75-677: Demopolis is the largest city in Marengo County , in west-central Alabama . The population was 7,162 at the 2020 census . The city lies at the confluence of the Black Warrior River and Tombigbee River . It is situated atop a cliff composed of the Demopolis Chalk Formation , known locally as White Bluff , on the east bank of the Tombigbee. It is at the center of Alabama's Canebrake region and
150-470: A Vine and Olive Colony . Other ethnic French who settled here were refugees from the colony of Saint-Domingue , where enslaved Africans and " free people of color " had routed Napoleon's troops and white colonists, and declared independence in 1804. They established the territory as Haiti , the second republic in the western hemisphere. The county seat was originally known as the Town of Marengo, but in 1823
225-664: A grid plan , with the city of Philadelphia as a model. The original streets running north–south were named for trees, such as Ash, Cedar, Cherry, and Chestnut. Exceptions were made for Commissioners, Strawberry, and Market (now Main) streets. Several short north–south streets were also named for commissioners, such as Desnouettes, Earle, Glover, Griffin, and McGee. The east–west streets were named for national and local heroes, as well as commissioners, such as Childress, Fulton, Gaines, Lyon, Monroe, Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, and Jackson. Most streets were designed to be 66 feet (20 m) wide. A strip of land that remained public property, for
300-455: A yellow fever epidemic struck the city. Some people were buried in an ill-defined two-acre cemetery to the north of town in the river bend. The Jewish Cemetery was established in 1878 to the east of town on Jefferson Street. The Glover Mausoleum had been completed on the banks of the Tombigbee in 1845, with the burial of many family members in and around it. Finally the city established its main burial ground, Riverside Cemetery, selling plots to
375-472: A female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.05. In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.1% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
450-665: A good climate for cultivating these crops. By July 14, 1817, a small party of pioneers had settled at White Bluff on the Tombigbee River, at the present site of Demopolis, founding the Vine and Olive Colony . Among the wealthiest and most prominent of the group was Count Lefebvre Desnouettes , who had been a cavalry officer under Napoleon, with the rank of lieutenant-general . He had ridden in Napoleon's carriage during his failed invasion of Russia . Other prominent figures among
525-473: A household in the county was $ 27,025, and the median income for a family was $ 35,475. Males had a median income of $ 36,053 versus $ 19,571 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 15,308. 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. According to the New York Times , by 2017,
600-580: A large ordnance depot, two large hospitals, and offices of the medical purveyor of the Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana. A huge military encampment was established at the fairgrounds in Webb's Bend. After the fall of Vicksburg and Port Hudson in July, 1863, several regiments of paroled Confederate troops were sent to a camp at Demopolis to await exchange . Thousands of soldiers entered
675-481: A major banking and retail hub in the region during this time. Major financial institutions included the Commercial National Bank, City Bank and Trust Company, and Robertson Banking Company . One of the first large department stores of note in the area, Mayer Brothers, built its three-story brick building across from the public square in 1897 and operated for most of the 20th century. That building
750-522: A major basis of the economy up until the World War I -era. The boll weevil infestations of the 1920s and the Great Depression of the 1930s finally ended the one-crop farming system. Demopolis had electric lights , water works and a sewerage system, chert -covered streets, paved sidewalks, and a fire department by the second decade of the 20th century. It was increasingly serving as
825-519: A new courthouse in Demopolis. They negotiated the purchase of the Presbyterian church on the town square, now known as Rooster Hall, for the sum of $ 3,000. It was conveyed to the county on April 8, 1869. The county built a fireproof brick building next door to the former church in 1869–70 to house the probate and circuit clerk offices. This building serves as Demopolis City Hall today. The move of
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#1732780143286900-532: A performance of Louisiana playwright Epsy William 's Unorna , from Francis Marion Crawford 's The Witch of Prague . It continued as an entertainment venue into the 1920s and was eventually demolished in 1972–73. The first theater built for the presentation of motion pictures, the Elks Theater, opened on October 1, 1915. It was renamed the Si-Non in 1916. The building was restored during the 1990s. Following
975-435: A profitable and brisk trade for those operating taverns and did much to earn early Demopolis a reputation for decadence. During the 1840s many of the streets laid out by the town fathers had yet to be opened to traffic. The town council focused attention on clearing the intended streets and opening them to traffic, making other street improvements, and building wooden sidewalks along major thoroughfares to lift pedestrians above
1050-556: A variety of adversities. Following a survey in August 1818, they learned that their new properties did not fall under the territories encompassed by the congressional approval, and the Vine and Olive Colony was soon forced to move. Their actual land grants began less than a mile to the east of their newly cleared land. After abandoning the settlement of Demopolis, they soon established two other towns, Aigleville and Arcola . Upon learning of
1125-604: Is also within the Black Belt region. Demopolis was founded in the early 1800s after the fall of Napoleon's empire . It was named by a group of French expatriates, a mix of exiled Bonapartists and other French refugees who had settled in the United States after the overthrow of the colonial government in Saint-Domingue by enslaved workers. Napoleon had sent troops there in a last attempt to regain control of
1200-407: Is now utilized by Robertson Banking Company. The Rosenbush Furniture Company was established in 1895 and operated until 2002. The J. H. Spight Grocery was established in 1901 as one of the earliest and most successful grocery stores for more than 50 years, prior to the era of corporate chain stores. Although the community had many newspapers throughout its first 100 years, the only one to survive into
1275-777: The Austrians on June 14, 1800. Marengo County was created by the Alabama Territorial legislature on February 6, 1818, from land acquired from the Choctaw by the Treaty of Fort St. Stephens on October 24, 1816. Like the other four of the " Five Civilized Tribes ", over the course of the following twenty years the Choctaw were largely forced west of the Mississippi River and into what is now Oklahoma during
1350-704: The Demopolis area was closed by the school board following the 2013–14 school year. Demopolis and Linden have city-run school systems, the Demopolis City School District and Linden City Schools . Marengo County is home to the Alabama Rural Heritage Center and Chickasaw State Park . The Tombigbee River and Black Warrior River form portions of the western and northern county borders and provide recreational opportunities. Marengo County has 28 sites listed on
1425-709: The Forest Monarch , Alice Vivian , and the ill-fated Eliza Battle . Several others were dedicated almost exclusively to Demopolis and the cotton trade, including the Allen Glover , Canebrake , Cherokee , Demopolis , Frank Lyon , Marengo , and the Mollie Glover . Major hotels during this same period included the Planter's Hotel, later known as Madison House Hotel, and the River Hotel. In 1853
1500-524: The Köppen Climate Classification system, Demopolis has a humid subtropical climate , abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. As of the 2020 census , there were 7,162 people, 2,973 households, and 1,883 families residing in the city. The population density was 403.6 inhabitants per square mile (155.8/km) There were 3,400 housing units. As of the 2010 census , there were 7,483 people, 3,049 households, and 1,998 families residing in
1575-643: The National Register of Historic Places , one of which is also a National Historic Landmark . Additionally, 19 sites are listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage . Like the rest of the Black Belt , Marengo County leans Democratic. However, it often produces narrow margins for winning candidates; no presidential candidate has won more than 54% of the vote in Marengo since Richard Nixon in 1972 . In 2020, Donald Trump lost
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#17327801432861650-552: The Southern Republic , Black Diamond , Admiral , Clipper , Farrand , Marengo and St. Nicholas . With the surrender of the last of the Confederates, Demopolis found itself a much different city from what it had been prior to the war. At the end of May 1865, the townspeople learned that an occupying force of Federal soldiers, the 5th Minnesota Infantry, were en route to occupy the town. Once there, they occupied
1725-581: The Tombigbee River and a small northwestern portion is formed by the Black Warrior River . As of the census of 2020, there were 19,323 people, 7,361 households, and 3,833 families residing in the county. As of the census of 2010, there were 21,027 people living in the county. 51.7% were Black or African American , 46.4% White , 0.3% Asian , 0.2% Native American , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 0.7% of some other race and 0.8% of two or more races . 1.7% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). As of
1800-728: The Union and the formation of the Confederate States of America . White residents of Demopolis shared these sentiments. Prominent secessionists included Nathan B. Whitfield, Francis S. Lyon, Goodman G. Griffin, Kimbrough C. DuBose, George B. Lyon, Dr. James D. Browder, and George E. Markham. But many other powerful men in town opposed secession, including Benjamin Glover Shields, William H. Lyon, Jr., William B. Jones, Pearson J. Glover, Gaius Whitfield, Alfred Hatch, Joel C. DuBose, Robert V. Montague, and Henry Augustine Tayloe . In
1875-518: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 18.066 square miles (46.79 km), of which 17.744 square miles (45.96 km) is land and 0.322 square miles (0.83 km), is water. Demopolis is on the northern edge of Marengo County, bordered to the north, across the Black Warrior River , by Greene County and to the northwest, across the Tombigbee River , by Sumter County . U.S. Route 43 passes through
1950-513: The census of 2000, there were 22,539 people, 8,767 households, and 6,277 families living in the county. The population density was 23 people per square mile (8.9 people/km ). There were 10,127 housing units at an average density of 10 units per square mile (3.9 units/km ). 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
2025-413: The 1820s but disbanded due to a lack of support. The Episcopalians established a congregation in 1834, but did not build Trinity Episcopal Church until 1850. A Presbyterian congregation was established in 1839 and completed its first church in 1843, a brick structure on the town square. The Methodist congregation was established in 1840 and completed its first building in 1843. Present in Demopolis from
2100-558: The 21st century, The Demopolis Times , was established in 1904. Theaters sprang up in the city, beginning in the late 19th century. Rooster Hall, following its incarnations as a church, courthouse, and then a city property, was leased for use as the Demopolis Opera House from 1876 to 1902. It hosted live dramatic performances, civic lectures, and minstrel shows . The Braswell Opera House , with its ornate interior and private box galleries , opened on October 23, 1902, with
2175-568: The 8th Alabama Cavalry, Company E of the Jeff. Davis Legion , and Selden's Battery, were all established by local men. During the course of the war, more of these men would be lost to disease, exhaustion, and malnutrition than to battle casualties, as happened in both armies. The city, based on two navigable rivers and a railroad, was used as the base for a number of Confederate installations and offices. These included commissary and quartermaster offices and warehouses, engineers' offices and workshops,
2250-474: The Civil War, the economy continued to be based on agriculture. In the transition to free labor, many freedmen turned to sharecropping or tenant farming as a way to establish some independence. They did not want to work in white-controlled field gangs. The county population began to diminish rapidly during and after World War II . People left the farms for manufacturing jobs elsewhere, particularly with
2325-420: The age of 18 living with them, 38.6% were married couples living together, 23.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.04. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.0% under
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2400-460: The age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 35,583, and the median income for a family was $ 49,973. Males had a median income of $ 50,734 versus $ 31,520 for females. The per capita income for
2475-754: The beginning, with the French Catholic immigrants, the Catholic congregation in town was listed in 1851 as a mission of Saint John the Baptist in Tuscaloosa . It was switched to being supported by a church in Selma in 1880. They met in a small frame church and private homes until 1905, when the current Saint Leo the Great was built. The Jewish congregation, B'nai Jeshurun , was established in 1858, although
2550-499: The board of supervisors. Linden continued an attempt to persuade the state legislature to move the county seat back to their town, with success in February 1871. The former courthouse buildings reverted from county ownership to Demopolis and remain city property today. The struggle to rebuild the economy of Demopolis and the surrounding region continued into the 20th century. The growing, trading, and milling of cotton continued to be
2625-466: The city center as North Walnut Avenue, East Capitol Street, and South Cedar Avenue, while U.S. Route 80 runs along the southern edge of the downtown. US 43 leads north 24 miles (39 km) to Eutaw and south 17 miles (27 km) to Linden , while US 80 leads east 20 miles (32 km) to Uniontown and west 34 miles (55 km) to Cuba . The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to
2700-470: The city was $ 21,116. About 19.1% of families and 26.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.4% of those under age 18 and 27.5% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2000 census , there were 7,540 people, 3,014 households, and 2,070 families residing in the city. The population density was 616.4 inhabitants per square mile (238.0/km). There were 3,311 housing units at an average density of 270.7 per square mile (104.5/km). The racial makeup of
2775-411: The city was 50.90% Black or African American , 47.75% White , 0.09% Native American , 0.20% Asian , none Pacific Islander , 0.48% from other races , and 0.58% from two or more races. 0.98% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 3,014 households, out of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 22.5% had
2850-478: The city was subjected to a huge influx of war refugees. Nathan B. Whitfield noted in his journal that those from Mobile had taken every available vacant house, and others were crowded with local people, along with their descendants and relatives. In March 1865 the people of Demopolis prepared to defend the town against Union threats, and fortified key positions. Three circular batteries , surrounded by earthworks, were constructed and other fortifications built across
2925-512: The city. The population density was 613.4 inhabitants per square mile (236.8/km). There were 3,417 housing units at an average density of 280.1 per square mile (108.1/km). The racial makeup of the city was 50.1% Black or African American , 47.3% White , 0.1% Native American , 0.5% Asian , none Pacific Islander , 1.1% from other races , and 0.8% from two or more races. 2.4% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 3,049 households, out of which 31.2% had children under
3000-643: The coast in the early 18th century. Demopolis was incorporated on December 11, 1821. Organizing first in Philadelphia , French expatriates petitioned the U.S. Congress to sell them property for land to colonize. Congress granted approval by an act on March 3, 1817, that allowed them to buy four townships in the Alabama Territory at $ 2 per acre, with the provision that they cultivate grape vines and olive trees. Following advice obtained from experienced pioneers, they determined that Alabama would provide
3075-511: The community had been present since the 1840s. B'nai Jeshurun was the fourth Jewish congregation established in Alabama. They initially met in homes and businesses until eventually building a Moorish Revival -style temple in 1893. By the 1850s several palatial steamboats were visiting the town as a regular stop on the Mobile to Columbus, Mississippi , route along the Tombigbee. These included
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3150-497: The community or on its outskirts, including the Allen, Ashe, Curtis, DuBose, Foscue, Glover, Griffin, Lane, Lyon, McAllister, Prout, Reese, Strudwick, Tayloe , Whitfield, and Vaughan families. But Demopolis was not dominated by a homogeneous elite planter class, as happened in other towns of the region. During these years and in the future, the river trade also brought numerous people with a desire for raucous entertainment. This created
3225-498: The county seat was highly controversial, and the Alabama Legislature set April 18, 1870, as the date for a county-wide referendum to decide if Dayton , Demopolis, or Linden would become the county seat. Due to the closeness of the vote and voting irregularities, a run-off between Linden and Demopolis was set for May 14, 1870. Irregularities appeared again and votes from Dayton, mostly in favor of Linden, were rejected by
3300-400: The court records were saved, as they were in a protected vault. Marengo County is situated in the west-central area of the state. According to the United States Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 983 square miles (2,550 km ), of which 977 square miles (2,530 km ) is land and 5.8 square miles (15 km ) (0.6%) is water. The entire western county border is formed by
3375-511: The demise of cotton production, beef cattle farming and, more recently, catfish aquaculture became new major agricultural pursuits. Industrial activities became the major sources of employment by mid-century, with the cement, lumber , and paper industries playing a prominent role in the city's economy into the 21st century. This city is located at 32°31′03″N 87°50′11″W / 32.51750°N 87.83639°W / 32.51750; -87.83639 (32.5176361, -87.8364020). According to
3450-557: The devastated economy of the community and surrounding countryside, a problem that would continue through the Reconstruction era . During Reconstruction, the new authorities in charge of the government decided to move the county seat of Marengo from its central location in Linden to Demopolis by an act approved on December 4, 1868. The county appointed Richard Jones Jr., Lewis B. McCarty, and Dr. Bryan W. Whitfield to build or buy
3525-636: The end, most men on both sides of the argument joined in the Confederate cause once secession was inevitable. It is not known whether the Jewish community supported or not the Union or opposed slavery. With the start of the Civil War , several Confederate companies recruited from the population of Demopolis and Marengo County. The 4th, 11th , 21st, 23rd, and 43rd Alabama Infantry Regiments, in addition to
3600-446: The former cotton fields were gradually converted to pastures for cattle and horses , developed into tree plantations for timber and paper production, or transformed into commercial ponds for farming grain-fed catfish . Beginning in the 1960s, industry began to move into the area. The work force was employed in paper mills , lumber mills , and chemical plants . County courthouse fires occurred in 1848 and 1965. Each time most of
3675-647: The former fairgrounds. Despite the usual unpleasantness associated with the occupation of many defeated Southern towns, two of the Minnesota commanders, Colonel William B. Gere and General Lucius Frederick Hubbard , apparently came to be well-liked by the townspeople. Despite some bright spots in relations, the Episcopal Church in the South was slow to give up on the notion of the Confederacy, resulting in
3750-510: The immigrants included Lieutenant-General Baron Henri-Dominique Lallemand , Count Bertrand Clauzel , Joseph Lakanal , Simon Chaudron, Pasqual Luciani, Colonel Jean-Jerome Cluis, Jean-Marie Chapron, Colonel Nicholas Raoul, and Frederic Ravesies. Most of these expatriates had little interest in pioneer life and sold their shares in the colony, remaining in Philadelphia. By 1818, the colony consisted of only 69 settlers. The party encountered
3825-506: The island, but they were defeated, largely by high mortality due to yellow fever . The name, meaning in Greek "the People's City" or "City of the People" (from Ancient Greek δῆμος + πόλις ), was chosen to honor the democratic ideals behind the endeavor. First settled in 1817, it is one of the oldest continuous settlements in the interior of Alabama. French colonists had founded Mobile on
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#17327801432863900-470: The loss of its primary east–west railroad during the war, in 1862 the Confederate government completed the Alabama and Mississippi Rivers Railroad from Selma through Demopolis and to Meridian, Mississippi . The project had been in the works since the 1850s, but several miles between Demopolis and Uniontown had not been finished when war erupted. As the war raged in all directions around Demopolis in 1864,
3975-559: The majority of the county population decades before the American Civil War . In 1860 the population consisted of 24,409 slaves, 6,761 free whites (including 944 slave owners), and one "free person of color," for a total combined population of 31,171. At this time there were 778 plantations and farms in the county. The fourth-oldest Jewish congregation in Alabama, B'nai Jeshurun , was established in Demopolis in 1858 by immigrants and migrants from other Southern cities. After
4050-399: The military governor of Alabama closing all Episcopal churches in the state, effective on September 20, 1865. Trinity Episcopal Church in Demopolis was put under Federal guard, and during this time the church mysteriously burned down. Blame was placed on the soldiers for intentionally burning it, but this has never been borne out by the facts. Aside from all of this, the more pressing matter was
4125-496: The mud. The council also approved measures to protect trees in the common areas and streets. Several town ordinances were enacted in 1842 to restrain the enslaved African-American population. They were prohibited from selling or purchasing any article or commodity from or to a slave without written permission from their master or overseer. No slave was allowed to purchase alcohol without written consent; if any slave were convicted of assault upon "any white man, negro , or mulatto ",
4200-550: The name was changed to Linden. Linden is a shortened version of Hohenlinden , scene of the Battle of Hohenlinden , a French victory in Bavaria on December 3, 1800, during Napoleon's campaign. Situated in Alabama's Black Belt and having a naturally rich soil, the county was developed by planters for numerous cotton plantations , dependent on the forced labor of large gangs of enslaved African Americans. The enslaved comprised
4275-401: The orderly organization of churches. A group of Methodist ministers who convened nearby in 1843 said that Demopolis was "wholly irreligious". Mainline Protestant churches were slow to take root; no churches were built in Demopolis until 1840. Prior to that time, various denominations met in a log assembly house on the town square. It was torn down in 1844. A Baptist group was established in
4350-406: The owner would be fined $ 50; any slave caught running "any horse, gelding , or mule " through town would be subject to fifteen lashes unless the owner paid a fine of $ 1; any slave caught driving any wagon or cart or driving a horse or mule on or across the sidewalks of the town would be subject to 10 lashes, unless the owner paid a fine of 50 cents. The robust, frontier river town did not support
4425-407: The period of Indian Removal conducted by the federal government. The county was named to commemorate Napoleon 's victory at the Battle of Marengo over Austrian armies on June 14, 1800. This name was chosen in honor of the first European settlers, Bonapartists exiled from France after Napoleon's downfall. In 1817 a number of French settled the area around Demopolis. They were trying to develop
4500-442: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 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. 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. The average household size
4575-470: The poverty line, including 38.3% of those under age 18 and 21.1% of those age 65 or over. Marengo County, Alabama Marengo County is a county located in the west central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama . As of the 2020 census , the population was 19,323. The largest city is Demopolis , and the county seat is Linden . It is named in honor of the Battle of Marengo near Turin , Italy , where French leader Napoleon Bonaparte defeated
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#17327801432864650-643: The public in 1882. A circular Gothic Revival -style amphitheater , complete with a crenelated roof-line, was completed in 1859 north of town in Webb's Bend at the fairgrounds. The fairgrounds and its buildings covered approximately 20 acres (8.1 ha) and hosted a variety of events until the outbreak of the Civil War . By 1860, the population within the town limits had grown to approximately 1,200 people. The town began to attract new entertainments, such as musical and dramatic performances, concert artists, lecturers, circuses, and carnivals. Marengo County, with its large number of slaveholders, favored secession from
4725-571: The rural Black Belt (called that for its soil) that stretches across the middle of the state is home to largely poor counties that are predominantly African-American. These counties include Dallas , Lowndes , Marengo and Perry ." For the 2014–15 school year, the Marengo County School District is operating three K–12 schools, one each in Dixons Mills , Sweet Water , and Thomaston . One former county school in
4800-471: The site into streets, blocks, and lots, with a block of roughly two acres divided into eight lots. Demopolis Town Square , encompassing one city block, was established in 1819. The first lots were sold beginning on April 22, 1819. When Count Desnouettes died in 1822, Allen Glover was appointed to replace him. As other commissioners retired, they were succeeded by David E. Moore, William H. Lyon, Thomas McGee, and George N. Stewart. The streets were laid off using
4875-482: The southern reaches of town. With the impending fall of Selma in early April, during Wilson's Raid , all of the railroad's rolling stock was sent full of supplies westward through Demopolis and on to Meridian. A flotilla of eighteen Confederate gunboats and packet ships were relocated to the Tombigbee River at Demopolis around this same time. These included the CSS Nashville , CSS Morgan , CSS Baltic ,
4950-515: The stately homes desired by the more prosperous residents. Some grand mansions were completed by the late 1820s. One of the first was the brick 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 -story Federal -style Allen Glover house at the foot of Capitol Street. It was one of the, if not the first, neoclassical structures to be built in Marengo County. Glover built Bluff Hall (1832) for his daughter, Sarah Serena, and son-in-law, Francis Strother Lyon . The town plan
5025-600: The survey and that the French grants lay elsewhere, American settlers began to quickly purchase the property of the former French settlement, intending to develop it as a major river port on the Tombigbee. A land company, the White Bluff Association (later renamed as the Company of the Town of Demopolis), was formed in 1819 with the express purpose to purchase the land and lay off a town. George Strother Gaines
5100-409: The town at a time, which had only one thousand inhabitants prior to the war. Residents struggled to provide and secure sufficient food and accommodations. Many hundreds of the soldiers who died in the hospitals during the war were buried in a Confederate cemetery on the south end of Webb's Bend. Today the site is underwater, following the damming of the river below Demopolis in the 20th century. After
5175-606: The use of all, was the land adjoining the Tombigbee River. This extended from where Riverside Cemetery is today, to the southwest of the city proper, to the Upper Landing in the north, with Arch Street following the route along the top of the cliff. Only the portion of Arch Street adjacent to the cemetery remains intact. Some flaws and limitations of the original town plan became apparent by the late 1820s and 1830s. The typical town lots, at 75 feet (23 m) wide and 150 feet (46 m) deep, were not conducive to construction of
5250-538: The wartime buildup of the defense industry on the West Coast. The movement of African Americans out of Alabama and other parts of the South was considered part of the Great Migration , by which 5 million left the region from 1940 to 1970. In addition to seeking jobs, they sought better conditions than the disfranchisement and Jim Crow oppression they faced in Alabama and other states of the South. Most of
5325-641: The western terminus of Washington Street; and Lower Landing to the west of Riverside Cemetery and the Whitfield Canal. By the 1830s Demopolis had developed into a regional commercial river hub, attracting American and European-born craftsmen and merchants, including the Beysiegle, Breitling, Breton, Dupertuis, Foster, Hummell, Kirker, Knapp, Marx, Michael, Mulligan, Oberling, Rhodes, Rudisill, Rosenbaum, Schmidt, Shahan, Stallings, and Zaiser families. Numerous plantation owners also established townhouses in
5400-400: Was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.08. 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. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 88.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.20 males. The median income for
5475-408: Was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 26,481, and the median income for a family was $ 35,752. Males had a median income of $ 37,206 versus $ 20,265 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 16,687. About 26.0% of families and 30.6% of the population were below
5550-436: Was also lacking a clearly defined business district, resulting in commercial and residential buildings mixed together all over town. As development shifted, some areas became blighted because of less desirable uses. Some stores opened around the town square, however, and warehouses started to appear adjacent to the town's three major river landings, Upper Landing, above the modern Demopolis Yacht Basin and Marina; Webb's Landing at
5625-415: Was named as the company spokesman, and he bought the town site atop White Bluff as soon as it was offered for sale. Commissioners for the company were George Strother Gaines, James Childress, Walter Crenshaw, Count Charles Lefebvre Desnouettes, and Dr. Joseph B. Earle. The commissioners were responsible for overseeing the site survey, lot sales, and the early operations of the town. The commissioners laid off
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