| Barbour County, Alabama | |
 Location in the state of Alabama |
|
 Alabama's location in the U.S. |
|
| Seat | Clayton |
|---|---|
| Largest city | Eufaula |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
905 sq mi (2,344 km²) 885 sq mi (2,292 km²) 20 sq mi (52 km²), 2.17% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
29,038 34/sq mi (13/km²) |
| Founded | December 18, 1832 |
Barbour County, Alabama is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of James Barbour, who served as Governor of Virginia. As of 2000 the population was 29,038. The 2006 population estimate was 28,171. Its county seat is Clayton.
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History
Barbour County was established on December 18, 1832, from former Creek Indian territory and a portion of Pike County. Its boundaries were altered in 1866 and 1868.[1] The Election Riot of 1874 occurred near Comer.
In 1833, Louisville was chosen as the first county seat for Barbour County. The county seat was moved in 1834 after an eleven-member committee selected Clayton to be the seat of government because of its central geographic location. By the 1870s, Eufaula had surpassed Clayton in size, sparking debate concerning whether the county seat should be moved to the county's commercial center or remain at its geographic center. A compromise was reached on February 12, 1879, with the approval of Act No. 106, establishing courts in both Eufaula and Clayton. Today, two courthouses remain operational in Barbour County.
Barbour County Governors
Barbour County is home to more Alabama governors than any other county in the state. Six elected governors as well as two acting governors have called Barbour County home. The Barbour County Governors' Trail was established by an act of the Alabama Legislature in 2000 to honor the eight distinguished men and women who have served as governor from Barbour County.
| Alabama Governors from Barbour County | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | In Office | Hometown |
| John Gill Shorter | 1861-1863 | Eufaula, AL |
| William Dorsey Jelks | 1901-1907 | Eufaula, AL |
| Braxton Bragg Comer | 1907-1911 | Spring Hill, AL |
| Charles S. McDowell | July 10,11, 1924 | Eufaula, AL |
| Chauncey Sparks | 1943-1947 | Eufaula, AL |
| Lurleen Burns Wallace | 1967-1968
Died in Office |
Clayton, AL |
| Jere Beasley | June 5 - July 7, 1972 | Clayton, AL |
| George Corley Wallace | 1963-1967,
1971-1979, 1983-1987 |
Clio, AL |
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 905 square miles (2,343 km²), of which, 885 square miles (2,292 km²) of it is land and 20 square miles (51 km²) of it (2.17%) is water.
Major highways
Adjacent counties
- Russell County, Alabama - northeast
- Quitman County, Georgia - east
- Stewart County, Georgia - east
- Clay County, Georgia - southeast
- Henry County, Alabama - south
- Dale County, Alabama - south
- Pike County, Alabama - west
- Bullock County, Alabama - northwest
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Bullock County | Russell County | |
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| Pike County |  |
Quitman County, Georgia and Stewart County, Georgia | ||
 Barbour County, Alabama  |
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| Henry County and Dale County | Clay County, Georgia |
National protected area
Demographics
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | %± |
| 1840 | 12,024 | — |
| 1850 | 23,632 | 96.5% |
| 1860 | 30,812 | 30.4% |
| 1870 | 29,309 | −4.9% |
| 1880 | 33,979 | 15.9% |
| 1890 | 34,898 | 2.7% |
| 1900 | 35,152 | 0.7% |
| 1910 | 32,728 | −6.9% |
| 1920 | 32,067 | −2.0% |
| 1930 | 32,425 | 1.1% |
| 1940 | 32,722 | 0.9% |
| 1950 | 28,892 | −11.7% |
| 1960 | 24,700 | −14.5% |
| 1970 | 22,543 | −8.7% |
| 1980 | 24,756 | 9.8% |
| 1990 | 25,417 | 2.7% |
| 2000 | 29,038 | 14.2% |
| Sources: "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. through 1960 | ||
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 29,038 people, 10,409 households, and 7,390 families residing in the county. The population density was 33 people per square mile (13/km²). There were 12,461 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 51.27% White, 46.32% Black or African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.91% from other races, and 0.73% from two or more races. 1.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 670 people who spoke Spanish in their home. The only other language with over 100 speakers was French at 105.
In 2005 Barbour County had a population that was 49.5% non-Hispanic whites. 46.8% of the population was African-American. 0.3% of the population reported more than one race. Latinos were now 3.1% of the population. 0.4% were Native American and 0.3% were Asian. (Sources census quickfacts)
In 2000 There were 10,409 households out of which 33.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.90% were married couples living together, 19.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.00% were non-families. 26.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.40% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 29.60% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 13.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 106.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $25,101, and the median income for a family was $31,877. Males had a median income of $28,441 versus $19,882 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,316. About 21.60% of families and 26.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.10% of those under age 18 and 26.40% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
- Bakerhill
- Batesville
- Blue Springs
- Clayton
- Clio
- Comer
- Eufaula
- Elamville
- Louisville
- Mount Andrews
- Springhill
Places of interest
Barbour County is home to Lakepoint Resort State Park, Blue Springs State Park, and the Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge.
References
- ^ Alabama Counties: Barbour
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
Further reading
- Trayvick, J.C. (2005). Soil survey of Barbour County, Alabama. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
External links
- Barbour County Clerk of Court
- Zone 1 News - Breaking News, Investigative Reports, Video Coverage
- Clio Area Skywarn
Coordinates: 31°51′57″N 85°23′46″W / 31.86583°N 85.39611°W
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