Aliceville, Alabama

Aliceville is a city in Pickens County, Alabama, United States, located thirty-six miles west of Tuscaloosa. In the 2020 census, Aliceville had a population of 2,177. Founded in the first decade of the 20th century and incorporated in 1907, Aliceville has become notable for its World War II-era prisoner-of-war camp, Camp Aliceville. Since 1930, it has been the largest municipality in Pickens County.

History

thumb|upright=0.8|A 1907 story from the [[Montgomery Advertiser about a lynching in Aliceville]]

In 1902 the settlement that would become Aliceville was founded with the opening of a single store. The city was named in honor of Alice Dearing Cochrane (1876-1922), the wife of John T. Cochrane, founder of the Alabama, Tennessee and Northern Railroad and moving force behind the construction of the short line from Carrollton, Alabama to Aliceville.

Within two years of the completion of the short line, Aliceville had grown to what the Montgomery Advertiser called in 1905 "a town of considerable pretensions. There are about a dozen stores, a bank, public buildings and numerous enterprises."

In 1907, an election was scheduled to allow the citizens of Aliceville to decide whether their community should be incorporated. Incorporation was approved by the voters. In March 1907, a municipal election was held to choose municipal officers, including a mayor and five aldermen: T.H. Sommerville, J.M. Summerville, A. Hood, J.D. Sanders, W.E. Stringfellow, and J.B. Cunningham, respectively.

In August 1907 a black man named Gibson was lynched in Aliceville, which caused civil disturbances in the community. Rumors swirled that "the negroes were arming themselves," and a group of blacks on horseback were fired on in the street. Property owners were to be responsible for building the sidewalks in front of their parcels.

Camp Aliceville

During World War II, a Prisoner-of-war camp was set up in Aliceville to hold 6,000 German prisoners, most from the Afrika Korps. The population of the camp rarely exceeded 3,500. The camp operated between June 2, 1943 Prisoners were brought to the camp via the St. Louis – San Francisco Railway. which retains documentation from the camp including maps, photographs, camp publications, letters, and artwork.

thumb|An Ingleside house in Aliceville, June 1937

Civil rights movement

1960

During the civil rights movement, organizing in small communities such as Aliceville was often more dangerous for activists than it was in larger cities because of their isolation. As late as 1965, according to James Corder, a Primitive Baptist minister from Aliceville, Pickens County had not yet experienced any civil unrest related to the movement. Two of the city's all-black schools were closed on September 4 due to the demonstrations, and they reopened the next day under National Guard supervision.

1970s and 1980s

In 1982, Aliceville native Maggie Bozeman testified at Congressional hearings held in Montgomery, Alabama, concerning proposed amendments to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. She testified that as late as 1980 in Aliceville and Pickens County, voting took place in the open rather than in private booths, and that white police officers were stationed in polling places, taking photographs of people who assisted black voters. This revelation outraged Republican congressman Henry Hyde, who had previously been unconvinced of the necessity of amending the law. arrest, conviction, and sentencing for vote fraud. Bozeman and fellow political activist Julia Wilder of Olney, Alabama were given "the sternest sentences for a vote fraud conviction in recent Alabama history": five years for Wilder and four for Bozeman.

And after

In November 2013, three tanker cars carrying crude oil exploded when an Alabama and Gulf Coast Railway train derailed near Aliceville. In March 2014, the cleanup of the spilt oil was still not complete, despite four months of work. About 750,000 gallons of Bakken crude was released.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. Within to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Aliceville has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

Aliceville

Aliceville first appeared on the 1910 U.S. Census as an incorporated town. It became the largest town in Pickens County in 1930, surpassing Reform, and continues to hold the title as of 2010.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Aliceville had a population of 2,177 and 883 households, including 625 families. The median age was 39.8 years. 24.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 79.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 72.6 males age 18 and over.

Of these households, 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 22.2% were married-couple households, 20.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 53.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

{| class="wikitable"

|+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census

The Aliceville Precinct (Pickens County Precinct 19) first appeared on the 1930 U.S. Census. Prior to that, from 1880 to 1920, it had been known as the Franconia Precinct. In 1960, Aliceville precinct was changed to a census division as part of a general reorganization of counties.

In 2000, it was merged with the Raleigh Census Division and renamed South Pickens Division. In 2010, the name was changed back to Aliceville Census Division.

Education

There is one school district in the county, Pickens County School District.

Schools in Aliceville:

Aliceville High School
Aliceville Elementary School

Notable people

Stephen Fleck, medical officer at Camp Aliceville
Butch Hobson, major league third baseman and manager
Amos Jones, American football coach
Walter Jones, former offensive tackle for the Seattle Seahawks
Simmie Knox, portrait artist
Henry Smith, former NFL defensive tackle

Photo Gallery

File:AL17nRoad-AL14ewSigns-Aliceville (39078261005).jpg|Roadsigns at Aliceville

File:George Downer Airport.jpg|George Downer Airport, Aliceville

File:FCIalicevillefull.jpg|Federal Correctional Institution, Aliceville

File:Dr. William Hughes Plantation 01.jpg|Dr. William Hughes Plantation, 1937, near Aliceville

File:Dr. William Hughes Plantation 02.jpg|Dr. William Hughes Plantation, 1937, near Aliceville

File:Dr. William Hughes Plantation 04.jpg|Interior Stairway, Dr. William Hughes Plantation, 1937, near Aliceville

File:Historic American Buildings Survey Alex Bush, Photographer, June 2, 1937 LOOKING NORTHEAST AT REAR. - Dr. William Hughes House and Outbuildings, Hughes Creek vicinity, HABS ALA,54-ALIC.V,1-2.tif|Dr. William Hughes Plantation, 1937 (near Aliceville)

File:Historic American Buildings Survey Alex Bush, Photographer, June 2, 1937 LOOKING NORTH EAST AT FRONT. - Ingleside, House and Outbuildings, Second Street (State Highway 14), HABS ALA,54-ALIC,1-1.tif|Ingleside House, 1937, Aliceville