Jacksonville is a city in Calhoun County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 8,404. It is included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area. Jacksonville State University is located here.
History
Founded in 1833 on land purchased from Creek Indian Chief Ladiga. First called Drayton, it was renamed to honor President Andrew Jackson in 1834. There are a few Civil War monuments in town, including a statue of Major John Pelham in the city cemetery. Jacksonville served as the county seat for Calhoun County until 1899 when it moved to Anniston. Jacksonville State University was founded here in 1883.
Geography
Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachians, Jacksonville is located at 33°48'56.758" North, 85°45'37.681" West (33.815766, -85.760467)[1].
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.2 square miles (21.4 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 8,404 people, 3,274 households, and 1,735 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,018.5 people per square mile (393.3/km²). There were 3,605 housing units at an average density of 436.9/sq mi (168.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.20% White, 20.18% Black or African American, 0.35% Native American, 1.29% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.77% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. 1.87% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 3,274 households out of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.0% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the city the population was spread out with 16.6% under the age of 18, 31.4% from 18 to 24, 21.4% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $23,726, and the median income for a family was $48,137. Males had a median income of $32,351 versus $22,534 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,035. About 13.0% of families and 24.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.9% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Two Alabama state routes pass through Jacksonville:
Education
Jacksonville is the home of Jacksonville State University, a public, coeducational university with an enrollment of approximately 9,000 students. It offers degrees in business, communication, education, family sciences, liberal arts and sciences, nursing and technology in addition to continuing education programs. The university's campus is located a few blocks north of the square.
Jacksonville is also home to two public schools run by Jacksonville City Schools:
There are also two public schools located northwest of the city proper that serve the unincorporated communities of Pleasant Valley and Williams and are run by Calhoun County Schools:
There is also a Christian school called Jacksonville Christian Academy (JCA) located within the city.
Restaurants & Entertainment
Jacksonville is a center for the college bar activity in Northeast Alabama. Brother's Bar hosted Allman Bros. (unannounced) performances in the 1970s and is a popular venue for local musicians. Pelham's (formerly Fuller's, Gaterz, and the Galley Tavern) is another establishment JSU students often frequent. Pelham's is located on the southwest corner of the city square in the middle of town. Brother's Bar is just south of the square.
Other restaurant-style bars are scattered across town. These include Struts, Cooter Browns, and Jefferson's.
In addition to several fast-food chain restaurants, there are also a few local establishments of different tastes including:
- Cecil's Place
- Rocket BBQ
- Village Inn
Cuban, Mexican, Scandinavian, Italian, and Chinese restaurants are also available. In early 2007, Java Jolt, a coffee house, opened as well. A new Tuscan restaurant named Effina's Tuscan Grill opened in 2008.
A regular entertainment event in Jacksonville is the "Mama Tompkins Singing," hosted by the Tompkins family in rememberance of the matronly mother of James Tompkins. The event has gone on for several years, and is now fully supported by the city itself, attracting many citizens from Jacksonville, Piedmont, and Anniston. The entire Tompkins family is very musically oriented and many sections of the family as well as a few guests perform gospel and folk songs as a free concert. CDs by some of the performers are also sold there, and donations are welcome. Jacksonville is also servered by Armstrong Florist & Gift a long standing Jacksonville flower shop, owned by Geraldine Woodall and Dora Ann Smith, who was formerly married to Lon Coone, recognized as America's Number One Railfan.
Media
Newspaper
Magazine
Television
AM Radio
FM Radio
- WLJS 91.9 - College radio, limited NPR station.
Notable residents
- Rick Bragg, won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing in 1996 while working for The New York Times.
References
External links
