Toulminville, Alabama facts for kids
Toulminville is a neighborhood located in the city of Mobile, Alabama, United States. It started as a small community on land owned by Harry Theophilus Toulmin. He was the Sheriff of Mobile County in the 1830s. During the American Civil War, Toulminville was an important stop on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, located northwest of Mobile.
In 1945, Toulminville officially became part of the city of Mobile. Over the years, Toulminville has changed a lot. It was once a well-off suburb. Later, it faced some challenges, but things have improved recently.
Becoming Part of Mobile
Toulminville was mostly a quiet, country-like area for a long time, even after the Civil War. It slowly started to feel more like a suburb of Mobile. As Mobile grew, its development spread into Toulminville.
Some parts of Toulminville joined Mobile in the 1920s. Then, in 1945, all of Toulminville became part of the city. This annexation (which means adding land to a city) actually tripled the size of Mobile! By World War II, Toulminville was a popular place for families with good incomes. Many nice homes were built on streets like Stanton and Summerville.
A famous person who grew up in Toulminville was the professional baseball player Hank Aaron.
Changes in the Community
After World War II, many new highways and houses were built outside of cities. This led to a trend called suburbanization. Many middle and upper-class families started moving out of the city to these newer homes. This trend became stronger after the 1960s, when new laws helped end segregation.
Toulminville, which was mostly white in 1960, changed a lot. By 1975, nearly 80% of its residents were African-American. The neighborhood was also a key location for the Mobile branch of the NAACP, a group that worked for civil rights.
Some of the nicer neighborhoods, like those on Stanton and Summerville streets, kept their value. While these areas are still considered middle-class, much of Toulminville is now a working-class area. The community has worked hard with the Mobile Police Department to make things better.
Toulminville was also the birthplace of William Crawford Gorgas. He became the United States Surgeon General. He worked to control diseases like yellow fever and malaria during World War I. Several streets and an elementary school in Toulminville are named after him. Figures Park, named for Senator Michael Figures, an important African-American politician, was originally called Gorgas Park.
Learning and Education
Toulminville is part of the Mobile County Public School System. This means the schools in the area are managed by the county. Washington Middle School is located right in Toulminville.
LeFlore Magnet High School is another important school in the area. It was originally called Toulminville High School. It was renamed in honor of John L. LeFlore, a civil rights leader. In the 1980s, it became a magnet school. Magnet schools often focus on special subjects, like performing arts, and try to have a diverse group of students.
