Sumter County, Alabama

Sumter County
County
Sumter County Courthouse in Livingston
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Alabama
Alabama's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 32°35′30″N88°12′15″W / 32.591666666667°N 88.204166666667°W / 32.591666666667; -88.204166666667
Country	United States
State	Alabama
Founded	December 18, 1832 [1]
Named for	Thomas Sumter
Seat	Livingston
Largest city	Livingston
Area
• Total	913 sq mi (2,360 km2)
• Land	904 sq mi (2,340 km2)
• Water	9.4 sq mi (24 km2)  1.0%
Population  (2020)
• Total	12,345
• Estimate  (2023)	11,727
• Density	14/sq mi (5.2/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	7th
Website	sumtercountyal.com
County Number 60 on Alabama Licence Plates

Sumter County is a county located in the west central portion of Alabama. ^[1] At the 2020 census, the population was 12,345. ^[2] Its county seat is Livingston. ^[3] Its name is in honor of General Thomas Sumter of South Carolina. ^[1] The University of West Alabama is in Livingston.

History

Sumter County was established on December 18, 1832. From 1797 to 1832, Sumter County was part of the Choctaw Nation, which was made up of four main villages. ^[1] The first settlers in Sumter County were French explorers who had come north from Mobile. They built and settled at Fort Tombecbee, near the modern-day town of Epes. In 1830, with the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, the Choctaw Indians ceded the land that is now Sumter County to the government.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 913 square miles (2,360 km²), of which 904 square miles (2,340 km²) is land and 9.4 square miles (24 km²) (1.0%) is covered by water. ^[4] It is intersected by the Noxubee River. ^[5]

Major highways

• Interstate 20
• Interstate 59
• U.S. Route 11
• U.S. Route 80
• State Route 17
• State Route 28
• State Route 39
• State Route 116

Adjacent counties

• Pickens County (north)
• Greene County (northeast)
• Marengo County (southeast)
• Choctaw County (south)
• Lauderdale County, Mississippi (southwest)
• Kemper County, Mississippi (west)
• Noxubee County, Mississippi (northwest)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1840	29,937		—
1850	22,250		−25.7%
1860	24,035		8.0%
1870	24,109		0.3%
1880	28,728		19.2%
1890	29,574		2.9%
1900	32,710		10.6%
1910	28,699		−12.3%
1920	25,569		−10.9%
1930	26,929		5.3%
1940	27,321		1.5%
1950	23,610		−13.6%
1960	20,041		−15.1%
1970	16,974		−15.3%
1980	16,908		−0.4%
1990	16,174		−4.3%
2000	14,798		−8.5%
2010	13,763		−7.0%
2020	12,345		−10.3%
2023 (est.)	11,727	[6]	−5.0%
U.S. Decennial Census [7] 1790–1960 [8] 1900–1990 [9] 1990–2000 [10] 2010–2020 [2]

2020 Census

Sumter 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 [11]	Pop 2010 [12]	Pop 2020 [13]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	3,813	3,304	2,937	25.77%	24.01%	23.79%
Black or African American alone (NH)	10,718	10,283	8,955	72.43%	74.71%	72.54%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	14	11	26	0.09%	0.08%	0.21%
Asian alone (NH)	15	33	102	0.10%	0.24%	0.83%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	2	1	3	0.01%	0.01%	0.02%
Other race alone (NH)	1	0	9	0.01%	0.00%	0.07%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	70	45	182	0.47%	0.33%	1.47%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	165	86	131	1.12%	0.62%	1.06%
Total	14,798	13,763	12,345	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the census of 2020, there were 12,345 people, 5,202 households, and 2,764 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, 13,763 people resided in the county. About 75.0% were Black or African American, 24.2% White, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Native American, 0.2% of some other race, and 0.3% of two or more races; 0.6% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, ^[14] 14,798 people, 5,708 households and 3,664 families resided there. The population density was 16 people per square mile (6.2 people/km²). The 6,953 housing units averaged 8 units per square mile (3.1 units/km²). The racial make-up was 25.92% White, 73.17% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.18% from other races and 0.52% from two or more races. Nearly 1.12% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Of the 5,708 households, 31.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.70% were married couples living together, 23.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.80% were not families. About 31.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55, and the average family size was 3.26.

29.10% of the population were under the age of 18, 12.20% from 18 to 24, 25.30% from 25 to 44, 19.50% from 45 to 64, and 13.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.20 males.

The median household income was $18,911 and the median family income was $23,176. Males had a median income of $28,059 and females $17,574. The per capita income was $11,491. About 32.90% of families and 38.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 47.40% of those under age 18 and 36.10% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Sumter County is part of the so-called Black Belt region of central Alabama. The region has suffered significant economic depression in recent years, but in April 2008, United States Steel announced plans to build at $150 million alloy plant near the community of Epes about 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

The plant would require 250 workers to construct in a town of only 206. Up to 235 full-time jobs would be created when completed, with jobs paying about $50,000 annually. The state of Alabama offered $28 million in incentives to get the plant located in Sumter County. ^[15] The plant would make use of a new technology that produces a carbon alloy for use in steel making at the U.S. Steel plant in Fairfield, Alabama near Birmingham. ^[16] At the time of the announcement, the unemployment rate in Sumter County was 6.1%. ^[16]

In November 2008, U.S. Steel spokesman D. John Armstrong announced that plans to build the Epes facility had been placed on hold. “We’ve adjusted the timing of it, and we don’t know what the new timeline will be,” he said. “We’ve delayed construction, but we have not cancelled it.“ ^[17]

To date, the Epes facility has not been built.^{[ citation needed ]}

From 2009 to 2013, the county had a median household income of $22,186 compared to a state figure of $45,253, making it the poorest county in the state. ^[18] By 2015, Sumter County remained the poorest county in Alabama, with a median household income of $19,501 in comparison to the state median household income of $43,623. ^[19]

Education

Colleges and universities

The University of West Alabama is in Livingston.

Primary and secondary schools

The school district serving the county is Sumter County School District. In addition, a charter school is located on the campus of the University of West Alabama, University Charter School. ^[20]

Until 2017, all schools in Sumter County were in practice entirely racially segregated, as white parents sent their children to Sumter Academy, a private segregation academy set up in 1970 in the wake of a federal court ruling ordering the school district to desegregate. During the 2015–16 school year, 98% of the 1,593 students in county's public schools were black, while none of the 170 students at Sumter Academy were black. ^[19] However, Sumter Academy closed in June 2017, while in August 2018, University Charter School opened, with a half-black, half-white enrollment, making it the county's first practically desegregated school. ^[21]

Government

United States presidential election results for Sumter County, Alabama ^[22]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	1,542	29.06%	3,725	70.19%	40	0.75%
2020	1,598	25.40%	4,648	73.88%	45	0.72%
2016	1,581	24.66%	4,746	74.03%	84	1.31%
2012	1,586	22.56%	5,421	77.11%	23	0.33%
2008	1,731	24.66%	5,264	74.99%	25	0.36%
2004	1,880	29.22%	4,527	70.37%	26	0.40%
2000	1,629	26.76%	4,415	72.52%	44	0.72%
1996	1,561	24.18%	4,706	72.89%	189	2.93%
1992	1,807	25.72%	4,810	68.47%	408	5.81%
1988	2,212	33.36%	4,390	66.21%	28	0.42%
1984	2,493	35.65%	4,478	64.04%	22	0.31%
1980	2,104	29.23%	5,015	69.66%	80	1.11%
1976	2,191	38.51%	3,457	60.77%	41	0.72%
1972	2,686	49.19%	2,737	50.12%	38	0.70%
1968	303	6.30%	2,336	48.60%	2,168	45.10%
1964	1,653	80.32%	0	0.00%	405	19.68%
1960	623	42.61%	765	52.33%	74	5.06%
1956	578	34.59%	981	58.71%	112	6.70%
1952	702	43.90%	894	55.91%	3	0.19%
1948	52	4.67%	0	0.00%	1,061	95.33%
1944	53	4.69%	1,075	95.05%	3	0.27%
1940	46	3.17%	1,404	96.76%	1	0.07%
1936	24	1.72%	1,369	98.28%	0	0.00%
1932	26	1.97%	1,293	98.03%	0	0.00%
1928	191	15.84%	1,015	84.16%	0	0.00%
1924	28	3.17%	837	94.68%	19	2.15%
1920	15	1.36%	1,088	98.37%	3	0.27%
1916	8	1.02%	770	98.21%	6	0.77%
1912	9	1.25%	701	97.09%	12	1.66%
1908	3	0.41%	719	98.76%	6	0.82%
1904	16	1.77%	883	97.46%	7	0.77%
1900	204	15.93%	1,053	82.20%	24	1.87%
1896	1,459	41.72%	1,834	52.44%	204	5.83%
1892	781	19.40%	3,185	79.11%	60	1.49%
1888	819	28.34%	2,060	71.28%	11	0.38%
1884	963	38.61%	1,525	61.15%	6	0.24%
1880	1,337	42.80%	1,787	57.20%	0	0.00%
1876	1,370	38.01%	2,234	61.99%	0	0.00%

Sumter has long been solidly Democratic, having voted in presidential elections for a Republican only once this past century. ^{[22] [ further explanation needed ]}

Communities

Cities

• Livingston (county seat)
• York

Towns

• Cuba
• Emelle
• Epes
• Gainesville
• Geiger

Census-designated places

• Bellamy
• Panola

Unincorporated communities

• Belmont
• Coatopa
• Intercourse
• Payneville
• Sumterville
• Ward
• Warsaw

Places of interest

Sumter County is home to the University of West Alabama Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition in Livingston and the Coleman Center for the Arts in York, Alabama. The historic Alamuchee-Bellamy Covered Bridge is also located on the University of West Alabama campus.

Notable residents

• Austin Armstrong (born 1993), football coach, born and raised in York, Alabama ^[23]
• Jaybird Coleman (1896–1950), country blues harmonica player, vocalist, and guitarist ^{[24] [25]}
• Mentor Dotson (c. 1837–?), Black state legislator who represented Sumter County, Alabama in the Alabama House of Representatives from 1872–1874 ^[26]
• Maria Fearing (1838–1937), Black educator and Presbyterian missionary to Congo, who was born on Winston's Oak Hill Plantation in Sumter County ^[27]
• Carol Forman (1919–1997), actress
• Amelia Greenwald, International nurse, and first female driver in Poland ^[28]
• Lena King Lee (1906–2006), Black educator, attorney, and politician; the first Black women elected to the Maryland General Assembly ^[29]

See also

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

References

1. "ACES Winston County Office" (links/history), Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES), 2007, webpage: ACES-Sumter.
2. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
4. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
5. Ripley, George; Dana, Charles A., eds. (1879). "Sumter, the name of four counties in the United States. IV. A W. county of Alabama"  . The American Cyclopædia .
6. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
7. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
8. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
9. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 24, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
10. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
11. "P004 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Sumter County, Alabama". United States Census Bureau .
12. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Sumter County, Alabama". United States Census Bureau .
13. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Sumter County, Alabama". United States Census Bureau .
14. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
15. Johnson, Bob (April 19, 2008). "U.S. Steel announces plant for Alabama's Black Belt region". Press-Register. Mobile. pp. 6B.
16. Kent, Dawn. "U.S. Steel to invest in Alabama Black Belt with first-of-its-kind coke alternative plant". The Birmingham News. Archived from the original on April 23, 2008. Retrieved April 19, 2008.
17. Morton, Jason (December 15, 2008). "Plant delay has some losing hope". Tuscaloosa News. Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
18. Frohlich, Thomas C. (January 7, 2015). "The Poorest County in Each State". 247wallst.com. 24/7 Wall St., LLC. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
19. Stebbins, Samuel; Frohlich, Thomas C.; Sauter, Michael B. (January 5, 2017). "The Poorest County in Every State". 247wallst.com. 24/7 Wall St., LLC. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
20. "About." University Charter School. Retrieved on January 15, 2019.
21. Farzan, Antonia Noori (August 15, 2018). "Sumter County, Ala., just got its first integrated school. Yes, in 2018". The Washington Post .
22. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections" . Retrieved November 21, 2016.
23. Hayes, Matt (April 12, 2023). "Hayes: Meet the man who is most responsible for Florida's potential turnaround. And, no, he's not a QB". Saturday Down South. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
24. Field, Kim (2000). Harmonicas, Harps, and Heavy Breathers: The Evolution of the People's Instrument. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 159–160. ISBN   978-0-8154-1020-1.
25. Komara, Edward; Lee, Peter (July 2004). The Blues Encyclopedia. Routledge. p. 218. ISBN   978-1-135-95832-9.
26. Foner, Eric (August 1, 1996). Freedom's Lawmakers: A Directory of Black Officeholders During Reconstruction. LSU Press. p. 64. ISBN   978-0-8071-2082-8.
27. "Maria Fearing (1838-1937)". Alabama Women's Hall of Fame.
28. "Amelia Greenwald".
29. Clark, Eric L. (February 1996). "Attorney Lena S. King Honored for Life's Work". The Crisis . 103 (2): 32–33.

External links

• 2007 map of Sumter County showing roads and settlements by University of Alabama Department of Geography.

32°35′30″N88°12′15″W / 32.59167°N 88.20417°W / 32.59167; -88.20417