Ohatchee (inc. 1956) is a town in
Calhoun 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 1,157. It is included in the
Anniston–
Oxford, Alabama
Oxford is a city in Calhoun County, Alabama, Calhoun, Talladega County, Alabama, Talladega, and Cleburne County, Alabama, Cleburne counties in the U.S. state, State of Alabama, United States. The population was 22,069 at the 2020 United States ...
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...
used the area around present-day Ohatchee to prepare for the
Battle of Talladega
The Battle of Talladega was fought between the Tennessee Militia (United States), Militia and the Red Stick Muscogee, Creek Indians during the Creek War, in the vicinity of the present-day county and city of Talladega, Alabama, Talladega, Alaba ...
.
Lyncoya Jackson was orphaned by the
Battle of Tallushatchee in November 1813 and later sent to Jackson's
Hermitage in Tennessee where he was raised. Lyncoya died of tuberculosis in 1828.
The site of the battle is marked with a large stone marker along Alabama Highway 144 between
Alexandria
Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
and Ohatchee, near Tallaseehatchee Creek.
Between 1863 and 1864, Alfred A. Janney built a furnace, now named Janney Furnace, to produce
pig iron
Pig iron, also known as crude iron, is an intermediate good used by the iron industry in the production of steel. It is developed by smelting iron ore in a blast furnace. Pig iron has a high carbon content, typically 3.8–4.7%, along with si ...
for the
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or Dixieland, was an List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies, unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United State ...
during the
Civil War
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
.
About Janney Furnace
/ref> The furnace never went into production, but locals often speak of the quality of the construction because the structure was supposedly built by slaves. The site is now a part of the Calhoun County Park System and features a Civil War memorial alongside a Civil War and Native American museum. The site hosts a town festival every year that includes vendors, children's activities, music, and a Civil War reenactment.
Ohatchee became an incorporated town in 1956. On March 25, 2021, an EF3 tornado struck the town, killing six residents.
Geography
Ohatchee is located in western Calhoun County at 33°48'10.944" North, 86°2'11.864" West (33.803040, -86.036629).Coosa River
The Coosa River is a tributary of the Alabama River in the U.S. states of Alabama and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The river is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, ac ...
. A northwest extension of the town limits reaches to the shores of the Coosa River along Neely Henry Lake.
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 , of which is land and , or 0.69%, is water.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,157 people, 555 households, and 424 families residing in the town.
2010 census
As of the censusWhite
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 ...
, 3.2% 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 ...
or 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 ...
, 0.6% Native American, 0.0% Asian, and 2.1% from two or more races. 0.6% 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 474 households, out of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.8% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.8% were non-families. 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 21.1% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 22.6% from 25 to 44, 35.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $55,769, and the median income for a family was $62,266. Males had a median income of $50,817 versus $26,563 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 $23,041. About 3.4% of families and 4.6% 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 1.6% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
* Clyde Propst, American football coach
*Robert Bruce Propst
Robert Bruce Propst (July 13, 1931 – May 14, 2019) was a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.
Education and career
Propst was born in Ohatchee, Alabama and graduated fro ...
, United States federal judge
In the United States, a federal judge is a judge who serves on a court established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. Often called "Article III judges", federal judges include the chief justice and associate justices of the U.S. S ...
* Rush Propst, American football coach
References
{{authority control
Towns in Alabama
Towns in Calhoun County, Alabama
Populated places established in 1956
Alabama placenames of Native American origin