Attalla, Alabama

Not to be confused with Atala.

Attalla
—  City  —
Downtown Attalla, Alabama
Attalla Location in Alabama.
Coordinates: 34°0′35″N 86°5′54″W
Country	United States
State	Alabama
County	Etowah
Area
• Total	6.7 sq mi (17.3 km2)
• Land	6.7 sq mi (17.3 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	545 ft (166 m)
Population (2007)
• Total	6,544
• Density	983.9/sq mi (381/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	35954
Area code(s)	256
FIPS code	01-03028
GNIS feature ID	0157880
Website	http://www.AttallaCity.com

Attalla is a city in Etowah County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Gadsden Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the 2005 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 6,474. [1]

History

The U.S. Post Office in Attalla was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 21, 1983.

The town occupies the site of an Indian village which was of considerable importance during the Creek War. It was in Attalla that David Brown, a Cherokee, assisted by the Rev. D. S. Butterick, prepared the “Cherokee Spelling Book”.

Attalla was incorporated as a city government on February 5, 1872, and was founded in 1870 on land donated for the site of the town by W. C. Hammond, a plantation owner. The town was officially named “Attalla” in 1893. “My Home” is the most generally accepted meaning for the name Attalla. Attalla was prosperous until the railroads that it depended on went into bankruptcy.

Demographics

2000 Census data

As of the census of 2000, there were 6,795 people, 2,672 households, and 1,976 families residing in the city. The population density was 988.0 people per square mile (381.6/km²). There were 2,914 housing units at an average density of 436.7 per square mile (168.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 78.42% White, 13.5% Black or African American, 1.5% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 1.64% from other races, and 0.67% from two or more races. 2.22% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,620 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% were married couples living together, 16.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,444, and the median income for a family was $39,549. Males had a median income of $30,605 versus $19,693 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,727. About 16.4% of families and 18.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.5% of those under age 18 and 22.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Attalla City School System is the public school district. As of 2006 it has some 1,823 students.

The district includes the following schools:

• Curtiston Primary School (Grades PK–2)
• Stowers Hill Intermediate School (Grades 3–5)
• Etowah Middle School (Grades 6–8)
• Etowah High School (Grades 9-12)

Geography

Attalla is located at 34°0′35″N 86°5′54″W (34.009818, -86.098413).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.7 square miles (17 km²), all of it land. The city is home to the site of the first working hydroelectric dam in the world.

Notable Past Residents

• Carnell "Cadillac" Williams (born April 21, 1982), Tampa Bay Buccaneers player
• Betty Kelley (born September 16, 1944), member of Motown girl group Martha and The Vandellas
• Tyrone Nix (September 30, 1972), Defensive Coordinator for the Ole Miss Rebels

External links

• City of Attalla
• History of Attalla, Alabama