Clarke County, Alabama

Clarke County
County
Clarke County Courthouse in Grove Hill
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Alabama
Alabama's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 31°40′25″N87°50′17″W / 31.673611111111°N 87.838055555556°W / 31.673611111111; -87.838055555556
Country	United States
State	Alabama
Founded	December 10, 1812
Named for	John Clarke
Seat	Grove Hill
Largest city	Jackson
Area
• Total	1,253 sq mi (3,250 km2)
• Land	1,238 sq mi (3,210 km2)
• Water	14 sq mi (40 km2)  1.1%
Population  (2020)
• Total	23,087
• Estimate  (2023)	22,337
• Density	18/sq mi (7.1/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	7th
Website	www.clarkecountyal.com
County Number 16 on Alabama Licence Plates

Clarke County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,087. ^[1] The county seat is Grove Hill. ^[2] The county's largest city is Jackson. The county was created by the legislature of the Mississippi Territory in 1812. It is named in honor of General John Clarke of Georgia, who was later elected governor of that state. ^[3]

The county museum is housed in the Alston-Cobb House in Grove Hill.

History

Pre-European era

For thousands of years, this area was occupied along the rivers by varying cultures of indigenous peoples. At the time of European encounter, Clarke County was the traditional home of the Choctaw and the Creek people. They traded with the French, who had settlements in Mobile and New Orleans. They also were reached by some English and Scots traders from the British colonies along the Atlantic Coast. After the Louisiana Purchase, they started to establish relations with the United States.

In 1805, by the Treaty of Mount Dexter, the Choctaw conveyed large amounts of land in what is now southeastern Mississippi and southwestern Alabama, including much of the western portion of Clarke County, to the United States for settlement by European Americans. ^[4]

Modern era

Clarke County was established on December 10, 1812, by the Mississippi Territory. The county had numerous forts, built by settlers for protection during the Creek War (1813–1814). Some of these forts included: Fort Carney, Fort Easley, Fort Glass, Fort Landrum, Fort Madison, Fort Sinquefield, Turner's Fort, and Fort White. ^[5] The first county seat was Clarkesville, founded in 1820. The seat was moved to Macon, later renamed Grove Hill, in 1831.

In 1883, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the conviction of Tony Pace and Mary Cox for interracial dating, in Pace v. Alabama . That precedent was subsequently overturned. In 1892, Clarke County was the scene of a violent confrontation around economic divides that later became known as the Mitcham War. ^[6]

Alcohol prohibition

Following the national repeal of prohibition in 1933, Clarke County voted to become a dry county in 1937, when wet-dry counties were established in Alabama. ^[7]

In the first decade of the 21st century, the county's largest communities voted to legalize alcohol sales: Jackson on May 10, 2005; Thomasville on August 14, 2007; and Grove Hill on November 3, 2009. ^{[7] [8] [9]}

Salt production

Clarke County is home to numerous salt springs. These springs have been used as a source for salt as early as the Mississippian period in 1100 AD. ^[10] During the Civil War, the county was notable for its salt production due to the naval blockade of southern ports. ^[3] The Commissioner's Court of Clarke County appropriated $1500 in 1862 for the manufacturing of salt at the salt springs and the State of Alabama operated multiple salt works during the Civil War. ^[11] These salt works had housing for workers, hospitals, and cemeteries and the salt was produced for military and civilian use. ^[10] Forts were built at Oven Bluff (Fort Sidney Johnston) and Carney Bluff (Fort Gullett) to protect the salt works and the approach up the Tombigbee River while an additional fort was built at Choctaw Bluff (Fort Stonewall) to protect any advance up the Alabama River. ^[11]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,253 square miles (3,250 km²), of which 1,238 square miles (3,210 km²) is land and 14 square miles (36 km²) (or 1.1%) is water. ^[12] It is the third-largest county in Alabama by land area and the fourth-largest by total area.

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 43
• U.S. Highway 84
• State Route 5
• State Route 69
• State Route 154
• State Route 177
• State Route 178
• State Route 295

Adjacent counties

• Marengo County (north)
• Wilcox County (northeast)
• Monroe County (east)
• Baldwin County (south)
• Washington County (southwest)
• Choctaw County (northwest)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1820	5,839		—
1830	7,595		30.1%
1840	8,640		13.8%
1850	9,786		13.3%
1860	15,049		53.8%
1870	14,663		−2.6%
1880	17,806		21.4%
1890	22,624		27.1%
1900	27,790		22.8%
1910	30,987		11.5%
1920	26,409		−14.8%
1930	26,016		−1.5%
1940	27,636		6.2%
1950	26,548		−3.9%
1960	25,738		−3.1%
1970	26,724		3.8%
1980	27,702		3.7%
1990	27,240		−1.7%
2000	27,867		2.3%
2010	25,833		−7.3%
2020	23,087		−10.6%
2023 (est.)	22,337	[13]	−3.2%
U.S. Decennial Census [14] 1790–1960 [15] 1900–1990 [16] 1990–2000 [17] 2010–2020 [1]

2020 Census

Clarke County, Alabama – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000 [18]	Pop 2010 [19]	Pop 2020 [20]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	15,519	13,943	11,970	55.69%	53.97%	51.85%
Black or African American alone (NH)	11,918	11,280	10,223	42.77%	43.67%	44.28%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	61	96	74	0.22%	0.37%	0.32%
Asian alone (NH)	45	74	91	0.16%	0.29%	0.39%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	1	4	1	0.00%	0.02%	0.00%
Other race alone (NH)	10	9	37	0.04%	0.03%	0.16%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	133	156	485	0.48%	0.60%	2.10%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	180	271	206	0.65%	1.05%	0.89%
Total	27,867	25,833	23,087	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 23,087 people, 9,090 households, and 5,662 families residing in the county.

2010

According to the 2010 United States census:

• 54.5% White
• 43.9% Black
• 0.4% Native American
• 0.3% Asian
• 0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
• 0.7% Two or more races
• 1.0% Hispanic or Latino (of any race)

2000

As of the census ^[21] of 2000, there were 27,867 people, 10,578 households, and 7,700 families residing in the county. The population density was 22 people per square mile (8.5 people/km²). There were 12,631 housing units at an average density of 10 units per square mile (3.9 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 55.94% White, 43.02% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.16% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races. Nearly 0.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 10,578 households, out of which 35.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them; 53.90% were married couples living together, 15.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.20% were non-families. Nearly 25.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60, and the average family size was 3.13.

In Clarke County, the population was spread out, with 28.00% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 22.50% from 45 to 64, and 13.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,388, and the median income for a family was $34,546. Males had a median income of $34,111 versus $19,075 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,581. About 18.10% of families and 22.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.60% of those under age 18 and 23.80% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Clarke County contains two public school districts. There are approximately 3,400 students in public PK-12 schools in Clarke County. ^[22]

Districts

School districts include: ^[23]

• Clarke County School District
• Thomasville City School District

Government

Since 1960, the majority of Clarke County voters has mostly supported Republican candidates for the presidency, but party affiliations have changed. Prior to the civil rights era, most whites were members of the Democratic Party, although they began to vote for Nixon and other Republican presidential candidates.

After the Civil War, many African Americans had joined the Republican Party, but they were essentially disenfranchised around the turn of the 20th century by state changes to its constitution and laws, making voter registration more difficult. After they regained their ability to vote through national legislation in the mid-1960s, they largely joined the Democratic Party, which had supported their effort to regain their constitutional civil rights.

Most conservative whites gradually left that party and joined the Republican Party. Voting and party affiliation in Clarke County, as throughout much of Alabama, is aligned by ethnicity, with conservative whites, the majority, voting for Republican candidates and African Americans supporting Democratic candidates.

For some positions, white voters have sometimes continued to vote for state-level Democrats, such as Doug Jones in 2017.

United States presidential election results for Clarke County, Alabama ^[24]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	7,324	55.76%	5,755	43.81%	56	0.43%
2016	7,140	54.79%	5,749	44.12%	142	1.09%
2012	7,470	53.90%	6,334	45.70%	56	0.40%
2008	7,466	55.57%	5,914	44.02%	55	0.41%
2004	6,730	59.07%	4,627	40.61%	37	0.32%
2000	5,988	55.69%	4,679	43.52%	85	0.79%
1996	4,785	47.29%	4,831	47.75%	502	4.96%
1992	5,495	46.90%	5,023	42.87%	1,199	10.23%
1988	5,708	56.97%	4,217	42.09%	95	0.95%
1984	6,282	58.11%	4,452	41.18%	77	0.71%
1980	5,059	47.44%	5,249	49.23%	355	3.33%
1976	4,126	45.81%	4,737	52.60%	143	1.59%
1972	5,256	70.89%	2,031	27.39%	127	1.71%
1968	488	5.66%	1,717	19.90%	6,421	74.44%
1964	4,460	82.84%	0	0.00%	924	17.16%
1960	2,016	50.82%	1,878	47.34%	73	1.84%
1956	1,246	38.76%	1,962	61.03%	7	0.22%
1952	1,303	29.45%	3,121	70.53%	1	0.02%
1948	47	2.23%	0	0.00%	2,063	97.77%
1944	142	5.90%	2,263	93.98%	3	0.12%
1940	48	1.26%	3,753	98.71%	1	0.03%
1936	60	2.19%	2,673	97.73%	2	0.07%
1932	53	2.15%	2,408	97.69%	4	0.16%
1928	936	36.03%	1,662	63.97%	0	0.00%
1924	78	6.77%	1,059	91.93%	15	1.30%
1920	43	3.30%	1,253	96.24%	6	0.46%
1916	25	1.74%	1,397	97.42%	12	0.84%
1912	13	1.21%	1,024	95.34%	37	3.45%
1908	56	4.51%	1,169	94.20%	16	1.29%
1904	79	6.39%	1,131	91.50%	26	2.10%

Communities

Cities

• Jackson
• Thomasville

Towns

• Coffeeville
• Fulton
• Grove Hill (county seat)

Census Designated Places

• Carlton
• Rockville
• Whatley

Unincorporated communities

• Alma
• Antioch
• Barlow Bend
• Bashi
• Campbell
• Dickinson
• Gainestown
• Gosport
• McEntyre
• Morvin
• Opine
• Salitpa
• Suggsville
• Tallahatta Springs
• Tattlersville
• Walker Springs

Former communities

• Choctaw Corner
• Clarkesville
• Failetown

Notable people

• Loraine Bedsole Bush Tunstall (1881-1953), social reformer
• Martha Loftin Wilson (1834–1919), missionary worker, journal editor, heroine of the American Civil War

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Clarke County, Alabama
• Properties on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in Clarke County, Alabama

References

1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "Clarke County: A Brief History". Clarke County Historical Museum. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
4. Finlay, Louis M. Jr. (Summer 2000). "The Mitchell Reserve". Clarke County Historical Society Quarterly. 25 (1): 9.
5. "Creek War Forts (1813-1814)". Clarke County Historical Museum. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
6. "Mitcham War". Encyclopedia of Alabama . Retrieved August 6, 2012.
7. Evan Carden (May 12, 2005). "'Yes' to Jackson alcohol sales". The South Alabamian. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
8. Arthur McLean (August 16, 2007). "Thomasville goes wet". The Thomasville Times. Archived from the original on September 29, 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
9. Connie Baggett (November 3, 2009). "Voters in Grove Hill approve sale of alcohol inside city". Press-Register. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
10. Dumas, Ashley A. (August 2015). Alexianu, Marius; Curcă, Roxana-Gabriela; Weller, Olivier; Dumas, Ashley A. (eds.). "Recent Archaeology of Salt in Southeastern North America". Mirrors of Salt: Proceedings of the First International Congress on the Anthropology of Salt: 155. doi: 10.32028/9781784914561 .
11. "National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form". Department of the Interior. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
12. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
13. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
14. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
15. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
16. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 24, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
17. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
18. "P004 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Clarke County, Alabama". United States Census Bureau .
19. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Clarke County, Alabama". United States Census Bureau .
20. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Clarke County, Alabama". United States Census Bureau .
21. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
22. "Search for Public School Districts - Clarke County, AL". National Center for Education Statistics . Institute of Education Sciences . Retrieved October 2, 2022.
23. "2020 Census - School District Reference Map: Clarke County, AL" (PDF). United States Census Bureau . Retrieved October 2, 2022. Text list.
24. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections" . Retrieved November 16, 2016.

External links

• Clarke County Alabama Official Site
• Clarke County map of roads/towns (map 2007 Univ. of Alabama).
• Coastal Gateway Regional Economic Development Alliance
• South Alabama Community Website
• Digital Alabama: Clarke County Alabama History

31°40′25″N87°50′17″W / 31.67361°N 87.83806°W / 31.67361; -87.83806