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Calhoun County, Alabama

 

 
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Calhoun County, Alabama
 
 
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Calhoun County is a county
County

A county is a land area of Local government government within a larger state. A county may have city and towns within its area....
 in the U.S. state
U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 state of the United States that share sovereignty with the federal government of the United States . Because of this shared sovereignty, an United States is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of Domicile ....
 of Alabama
Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the Southern United States of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west....
. Its name is in honor of John C. Calhoun
John C. Calhoun

John Caldwell Calhoun was the List of Vice Presidents of the United States Vice President of the United States. He was a leading United States Southern politician from South Carolina during the first half of the 19th century....
, famous member of the United States Senate
United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the Bicameralism United States Congress, the lower house being the United States House of Representatives....
 from South Carolina
South Carolina

South Carolina is a U.S. state in the Southern United States of the United States. It borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north....
. As of 2000 the population was 112,249. It is included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area
Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Area

The Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area is the most populated metropolitan area in Northeast Alabama next to Huntsville. At the United States Census 2000, it had a population of 112,249....
. Its county seat
County seat

A county seat or parish seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there....
 is Anniston
Anniston, Alabama

Anniston is a city in Calhoun County, Alabama in the U.S. state of Alabama, United States. As of the United States Census 2000, the population of the city is 24,276....
.

enton County was established on December 18, 1832, named for Thomas Hart Benton
Thomas Hart Benton (senator)

Thomas Hart Benton nicknamed "Old Bullion" , was a United States United States Senate from Missouri and a staunch advocate of westward expansion of the United States....
, a member of the United States Senate
United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the Bicameralism United States Congress, the lower house being the United States House of Representatives....
 from Missouri
Missouri

Missouri is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska....
, with its county seat
County seat

A county seat or parish seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there....
 at Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Alabama

Jacksonville is a city in Calhoun County, Alabama, Alabama, United States. As of the United States Census 2000, the population of the city is 8,404....
. Benton, a slave owner, was a political ally of John C. Calhoun
John C. Calhoun

John Caldwell Calhoun was the List of Vice Presidents of the United States Vice President of the United States. He was a leading United States Southern politician from South Carolina during the first half of the 19th century....
, another slaveholder and a U.S.






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Calhoun County is a county
County

A county is a land area of Local government government within a larger state. A county may have city and towns within its area....
 in the U.S. state
U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 state of the United States that share sovereignty with the federal government of the United States . Because of this shared sovereignty, an United States is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of Domicile ....
 of Alabama
Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the Southern United States of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west....
. Its name is in honor of John C. Calhoun
John C. Calhoun

John Caldwell Calhoun was the List of Vice Presidents of the United States Vice President of the United States. He was a leading United States Southern politician from South Carolina during the first half of the 19th century....
, famous member of the United States Senate
United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the Bicameralism United States Congress, the lower house being the United States House of Representatives....
 from South Carolina
South Carolina

South Carolina is a U.S. state in the Southern United States of the United States. It borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north....
. As of 2000 the population was 112,249. It is included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area
Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Area

The Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area is the most populated metropolitan area in Northeast Alabama next to Huntsville. At the United States Census 2000, it had a population of 112,249....
. Its county seat
County seat

A county seat or parish seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there....
 is Anniston
Anniston, Alabama

Anniston is a city in Calhoun County, Alabama in the U.S. state of Alabama, United States. As of the United States Census 2000, the population of the city is 24,276....
.

History

Benton County was established on December 18, 1832, named for Thomas Hart Benton
Thomas Hart Benton (senator)

Thomas Hart Benton nicknamed "Old Bullion" , was a United States United States Senate from Missouri and a staunch advocate of westward expansion of the United States....
, a member of the United States Senate
United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the Bicameralism United States Congress, the lower house being the United States House of Representatives....
 from Missouri
Missouri

Missouri is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska....
, with its county seat
County seat

A county seat or parish seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there....
 at Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Alabama

Jacksonville is a city in Calhoun County, Alabama, Alabama, United States. As of the United States Census 2000, the population of the city is 8,404....
. Benton, a slave owner, was a political ally of John C. Calhoun
John C. Calhoun

John Caldwell Calhoun was the List of Vice Presidents of the United States Vice President of the United States. He was a leading United States Southern politician from South Carolina during the first half of the 19th century....
, another slaveholder and a U.S. senator from South Carolina
South Carolina

South Carolina is a U.S. state in the Southern United States of the United States. It borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north....
. Through the 1820s-1840s, however, Benton's and Calhoun's political interests diverged, with Calhoun increasingly using secession
Secession

Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. It is not to be confused with succession, the act of following in order or sequence....
 as a weapon to maintain and expand slavery
Slavery

Slavery is a form of forced labor where a person is compelled to Labor for another . Slaves are held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase, or birth, and are deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to receive Remuneration in return for their labor....
 throughout the United States. Benton, on the other hand, was slowly coming to the conclusion that slavery was wrong and that preservation of the union was paramount. On January 29, 1858, Alabama supporters of slavery, objecting to Benton's change of heart, renamed Benton County as Calhoun County. The county seat was moved to Anniston after years of controversy and a State Supreme Court ruling in June 1900.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data....
, the county has a total area of 612 square miles (1,586 kmē), of which, 608 square miles (1,576 kmē) of it is land and 4 square miles (10 kmē) of it (0.63%) is water.

Major highways


  • Interstate 20
    Interstate 20

    Interstate 20 is a major east-west Interstate Highway in the southeastern United States. I-20 runs 1,535 miles from near Kent, Texas, at Interstate 10 to Florence, South Carolina, at Interstate 95 in South Carolina....
  • Us 78
    U.S. Highway 78
  • Us 278
    U.S. Highway 278
  • Us 431
    U.S. Highway 431
  • Alabama 9
    State Route 9
  • Alabama 21
    State Route 21
    State Route 21 (Alabama)

    State Route 21 is a state highway that extends from Piedmont, Alabama in Calhoun County, Alabama to the Florida state line near Atmore, Alabama in Escambia County, Alabama....
  • Alabama 144
    State Route 144
  • Alabama 202
    State Route 202
  • Alabama 204
    State Route 204


    • Rail

    • Alabama and Tennessee River Railway
      Alabama and Tennessee River Railway

      The Alabama and Tennessee River Railway is a shortline railway operating over trackage formerly operated by CSX Transportation. The line's western terminus is a junction with the CSX main line in Birmingham, Alabama, near CSX's Boyles Yard....
    • Norfolk Southern Railway
      Norfolk Southern Railway

      The Norfolk Southern Railway is a major Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. The company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada....
    • Amtrak
      Amtrak

      The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 to provide Inter-city rail train#Passenger trains service in the United States....


    Adjacent counties

    • Cherokee County, Alabama
      Cherokee County, Alabama

      Cherokee County, Alabama is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. It is named for the Cherokee tribe of Native Americans in the United States. As of 2000 the population was 23,988....
       - northeast
    • Cleburne County, Alabama
      Cleburne County, Alabama

      Cleburne County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of Major General Patrick Cleburne, of Arkansas. As of 2000 the population was 14,123....
       - east
    • Talladega County, Alabama
      Talladega County, Alabama

      Talladega County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name comes from the Creek language Native Americans in the United States town name Talatigi, which means "border town"....
       - south
    • St. Clair County, Alabama
      St. Clair County, Alabama

      St. Clair County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama.Its name is in honor of General Arthur St. Clair, who came to America from Scotland as an officer in the British Army in the French and Indian War. He settled in America and served as a general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution....
       - west
    • Etowah County, Alabama
      Etowah County, Alabama

      Etowah County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is from the Cherokee Native Americans in the United States language, which means "edible tree." It is the center of the 'Gadsden, Alabama, Metropolitan Statistical Area' which includes Etowah and Cherokee Counties....
       - northwest


    National protected area
    Protected area

    Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their environmental, cultural or similar value. The term protected area includes marine protected area, which refers to protected areas whose boundaries include some area of ocean....
    s

    • Mountain Longleaf National Wildlife Refuge
      Mountain Longleaf National Wildlife Refuge

      Mountain Longleaf National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge located in eastern Alabama, near Anniston, Alabama on the former site of Fort McClellan....
    • Talladega National Forest
      Talladega National Forest

      Central Alabama's Talladega National Forest covers 392,567 acres at the southern edge of the Appalachians.Before it was bought by the federal government in the 1930s, the area that comprises the Talladega was extensively logged and represented some of the most abused, eroded wastelands in all of Alabama....
       (part)


    Demographics

    As of the census
    Census

    A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population....
     of 2000, there were 112,249 people, 45,307 households, and 31,307 families residing in the county. The population density
    Population density

    Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans....
     was 184 people per square mile (71/kmē). There were 51,322 housing units at an average density of 84 per square mile (33/kmē). The racial makeup of the county was 78.88% White
    Race (United States Census)

    Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are Self-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
    , 18.54% Black
    Race (United States Census)

    Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are Self-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
     or African American
    Race (United States Census)

    Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are Self-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
    , 0.40% Native American
    Race (United States Census)

    Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are Self-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
    , 0.56% Asian
    Race (United States Census)

    Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are Self-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
    , 0.07% Pacific Islander
    Race (United States Census)

    Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are Self-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
    , 0.59% from other races
    Race (United States Census)

    Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are Self-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
    , and 0.96% from two or more races. 1.56% of the population were Hispanic
    Race (United States Census)

    Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are Self-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
     or Latino
    Race (United States Census)

    Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are Self-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
     of any race.

    There were 45,307 households out of which 29.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.20% were married couples
    Marriage

    Marriage is a social, spirituality, or law union of individuals. This union may also be called matrimony, while the ceremony that marks its beginning is usually called a wedding and the married status created is sometimes called wedlock....
     living together, 13.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.90% were non-families. 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.94.

    In the county the population was spread out with 23.60% under the age of 18, 10.40% from 18 to 24, 27.80% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 14.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.10 males.

    The median income for a household in the county was $31,768, and the median income for a family was $39,908. Males had a median income of $30,847 versus $21,076 for females. The per capita income
    Per capita income

    Per capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone....
     for the county was $17,367. About 12.40% of families and 16.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.60% of those under age 18 and 12.70% of those age 65 or over.

    Cities and towns

    • Alexandria
      Alexandria, Alabama

      Alexandria is an unincorporated census-designated place in Calhoun County, Alabama, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 3,692....
    • Anniston
      Anniston, Alabama

      Anniston is a city in Calhoun County, Alabama in the U.S. state of Alabama, United States. As of the United States Census 2000, the population of the city is 24,276....
    • Blue Mountain
    • Bynum
      Bynum, Alabama

      Bynum is an unincorporated census-designated place in Calhoun County, Alabama, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 1,863....
    • Choccolocco
      Choccolocco, Alabama

      Choccolocco is an unincorporated area in Calhoun County, Alabama, Alabama, United States. It was founded in 1832.The community gained brief notoriety in 2001 when The Daily Show aired a piece on the "Choccolocco Monster", a part of local folklore concerning sightings of a mysterious creature in the area in the late 1960s....
    • Eastaboga
      Eastaboga, Alabama

      Eastaboga is a place in Calhoun County, Alabama in the U.S. state of Alabama.Eastaboga is located at .See also*Old Eastaboga, Alabama...
    • Hobson City
      Hobson City, Alabama

      Hobson City is a town in Calhoun County, Alabama, Alabama, United States. At the United States Census 2000 the population was 878. It is included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Area....
    • Jacksonville
      Jacksonville, Alabama

      Jacksonville is a city in Calhoun County, Alabama, Alabama, United States. As of the United States Census 2000, the population of the city is 8,404....
    • Minden
      Minden, Alabama

      Minden is a ghost town in Calhoun County, Alabama, Alabama, United States. It possessed a post office from 1878 to 1879....
    • Ohatchee
      Ohatchee, Alabama

      Ohatchee is a town in Calhoun County, Alabama in Alabama, United States. At the United States Census 2000 the population was 1,215. It is included in the Anniston, Alabama-Oxford, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area....
    • Oxford
      Oxford, Alabama

      Oxford is a city in Calhoun County, Alabama and Talladega County, Alabama counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population was 14,592 at the United States Census, 2000....
       (part - part of Oxford is in Talladega County
      Talladega County, Alabama

      Talladega County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name comes from the Creek language Native Americans in the United States town name Talatigi, which means "border town"....
      )
    • Piedmont
      Piedmont, Alabama

      Piedmont is a city in Calhoun County, Alabama and Cherokee County, Alabama counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population was 5,120 at the United States Census, 2000....
       (part - part of Piedmont is in Cherokee County
      Cherokee County, Alabama

      Cherokee County, Alabama is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. It is named for the Cherokee tribe of Native Americans in the United States. As of 2000 the population was 23,988....
      )
    • Saks
      Saks, Alabama

      Saks is an unincorporated census-designated place in Calhoun County, Alabama, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 10,698....
    • Weaver
      Weaver, Alabama

      Weaver is a city in Calhoun County, Alabama, Alabama, United States. At the United States Census 2000 the population was 2,619. It is included in the Anniston, Alabama-Oxford, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area....
    • West End-Cobb Town
      West End-Cobb Town, Alabama

      West End-Cobb Town is an unincorporated census-designated place in Calhoun County, Alabama, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 3,924....


    Places of Interest

    Calhoun County is home to the Anniston Museum of Natural History
    Anniston Museum of Natural History

    The Anniston Museum of Natural History is a museum in Lagarde Park, Anniston, Alabama, exhibiting more than 2,000 natural history items on permanent display, including minerals, fossils, and rare animals in open dioramas....
     and the Berman Museum of World History. It also contains a portion of the Talladega National Forest
    Talladega National Forest

    Central Alabama's Talladega National Forest covers 392,567 acres at the southern edge of the Appalachians.Before it was bought by the federal government in the 1930s, the area that comprises the Talladega was extensively logged and represented some of the most abused, eroded wastelands in all of Alabama....
    .