Semmes (pronounced , locally ) is a city in western
Mobile 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 ...
, in the
Mobile metropolitan area
The Mobile Metropolitan Area comprises Mobile County, Alabama, Mobile in the southwest corner of Alabama in the United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the metropolitan area had a population of 430,197. The Mobile metropoli ...
. It was incorporated in 2011. As of the
2020 census, the population was 4,941.
History
The community was named for
Admiral
Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...
Raphael Semmes (1809–1877), an officer in the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
from 1826 to 1861 and the
Confederate States Navy
The Confederate States Navy (CSN) was the Navy, naval branch of the Confederate States Armed Forces, established by an act of the Confederate States Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the Amer ...
from 1861 to 1865.
Incorporation
On March 3, 2010, the members of the Friends of Semmes and the associated Incorporate Semmes organizations presented Mobile County Probate Judge Don Davis with a petition seeking to incorporate an area within the Semmes community as the City of Semmes. The proposed incorporation did not include the entire area known as Semmes due to certain population density requirements of Alabama state law. Judge Davis set the date for the referendum as Tuesday, August 17, 2010. After voting closed, unofficial returns showed the plebiscite passing with 74.19% of the voters in favor of incorporation. Some voters complained about the "zig-zag" nature of the proposed city limits, which excluded some areas of the community from the vote, with some referring to the proposed city as a
gerrymander
Gerrymandering, ( , originally ) defined in the contexts of Representative democracy, representative electoral systems, is the political manipulation of Boundary delimitation, electoral district boundaries to advantage a Political party, pa ...
.
Once the election was certified in August, the Mobile County Probate Judge ordered an enumeration, or census, of the citizens of the new municipality, in accordance with Alabama law. The enumeration was completed in late April 2011, and the city was declared incorporated by the Probate Judge on May 2, 2011. The Probate Judge set the date of the first municipal election to be June 28, 2011, to elect the mayor and the five at-large city council seats. The city of Mobile, upon the issuance of the order of incorporation, removed Semmes from its police, fire, and planning extraterritorial jurisdictions, and no longer provides any services or collects any taxes in the area.
Only one person, Judy Hale, filed with the Probate Judge to run for the office of Mayor, and, as such, was deemed elected without an election taking place. Likewise, only five citizens qualified to run for the five at-large City Council seats, and were subsequently deemed elected. The council members were Jerry Shirey, Dave Baker, Mary Calhoun, Phillip Dodd, and Teresa Bonner. They took the oath of office at the first Semmes City Council meeting on June 6, 2011.
The current mayor of Semmes is Brandon Van Hook, a local business owner. He was elected in August 2020 and replaced incumbent Mayor David Baker who only served one term.
Future
Leaders of the incorporation effort stated to members of the local media and to some citizens not included in the incorporation area that future plans included several annexations of the surrounding area.
Geography
Semmes is located in west-central Mobile County at . The
elevation
The elevation of a geographic location (geography), ''location'' is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational equipotenti ...
is above sea level. It is west of
Prichard and northwest of downtown
Mobile.
U.S. Route 98 (Moffett Road) is the main highway through Semmes, leading southeast into Mobile and northwest to
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County, Mississippi, Forrest County (where it is the county seat and most populous city) and extending west into Lamar County, Mississippi, Lamar County. The ci ...
.
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 of Semmes has a total area of , of which , or 0.24%, are water.
Climate
Semmes is on the central
Gulf Coast
The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South or the South Coast, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico are Tex ...
and has a subtropical climate, which consists of warm, wet winters and very hot, very humid summers. Semmes is also vulnerable to hurricanes, which the area frequently experiences.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 4,941 people, 2,243 households, and 1,446 families residing in the city.
Education
Primary and secondary education
Semmes is a part of the
Mobile County Public Schools system.
; Secondary
*
Mary G. Montgomery High School (9-12)
* Semmes Middle School (6-8)
; Primary (all K-5)
[Elementary Schools]
" City of Semmes. Retrieved on November 29, 2018.
* Semmes Elementary
* Allentown Elementary
Elementary schools serving nearby areas outside of the city limits:
[
* Elsie Collier Elementary School
* Tanner Williams Elementary School
* Turner Elementary
Private schools:
* Semmes First Baptist School
]
Higher education
Semmes is in proximity to five tertiary institutions:
* Bishop State Community College
* Faulkner University, Mobile Campus
* Spring Hill College
* University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a private Baptist university in Prichard, Alabama, in Mobile County. It is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist Convention (Southern Baptist Convention).
History
The university was founded in 1961 by the Alabama ...
* University of South Alabama
The University of South Alabama (USA) is a public research university in Mobile, Alabama, United States. It was created by the Alabama Legislature in May 1963 and replaced existing extension programs operated in Mobile by the University of Alaba ...
Parks
Community park
The first community park in Semmes opened on February 3, 2007. The park was built adjacent to the Semmes Community Center at a cost of $600,000.
Semmes Heritage Park
Semmes School is the oldest continuously in-use school in the state of Alabama and is listed as an Alabama Historical Landmark. In 1994, a group of volunteers, former students, teachers and community citizens formed "Alumni & Friends of Semmes School, Inc." to preserve the 1902 one-room Semmes School and return it to its original location. The Mobile County School Board had planned to tear down the school when concerned citizens formed a group to save to school. The School Board gave a 99-year lease to the group and moved the school back to its original site. The school was restored to its 1902 status in 1998 by volunteers and donations, and continues to operate with volunteers as a hands-on 1900s school. Malone Chapel is a replica of Mt. Pleasant Church that was located on this exact spot. The chapel is rented for weddings and special events with the funds going towards operational expenses.
Notable people
* Jake Peavy
Jacob Edward Peavy (born May 31, 1981) is an American former professional baseball pitcher, who is currently an on-air analyst for MLB Network. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, ...
, MLB pitcher
* Ralph Staten, NFL player
References
External links
*
{{authority control
Cities in Mobile County, Alabama
Cities in Alabama
Populated places established in 2011