Bear Creek, Alabama facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bear Creek, Alabama
|
|
|---|---|
Location in Marion County, Alabama
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Alabama |
| County | Marion |
| Area | |
| • Total | 13.76 sq mi (35.6 km2) |
| • Land | 13.63 sq mi (35.3 km2) |
| • Water | 0.13 sq mi (0.3 km2) |
| Elevation | 807 ft (246 m) |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 1,047 |
| • Density | 76.83/sq mi (29.66/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
35543
|
| Area codes | 205 and 659 |
| FIPS code | 01-04852 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0154439 |
Bear Creek is a small town in Marion County, Alabama, in the United States. It officially became a town in 1907. In the 2020 census, about 1,047 people lived there.
Contents
Geography of Bear Creek
Bear Creek is located in the northeastern part of Marion County. It is about 22 miles (35 km) northeast of Hamilton, which is the county seat. The town is also 9 miles (14 km) east of Hackleburg and 6 miles (10 km) northwest of Haleyville.
The town covers an area of about 13.8 square miles (35.7 km²). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water. The town gets its name from Bear Creek, a stream that flows through the southern part of town. This creek eventually joins the Tennessee River.
In the eastern part of Bear Creek, you'll find the Upper Bear Creek Reservoir. This is a lake built by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to help control floods. It's also a popular spot for fun outdoor activities like fishing and boating.
Population Over Time
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 214 | — | |
| 1920 | 222 | 3.7% | |
| 1930 | 208 | −6.3% | |
| 1940 | 243 | 16.8% | |
| 1950 | 223 | −8.2% | |
| 1960 | 243 | 9.0% | |
| 1970 | 336 | 38.3% | |
| 1980 | 353 | 5.1% | |
| 1990 | 913 | 158.6% | |
| 2000 | 1,053 | 15.3% | |
| 2010 | 1,070 | 1.6% | |
| 2020 | 1,047 | −2.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2013 Estimate |
|||
The population of Bear Creek has changed over the years. In 1910, there were 214 people living in the town. The population grew slowly for many decades. By 1990, it had increased a lot to 913 people. In 2010, the population was 1,070, and in 2020, it was 1,047.
Who Lives in Bear Creek?
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 968 | 92.45% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 5 | 0.48% |
| Native American | 2 | 0.19% |
| Asian | 4 | 0.38% |
| Other/Mixed | 31 | 2.96% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 37 | 3.53% |
In 2020, there were 1,047 people living in Bear Creek. These people lived in 424 households, and 340 of these were families. Most of the people living in Bear Creek are White. A small number of people are Black, Native American, or Asian. Some residents are also of Hispanic or Latino background.
Phillips High School: Home of the Bears
Phillips High School is the local high school in Bear Creek. Its sports teams are called the Bears. The first school building was made of wood and taught students from grades 1 to 9. This building sadly burned down around Christmas in 1925. After the fire, local churches helped out by providing temporary classrooms for the students and teachers.
A kind woman named Mrs. John Robert Phillips donated land for a new school on April 16, 1926. Her husband, who had passed away, had wanted a high school to be added. The community worked together to build the new Phillips School. People volunteered their time and even donated timber from the local pine trees.
The community members worked hard, bringing logs by wagon to a sawmill. Bricks for the school arrived by train and were also carried by wagon to the building site. McKinley Campbell and his brother were the main builders for this new school.
The first group of students graduated from Phillips High School in 1929. Later, in 1935, departments for agriculture and home economics (now called Family and Consumer Sciences) were added. These were located near where the cafeteria is today. The original football field was behind the main school building. It was replaced with a new one in 1969.
Sports Achievements
On September 2, 2003, the Phillips football field was named James E. Glass Stadium. This was done to honor Coach James E. Glass for all his hard work and dedication to the football team and the school over many years.
The football field in Bear Creek was special because it was the very first football field in Alabama to have lights! This happened in the fall of 1933. These original lights lit up the field until the 2010 season. Then, the school received a grant for new, modern lights for both the football and baseball fields.
Phillips High School has won four state championships in different sports.
- The girls' varsity basketball team won back-to-back state titles in 1985 and 1986.
- The girls' volleyball team won a state championship in 2001.
- The girls' basketball team, known as the She Bears, won the State 1A basketball championship in 2019.
