- For the Overhill Cherokee village in Tennessee, see Tallassee (Cherokee town).
Tallassee (first called Talisi by the Creek Indians) is a city on the Tallapoosa River, located in both Elmore and Tallapoosa counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. At the 2000 census the population was 4,934. It is home to a major hydroelectric power plant at Thurlow Dam operated by Alabama Power Company.
The Elmore County portion of Tallassee is part of the Montgomery Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Tallapoosa County portion is part of the Alexander City Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History
The Creek Wars and Indian removal
The Creek Indian ancestors in this area were Mississippian culture people, who flourished from about 1000 to 1450 CE. They were mound builders, who created mounds for political and religious purposes. They relied greatly on fishing and riverway trading (c.f. Moundville, Tuscaloosa). Some historians and archeologists posit that in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, this verdant area was the second largest permanent Indian settlement in North America.[citation needed]
The Tallassee area was the location of the last great Creek capital city, Tuckabatchee, as well as the Great Council Tree. The ancient tree was destroyed by a high wind in 1929.
After a visit in 1812 by the Shawnee hero Tecumseh, who urged the Creek to join the Great Confederation, the Creek split into two distinct factions; the White Stick Creek who sided with the United States government and the Red Stick Creek, who opposed the settlement of their land by whites. It was initially a civil war among the Creeks, and later the United States was pulled in. (see also Baton Rouge, Indian Territory and Oklahoma). Osceola, who would later become a prominent leader of the Seminole Indians in Florida, is believed to have been born in Talisi, to a mixed-race Creek mother and English father.
The Creek Wars (1813-1814) were marked by mutual raids, civilian massacres and scalpings by both sides. The war reached its bloody climax at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend on the banks of the Tallapoosa River. A coalition of federal troops, Alabama militia White Stick Creek, and bitter rival Cherokees crushed the outnumbered and out-gunned Red Sticks. Then-General Andrew Jackson counted the Horseshoe Bend among his politically strategic victories, as it helped pave the road for his future policies of Indian removal. The aftermath of the Creek Wars resulted in the exodus of many Creeks to Indian Territory, while some went into hiding with other resistant Indians in the Southeast, including Seminole, Cherokee, and Osceola peoples. Tulsa, Oklahoma is said to have been named after Talisi by the Indians relocated from the Tuckabatchee area.
The ancient city of Talisi and neighboring Wetumpka are still home to the remnants of the federally recognized Poarch Band of Creek Indians.
Involvement in the American Civil War
In June 1864, the Confederate army moved the Richmond Carbine Factory from Richmond, Virginia to an old Tallassee cotton mill, which then began manufacturing the carbines. During the course of the American Civil War, the town of Tallassee was never attacked by Union forces, except for one attempt by the Union Army to destroy the Tallassee Mill. The Tallassee Armory was the only Confederate one not destroyed during the American Civil War.
Geography
Tallassee is located at 32°32′22″N 85°53′35″W / 32.53944°N 85.89306°W / 32.53944; -85.89306 (32.539402, -85.893061)[1]. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.2 square miles (26.3 km²), of which, 9.6 square miles (24.9 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.4 km²) of it (5.21%) is water.
Tallassee is located in the densely forested Emerald Mountains, a small southeasternly chain of the Lower Appalachians. It is bordered by two major rivers: The Coosa River to the west, and the Tallapoosa in the east. The Tallapoosa River also serves as the dividing line between two counties and towns: the City of Tallassee (Elmore County) and East Tallassee (Tallapoosa County).
Photo gallery
The historic Hotel Talisi was destroyed by a fire on November 30, 2009.
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The Roxy Theater was built in the late 1920s. The building was gutted by fire in 1945.
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A mural on James Street in West Tallassee.
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The Fitzpatrick Bridge crosses The Tallapoosa River and Thurlow Dam.
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View of Fitzpatrick Bridge and Thurlow Dam from the Old Mill.
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Built in 1844, The Tallassee Armory building served as a cotton mill until the American Civil War when it was converted into an armory producing "Tallassee Cavalry Carbines"
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The Tallassee Armory was the only Confederate armory not destroyed during the Civil War.
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The Tallapoosa River at Tallassee
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The Tallapoosa as seen from Fitzpatrick Bridge
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Dam in the shadow of Fitzpatrick Bridge
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The hydroelectric power plant at Thurlow Dam.
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Thurlow Dam power plant detail
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Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 4,934 people, 2,067 households, and 1,343 families residing in the city. The population density was 512.2 people per square mile (197.8/km²). There were 2,367 housing units at an average density of 245.7/sq mi (94.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 80.34% White, 17.61% Black or African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.18% from other races, and 1.20% from two or more races. 1.07% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 2,067 households out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 21.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 83.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $23,946, and the median income for a family was $32,015. Males had a median income of $27,313 versus $22,993 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,859. About 16.9% of families and 22.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.5% of those under age 18 and 19.9% of those age 65 or over.
Media and Communications
Newspapers
The Tallassee Tribune has been the weekly newspaper publication in Tallassee since 1899. The newspaper started as the Tri-County Weekly in 1899, later renamed to the Tallassee Times, and finally named the Tallassee Tribune in 1912. The paper serves the people in and around the Tallassee area and is published officially every Thursday.
Radio
There are three radio stations that are located in Tallassee:
- WTLS 1300 AM 106.5 FM News/Sports
- WACQ 1130 Oldies
- WQNR 99.9 Classic Rock is licensed to Tallassee and broadcasts from nearby Auburn.
Education
The Tallassee City School System operates three schools (Tallassee High School, Southside Middle School, and Tallassee Elementary School). The school system serves about 2,000 students; the majority of families living in the city of Tallassee attend Tallassee City Schools.
References
Notes
External links
