Wilton, also known by the previous names of Birmingham Junction, Bismark, and Catoosa, is a town in Shelby 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. It was incorporated in 1918. This town is part of the Birmingham–Hoover–Cullman Combined Statistical Area. At the 2010 census the population was 687, up from 580 in 2000.

History

Wilton was originally known as Birmingham Junction, in reference to when the Southern Railroad was joined here with the

Alabama and Tennessee River Railroad Alabama and Tennessee River Rail Road Company was incorporated under act of Alabama on March 4, 1848.Interstate Commerce Commission. ''Southern Ry. Co.'', Volume 37, Interstate Commerce Commission Valuation Reports, November 6, 1931, p. 213. Wash ...

. It was next known as Bismark, in honor of

Otto von Bismarck Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (; born ''Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck''; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898) was a German statesman and diplomat who oversaw the unification of Germany and served as ...

. Next, the community was known as Catoosa, in honor of

Catoosa County, Georgia Catoosa County is a county in the Northwest region of the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2020 census, the population was 67,872. The county seat is Ringgold. The county was created on December 5, 1853. The meaning of the Cherokee la ...

. Finally, the town went by Wilton, in honor of Wilton, England. One structure in Wilton, the Woods-Cleveland-Cooling House, located on the Head-Cleveland farm, is 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

Wilton is located at (33.081799, -86.879458). 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 580 people, 222 households, and 166 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 253 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 73.28%

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 ...

, 23.62%

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 ...

, 0.86% Native American, 0.17% Asian, and 2.07% from two or more races. 3.28% 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 222 households, out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% 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, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.07. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $33,750, and the median income for a family was $40,833. Males had a median income of $30,893 versus $20,500 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 $15,056. About 9.4% of families and 12.9% 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 27.5% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.

References

{{authority control Towns in Shelby County, Alabama Towns in Alabama Birmingham metropolitan area, Alabama