Eutaw, Alabama
Eutaw | |
|---|---|
| City of Eutaw | |
 Downtown Eutaw, Alabama, in 2009 | |
 Location of Eutaw in Greene County, Alabama. | |
| Coordinates:32°50′26″N87°53′20″W/ 32.84056°N 87.88889°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alabama |
| County | Greene |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Latasha Johnson |
| • City Council | Members |
| Area | |
| • Total | 12.01 sq mi (31.10 km2) |
| • Land | 11.93 sq mi (30.91 km2) |
| • Water | 0.08 sq mi (0.20 km2) |
| Elevation | 217 ft (66 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 2,937 |
| • Density | 246.12/sq mi (95.03/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6(Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5(CDT) |
| ZIP code | 35462 |
| Area code(s) | 205 & 659 |
| FIPS code | 01-24664 |
| GNISfeature ID | 0118059 |
Eutaw(/ˈjuːtɔː/YOO-taw) is a city in and thecounty seatofGreene County, Alabama,United States. At the2020 census,the population was 2,937. The city was named in honor of theBattle of Eutaw Springs,the last engagement of theAmerican Revolutionary Warin theCarolinas.
History[edit]
Eutaw was laid out in December 1838 at the time that Greene County voters chose to relocate the county seat fromErie,which was located on theBlack Warrior River.It was incorporated by an act of the state legislature on January 2, 1841.[2]
As the county seat, Eutaw also developed as the trading center for the county, which developed an economy based on cultivation and processing of cotton, the chief commodity crop in the antebellum years. The crop was lucrative for major planters, who depended on the labor of enslaved African Americans and built fine homes in the city. Many have been preserved. Eutaw has twenty-sevenantebellumstructures on theNational Register of Historic Places.Twenty-three of these are included in theAntebellum Homes in Eutawmultiple property submission.TheColeman-Banks House,Old Greene County Courthouse,First Presbyterian Church,andKirkwoodare listed individually. Additionally, theGreene County Courthouse Square Districtis a listedhistoric districtin the heart of downtown. A nearby property,Everhope Plantation,is also listed in the register.[3]
During theReconstruction Era,Eutaw was the site of a number ofKlanmurders and acts by insurgents. The county courthouse was burned in 1868; the prevailing theory for the burning of the courthouse is that it was intended to destroy the records of some 1,800 suits byfreedmenagainst planters, which were about to be prosecuted.[4]On March 31, 1870, the Republican county solicitor,Alexander Boyd,was shot and killed at his hotel when resisting being taken by a masked group of armed Klan members.[4](An early-20th century historian of the Klan claimed the group was from Mississippi.[5]) That same night, James Martin, a black Republican leader, was killed near his home inUnion, Alabama,also in Greene County.[6]
In the fall of 1870, in the run-up to thegubernatorial election,two more black Republican politicians were killed in Greene County. On October 25, 1870, whites attacked a Republican rally in the courthouse square that had attracted 2,000 black Republicans. TheEutaw massacreresulted in four black deaths and some 54 wounded outside the county courthouse. Most blacks did not vote in the fall's election, which helped the Democratic candidate for governor.[7][8]
The use of violence and intimidation of blacks continued across Alabama in thePost-Reconstructionera.Lynchingstook place in the state, but none were documented in Greene County during this period, according to a 2015 report by theEqual Justice Initiative.[9]This may be attributable to local officials enforcing the rule of law. On May 16, 1892, Sheriff Cullen and Deputy Sheriff E. C. Meredith of Greene County, with aid of a posse, distinguished themselves by going intoPickens Countyafter a lynch mob of about 50 men. The mob had taken African-American suspect Jim Jones from the Greene County jail, saying they were going to hang him in Carrollton for an alleged crime there. Cullen and his posse confronted the mob at gunpoint, and took Jones back to Greene County.
20th century to present[edit]
Agriculture continues to dominate the county's economy. Now conducted on an industrial scale, it has reduced the need for farm workers. Unemployment is high in the rural county.
James Bevel,the main strategist and architect of theCivil Rights Movement,was buried inAncestors Village Cemeteryin Eutaw on December 29, 2008. In addition to his early work in theNashville Student Movementand Mississippi movement, Bevel initiated, planned, and directed the strategies for the 1963Birmingham Children's Crusade,the 1965Selma to Montgomery march,and the 1966Chicago Open Housing Movement.
Eutaw is home to theRoman CatholicConvent of Our Lady of Consolata, the Consolata Sisters, a small monastery for nuns in West Alabama.[10]They are known throughout Greene County for their humanitarian efforts.
Geography[edit]
Eutaw is located east of the center of Greene County. U.S. Routes11and43pass through the center of town. The highways enter together from the northeast as Tuscaloosa Street; US 11 exits the city to the west as Boligee Street, while US 43 leaves to the south as Demopolis Highway.Alabama State Route 14passes through the city as Greensboro Street to the southeast and Mesopotamia Street to the northwest. Interstates20and59run through the northwest corner of the city, with access from Exit 40 (Highway 14), 3 miles (5 km) northwest of the center of town.Tuscaloosais 34 miles (55 km) to the northeast via Interstate 20/59, andMeridian, Mississippi,is 60 miles (97 km) to the southwest.Demopolisis 24 miles (39 km) south via US 43,Greensborois 21 miles (34 km) to the southeast via Highway 14, andAlicevilleis 27 miles (43 km) to the northwest via Highway 14.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau,Eutaw has a total area of 12.0 square miles (31.1 km2), of which 11.9 square miles (30.9 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km2), or 0.63%, is water.[11]The center of town is 3 miles (5 km) west of theBlack Warrior River,accessible to boats at Finches Ferry Public Use Area.
Climate[edit]
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to theKöppen Climate Classificationsystem, Eutaw has ahumid subtropical climate,abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[12]
| Climate data for Eutaw, 1991–2020 simulated normals (187 ft elevation) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 55.9 (13.3) |
60.3 (15.7) |
68.5 (20.3) |
75.6 (24.2) |
82.9 (28.3) |
89.1 (31.7) |
91.6 (33.1) |
91.4 (33.0) |
87.1 (30.6) |
77.4 (25.2) |
66.2 (19.0) |
58.1 (14.5) |
75.3 (24.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 45.1 (7.3) |
49.1 (9.5) |
56.3 (13.5) |
63.5 (17.5) |
71.8 (22.1) |
78.6 (25.9) |
81.5 (27.5) |
81.0 (27.2) |
75.9 (24.4) |
65.1 (18.4) |
54.0 (12.2) |
47.5 (8.6) |
64.1 (17.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 34.5 (1.4) |
37.8 (3.2) |
43.9 (6.6) |
51.4 (10.8) |
60.6 (15.9) |
68.0 (20.0) |
71.4 (21.9) |
70.5 (21.4) |
64.8 (18.2) |
52.9 (11.6) |
41.7 (5.4) |
37.0 (2.8) |
52.9 (11.6) |
| Averageprecipitationinches (mm) | 5.55 (141.03) |
5.54 (140.75) |
5.50 (139.74) |
5.13 (130.26) |
3.99 (101.30) |
4.42 (112.27) |
5.11 (129.90) |
4.65 (118.20) |
3.75 (95.23) |
3.32 (84.45) |
4.38 (111.31) |
5.27 (133.76) |
56.61 (1,438.2) |
| Averagedew point°F (°C) | 36.3 (2.4) |
39.2 (4.0) |
44.4 (6.9) |
52.2 (11.2) |
61.0 (16.1) |
68.2 (20.1) |
71.2 (21.8) |
70.5 (21.4) |
65.5 (18.6) |
55.0 (12.8) |
44.8 (7.1) |
39.7 (4.3) |
54.0 (12.2) |
| Source: PRISM Climate Group[13] | |||||||||||||
Demographics[edit]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 2,000 | — | |
| 1880 | 1,101 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,115 | 1.3% | |
| 1900 | 884 | −20.7% | |
| 1910 | 1,001 | 13.2% | |
| 1920 | 1,359 | 35.8% | |
| 1930 | 1,721 | 26.6% | |
| 1940 | 1,895 | 10.1% | |
| 1950 | 2,348 | 23.9% | |
| 1960 | 2,784 | 18.6% | |
| 1970 | 2,805 | 0.8% | |
| 1980 | 2,444 | −12.9% | |
| 1990 | 2,281 | −6.7% | |
| 2000 | 1,878 | −17.7% | |
| 2010 | 2,934 | 56.2% | |
| 2020 | 2,937 | 0.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[14] 2013 Estimate[15] | |||
2020 census[edit]
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White(non-Hispanic) | 447 | 15.22% |
| Black or African American(non-Hispanic) | 2,408 | 81.99% |
| Native American | 2 | 0.07% |
| Asian | 5 | 0.17% |
| Other/Mixed | 48 | 1.63% |
| HispanicorLatino | 27 | 0.92% |
As of the2020 United States census,there were 2,937 people, 1,041 households, and 551 families residing in the town.
2010 census[edit]
At the2010 censusthere were 2,934 people in 1,203 households, including 760 families, in the city. The population density was 408.3 inhabitants per square mile (157.6/km2). There were 1,355 housing units at an average density of 294.6 per square mile (113.7/km2). Theracial makeupof the city was 80.2% Black or African American, 18.1% White, 0.1% Native American, 0.4% Asian, and 0.6% from two or more races. 1.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[17] Of the 1,203 households 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.8% were married couples living together, 28.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 34.2% of households were one person and 15.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.10.
The age distribution was 25.8% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 19.8% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.5 males.
The median household income was $29,196 and the median family income was $39,722. Males had a median income of $43,125 versus $28,077 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,126. About 27.4% of families and 28.7% of the population were below thepoverty line,including 38.7% of those under age 18 and 17.0% of those age 65 or over.
2000 census[edit]
At the2000 censusthere were 1,878 people in 778 households, including 504 families, in the city. The population density was 411.1 inhabitants per square mile (158.7/km2). There were 899 housing units at an average density of 196.8 per square mile (76.0/km2). Theracial makeupof the city was 33.01% White, 66.03% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.21% Asian, and 0.48% from two or more races. 0.37% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[18] Of the 778 households 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.5% were married couples living together, 21.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 33.5% of households were one person and 15.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.95.
The age distribution was 22.4% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 22.6% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 22.5% 65 or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.9 males.
The median household income was $23,056 and the median family income was $32,946. Males had a median income of $30,284 versus $18,869 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,573. About 24.7% of families and 28.9% of the population were below thepoverty line,including 39.4% of those under age 18 and 22.5% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people[edit]
- Benjamin F. Alexander,state representative during theReconstruction era
- Oliver H. Cross,U.S. RepresentativefromTexas
- Edward deGraffenried,U.S. Representative fromAlabama's 6th congressional district
- Cob Jarvis,basketball player and head basketball coach for theUniversity of Mississippi
- Bill Lee,professional football player
- Matthew Leonard,Sergeant First Classwho posthumously received theMedal of HonorandPurple Heartfor his actions in theVietnam War
- James McQueen,president of Sloss-Sheffield Steel & Iron Company
- Willie Powell,baseball pitcher in theNegro leagues
- Bo Scarbrough,professional football player
In popular culture[edit]
Eutaw is the home town of the protagonist in the 2004Old Crow Medicine Showsong "Big Time in the Jungle". The band also released a 2001 album entitledEutaw.In addition, the town's name is referenced in the song "Don't Ride That Horse," among the other cities of Winnipeg, Joliet, Saskatoon, and Wawa.
The 1981 horror filmJaws of Satantakes place in Eutaw.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^"2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedOctober 29,2021.
- ^"Welcome To Eutaw, Alabama: A City of Progress Marker - Historic Markers Across Alabama".lat34north.Archived fromthe originalon February 2, 2016.
- ^"National Register Information System".National Register of Historic Places.National Park Service.April 15, 2008.
- ^abRogers, William Warren (January 2, 2013). "The Boyd Incident: Black Belt Violence During Reconstruction".Civil War History.21(4): 309–329.doi:10.1353/cwh.1975.0009.ISSN1533-6271.S2CID144484750.
- ^Davis, Susan Lawrence (1924).Authentic History, Ku Klux Klan, 1865-1877.American library service. p. 37.
- ^Newton, Michael (January 1, 2004).The Encyclopedia of Unsolved Crimes.Infobase Publishing.ISBN9780816069880.
- ^Hennessey, Melinda M. (1980). "Political Terrorism in the Black Belt: The Eutaw Riot".Alabama Review.33:35–48.
- ^Waldrep, Christopher (2011).Jury Discrimination: The Supreme Court, Public Opinion, and a Grassroots Fight for Racial Equality in Mississippi.U of Georgia P. p. 137.ISBN9780820341941.
- ^"Supplement: Lynchings by County(3rd edition),Lynching in America(2015, 3rd edition), p. Montgomery, Alabama: Equal Justice Initiative "(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on October 23, 2017.RetrievedApril 18,2018.
- ^"Consolata Guild".
- ^"Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Eutaw town, Alabama".U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder.RetrievedOctober 28,2016.[dead link]
- ^"Eutaw, Alabama Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)".Weatherbase.
- ^"PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University".Northwest Alliance for Computational Science & Engineering (NACSE), based at Oregon State University.RetrievedMarch 15,2023.
- ^"U.S. Decennial Census".Census.gov.RetrievedJune 6,2013.
- ^"Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013".Archived fromthe originalon May 22, 2014.RetrievedJune 3,2014.
- ^"Explore Census Data".data.census.gov.RetrievedDecember 11,2021.
- ^"U.S. Census website".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedJuly 24,2015.
- ^"U.S. Census website".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedJanuary 31,2008.
External links[edit]
- Davis, Stephen Duane II, and Alfred L. Brophy,"The Most Esteemed Act of My Life: Family, Property, Will, and Trust in the Antebellum South",an empirical study of probate in Greene County, Alabama
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