Clarke County, Alabama

Clarke County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2010 census, the population was 25,833.[1] The county seat is Grove Hill.[2] The county's largest city is Jackson. The county was created by the legislature of the Mississippi Territory in 1812. It is named in honor of General John Clarke of Georgia, who was later elected governor of that state.[3]

Clarke County
U.S. county
Clarke County Courthouse in Grove Hill
Location within the U.S. state of Alabama
Alabama's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 31°40′25″N 87°50′17″W
Country United States
State Alabama
FoundedDecember 10, 1812
Named forJohn Clarke
SeatGrove Hill
Largest cityJackson
Area
 • Total1,253 sq mi (3,250 km2)
 • Land1,238 sq mi (3,210 km2)
 • Water14 sq mi (40 km2)  1.1%%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total25,833
 • Estimate 
(2019)
23,622
 • Density21/sq mi (8.0/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts1st, 7th
Websitewww.clarkecountyal.com
 
  • County Number 16 on Alabama Licence Plates

The county museum is housed in the Alston-Cobb House in Grove Hill.

History

Pre-European era

For thousands of years, this area was occupied along the rivers by varying cultures of indigenous peoples. At the time of European encounter, Clarke County was the traditional home of the Choctaw and the Creek people. They traded with the French, who had settlements in Mobile and New Orleans. They also were reached by some English and Scots traders from the British colonies along the Atlantic Coast. After the Louisiana Purchase, they started to establish relations with the United States.

In 1805, by the Treaty of Mount Dexter, the Choctaw conveyed large amounts of land in what is now southeastern Mississippi and southwestern Alabama, including much of the western portion of Clarke County, to the United States for settlement by European Americans.[4]

Modern era

Clarke County was established on December 10, 1812 by the Mississippi Territory. The county had numerous forts, built by settlers for protection during the Creek War (1813–1814). One of the most notable was Fort Sinquefield.[5] The first county seat was Clarkesville, founded in 1820. The seat was moved to Macon, later renamed Grove Hill, in 1831. During the American Civil War, the county was notable for its salt production.[3]

In 1883, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the conviction of Tony Pace and Mary Cox for interracial dating, in Pace v. Alabama. That precedent was subsequently overturned. In 1892, Clarke County was the scene of a violent confrontation around economic divides that later became known as the Mitcham War.[6]

Alcohol prohibition

Following the national repeal of prohibition in 1933, Clarke County voted to become a dry county in 1937, when wet-dry counties were established in Alabama.[7]

In the first decade of the 21st century, the county's largest communities voted to legalize alcohol sales: Jackson on May 10, 2005; Thomasville on August 14, 2007; and Grove Hill on November 3, 2009.[7][8][9]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,253 square miles (3,250 km2), of which 1,238 square miles (3,210 km2) is land and 14 square miles (36 km2) (or 1.1%) is water.[10] It is the third-largest county in Alabama by land area and the fourth-largest by total area.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18205,839—
18307,59530.1%
18408,64013.8%
18509,78613.3%
186015,04953.8%
187014,663−2.6%
188017,80621.4%
189022,62427.1%
190027,79022.8%
191030,98711.5%
192026,409−14.8%
193026,016−1.5%
194027,6366.2%
195026,548−3.9%
196025,738−3.1%
197026,7243.8%
198027,7023.7%
199027,240−1.7%
200027,8672.3%
201025,833−7.3%
2019 (est.)23,622[11]−8.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[12]
1790–1960[13] 1900–1990[14]
1990–2000[15] 2010–2018[1]

2010

According to the 2010 United States Census:

2000

As of the census[16] of 2000, there were 27,867 people, 10,578 households, and 7,700 families residing in the county. The population density was 22 people per square mile (9/km2). There were 12,631 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (4/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 55.94% White, 43.02% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.16% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races. Nearly 0.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 10,578 households, out of which 35.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them; 53.90% were married couples living together, 15.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.20% were non-families. Nearly 25.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60, and the average family size was 3.13.

In Clarke County, the population was spread out, with 28.00% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 22.50% from 45 to 64, and 13.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,388, and the median income for a family was $34,546. Males had a median income of $34,111 versus $19,075 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,581. About 18.10% of families and 22.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.60% of those under age 18 and 23.80% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Since 1960, the majority of Clarke County voters has mostly supported Republican candidates for the presidency. But party affiliations have changed. Prior to the civil rights era, most whites were members of the Democratic Party, although they began to vote for Nixon and other Republican presidential candidates.

After the Civil War, many African Americans had joined the Republican Party, but they were essentially disenfranchsed around the turn of the 20th century by state changes to its constitution and laws, making voter registration more difficult. After they regained their ability to vote through national legislation in the mid-1960s, they largely joined the Democratic Party, which had supported their effort to regain their constitutional civil rights.

Most conservative whites gradually left that party and joined the Republican Party. Voting and party affiliation in Clarke County, as throughout much of Alabama, is aligned by ethnicity, with conservative whites, the majority, voting for Republican candidates and African Americans supporting Democratic candidates.

For some positions, white voters have sometimes continued to vote for state-level Democrats, such as Doug Jones in 2017.

Presidential elections results
Clarke County vote
by party in presidential elections [17]
Year GOP Dem Others
2020 55.8% 7,324 43.8% 5,755 0.4% 56
2016 54.8% 7,140 44.1% 5,749 1.1% 142
2012 53.9% 7,470 45.7% 6,334 0.4% 56
2008 55.6% 7,466 44.0% 5,914 0.4% 55
2004 59.1% 6,730 40.6% 4,627 0.3% 37
2000 55.7% 5,988 43.5% 4,679 0.8% 85
1996 47.3% 4,785 47.8% 4,831 5.0% 502
1992 46.9% 5,495 42.9% 5,023 10.2% 1,199
1988 57.0% 5,708 42.1% 4,217 1.0% 95
1984 58.1% 6,282 41.2% 4,452 0.7% 77
1980 47.4% 5,059 49.2% 5,249 3.3% 355
1976 45.8% 4,126 52.6% 4,737 1.6% 143
1972 70.9% 5,256 27.4% 2,031 1.7% 127
1968 5.7% 488 19.9% 1,717 74.4% 6,421
1964 82.8% 4,460 17.2% 924
1960 50.8% 2,016 47.3% 1,878 1.8% 73
1956 38.8% 1,246 61.0% 1,962 0.2% 7
1952 29.5% 1,303 70.5% 3,121 0.0% 1
1948 2.2% 47 97.8% 2,063
1944 5.9% 142 94.0% 2,263 0.1% 3
1940 1.3% 48 98.7% 3,753 0.0% 1
1936 2.2% 60 97.7% 2,673 0.1% 2
1932 2.2% 53 97.7% 2,408 0.2% 4
1928 36.0% 936 64.0% 1,662 0.0% 0
1924 6.8% 78 91.9% 1,059 1.3% 15
1920 3.3% 43 96.2% 1,253 0.5% 6
1916 1.7% 25 97.4% 1,397 0.8% 12
1912 1.2% 13 95.3% 1,024 3.5% 37
1908 4.5% 56 94.2% 1,169 1.3% 16
1904 6.4% 79 91.5% 1,131 2.1% 26

Communities

Cities

Towns

Census Designated Places

Unincorporated communities

Former communities

Notable people
  • Martha Loftin Wilson (1834–1919), missionary worker, journal editor, heroine of the American Civil War

See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 17, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. "Clarke County: A Brief History". Clarke County Historical Museum. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
  4. Finlay, Louis M., Jr. (Summer 2000). "The Mitchell Reserve". Clarke County Historical Society Quarterly. 25 (1): 9.
  5. "Fort Sinquefield". Clarke County Historical Museum. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  6. "Mitcham War". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  7. Evan Carden (May 12, 2005). "'Yes' to Jackson alcohol sales". The South Alabamian. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
  8. Arthur McLean (August 16, 2007). "Thomasville goes wet". The Thomasville Times. Archived from the original on September 29, 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
  9. Connie Baggett (November 3, 2009). "Voters in Grove Hill approve sale of alcohol inside city". Press-Register. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
  10. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  11. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  12. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  13. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  14. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 24, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  15. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  16. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  17. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Retrieved November 16, 2016.

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