Hobson City, Alabama facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hobson City, Alabama
Town
Seal
Location of Hobson City in Calhoun County, Alabama.
Country	United States
State	Alabama
County	Calhoun
Area
• Total	1.05 sq mi (2.71 km2)
• Land	1.05 sq mi (2.71 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	728 ft (222 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	759
• Density	725.62/sq mi (280.25/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP	36201
FIPS code	01-35152
GNIS feature ID	0159780
Website	http://www.townofhobsoncity.com/

Hobson City is a town in Calhoun County, Alabama, United States. In 2020, about 759 people lived there. It is part of the larger Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area. Hobson City is special because it became Alabama's first self-governed town run entirely by black people in 1899. Most of its residents are still African American today.

History

How Hobson City Began

A long time ago, much of the area that is now Hobson City was part of the nearby city of Oxford, Alabama. This area was known as "Mooree Quarter." The votes from the black residents in Mooree Quarter were very important in Oxford's local elections.

An old story from an early settler explains what happened. A black person was chosen as a justice of the peace in Oxford. Because of this, and to keep a promise made during his campaign, Oxford's Mayor Whitehead went to the state capital. He had Oxford's city limits changed to remove Mooree Quarter. This meant the black voters were no longer part of Oxford.

Becoming a Town

The town of Hobson City was officially formed on August 16, 1899. A newspaper from that time, The Peoples' Journal, wrote that it was "the only municipality controlled and governed entirely by colored people anywhere in the United States." The newspaper wondered how this "experiment" would turn out.

Under its first mayor, S. L. Davis, and first police chief, James Duran, the area got police protection again. The town was named after Richmond P. Hobson. He was a white naval hero from the Spanish-American War and a member of Congress.

In 1919, Newman O'Neal was the mayor. He faced serious threats and was forced to leave the city by the Ku Klux Klan. Later, in 1970, J. R. Striplin became the town's thirteenth black mayor in a row. Some buildings in Hobson City are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites.

Geography

Where is Hobson City?

Hobson City is located in the southern part of Calhoun County. Its exact coordinates are 33°37'6.589" North and 85°50'36.330" West. The city of Oxford is to its south, and the city of Anniston is to its north.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Hobson City covers a total area of about 2.7 square kilometers (1.05 square miles). All of this area is land, with no water.

Demographics

Population Changes Over Time

The population of Hobson City has changed over the years. Here is a look at how many people have lived there during different U.S. Censuses:

2020 Census Information

The table below shows the different groups of people living in Hobson City according to the 2020 census. "NH" means "Non-Hispanic." The U.S. Census counts Hispanic/Latino people as an ethnic group, separate from racial categories. This means Hispanic/Latino people can be of any race.

See also

In Spanish: Hobson City para niños