Bogue Chitto, Alabama facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bogue Chitto, Alabama
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 Bogue Chitto, Alabama
Location in Alabama
Bogue Chitto, Alabama
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Alabama |
| County | Dallas |
| Elevation | 151 ft (46 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 334 |
Bogue Chitto (pronounced like "bowg CHIT-uh") is a small, unincorporated community in Dallas County, Alabama. An unincorporated community means it's a group of homes or businesses that isn't officially a town or city with its own local government. The community gets its name from a nearby creek. In the Choctaw language, "Bogue Chitto" means "big stream."
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History of Bogue Chitto
In the early 1900s, many people living in Bogue Chitto were Black landowners. Their families had been enslaved on cotton farms in the area. After the American Civil War ended, they bought land there.
Almost every man in Bogue Chitto was registered to vote and did vote. This continued from the Reconstruction era until their voting rights were later taken away. Owning their own land gave the community a strong sense of independence. This spirit even helped them stand up for their rights against groups like the Ku Klux Klan. Local stories say that when the Klan tried to bother a man from Bogue Chitto, the community stood together, and the Klan did not return.
In 1930, over 900 people in Bogue Chitto received shots to protect them from typhoid, a serious illness. Amelia Platts, a Black "home demonstration agent," helped the county nurse with this effort. Home demonstration agents worked with "community clubs" to help improve the lives of African-American farmers and their families. Amelia Platts noticed how active and supportive the community was.
Bogue Chitto was also one of the first places to welcome classes that taught people how to register to vote, about ten years later. Later, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), a group that worked for civil rights, found four volunteers from Bogue Chitto. They also got help from a minister from a church nearby. These people helped with efforts to register voters in the area.
Geography of Bogue Chitto
Bogue Chitto is located at 32°21′58″N 87°18′14″W / 32.366°N 87.304°W. This means it's at 32.366 degrees north latitude and 87.304 degrees west longitude. The community is about 151 feet (or 46 meters) above sea level.
Notable Residents from Bogue Chitto
- Redoshi, also known as Sally Smith, was a woman from Benin, West Africa. She was kidnapped in 1860 and brought to America on the ship Clotilda. She was then sold to a farmer in Dallas County.
- Amelia Boynton Robinson was a very important Civil Rights activist. She was based in Bogue Chitto and worked hard for equal rights for all people.
See also
In Spanish: Bogue Chitto (Alabama) para niños
