Autauga County was established on November 21, 1818, by an act of theAlabama Territorial Legislature (one year before Alabama wasadmitted as a State). As established, the county included present-day Autauga County, as well asElmore County andChilton County. At the time,Autauga (aka,Tawasa)Indians lived here. They were concentrated atAtagi (meaning "pure water") village situated on the banks of a creek by the same name (called "Pearl Water Creek" by settlers); it is a tributary of theAlabama River. Other scholars suggest theCreek wordatigi, meaning "border," as the source of the name Autauga.[4]
The Autauga were a band of theAlibamu tribe, and named after their geographic location. The Alibamu eventually were absorbed into the Creek Confederacy. DuringAndrew Jackson's invasion of the area during theCreek War, as part of the War of 1812, the Autaga sent many warriors to resist. The county was part of the territory ceded in 1814 by the Creek Confederacy in theTreaty of Fort Jackson.
The territorial legislature designated the first county seat asJackson's Mill, but the court met there only briefly, choosing to select a permanent seat atWashington. The new county seat was built on the former site of Atagi village in the southeast corner of the county. With population growth more in the west of the county, the county seat was moved to a more central location atKingston in 1830. Losing business and residents to the new county seat, the town of Washington dwindled until it was completely deserted by the late 1830s.
Daniel Pratt arrived in Autauga County in 1833 and founded the new town of Prattville, north of Atagi on the fall line of Autauga Creek. Hiscotton gin factory quickly became the largest manufacturer of gins in the world; it was the first major industry in Alabama.
Pratt financially backed the recruitment at his factory of men for thePrattville Dragoons, a fighting unit for theConfederacy. It was organized in anticipation of theCivil War. Other units formed in Autauga County included the Autauga Rifles (Autaugaville), The John Steele Guards (western Autauga Co.) and the Varina Rifles (northern Autauga Co.). None of the fighting of the Civil War reached Autauga County. Pratt was able to secure payment of debts from Northern accounts soon after the war, lessening the disabling effects of theReconstruction period in the county.
Immediately afteremancipation in early 1863,Charles Atwood, a freedman who had formerly been enslaved by Daniel Pratt, bought a house in the center of Prattville. He became one of the founding investors in Pratt'sSouth and North Railroad. It was exceptional for anAfrican American to become so economically successful and prominent, and to own land in an Alabama city in this period.[citation needed]
In 1866 and 1868, the legislature establishedElmore andChilton counties from Autauga County. The county seat was newly designated as Prattville, which was the population center of the redefined jurisdiction. A new courthouse was completed there in 1870 by local builder George L. Smith. In 1906, a new and larger courthouse was erected a block north; it was designed in a modifiedRichardsonian Romanesque style. The building was designed by Bruce Architectural Co. ofBirmingham and built by Dobson & Bynum ofMontgomery.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 604 square miles (1,560 km2), of which 594 square miles (1,540 km2) is land and 10 square miles (26 km2) (1.6%) is water.[5][1] The county is mostly located in theGulf Coastal Plain region, with a few rolling hills and forests due to its close proximity to thefall line of the easternUnited States.[6]
Autauga 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.
As of thecensus[16] of 2010, there were 54,571 people, 20,221 households, and 15,064 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 91 people per square mile (35 people/km2). There were 22,135 housing units at an average density of 36 units per square mile (14 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 78.5%White, 17.7%Black orAfrican American, 0.4%Native American, 0.9%Asian, 0.1%Pacific Islander, and 1.6% from two or more races. 2.4% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 20,221 households, out of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% weremarried couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 22.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68, and the average family size was 3.13.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.8% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 27% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.9 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $53,682, and the median income for a family was $66,349. Males had a median income of $49,743 versus $32,592 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $24,571. About 8.3% of families and 12.1% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 17.5% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.
The sheriff of Autauga County is Mark Harrell (R). The Revenue Commissioner for the county is Kathy Evans (R), the Probate Judge is Kim Kervin (R), the Circuit Clerk is Deb Hill (R), the Circuit Judge is Ben Fuller (R), the District Attorney is Randall Houston (R) and the District Judge is Joy Booth (R).[21]
The legislature is the county commission which consists of five members all of whom are elected from single member districts. The current Commissioners are:[22]
District 1: Rusty Jacksland, Republican
District 2: John L. Thrailkill, Republican
District 3: Bill Tatum, Republican
District 4: Jay Thompson, Republican -Chairman
District 5: Larry Stoudemire, Democratic
Like much of the Southern U.S., Autauga County was historically a Democratic stronghold, voting for the party's presidential nominee in every election between 1880 and 1960. However, the county has switched in affiliation to the Republican Party over the past 50 years. The last Democrat to win the county in a presidential election isJimmy Carter, who won it by a plurality in1976.
Fire protection in Autauga County is provided by several local fire departments.
Emergency Medical Services are provided by Haynes Ambulance, with the exception of the city of Prattville, where the Prattville Fire Department staffs Ambulances.
Law enforcement agencies are the Autauga County Sheriffs Office and the Prattville Police Department.
Autauga County is home to several parks, such as Wilderness Park, Cooters Pond Park, Pratt Park, Swift Creek Park, Newton Park, Spinners Park, Heritage Park, and Overlook Memorial Park.
Historical census county divisions of Autauga County
Approximate divisions used in the 1850 and 1860 censuses. The white dotted line represents the current county boundary.
Approximate divisions used in the 1930 census. Similar to those used from 1900 to 1940.
Approximate divisions used in the 1950 census.
Current divisions as of the 2020 census, in use since at least 1990.
TheUnited States Census Bureau divides counties into county subdivisions. In Autauga County, these are currently in to form ofcensus county divisions. The county's historical subdivisions and their populations in the decennial censuses are as follows:
^United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)Forest Service Ecoregions and Subregions of the United States, compiled and edited by W. Henry McNab and Robert G. Bailey, U. S. Government Printing Office, 1994.
^Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963.
^"School History".Lanier High School. Jackson (MS) Public Schools. RetrievedOctober 20, 2017.Lanier was first organized as a junior-senior high school in 1925 providing instruction for pupils from the seventh through the twelfth grades.
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