Cemetery *Shiloh Baptist Church Cemetery *Old Liberty Church Cemetery *South Carolina Church Cemetery near Hightogy *Springhill Cemetery near Millport *Walnut Grove Cemetery *Wesley Chapel Cemetery *Glimer Addition to Sulligent City Cemetery *Sandlin Cemetery (just north of Sulligent on Hwy 17)

Demographics

2020 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 2020, there were 13,972 people, 5,856 households, and 3,895 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 14,564 people, 6,103 households, and 4,207 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 7,354 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 86.7%

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 ...

, 11.3%

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 ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.0% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. 1.2% 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 6,103 households, out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% 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, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.1% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.8. In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.2% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 29.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.4 males. The median income for a household in the county was $33,887, and the median income for a family was $42,492. Males had a median income of $36,833 versus $25,125 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 $19,789. About 13.2% of families and 18.5% 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 25.2% of those under age 18 and 14.6% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 15,904 people, 6,468 households, and 4,715 families living in the county. The

was . There were 7,517 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 86.87%

, 11.98%

, 0.11% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.46% from other races, and 0.51% from two or more races. 1.30% of the population were

or Latino of any race. There were 6,468 households, out of which 31.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.60% were

living together, 10.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.10% were non-families. 25.40% 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 2.43 and the average family size was 2.89. In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.60% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 15.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.90 males. The median income for a household in the county was $28,059, and the median income for a family was $33,050. Males had a median income of $30,453 versus $18,947 for females. The

for the county was $14,435. About 13.30% of families and 16.10% of the population were below the

, including 19.10% of those under age 18 and 18.60% of those age 65 or over.

Media

Newspapers

The Vernon Pioneer
- (1875–1878) The first newspaper published in Lamar County was The Vernon Pioneer. The Editors and Proprietors included William R. Smith, William R. Smith Jr., Smith, McCullough & Co, Sid B. Smith, and Don R. Aldridge.

- (1879–1880) - Alexander Cobb as Editor and Proprietor and later Alex A. Wall as Proprietor.

- (1886–1887) - E. J. McNatt as Editor and Proprietor *The Sulligent Lightning

- (1886–1890) - Alex A. Wall as Editor and Publisher, then Courier Publishing Co. (R. J. Young as Editor-in-Chief and Mollie C. Young as partner) *The Eagle-Eye (1894) *The Lamar Democrat (1896–present) *The Rural Educator (1908) *The Sulligent News (1942–1952)

Transportation

Major highways

* U.S. Highway 278 * State Route 17 * State Route 18 * State Route 19 * State Route 96

Rail

BNSF Railway BNSF Railway is the largest freight railroad in the United States. One of six North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 36,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and over 8,000 locomotives. It has three Transcontinental railroad, transcontine ...

* Luxapalila Valley Railroad

Politics

In a 2000 referendum to repeal Alabama's constitutional prohibition of

interracial marriage Interracial marriage is a marriage involving spouses who belong to different "Race (classification of human beings), races" or Ethnic group#Ethnicity and race, racialized ethnicities. In the past, such marriages were outlawed in the United Sta ...

, Lamar County voters showed the highest rate of opposition in the state, with 65.69% opposing repeal of the provision. Since

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

, Lamar County has been reliably Republican at the presidential level. The last Democrat to win the county in a presidential election is

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...

, who won it by a majority in

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

Communities

Cities

* Sulligent * Vernon (county seat)

Towns

* Beaverton *

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

* Kennedy * Millport

Unincorporated communities

* Crews * Fernbank * Henson Springs * Hightogy * Kingville *

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

References

External links

Official website of Lamar County
{{authority control 1877 establishments in Alabama Populated places established in 1877

History

Geography

Adjacent counties

Cemeteries

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

2000 census

Media

Newspapers

Transportation

Major highways

Rail

Politics

Communities

Cities

Towns

Unincorporated communities

See also

References

External links