Russellville, Alabama
Encyclopedia
Russellville is a city in Franklin County
in the U.S. state of Alabama
. At the 2000 census, the population of the city was 8,971. The city is the county seat
of Franklin County.
, the U.S. government appropriated money to improve a route from Nashville to New Orleans. It was named Jackson's Military Road after Andrew Jackson
, and it passed through what became Russellville. (Present-day Jackson Avenue and Jackson Highway, U.S. Route 43
, follow portions of the original road.)
Russellville is named after Major William Russell
, an early settler in the area who helped in the construction of Jackson's Military Road. The town grew at this road's intersection with the Gaines Trace
.
Russellville was incorporated
on November 27, 1819.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.4 square miles (34.7 km²), of which 13.2 square miles (34.2 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) (0.90%) is water.
, there were 8,971 people and 3,556 households. The population density
was 677.9 per square mile (261.8/km²). There were 3,882 housing units at an average density of 293.3 per square mile (113.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 73.68% White
, 11.25% Black
or African American
, 0.35% Native American
, 0.12% Asian
, 0.27% Pacific Islander
, 7.54% from other races
, and 1.17% from two or more races. 12.64% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 3,556 households of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples
living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.03.
Age distribution was 24.2% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there are 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.
The median household income
was $25,333, and the median family income was $35,799. Males had a median income of $27,238 versus $18,551 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $14,871. About 16.7% of families and 22.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.2% of those under age 18 and 24.9% of those age 65 or over.
Roxy Theater - The Roxy Theater is located in Jackson Avenue, in the downtown area, just next to Grissom Cleaners. The theater once was home to current released movies. In recent years, the once great Roxy Theater has seen major decline. No longer showing movies, the theater is primarily used for local events, including Ronnie McDowell's annual concert. Recently, a restoration movement began to bring the Theater back to being a main attraction for the area. This is being accomplished with a monthly benefit concert called Rockin' at the Roxy with host band "The KGB" (The Kerry Gilbert Band) with proceeds going into renovation efforts.
King Drive-In - The King drive in is located just north of Russellville on Highway 43. One of the few drive-in movie theaters still operating in Alabama, it plays currently released films throughout the spring and summer, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. The theater features old style speakers that hang on car windows, but also offers the sound track of films through FM radio broadcasts as well. The theater is famously known for the line by the owner at the beginning of each night that states, "If you're ready, I'm ready, it's movie time!"
"The Strip" - From the 1960s until approximately 2000, "The Downtown Strip" had been a source of entertainment for local teenagers and young adults throughout Franklin County. This strip is best described as the atmosphere of George Lucas
' iconic film, American Graffiti
. Many local teenagers, for a number of years, drove up and down the "main drag" in downtown Russellville. The strip ended near the end of 2004 due to an increased local police presence in the area.
AM 1500, WGOL
AM 920, and WPMR-LP
99.7 FM. Russellville has its own newspaper (The Franklin Free Press) and is home to the Franklin County Times.
Franklin County, Alabama
Franklin County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of Benjamin Franklin, famous statesman, scientist, and printer. As of 2010, the population was 31,704...
in the U.S. state of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. At the 2000 census, the population of the city was 8,971. The city is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Franklin County.
History
After the War of 1812War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, the U.S. government appropriated money to improve a route from Nashville to New Orleans. It was named Jackson's Military Road after Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
, and it passed through what became Russellville. (Present-day Jackson Avenue and Jackson Highway, U.S. Route 43
U.S. Route 43
U.S. Route 43 is a north–south United States highway that runs for 410 miles from central Tennessee to Mobile, Alabama. The highway's southern terminus is in Mobile, Alabama, at U.S. Route 45. Its northern terminus is Columbia, Tennessee, at U.S. Route 31.-Alabama:Between Mobile and Fayette...
, follow portions of the original road.)
Russellville is named after Major William Russell
William Russell
-Kingdom of England:* William Russell , Bishop of Sodor and Man from 1348 to 1374* Sir William Russell, 1st Baronet, of Chippenham , English MP for Windsor...
, an early settler in the area who helped in the construction of Jackson's Military Road. The town grew at this road's intersection with the Gaines Trace
Gaines Trace
The Gaines Trace was a road in the Mississippi Territory. It was constructed in 1811 and 1812 from the Tennessee River to Cotton Gin Port on the upper Tombigbee River and on to Fort Stoddert on the lower Tombigbee. The portion from the Tennessee River to Cotton Gin Port was surveyed in 1807 and...
.
Russellville was incorporated
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
on November 27, 1819.
Geography
Russellville is located at 34°30′37″N 87°43′42″W / 34.51028°N 87.72833°W / 34.51028; -87.72833 (34.510344, -87.728248)[1].According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.4 square miles (34.7 km²), of which 13.2 square miles (34.2 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) (0.90%) is water.
Demographics
At the 2000 censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, there were 8,971 people and 3,556 households. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 677.9 per square mile (261.8/km²). There were 3,882 housing units at an average density of 293.3 per square mile (113.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 73.68% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 11.25% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.35% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.12% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.27% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 7.54% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.17% from two or more races. 12.64% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 3,556 households of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.03.
Age distribution was 24.2% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there are 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.
The median household income
Median household income
The median household income is commonly used to generate data about geographic areas and divides households into two equal segments with the first half of households earning less than the median household income and the other half earning more...
was $25,333, and the median family income was $35,799. Males had a median income of $27,238 versus $18,551 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $14,871. About 16.7% of families and 22.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.2% of those under age 18 and 24.9% of those age 65 or over.
Local features
Watermelon Festival - The annual "Watermelon Festival" is held each August in downtown Russellville, in which a carnival type event is held by the chamber of commerce to try to ignite interest in Franklin county and surrounding areas. Events within the festival include performances by popular local bands as well as a car and truck show.Roxy Theater - The Roxy Theater is located in Jackson Avenue, in the downtown area, just next to Grissom Cleaners. The theater once was home to current released movies. In recent years, the once great Roxy Theater has seen major decline. No longer showing movies, the theater is primarily used for local events, including Ronnie McDowell's annual concert. Recently, a restoration movement began to bring the Theater back to being a main attraction for the area. This is being accomplished with a monthly benefit concert called Rockin' at the Roxy with host band "The KGB" (The Kerry Gilbert Band) with proceeds going into renovation efforts.
King Drive-In - The King drive in is located just north of Russellville on Highway 43. One of the few drive-in movie theaters still operating in Alabama, it plays currently released films throughout the spring and summer, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. The theater features old style speakers that hang on car windows, but also offers the sound track of films through FM radio broadcasts as well. The theater is famously known for the line by the owner at the beginning of each night that states, "If you're ready, I'm ready, it's movie time!"
"The Strip" - From the 1960s until approximately 2000, "The Downtown Strip" had been a source of entertainment for local teenagers and young adults throughout Franklin County. This strip is best described as the atmosphere of George Lucas
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
' iconic film, American Graffiti
American Graffiti
American Graffiti is a 1973 coming of age film co-written/directed by George Lucas starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips and Harrison Ford...
. Many local teenagers, for a number of years, drove up and down the "main drag" in downtown Russellville. The strip ended near the end of 2004 due to an increased local police presence in the area.
Local media
Russellville has its own TV station (WMTY-TV). WMTY-TV features area events about the Russellville area including news and weather. Russellville has its own local degreed and seal certified meteorologist of over 10 years. Brian Davis is the local meteorologist for WMTY-TV and recently earned the honorable seal of approval from both the American Meteorological Society as well as the National Weather Association. Brian Presley Davis has been accredited as being an important source of weather in an area that by many has been considered out of range of most weather outlets and radars. Radio stations include WKAXWKAX
WKAX is a radio station licensed to serve Russellville, Alabama. The station is owned by Pilati Investments Inc. It airs a Christian Country music format from sunrise to sunset.-History:...
AM 1500, WGOL
WGOL
WGOL is a radio station licensed to serve Russellville, Alabama, USA. The station is owned by Pilati Investments Corporation.-Programming:WGOL broadcasts a Classic Country music format in C-QUAM AM Stereo....
AM 920, and WPMR-LP
WPMR-LP
WPMR-LP is a radio station licensed to serve Russellville, Alabama. The station is owned by Provision Ministry. It airs a Southern Gospel music format.-History:...
99.7 FM. Russellville has its own newspaper (The Franklin Free Press) and is home to the Franklin County Times.
External links
- City of Russellville (official site)
- Russellville page of Franklin County Chamber of Commerce site
- Downtown Russellville Strip (unofficial "fan" site)