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Reform
Location of Reform in Pickens County, Alabama
Location of Reform in Pickens County, Alabama
Country United States
State Alabama
County Pickens
Area
 • Total 8.04 sq mi (20.82 km2)
 • Land 8.01 sq mi (20.74 km2)
 • Water 0.03 sq mi (0.07 km2)
Elevation
240 ft (70 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 1,520
 • Density 189.81/sq mi (73.28/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
35481
Area code(s) 205, 659
FIPS code 01-64104
GNIS feature ID 0125544

Reform (pronounced REE-form) is a city in Pickens County, Alabama, in the United States. In 2020, about 1,520 people lived there.

The city is located in western Alabama. It sits about halfway between Columbus, Mississippi and Tuscaloosa. You can find it along U.S. Route 82.

History of Reform, Alabama

Reform started as a small community. It got its first post office in 1841. The city officially became a town on March 2, 1898. This happened after a train service, the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, came to the area.

People say the city got its name from a story. An evangelist, a person who preaches, visited the early settlers. He told them they needed to "reform," meaning to improve their lives.

Weather Records and Important Events

On January 24, 1940, Reform set a record for the most snow in Alabama. It had 22 inches (56 cm) of snow!

In May 1968, a special event happened in Reform. A group called the Southern Christian Leadership Conference organized a "mule train." This train was part of the Poor People's Campaign. It stopped in Reform for two days. Then, it continued its journey to Washington, DC.

On August 31, 2017, an EF2 tornado hit the area. This tornado caused a lot of damage. It moved through Pickens, Lamar, and Fayette counties. The nearby community of Palmetto also saw significant damage.

Geography of Reform

Reform is in west central Alabama. It is where U.S. Route 82 and Alabama State Route 17 meet.

U.S. Route 82 goes through the city from northwest to southeast. It leads 8 miles (13 km) southeast to Gordo. It also goes 31 miles (50 km) to Tuscaloosa. Tuscaloosa is the largest city nearby. Columbus, Mississippi is 29 miles (47 km) to the northwest.

Alabama State Route 17 runs north to south. It goes 19 miles (31 km) north to Millport. It also goes 10 miles (16 km) south to Carrollton. Carrollton is the main town in Pickens County.

Land and Water Area

The city of Reform covers about 8.1 square miles (20.8 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. Only a small part, about 0.04 square miles (0.07 square kilometers), is water.

Population in Reform

Historical population
Census Pop.
1900 198
1910 550 177.8%
1920 1,069 94.4%
1930 898 −16.0%
1940 885 −1.4%
1950 1,141 28.9%
1960 1,241 8.8%
1970 1,893 52.5%
1980 2,245 18.6%
1990 2,105 −6.2%
2000 1,978 −6.0%
2010 1,702 −14.0%
2020 1,520 −10.7%
U.S. Decennial Census
2013 Estimate

People Living in Reform (2020)

In 2020, there were 1,520 people living in Reform. There were 696 households and 475 families.

Reform racial composition
Race Number of People Percentage
White (not Hispanic) 651 42.83%
Black or African American (not Hispanic) 782 51.45%
Other/Mixed 54 3.55%
Hispanic or Latino 33 2.17%

People Living in Reform (2010)

In 2010, Reform had 1,702 people. About 50.6% were White. Around 48.2% were African American. A small number were Native American (0.1%), from other races (0.4%), or of two or more races (0.7%). About 0.9% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.

Education in Reform

The Pickens County Board of Education manages schools in Reform. Students in Reform go to Reform Elementary School. Older students attend Pickens County High School.

Famous People from Reform

Many notable people have come from Reform, Alabama. They include athletes and other public figures.

  • Tony Dixon – He played safety for the Dallas Cowboys football team.
  • Doug Elmore – He was a punter for the Washington Redskins football team.
  • Andrew F. Fox – He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
  • James L. Malone – He was a head football coach at Northeast Louisiana State College.
  • John Proctor – He was an FBI agent. He helped solve an important case in 1964.
  • Michael Williams – He played tight end in the NFL for the New England Patriots.

See also

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

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