- Marion, Alabama
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Marion — City — Old Marion City Hall, built in 1832. It now houses the Alabama Military Hall of Honor.
Location in Alabama.
MarionCoordinates: 32°37′58″N 87°19′2″W / 32.63278°N 87.31722°W Country United States State Alabama County Perry Area – Total 10.7 sq mi (27.7 km2) – Land 10.6 sq mi (27.4 km2) – Water 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2) Elevation 374 ft (114 m) Population (2000) – Total 3,511 – Density 328.1/sq mi (126.8/km2) Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6) – Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5) ZIP code 36756 Area code(s) 334 FIPS code 01-46768 GNIS feature ID 0160038 Website http://marionalabama.org/ Marion is the county seat of Perry County, Alabama[1]. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 3,511. First called Muckle Ridge, the city was renamed after a hero of the American Revolution, Francis Marion.
Contents
Geography
Marion is located at 32°37′58″N 87°19′2″W / 32.63278°N 87.31722°W (32.632838, -87.317284)[2].
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.7 square miles (28 km2), of which, 10.6 square miles (27 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (0.94%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 3,511 people, 1,184 households, and 819 families residing in the city. The population density was 331.8 people per square mile (128.1/km²). There were 1,418 housing units at an average density of 134.0 per square mile (51.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 62.46% Black or African American, 36.26% White, 0.26% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. 0.97% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 1,184 households out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.8% were married couples living together, 25.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 15.7% from 18 to 24, 21.5% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 80.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $24,330, and the median income for a family was $29,663. Males had a median income of $27,422 versus $20,240 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,934. About 28.4% of families and 33.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 51.3% of those under age 18 and 15.1% of those age 65 or over.
History
Civil Rights Era
A number of significant events occurred in Marion relating to the American Civil Rights Movement. In 1958 Jimmy Wilson, a black man, was sentenced to death by a jury in Marion for stealing $1.95 from Estelle Barker.[4]
In 1964, Marion was a center of civil rights protests in Alabama. During a peaceful march on 18 February 1965, Jimmie Lee Jackson was shot and killed by Alabama State Trooper James Bonard Fowler.[5] Jackson later died of an infection stemming from the wounds at nearby Good Samaritan Hospital in Selma.[6] Jackson's death is recognized as the catalyst for the Selma to Montgomery March later that year.[5] It was not until 2007, that Fowler was indicted for murder for his role in Jackson's death.[7] In 2010, Fowler pled guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.[8]
Recent Events
In 2009, Marion made national news when a three-year old family feud turned into a 150-person riot outside the town's city hall, resulting in the arrest of eight people and the hospitalization of two. The police chief was injured when a crowbar hit him in the head, while Judson College warned students to avoid the downtown area for 24 hours.[9]
Historical Structures
Jewett Hall at Judson College, part of the Judson College Historic District.
Marion has many historic structures, with most listed on historic registers directly or as contributing buildings. The Chapel and Lovelace Hall at Marion Military Institute, First Congregational Church of Marion, the Henry House, Marion Female Seminary, Phillips Memorial Auditorium, President's House at Marion Institute, Siloam Baptist Church are all individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[10] It has one National Historic Landmark, Kenworthy Hall.[10] The city also has several historic districts, including the Green Street Historic District, Judson College Historic District, Marion Courthouse Square Historic District, and West Marion Historic District. Historic district buildings of special significance include examples such as Reverie.[10]
Education
Marion has been called The Athens of the South because of the dominating presence of its colleges, of which Judson College and Marion Military Institute remain.[11] Howard College was founded in Marion in 1842, and moved to Birmingham in 1887, later becoming Samford University.[11] A groundbreaking school for African Americans, the Lincoln Normal School, was founded here in 1867.[11] The associated Lincoln Normal University for Teachers moved to Montgomery and became Alabama State University.
References
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Dudziak, Mary L., "The Case of 'Death for a Dollar Ninety-Five: Finding America in American Injustice", University of Southern California Law School, 2007, p.5
- ^ a b Fleming, John (6 March 2005), "The Death of Jimmie Lee Jackson", The Anniston Star, http://www.annistonstar.com/opinion/2005/as-insight-0306-jflemingcol-5c09o1640.htm, retrieved 2008-01-21
- ^ Davis, Townsend (1998), Weary Feet, Rested Souls: A Guided History of the Civil Rights Movement, New York: W. W. Norton & Company, pp. 121–123, ISBN 0393045927, http://books.google.com/?id=S7IYlI9KopkC
- ^ "Nation in Brief: Indictment Brought in Civil-Rights-Era Death", Washington Post: A08, May 10, 2007, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/09/AR2007050902488.html, retrieved 2008-01-28
- ^ Brown, Robbie (15 November 2010). "45 Years Later, an Apology and 6 Months". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/16/us/16fowler.html?partner=rss&emc=rss. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
- ^ Family feud turns into riot in small Ala. town: Up to 150 people brawl with tire irons, baseball bats; 8 arrested, Associated Press, 24 August 2009, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545297/ns/us_news-weird_news
- ^ a b c "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-07-09. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html.
- ^ a b c "About Marion". Judson College. http://admissions.judson.edu/parents_about_marion.php. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
External links
Coordinates: 32°37′58″N 87°19′02″W / 32.632838°N 87.317284°W
Municipalities and communities of Perry County, Alabama County seat: MarionCities Marion | Uniontown
Unincorporated
communitiesCategories:- Cities in Alabama
- County seats in Alabama
- Populated places in Perry County, Alabama
- University towns in the United States
- Populated places in Alabama with African American majority populations
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