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Albertville, Alabama facts for kids

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Albertville, Alabama
Albertville in 2012
Albertville in 2012
Nickname(s): 
The Heart of Sand Mountain
Location in Marshall County, Alabama
Location in Marshall County, Alabama
Country United States
State Alabama
County Marshall
Founded 1850
Incorporated February 18, 1891
Government
 • Type Mayor Council
Area
 • City 27.037 sq mi (70.026 km2)
 • Land 26.937 sq mi (69.766 km2)
 • Water 0.100 sq mi (0.259 km2)
Elevation
1,024 ft (312 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City 22,386
 • Estimate 
(2022)
22,726
 • Density 844/sq mi (325.7/km2)
 • Urban
38,476
 • Urban density 1,104/sq mi (426.4/km2)
 • Metro
99,423
 • Metro density 175.7/sq mi (67.84/km2)
Time zone UTC–6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC–5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes
35950, 35951
Area code(s) 256 and 938
FIPS code 01-00988
GNIS feature ID 2403074

Albertville is a city in Marshall County, Alabama, United States, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. The population was 22,386 at the 2020 census. It is the largest city in Marshall County.

History

The area which today includes Albertville was inhabited by the indigenous Cherokee, until their removal to Oklahoma in the 1830s. It was near the territory of the Creek nation, and several major trails which afforded communication (or military action) between the two nations crossed the area. It is believed to have been crossed by Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto during his expeditions in 1540.

During the American Civil War, the area around Albertville was the scene of several mid-level clashes between Union and Confederate forces.

The first non-indigenous settlement in what is today Albertville began in the 1850s. It was named for Thomas A. Albert, an early settler who moved from Georgia and was a town leader until his death in 1876. The city was incorporated in 1891. A post office was established in 1910.

Albertville Cyclone2
Tornado damage from the Great Cyclone of 1908

At about 4:10 p.m. on April 24, 1908, the city was virtually wiped out by a tornado that became commonly called "The Great Cyclone", or "The Cyclone of 1908". The storm is believed to have killed 35 people across northeastern Alabama, including 15 in Albertville. Relief was largely delivered by railroad, particularly from the nearby city of Gadsden. Trains from Gadsden transported doctors, nurses, and the Queen City Guards, the Alabama militia company based in Gadsden. The commander of the latter, future Gadsden mayor and Col. R.A. Mitchell, reported in a dispatch to Governor B.B. Comer:

... The destruction of property here is, I think, unprecedented in the history of the state. I have never seen anything like it, so complete and absolute as to leave little of worth in the path of the storm through town. On viewing the wreckage, covering easily forty acres or more in the heart of town, it appears incredible that any living being could have escaped the fury of the storm and death ...

In 1893, the Alabama Legislature passed an act for the erection of an agricultural college in each of the state's congressional districts. After some competition, Albertville was awarded the school for the Seventh District. This is the school that evolved into today's Albertville High School, whose sports teams are still known as the "Aggies".

In 1910, Albertville had a population of 1,544, becoming the largest community in Marshall County.

Before the New Deal, when the Tennessee Valley Authority built Guntersville Dam, flooding on the Tennessee River would frequently leave the county courthouse in Guntersville inaccessible for residents of Albertville and other areas atop Sand Mountain. In 1919, the Alabama Legislature responded by requiring the erection of a courthouse at Albertville, in which cases arising in that part of the county would be heard.

In 1950, Albertville had a population of 5,397, and reclaimed the title (from Guntersville) of the largest city in the county, and has held the distinction ever since.

On June 1, 2009, the city council voted to establish English as the town's official language. Albertville’s Hispanic demographic pluraity strongly protested this decision in a series of demonstrations near the mayor’s office.

On April 24, 2010, an EF-3 tornado ripped through downtown Albertville. The storm resulted in no deaths. The high school was severely damaged, nearly every home had some type of damage, and many were destroyed beyond repair.

Geography

Albertville is located in southeastern Marshall County, and is bordered to the southeast by the city of Boaz and to the northwest by the city of Guntersville.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 27.037 square miles (70.03 km2), of which 26.937 square miles (69.77 km2) is land and 0.100 square miles (0.26 km2), is water.

The city sits at an elevation of 1,060 feet (320 m) atop Sand Mountain, a plateau that in this area is about 15 miles (24 km) wide. The Tennessee Valley Divide passes through the southern part of the city. The majority of the city drains north to Short Creek, a tributary of the Tennessee River, while the southern part drains to Slab Creek, a west-flowing tributary of the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River. The current slogan of Albertville is "The Heart of Sand Mountain", which can be seen on the welcome sign coming into the city.

Climate

Climate data for Albertville, Alabama
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 51.2
(10.7)
54.1
(12.3)
62.3
(16.8)
71.8
(22.1)
79.6
(26.4)
86.9
(30.5)
88.7
(31.5)
88.2
(31.2)
83.5
(28.6)
73.9
(23.3)
61.2
(16.2)
52.9
(11.6)
71.2
(21.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 32.5
(0.3)
33.7
(0.9)
40.4
(4.7)
48.8
(9.3)
56.9
(13.8)
63.8
(17.7)
66.9
(19.4)
66.0
(18.9)
60.4
(15.8)
49.6
(9.8)
39.2
(4.0)
33.8
(1.0)
49.3
(9.6)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 5.3
(130)
5.0
(130)
6.3
(160)
4.6
(120)
4.3
(110)
3.5
(89)
4.7
(120)
3.6
(91)
3.4
(86)
2.9
(74)
3.6
(91)
5.1
(130)
52.4
(1,330)
Source: Weatherbase

Demographics

City of Albertville

Historical population
Census Pop.
1910 1,544
1920 1,666 7.9%
1930 2,716 63.0%
1940 3,651 34.4%
1950 5,397 47.8%
1960 8,250 52.9%
1970 9,963 20.8%
1980 12,039 20.8%
1990 14,507 20.5%
2000 17,247 18.9%
2010 21,160 22.7%
2020 22,386 5.8%
2022 (est.) 22,726 7.4%
U.S. Decennial Census
2020 Census

Albertville first appeared as an incorporated town on the 1910 U.S. Census. It was also the same name as its precinct/census division, which preceded it in reporting on the census since 1880 (See Albertville Precinct below).

2020 census

Albertville racial composition
Race Number Percent
White (non-Hispanic) 12,821 57.27%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 1,030 4.6%
Native American 73 0.33%
Asian 178 0.8%
Pacific Islander 14 0.06%
Other/Mixed 725 3.24%
Hispanic or Latino 7,545 33.7%

As of the 2020 census, there were 22,386 people, 7,671 households, and 5,487 families residing in the city. There were 8,111 housing units.

2010 census

United States Post Office (Albertville, Alabama)
The former post office, now used by Albertville Board of Education, was built in 1931 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

As of the 2010 census, there were 21,160 people in 7,497 households, including 5,270 families, in the city. The population density was 813.8 inhabitants per square mile (314.2/km2). There were 8,128 housing units at an average density of 312.6 per square mile (120.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 75.9% White, 1.9% Black or African American, 0.8% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 18.7% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. 27.9% of the population are Hispanic or Latino.

In 2010, of the 7,497 households 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 24.6% of households were one person and 11.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.27.

The age distribution was 28.2% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% 65 or older. The median age was 32.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.2 males.

The median household income was $35,843 and the median family income was $41,862. Males had a median income of $30,164 versus $25,700 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,839. About 15.8% of families and 23.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.6% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

Albertville Precinct/Division (1880–1970); Albertville-Boaz Division (1980–)

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 569
1890 1,388 143.9%
1900 2,479 78.6%
1910 3,820 54.1%
1920 4,322 13.1%
1930 5,309 22.8%
1940 5,873 10.6%
1950 7,839 33.5%
1960 12,044 53.6%
1970 13,756 14.2%
1980 24,970 81.5%
1990 26,537 6.3%
2000 31,407 18.4%
2010 37,950 20.8%
2020 40,671 7.2%
U.S. Decennial Census
2020 Census

Albertville, the 4th Beat/Precinct of Marshall County, first appeared on the 1880 U.S. Census. In 1960, Albertville precinct was changed to census division as part of a general reorganization of counties. In 1980, Albertville and Boaz Census Divisions were merged to become the Albertville-Boaz Census Division.

Economy

Albertville is home to the Mueller Company, which produces fire hydrants, thus Albertville holds the title of "Fire Hydrant Capital of the World." To commemorate the one millionth fire hydrant, a chrome fire hydrant was placed outside the Albertville Chamber of Commerce.

Albertville is also home to poultry plants operated by Wayne Farms, Pilgrim's Pride, and Tyson Foods.

Mitchell Grocery Corporation, located in Albertville, is a wholesale grocery distribution center serving more than 200 independent supermarkets in the Southeast.

In April 2012, Newman Technology, broke ground on an auto parts manufacturing facility in Albertville. This plant will build component parts for Honda, Acura and Toyota and was expected to begin operating in early 2013. Newman was established in 1987 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sankei Giken Kogyo Co. of Japan. It is a supplier of fabricated and value-added assemblies to the automotive and recreational vehicle markets with facilities current in Mansfield, Ohio, and Aiken, S.C.

Education

Public schools are overseen by Albertville City Schools. There are six schools in the city:

  • Albertville Kindergarten and Pre-K - Kindergarten
  • Albertville Primary School- 1st and 2nd grades
  • Albertville Elementary School- 3rd and 4th grades
  • Albertville Intermediate School - 5th and 6th grades
  • Albertville Middle School- 7th and 8th grades
  • Albertville High School - 9th through 12th grades

Infrastructure

Albertville, Alabama Depot
The Albertville Louisville and Nashville Railroad depot is listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Transportation

  • U.S. Highway 431
  • Alabama Highway 75
  • Alabama State Route 205
  • Thomas J. Brumlik Field (Albertville Regional Airport)
  • Alabama and Tennessee River Railway

Healthcare

  • Marshall Medical Center South, a 150-bed facility, serves the region.

Notable people

In popular culture

When the 1992 Winter Olympics were held in Albertville, France, the citizens of its heteronymic counterpart in Alabama took full advantage of the opportunity to put their town on display. Mock winter games were held in this subtropical city, and one New Orleans radio station offered listeners a chance to win a trip to "the Albertville games" in Alabama.

Albertville was featured in two episodes of the radio show and podcast This American Life. The episodes focused on the influx of Latino immigrants in the town's chicken plants and the impact this had on the community.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Albertville (Alabama) para niños

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