Etowah County, Alabama

Etowah County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2010 census the population was 104,430.[1] Its county seat is Gadsden.[2] Its name is from a Cherokee word meaning "edible tree". In total area, it is the smallest county in Alabama, but one of the most densely populated. Etowah County comprises the Gadsden Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Etowah County
U.S. county
Etowah County courthouse in Gadsden
Location within the U.S. state of Alabama
Alabama's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 34°03′00″N 86°02′00″W
Country United States
State Alabama
FoundedDecember 7, 1866
SeatGadsden
Largest cityGadsden
Area
 • Total549 sq mi (1,420 km2)
 • Land535 sq mi (1,390 km2)
 • Water14 sq mi (40 km2)  2.5%%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total104,430
 • Estimate 
(2019)
102,268
 • Density190/sq mi (73/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district4th
Websitewww.etowahcounty.org
 
  • County Number 31 on Alabama License Plates

History

The area was split first among neighboring counties, with most of it belonging to DeKalb and Cherokee counties.[3] It was separated and established as Baine County on December 7, 1866, by the first postwar legislature, and was named for General David W. Baine of the Confederate Army.[4] The county seat was designated as Gadsden.

Because of postwar tensions and actions of insurgents against freedmen, at the state constitutional convention in 1868, the new county was abolished, replaced on December 1, 1868 by one aligned to the same boundaries and named Etowah County, from a Cherokee language word.[5] Most of the Cherokee had been removed in the 1830s to Indian Territory (now part of Oklahoma) west of the Mississippi River.

20th century to present

Etowah County had issues of racial discrimination and injustice, and Jim Crow. It had one documented lynching.[6] Bunk Richardson, an innocent African-American, only because he was associated with a case in which a white woman was raped and killed. The whites were angry that the governor had commuted the death sentence of one defendant in the case (who was likely also innocent of charges), after two men had already been executed for the crime.[7]

An F4 tornado struck here on Palm Sunday March 27, 1994. It destroyed Piedmont's Goshen United Methodist Church twelve minutes after the National Weather Service of Birmingham issued a tornado warning for northern Calhoun, southeastern Etowah, and southern Cherokee counties.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 549 square miles (1,420 km2), of which 535 square miles (1,390 km2) is land and 14 square miles (36 km2) (2.5%) is water.[8] It is the smallest county by area in Alabama.

Adjacent counties

Transportation

Major highways

Rail

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
187010,109—
188015,39852.3%
189021,92642.4%
190027,36124.8%
191039,10942.9%
192047,27520.9%
193063,39934.1%
194072,58014.5%
195093,89229.4%
196096,9803.3%
197094,144−2.9%
1980103,0579.5%
199099,840−3.1%
2000103,4593.6%
2010104,4300.9%
2019 (est.)102,268[9]−2.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
1790–1960[11] 1900–1990[12]
1990–2000[13] 2010–2018[1]

At the 2000 census there were 103,459 people, 41,615 households, and 29,463 families living in the county. The population density was 193 people per square mile (75/km2). There were 45,959 housing units at an average density of 86 per square mile (33/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 82.9% White, 14.7% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.4% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.7% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. 1.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[14] Of the 41,615 households 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 26.3% of households were one person and 12.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.93.

The age distribution was 23.8% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.90 males.

The median household income was $31,170 and the median family income was $38,697. Males had a median income of $31,610 versus $21,346 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,783. About 12.3% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.6% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 104,430 people, 42,036 households, and 28,708 families living in the county. The population density was 195 people per square mile (75/km2). There were 47,454 housing units at an average density of 86 per square mile (33/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 80.3% White, 15.1% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 1.9% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. 3.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[15] Of the 42,036 households 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 28.1% of households were one person and 11.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.97.

The age distribution was 23.0% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% 65 or older. The median age was 40.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.5 males.

The median household income was $36,422 and the median family income was $44,706. Males had a median income of $39,814 versus $30,220 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,439. About 13.1% of families and 16.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.6% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Presidential elections results
Etowah County vote
by party in presidential elections [16][17]
Year GOP Dem Others
2020 74.4% 35,528 24.2% 11,567 1.3% 633
2016 73.3% 32,353 23.6% 10,442 3.1% 1,369
2012 68.3% 29,130 30.0% 12,803 1.6% 691
2008 68.4% 30,595 30.2% 13,497 1.4% 645
2004 63.3% 26,999 35.9% 15,328 0.8% 353
2000 53.6% 21,087 44.3% 17,433 2.1% 828
1996 44.8% 16,835 47.9% 17,976 7.3% 2,750
1992 41.2% 17,467 48.4% 20,558 10.4% 4,426
1988 49.7% 17,828 49.5% 17,762 0.8% 301
1984 49.6% 19,243 49.2% 19,074 1.2% 464
1980 42.8% 16,177 55.0% 20,790 2.2% 839
1976 28.9% 10,333 70.0% 25,020 1.1% 397
1972 73.0% 20,851 25.8% 7,372 1.3% 358
1968 14.0% 4,351 14.8% 4,613 71.3% 22,222
1964 59.1% 12,894 40.9% 8,939
1960 32.9% 7,128 66.3% 14,372 0.9% 185
1956 36.2% 7,198 62.2% 12,374 1.6% 314
1952 29.5% 4,634 70.1% 10,997 0.4% 66
1948 21.1% 1,615 78.9% 6,046
1944 20.3% 1,525 78.4% 5,895 1.3% 101
1940 15.3% 1,270 84.3% 7,012 0.4% 33
1936 17.3% 1,207 82.2% 5,739 0.5% 32
1932 17.3% 1,093 81.7% 5,167 1.0% 62
1928 58.9% 3,612 40.5% 2,484 0.6% 38
1924 33.2% 1,664 61.4% 3,081 5.4% 272
1920 34.8% 3,218 64.1% 5,917 1.1% 103
1916 30.5% 862 66.7% 1,883 2.8% 80
1912 12.2% 354 52.2% 1,511 35.6% 1,031
1908 41.3% 996 54.3% 1,309 4.4% 106
1904 32.7% 823 56.9% 1,431 10.4% 262
1900 45.7% 1,629 48.7% 1,734 5.6% 201
1896 31.2% 873 63.6% 1,782 5.2% 145
1892 7.1% 269 58.9% 2,225 34.0% 1,287
1888 29.9% 841 68.1% 1,912 2.0% 55

Communities

Cities

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Former city

See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 17, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. "Alabama Census Year with Modern Map Overlayed," Maps of Alabama, Map of US.org, (https://www.mapofus.org/alabama/: accessed 15 Feb 2017), Wordpress.com, 2017.>Interactive> 1860 & 1870
  4. Watson, Elbert L. (Summer 1968). "Lt. Colonel David W. Baine: A Confederate Hero from the North". Alabama Historical Quarterly. 30: 27–38. Retrieved May 22, 2017 – via Internet Archive.
  5. "Alabama Counties: Etowah County". Alabama Department of Archives and History. Montgomery, AL: Alabama Department of Archives and History. October 25, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
  6. "Supplement: Lynchings by County/ Louisiana: Ouachita", 2nd edition Archived 2016-04-10 at the Wayback Machine, from Lynching in America: Confronting the Legacy of Racial Terror, 2015, Equal Justice Institute, Montgomery, Alabama
  7. William Thornton, "Why the story of a 1906 Alabama lynching won't be forgotten", AL.com, December 11, 2016; accessed April 13, 2018
  8. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  9. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  10. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  11. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  12. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 24, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  13. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  14. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  15. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  16. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  17. "Our Campaigns - U.S. President". Retrieved January 22, 2021.

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