Wilcox County, Alabama facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wilcox County
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Wilcox County Courthouse in Camden, Alabama
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Location within the U.S. state of Alabama
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 Alabama's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Alabama |
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| Founded | December 13, 1819 | |
| Named for | Joseph M. Wilcox | |
| Seat | Camden | |
| Largest city | Camden | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 907 sq mi (2,350 km2) | |
| • Land | 888 sq mi (2,300 km2) | |
| • Water | 19 sq mi (50 km2) 2.1% | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 10,600 | |
| • Estimate
()
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9,944  |
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| • Density | 11.69/sq mi (4.512/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) | |
| Congressional district | 7th | |
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Wilcox County is a county in the state of Alabama. It is located in the southern part of the United States. In 2020, about 10,600 people lived there. The main town and county seat (where the county government is) is Camden.
Contents
History
Wilcox County was created a long time ago, on December 13, 1819. It was named after Joseph M. Wilcox. He was an officer in the United States Army. Sadly, he died in Alabama during a conflict called the Creek War.
Geography
Wilcox County covers a total area of about 907 square miles. Most of this area, 888 square miles, is land. The rest, about 19 square miles (or 2.1%), is water.
Major Roads
These are the main roads that go through Wilcox County:
State Route 5
State Route 10
State Route 21
State Route 25
State Route 28
State Route 41
State Route 89
State Route 162
State Route 164
State Route 221
State Route 265
Neighboring Counties
Wilcox County shares borders with these other counties:
- Dallas County (to the northeast)
- Lowndes County (to the east-northeast)
- Butler County (to the east-southeast)
- Monroe County (to the south)
- Clarke County (to the southwest)
- Marengo County (to the northwest)
People Living in Wilcox County
The number of people living in Wilcox County has changed over many years.
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1820 | 2,917 | — | |
| 1830 | 9,548 | 227.3% | |
| 1840 | 15,278 | 60.0% | |
| 1850 | 17,352 | 13.6% | |
| 1860 | 24,618 | 41.9% | |
| 1870 | 28,377 | 15.3% | |
| 1880 | 31,828 | 12.2% | |
| 1890 | 30,816 | −3.2% | |
| 1900 | 35,631 | 15.6% | |
| 1910 | 33,810 | −5.1% | |
| 1920 | 31,080 | −8.1% | |
| 1930 | 24,880 | −19.9% | |
| 1940 | 26,279 | 5.6% | |
| 1950 | 23,476 | −10.7% | |
| 1960 | 18,739 | −20.2% | |
| 1970 | 16,303 | −13.0% | |
| 1980 | 14,755 | −9.5% | |
| 1990 | 13,568 | −8.0% | |
| 2000 | 13,183 | −2.8% | |
| 2010 | 11,670 | −11.5% | |
| 2020 | 10,600 | −9.2% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 9,944 | −14.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020 |
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In 2020, the census counted 10,600 people living in Wilcox County. Most people, about 70%, were Black or African American. About 27% were White. A small number of people were from other racial groups or were of mixed race. About 1% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
Religion
Many different religious groups have followers in Wilcox County. In 2010, the largest groups included:
- African Methodist Episcopal Church
- Southern Baptist Convention
- Nondenominational Protestant churches
- The United Methodist Church
- Pentecostalism
- Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod
- Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
- Churches of Christ
Education
All the public schools in Wilcox County are run by the Wilcox County School District. This district covers the whole county. Some of the schools are Camden School of Arts and Technology and Wilcox Central Academy. There is also one private school called Wilcox Academy. It was started in 1970.
Economy
The main industries in Wilcox County provide many jobs. One big employer is a paper mill run by International Paper. It is located near Pine Hill by the Alabama River and employs about 400 people. Another important business is a copper tubing plant. It is owned by a Chinese company called Golden Dragon Copper Group. This plant opened in 2014 in Sunny South and employs around 300 people.
Communities
City
- Camden (This is the county seat)
Towns
Census-designated places
These are areas that are like towns but are not officially incorporated as cities or towns.
Unincorporated communities
These are smaller communities that do not have their own local government.
Ghost towns
These are towns that used to exist but are now abandoned.
Places to Visit
Wilcox County has some fun places to visit, like Roland Cooper State Park, Lake Dannelly, and Bridgeport Beach.
Famous People from Wilcox County
Many notable people have come from Wilcox County:
- William Q. Atwood: A former slave who became a very successful lumber businessman.
- Judy L. Bonner: She was the 28th President of The University of Alabama.
- Fred Cone: A professional football player who played for the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys.
- James Crawford (basketball): A professional basketball player who played in Australia.
- Laurance L. Cross: A minister and Mayor of Berkeley, California.
- Marie Foster: An important leader in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement.
- Kenneth R. Giddens: A broadcaster and executive for Voice of America.
- John Cooper Godbold: A United States Circuit Judge.
- Kay Ivey: The 54th governor of Alabama.
- Philemon T. Herbert: A former U.S. Representative from California.
- Bill Lee (musician): An American musician.
- Noah Purifoy: A visual artist and sculptor.
- Benjamin M. Miller: The 39th governor of Alabama.
- Lucy Mingo: A famous quilt maker and member of the Gee's Bend Collective.
- Estella Payton: A co-star on a cooking show called Woman's World.
- Joseph Smitherman: The mayor of Selma, Alabama.
- William J. Vaughn: A university professor, school principal, librarian, and book collector.
- Rosa Young: A Lutheran educator from Rosebud.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Wilcox (Alabama) para niños
