Florence, Alabama | |
---|---|
![]() Downtown Florence Historic District | |
Nickname: "Alabama's Renaissance City" | |
![]() Location of Florence, Alabama | |
Coordinates: 34°49′49.26″N87°39′55.51″W / 34.8303500°N 87.6654194°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Alabama |
County | Lauderdale |
Founded | March 12, 1818 |
Incorporated | January 7, 1826 [1] [2] |
Named for | Florence, Tuscany, Italy |
Government | |
• Type | Mayor–Council (Since 1984) |
• Mayor | Andrew Betterton |
• Councilmembers | District 1: Kaytrina P. Simmons District 2: William (Dick) Jordan District 3: Bill Griffin District 4: Michelle Rupe Eubanks District 5: Blake Edwards District 6: Jimmy Oliver |
Area | |
27.293 sq mi (70.689 km2) | |
• Land | 27.084 sq mi (70.147 km2) |
• Water | 0.209 sq mi (0.541 km2) |
Elevation | 604 ft (184 m) |
Population | |
40,184 | |
42,437 | |
• Rank | US: 954th AL: 11th |
• Density | 1,596.99/sq mi (616.61/km2) |
• Urban | 78,925 (US: 360th) |
• Metro | 155,175 (US: 280th) |
Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (CST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
ZIP Codes | 35630, 35631, 35632, 35633, 35634 |
Area code(s) | 256 and 938 |
FIPS code | 01-26896 |
GNIS feature ID | 2403619 [4] |
Sales tax | 9.5% [7] |
Website | florenceal.org |
Florence is a city in, and the county seat of, Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States, in the state's northwestern corner, and had a population of 40,184 in the 2020 census. [5] Florence is located along the Tennessee River and is home to the University of North Alabama, the oldest public college in the state. Florence is located about 70 miles west of Huntsville, Alabama, via US-72, and about 115 miles northwest of Birmingham, Alabama.
Florence is the largest and principal city of the "Quad Cities," more commonly known as "The Shoals," which also includes the cities of Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia in Colbert County and had a population of 148,779 as of the 2020 census. Florence is considered northwestern Alabama's primary economic hub.
Annual tourism events include the W. C. Handy Music Festival in the summer and the Renaissance Faire in the fall. Landmarks in Florence include the 20th-century Rosenbaum House, the only Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home located in Alabama. The Florence Indian Mound, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was constructed by indigenous people between 400 BCE and 100 BCE in the Woodland period and is the largest surviving earthen mound in the state. [8]
Florence is located at 34°49′49.26″N87°39′55.51″W / 34.8303500°N 87.6654194°W (34.8303495, -87.6654194). [4]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 27.293 square miles (70.69 km2), of which, 27.084 square miles (70.15 km2) is land and 0.209 square miles (0.54 km2) (0.40%) is water. [3]
Florence is located on Wilson Lake and Pickwick Lake, bodies of water on the Tennessee River dammed by Pickwick Dam and Wilson Dams. Pickwick Lake was created by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), an agency established under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal. It was a public works program intended to build dams and hydroelectric power and related infrastructure to generate electricity for the rural region to stimulate economic development, provide flood control, and recreational opportunities. Wilson Dam (now operated by the TVA) was authorized by President Woodrow Wilson in 1918 and was the first dam constructed on the Tennessee River.[ citation needed ]
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Florence has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. [9]
The average temperature of Florence is 59 °F (15 °C). The average yearly precipitation in Florence is 57.06 inches (144.9 cm). [9] On average, Florence gets 2.25 inches (5.7 cm) of snow per year, which is above the average for Alabama of 0.57 inches (1.4 cm). [10]
While Florence is almost 300 miles (480 km) from the Gulf of Mexico, strong hurricanes have brought severe weather to the area. For example, in 2005, the path of Hurricane Katrina came very close to the city, causing nearly 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) winds and some storm damage.
Climate data for Florence, 1991–2020 simulated normals (558 ft elevation) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 50.5 (10.3) | 55.0 (12.8) | 63.7 (17.6) | 72.7 (22.6) | 80.1 (26.7) | 87.1 (30.6) | 89.8 (32.1) | 89.4 (31.9) | 84.6 (29.2) | 74.3 (23.5) | 62.4 (16.9) | 53.4 (11.9) | 71.9 (22.2) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 40.6 (4.8) | 44.2 (6.8) | 52.2 (11.2) | 60.6 (15.9) | 69.1 (20.6) | 76.5 (24.7) | 79.5 (26.4) | 78.6 (25.9) | 73.0 (22.8) | 61.9 (16.6) | 50.5 (10.3) | 43.5 (6.4) | 60.9 (16.0) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 30.7 (−0.7) | 33.6 (0.9) | 40.5 (4.7) | 48.7 (9.3) | 58.1 (14.5) | 65.8 (18.8) | 69.3 (20.7) | 68.0 (20.0) | 61.3 (16.3) | 49.3 (9.6) | 38.7 (3.7) | 33.4 (0.8) | 49.8 (9.9) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 5.30 (134.60) | 5.28 (134.01) | 5.44 (138.15) | 5.20 (132.00) | 4.92 (124.98) | 4.84 (122.88) | 4.96 (125.97) | 4.22 (107.26) | 4.08 (103.70) | 3.63 (92.17) | 4.12 (104.57) | 6.07 (154.24) | 58.06 (1,474.53) |
Average dew point °F (°C) | 32.2 (0.1) | 34.7 (1.5) | 40.5 (4.7) | 48.7 (9.3) | 58.5 (14.7) | 66.4 (19.1) | 70.0 (21.1) | 68.7 (20.4) | 62.8 (17.1) | 51.8 (11.0) | 41.0 (5.0) | 35.8 (2.1) | 50.9 (10.5) |
Source: PRISM Climate Group [11] |
Evidence for human habitation in the Florence area goes back to at least 500 BCE, when the Florence Indian Mound, the largest of its type in the Tennessee Valley, was constructed as an earthwork during the Woodland period. [12] Successive cultures arose after this. In the historic period, the area of present-day Florence was occupied by the Chickasaw Nation. They first encountered white traders and settlers beginning in the late 1700s, and were forced to cede their land to the Federal government through a series of treaties in early 1800s, as part of the Indian Removal policy to extinguish tribal land claims east of the Mississippi River. The Chickasaw were removed to west of the river in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). [13]
General John Coffee, John McKinley, a future U.S. Supreme Court Justice, and five other trustees established the Cypress Land Company to found a town on a hill overlooking the Tennessee River. [14] The company bought the land, believing that Florence's location along Jackson's Military Road and at the end of the treacherous Muscle Shoals rapids on the Tennessee River would enable it to develop as a major commercial center. [15] [16] In 1819, Coffee commissioned Ferdinand Sannoner, a young Italian engineer, to survey and plan the town. [13] Situating the town on the plateau overlooking the Tennessee River provided protection from flooding as well as the disease of the swampier lowlands by the riverbank. The investors were so pleased with Sannoner's work that he was allowed to choose the name of the new settlement; he named it after Florence, the capital of the Tuscany region of Italy. [14]
The first river steamboat visited the town in 1821. [17] Speculators and settlers, including General Andrew Jackson and President James Monroe, bought up plots of land as they were sold by the Cypress Land Co. [14] Florence quickly became an important commercial hub on the Tennessee River, but it did not reach the level its founders had hoped. [16] However, Florence did grow quickly enough to be incorporated by the State Legislature in 1826. [18] By 1831, the increased cotton cultivation in the area to the east of Florence necessitated the expansion and improvement of transport facilities in the area, including the digging of a canal around the Muscle Shoals. [19] Congress appropriated land for that purpose and construction began in 1831, with the Muscle Shoals Canal opening in 1837, however, the locks could not support steamships and the state had difficulty maintaining the construction, so it was abandoned shortly thereafter. [20] Equally important was the construction of a railroad bridge across the Tennessee River, with the first bridge being completed in the 1830s, but would be washed away by a flood soon after completion. [21] Another bridge would be completed in 1840 and would last until the mid-1850s, when it was damaged by tornadoes in 1850 and 1854, resulting in its decommissioning. The rock piers of the 1840 bridge survived the damage and form the foundation of the present structure. [21] As a part of Florence's development as a commercial hub, a variety of manufacturing enterprises sprung up around the city, including an iron foundry, lumber, cotton, and wool mills, as well as a complex of cotton, flour, and corn mills along Cypress Creek known as the Globe Factory. [22]
Plantations, too, sprung up around Florence, driven by cheap fertile land and high cotton prices. Two of these plantation homes are of note: Sweetwater Mansion and the Forks of Cypress. Sweetwater Mansion is notable for being the residence of Robert M. Patton, the first governor of Alabama after the Civil War and for the various paranormal sightings that have occurred there. [23] The Forks of Cypress, on the other hand, was the plantation home of James Jackson, one of the original Cypress Land Co. trustees, and was acclaimed for its architectural style and the quality of its racing horses. [24] With the plantation economy, so too came slavery. While slavery in northwest Alabama did not reach the magnitude that it did in the Black Belt, a significant percentage of the population (about 14% in 1818) was enslaved and by 1860, there were twenty three plantations in Lauderdale County that had over fifty slaves. [25] Not all slaves worked on the plantation, however, many worked in construction or in other contexts. Dred Scott was brought to Florence in the 1820s and served as a hosteler in the local inn, before his participation in the landmark Supreme Court case. [26]
As a sign of progress and ambition, townspeople established the Florence Female Academy here in 1847, for paying female students. By the 1850s, the school was converted into the Florence Synodical Female College, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. It closed in 1893. A historical marker commemorates the site. [27] LaGrange College, Alabama's first chartered college, was established near Leighton in 1830 before being moved across the river to Florence in 1855. The move to Florence was controversial, however, and the Florence site was denied the use of the LaGrange name and was thus chartered as Florence Wesleyan University in 1856, with its main building being Wesleyan Hall. One hundred and 60 students enrolled in the first year of operation (1855) of Florence Wesleyan University and quickly attracted students from five states and two foreign countries. [28] The university also chartered a grammar school, which still serves today as Kilby Laboratory School, the only university-operated elementary school in Alabama. After becoming publicly owned during the Postbellum period, the university went through a variety of name changes, including: Florence Normal School, Florence State Teachers College, and Florence State University, before changing its name to the University of North Alabama in 1972.
The Burrell Normal School was open from 1903 until 1969, and served as a private segregated school for African American students in Florence, serving grades 1-12 and a normal school. [29] [30]
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1850 | 802 | — | |
1860 | 1,395 | 73.9% | |
1870 | 2,003 | 43.6% | |
1880 | 1,359 | −32.2% | |
1890 | 6,012 | 342.4% | |
1900 | 6,478 | 7.8% | |
1910 | 6,689 | 3.3% | |
1920 | 10,529 | 57.4% | |
1930 | 11,729 | 11.4% | |
1940 | 15,043 | 28.3% | |
1950 | 23,879 | 58.7% | |
1960 | 31,649 | 32.5% | |
1970 | 34,031 | 7.5% | |
1980 | 37,029 | 8.8% | |
1990 | 36,426 | −1.6% | |
2000 | 36,264 | −0.4% | |
2010 | 39,319 | 8.4% | |
2020 | 40,184 | 2.2% | |
2023 (est.) | 42,437 | [6] | 5.6% |
U.S. Decennial Census [31] 2020 Census [5] |
As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 17,203 estimated households in Florence with an average of 2.25 persons per household. The city has a median household income of $50,396. Approximately 19.3% of the city's population lives at or below the poverty line. Florence has an estimated 56.5% employment rate, with 31.1% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 90.8% holding a high school diploma. [32]
The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (92.8%), Spanish (5.4%), Indo-European (0.8%), Asian and Pacific Islander (1.0%), and Other (0.2%).
The median age in the city was 35.1 years.
Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic) | Pop. 2000 [33] | Pop. 2010 [34] | Pop. 2020 [35] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
White alone (NH) | 28,184 | 28,986 | 28,006 | 77.72% | 73.72% | 69.69% |
Black or African American alone (NH) | 6,932 | 7,573 | 7,503 | 19.12% | 19.26% | 18.67% |
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 84 | 146 | 122 | 0.23% | 0.37% | 0.30% |
Asian alone (NH) | 224 | 537 | 519 | 0.62% | 1.37% | 1.29% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 8 | 16 | 22 | 0.02% | 0.04% | 0.05% |
Other race alone (NH) | 32 | 22 | 92 | 0.09% | 0.06% | 0.23% |
Mixed race or multiracial (NH) | 313 | 632 | 1,824 | 0.86% | 1.61% | 4.54% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 487 | 1,407 | 2,096 | 1.34% | 3.58% | 5.22% |
Total | 36,264 | 39,319 | 40,184 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 census, there were 40,184 people, 17,516 households, and 9,348 families residing in the city. [36] The population density was 1,515.3 inhabitants per square mile (585.1/km2). There were 19,710 housing units at an average density of 743.3 per square mile (287.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 70.71% White, 18.86% African American, 0.44% Native American, 1.33% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 2.74% from some other races and 5.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 5.22% of the population. [37] 19.1% of residents were under the age of 18, 5.0% were under 5 years of age, and 17.2% were 65 and older. The gender makeup of the city was 45.2% male and 54.8% female.
As of the 2010 census, there were 39,319 people, 17,267 households, and _ families residing in the city. The population density was 1,512.4 inhabitants per square mile (583.9/km2). There were 19,299 housing units at an average density of 742.3 per square mile (286.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 75.04% White, 19.41% African American, 0.40% Native American, 1.39% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.79% from some other races and 1.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3.58% of the population.
As of the 2000 census, there were 36,264 people, 15,820 households, and 9,555 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,454.6 inhabitants per square mile (561.6/km2). There were 17,707 housing units at an average density of 710.2 per square mile (274.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.39% White, 19.20% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.54% from some other races and 0.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.34% of the population.
There were 15,820 households, out of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them: 43.6% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. Nearly 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20, and the average family size was 2.82.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.4% under the age of 18, 13.7% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,330, and the median income for a family was $40,577. Males had a median income of $34,398 versus $21,385 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,464. About 14.4% of families and 20.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.9% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.
Situated in Florence, and founded in 1830 as LaGrange College, and later operating as a normal school, the University of North Alabama, a public, co-educational, higher education institution, is Alabama's oldest state-certified university. [38]
Florence City Schools is the organization of the K–12 public school system. Florence High School (grades 10–12) is the main high school, with an enrollment of approximately 1,000 students. It was created by a merger between the previous two city high schools, Bradshaw High School and Coffee High School. Florence High is located at the former Bradshaw site in the eastern part of the city. The merger also led to the creation of Florence Middle School (grades 7–8) and the Florence Freshman Center (grade 9). The middle school is located at the former Coffee High campus, east of downtown, and the Florence Freshman Center is located at the Florence High School campus.
There are five private schools in Florence: Riverhill School for K-6, St. Joseph Regional Catholic School for grades K–8, and Mars Hill Bible School, Shoals Christian School, and Florence Christian Academy. Each of the latter are multi-denominational, K–12 schools.
The city has a mayor-council form of government. Each of the council members is elected from one of six single-member districts. The mayor is elected at-large.
Mayor
Andrew Betterton was elected as the mayor of Florence on October 6, 2020. He defeated incumbent Mayor Steve Holt by 11 votes.
City Council
The City of Florence is home to several museums, historical sites and numerous parks that serve the cultural and recreational needs of citizens and tourists. A variety of festivals are held throughout the year.
The festivals are listed chronologically.
Florence is the merger point for two major U.S. Highways, as well as several Alabama Highways. Both U.S. Highway 43 and U.S. Highway 72 merge just east of the city limits in Killen, and are co-signed their entire length through the city. Highway 43, running north and south, helps connect the city to Lawrenceburg and Columbia to the north in Tennessee, as well as Tuscaloosa and Mobile to the south. Highway 72 helps connect the city to Huntsville and Chattanooga, Tennessee to the east and Memphis, Tennessee to the west. Interstate 65 is accessible about forty-five minutes east on Highway 72. Both of these roads cross the Tennessee River on O'Neal Bridge, connecting Florence to Sheffield.
Alabama state highways that serve the city include State Route 13, State Route 17, State Route 20, State Route 133, and State Route 157. Alabama 133 connected Florence and Muscle Shoals via Wilson Dam until 2002, when the new six-lane "Patton Island Bridge" finished construction. The bridge is part of a new corridor that eventually saw the widening of Wilson Dam Road in Muscle Shoals to Alabama 20 (Phase 1 widening to six lanes to Avalon Avenue, Phase 2 widening to 4 lanes to Alabama 157/72 alt), and the construction of a new road from the bridge to Florence Blvd, eventually becoming part of Helton, Dr. in Florence. State Route 157, a road to Florence and the Shoals area, serves as a four-lane link to Interstate 65 in Cullman. The project was completed in the summer of 2007. The road is known as the "University of North Alabama Highway".
Florence and the Shoals area does not have a direct link to an Interstate highway. One solution discussed has been the Memphis to Atlanta Highway, proposed to connect the two cities via a freeway through north Alabama. However, in recent years Mississippi has concentrated its funding on U.S. 78 (Interstate 22), also known as "Corridor X". Though U.S. 72 through Mississippi is four lanes, there are no plans to upgrade it to freeway status. The state of Georgia has also not committed to the necessary work to connect the freeway from the Alabama state line to Atlanta. The highway remains in the planning stages with the Alabama Department of Transportation.[ citation needed ]
Another plan recently discussed is extending Interstate 565 west from its current terminus just outside Decatur, along Alabama 20/Alternate U.S. 72. The plan has received support from Decatur officials. [ citation needed ]
There is no fixed-route transit service in Florence. However, the Northwest Alabama Council of Local Governments operates a dial-a-ride transit service known as NACOLG Transit. [45]
Florence is served by the Northwest Alabama Regional Airport in Muscle Shoals. The airport is used for commercial and general aviation, It is served commercially by Contour Airlines which provides several daily flights to Charlotte Douglas International Airport, an American Airlines hub, giving the city access to hundreds of domestic and international destinations. Huntsville International Airport, another option for Florence residents, offers service to eleven domestic destinations, and is an hour's drive from Florence.
Local industry is served by the Tennessee Southern Railroad (TSRR), which runs from Florence to Columbia, Tennessee, and the Port of Florence on Pickwick Lake.
Numerous radio, television and low-power FM radio stations and translators serve Florence and the greater area, all of which are in the greater Florence MSA. Among them are:
Colbert County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census the county's population was 57,227. The county seat is Tuscumbia. The largest city is Muscle Shoals.
Lauderdale County is a county located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Alabama. At the 2020 census the population was 93,564. Its county seat is Florence. Its name is in honor of Colonel James Lauderdale, of Tennessee. Lauderdale is part of the Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL Metropolitan Statistical Area, also known as "The Shoals".
Cherokee is a town in west Colbert County, Alabama, United States. Located near the Tennessee River, it is part of the Florence–Muscle Shoals metropolitan area, known as "The Shoals". As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 1,048.
Muscle Shoals is the largest city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. It is located on the left bank of the Tennessee River in the northern part of the state and, as of the 2010 census, its population was 13,146. The estimated population in 2019 was 14,575.
Sheffield is a city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States, and is included in the Florence-Muscle Shoals Metropolitan Area. The population was 9,403 at the 2020 census. and was estimated to be 9,307 in 2023. Sheffield is the birthplace of "country-soul pioneer" and songwriter Arthur Alexander, French horn player Willie Ruff, notable attorney, actor, former senator and presidential contender Fred Thompson, Watergate committee U.S. Senator Howell Heflin and U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell, whose father was working in nearby Athens when he was born. It sometimes is referred to as "the City of Senators" due to the births of Heflin, McConnell and Thompson within its borders. Col. Harland Sanders worked for Southern Railway in Sheffield in 1907. It is also home to the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio where many popular 20th century musicians recorded their work, including Alexander and Ruff. It is the site of historic Helen Keller Hospital, formerly known as Colbert County Hospital, originally constructed in 1921. It was changed to Helen Keller Hospital in 1979, and Keller's birthplace Ivy Green is located less than one mile southwest of the hospital in adjacent Tuscumbia.
Russellville is a city in Franklin County in the U.S. state of Alabama. At the 2020 census, the population of the city was 10,855, up from 9,830 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Franklin County.
Rogersville is a town in Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2018 census, the population of the town is 1,231, up from 1,199 in 2000.
St. Florian is a town in Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Florence - Muscle Shoals Metropolitan Statistical Area known as "The Shoals". As of the 2010 census, the population of the town is 413, up from 335 in 2000.
Waterloo is a town in Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Florence–Muscle Shoals metropolitan area, known as "The Shoals". As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 203, down from 208 in 2000. The town and surrounding area is served by Waterloo High School and by the Waterloo Volunteer Fire Department.
The Tennessee Valley is the drainage basin of the Tennessee River and is largely within the U.S. state of Tennessee. It stretches from southwest Kentucky to north Alabama and from northeast Mississippi to the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina. The border of the valley is known as the Tennessee Valley Divide. The Tennessee Valley contributes greatly to the formation of Tennessee's three legally recognized sectors.
North Alabama is a region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Several geographic definitions for the area exist, with all descriptions including the nine counties of Alabama's Tennessee Valley region. The North Alabama Industrial Development Association also lists Cherokee, Cullman, Franklin, and Winston counties in the region. The Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association expands the definition further to include Blount, Etowah, and Marion counties.
Wheeler Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Tennessee River between Lauderdale County and Lawrence County in Alabama. It is one of nine dams on the river owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the mid-1930s as part of a New Deal-era initiative to improve navigation on the river and bring flood control and economic development to the region. The dam impounds the Wheeler Lake of 67,070 acres (27,140 ha) and its tailwaters feed into Wilson Lake.
Pickwick Landing Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Tennessee River in Hardin County, in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The dam is one of nine dams on the river owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the 1930s as part of a New Deal-era initiative to create a continuous navigation channel between the river's mouth and Knoxville, and bring economic development to the area. The dam impounds the 43,100-acre (17,400 ha) Pickwick Lake and its tailwaters are part of Kentucky Lake.
Wilson Dam is a dam on the Tennessee River in Lauderdale and Colbert counties of Alabama, United States. Completed in 1924 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, it impounds Wilson Lake, and is one of nine Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) dams on the Tennessee River. It was declared a National Historic Landmark on November 13, 1966, for its role as the first dam to come under the TVA's administration. The dam is named for President Woodrow Wilson.
State Route 20 (SR 20) is a 73.978-mile-long (119.056 km) state highway in the northern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. It travels from the Tennessee state line, where it continues as Tennessee State Route 69, northwest of Florence, east to Interstate 65 (I-65), east of Decatur. It crosses the Tennessee River at Florence and also at Decatur
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio is an American recording studio in Sheffield, Alabama, formed in 1969 by four session musicians known as The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. They had left nearby FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals to create their own recording facility.
State Route 17 is a major north-to-south highway within the U.S. state of Alabama. Covering 346.562 miles (557.737 km), it travels the length of the state between US 90 in Mobile and SR 13 at the Tennessee state line, north of Zip City.
State Route 64 (SR 64) is an 18.230-mile-long (29.338 km) east–west state highway entirely within Lauderdale County in the northwest portion of the U.S. state of Alabama. The western terminus of the highway is at an intersection with U.S. Route 43 (US 43) near Green Hill, an unincorporated community south of the Tennessee state line. The eastern terminus of the highway is at an intersection with SR 207 north of Anderson.
The Forks of Cypress was a large slave-labour cotton farm and Greek Revival plantation house near Florence in Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States. It was designed by architect William Nichols for James Jackson and his wife, Sally Moore Jackson. Construction was completed in 1830. It was the only Greek Revival house in Alabama with a two-story colonnade around the entire house, composed of 24 Ionic columns. The name was derived from the fact that Big Cypress Creek and Little Cypress Creek border the plantation and converge near the site of the main house. Although the main house was destroyed by fire in 1966 after being struck by lightning, the site was placed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage on April 14, 1992 and the National Register of Historic Places on October 10, 1997. The site is the property of the State of Alabama; a local board has oversight.
State Route 133 (SR 133) is a 16.976-mile-long (27.320 km) mostly multi-lane state highway and is a primary artery through the Florence–Muscle Shoals metropolitan area in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Alabama.