Marengo County, Alabama
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Marengo County, Alabama | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Alabama |
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 Alabama's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | 6 February 1818 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Linden |
| Largest | Demopolis |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
983 sq mi (2,546 km²) 977 sq mi (2,530 km²) 15 sq mi (39 km²), |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
22,539 23/sq mi (9/km²) |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| Named for: Battle of Marengo[1] | |
Marengo County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. It is named in honor of a battlefield near Turin, Italy, where the French defeated the Austrians on June 14, 1800. As of 2000 the population was 22,539.[2] The county seat is Linden.[1]
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[edit] History
Marengo County was created by the Alabama Territorial legislature on 6 February 1818, from land acquired from the Choctaw Indians by treaty on 24 October 1816.[3] The name of the county commemorates Napoleon's victory at the Battle of Marengo over the Austrian armies on 14 June 1800.[1] This name was chosen as a compliment to the first Caucasian settlers, exiled French Bonapartists who in 1817 settled the area around Demopolis in an effort to establish a Vine and Olive Colony.[4][3] The county seat was originally known as the Town of Marengo, but in 1823 the name was changed to Linden.[1] Linden is a shortened version of Hohenlinden, scene of another Napoleonic victory in Bavaria in 1800.[1]
Situated in Alabama's Black Belt and having a naturally rich soil, the county became home to numerous cotton plantations and consequently a large number of slaves.[3] In 1860 the population consisted of 24,409 slaves, 6761 free whites including 944 slave owners, and just 1 "free person of color" for a total combined population of 31,171.[5] At this time there were 778 farms in the county.[5] After the American Civil War, the economy continued to be based on agriculture with the former plantations turning to sharecropping.[3]
The population began to diminish rapidly after World War II, with people leaving the farms for manufacturing jobs elsewhere.[3] The former cotton fields were gradually converted to pastures for cattle and horses, woodlands for timber, and commercial catfish ponds for grain fed catfish.[3] Beginning in the 1960s industry began to move into the area and the working force came to be employed by paper mills, lumber mills, and chemical plants.[3] Courthouse fires occurred in 1848 and 1965, the courthouse records were largely saved in both instances.[1]
[edit] Geography
[edit] Geographic features
Marengo County is situated in the west-central area of the state.[1] According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 983 square miles (2,546 km²), of which, 977 square miles (2,531 km²) of it is land and 6 square miles (15 km²) of it (0.59%) is water. The entire western county border is formed by the Tombigbee River and a small northwestern portion is formed by the Black Warrior River.
[edit] Major Highways
An Interstate 85 extension is planned to pass through the county south of Demopolis
[edit] Adjacent Counties
- Hale County (north)
- Perry County (northeast)
- Dallas County (east)
- Wilcox County (southeast)
- Clarke County (south)
- Choctaw County (southwest)
- Sumter County (northwest)
- Greene County (north-northwest)
[edit] Cultural institutions and festivals
- Alabama Rural Heritage Center, Thomaston
- Christmas on The River, Demopolis
[edit] Demographics
As of 2000 there were 22,539 people, 8,767 households, and 6,277 families residing in the county.[2] The population density was 23 people per square mile (9/km²). There were 10,127 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (4/km²).[2] The racial makeup of the county was 51.71% Black or African American, 47.28% White, 0.08% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races, and 0.47% from two or more races. 0.97% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[2]
There were 8,767 households out of which 34.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.40% were married couples living together, 19.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.40% were non-families.[2] 26.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[2] The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.08.[2]
In the county the population was spread out with 28.50% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 26.00% from 25 to 44, 22.90% from 45 to 64, and 14.60% who were 65 years of age or older.[2] The median age was 36 years.[2] For every 100 females there were 88.30 males.[2] For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.20 males.[2]
The median income for a household in the county was $27,025, and the median income for a family was $35,475.[2] Males had a median income of $36,053 versus $19,571 for females.[2] The per capita income for the county was $15,308.[2] About 22.20% of families and 25.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.70% of those under age 18 and 25.30% of those age 65 or over.[2]
[edit] Cities and towns
[edit] Communities
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Alabama Counties: Marengo County". "Alabama Department of Archives and History". Retrieved on 2007-11-30.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Fact Sheet: Marengo County 2000". "U.S. Census Bureau". Retrieved on 2007-11-30.
- ^ a b c d e f g Marengo County Heritage Book Committee. The Heritage of Marengo County, Alabama, pages 1-4. Clanton, Alabama: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 2000. ISBN 189164758X
- ^ Smith, Winston. Days of Exile: The Story of the Vine and Olive Colony in Alabama, page 9. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: W. B. Drake and Son, 1967.
- ^ a b "Census Data for the Year 1860". "Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research". Retrieved on 2007-11-30.
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