Century, Florida
Encyclopedia
Century is a town in Escambia County
, Florida
, United States
. The population was 1,714 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Pensacola
–Ferry Pass
–Brent
Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.5 km²), of which, 3.3 square miles (8.5 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (1.80%) is water.
Century is located in the Western Highlands of Florida. This physiographic province of the northern Gulf Coast is made up of sand, silt, and clay hills. These highlands are deeply incised by creeks and rivers. Century is located on the western edge of the Escambia River floodplain. A small portion of the town (the eastern side) is within the floodplain itself. Most of the community, however, is located above the floodplain on level to gently sloping hillsides.
Century's roadway network is highly irregular. It essentially does not conform to the state of Florida's section, township and range survey system, for two reasons. The first is because Spanish Land Grants were issued along the Escambia River in the 16th and 17th centuries. These boundaries established a unique survey system that contorted east-to-west survey boundaries once Florida became a state and a state survey system was adopted. Essentially, previously existing survey systems were "grandfathered" in. The second reason for an irregular roadway and property boundary system is due to the community originally being built around the Louisville and Nashville Railroad
(now the CSX railway). Automobile highways were eventually constructed, and closely paralleled the railway. A more modern highway (US 29) was constructed and moved many of the commercial operations west of the small original core of the community (now mostly located within the Alger-Sullivan Lumber Company Residential Historic District
).
U.S. Route 29 is frequently used by residents of Escambia County, Florida
to reach points north. Interstate 65 (located in Alabama) is connected by Alabama Highway 113 and provides the area with a route to Montgomery, Birmingham and Atlanta. From a southbound perspective, Century is en route between these major cities and the coastal beaches at Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key in Florida.
Along with US 29, Century is the terminus of State Road 4
, which leads east to the communities of Jay, Munson, Baker, and Milligan, Florida.
Fresh water supplies are abundant, with water being withdrawn as groundwater from the Sand-and-Gravel Aquifer.
In 1970, oil was discovered in the nearby community of Jay, Florida
. Oil was also discovered near the town of Century, especially to its northeast. Oil became important to the local economy during the latter quarter of the 20th century.
Gravel and sand is mined in open pits in and near Century. These natural mineral deposits are essential to supporting the construction industries in nearby Pensacola
and Mobile
especially for use as aggregate materials in concrete.
Timber and pulpwood are other valuable natural commodities of the area. Nearby papermills at Cantonment
and Brewton, Alabama
provide a market for cut pulpwood. Timber processing is conducted by another industry about ten miles south of Century.
of 2000, there were 1,714 people, 680 households, and 448 families residing in the town. The population density
was 522.5 inhabitants per square mile (201.8/km²). There were 800 housing units at an average density of 243.9 per square mile (94.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 39.67% White, 56.65% African American, 0.58% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.35% from other races
, and 2.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.63% of the population.
There were 680 households out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.5% were married couples
living together, 25.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the town the population was spread out with 30.0% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 80.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $20,703, and the median income for a family was $28,241. Males had a median income of $26,932 versus $17,390 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $10,412. About 24.5% of families and 30.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.4% of those under age 18 and 26.1% of those age 65 or over.
In November 2007, the Pensacola News Journal
reported that former mayor Evelyn Hammond came under investigation by the Florida Commission on Ethics. Hammond previously filed a complaint in September that Mayor-elect Freddie McCall Sr., incoming council member Nadine McCaw and two residents attempted to buy votes by offering money and watermelons. Hammond has been publicly accused of allowing her family members to receive city utilities for years without payment.
When quoted in the local newspaper, the Tri-City Ledger, Hammond often blames former mayor Benny Barnes for all the scandal associated with her tenure in office. Barnes currently works as the President of the Century Chamber of Commerce and has distanced himself from the scandal associated with Hammond's term as mayor.
When Barnes voiced his support for Hammond's opponent Freddie McCall, Sr. in the last mayoral election, Hammond called McCall and his supporters "puppets of Benny Barnes" in the Tri-City Ledger.
Local politics continue to be a controversial issue in Century as former mayor Hammond attends regularly scheduled city council meetings. Her comments regarding Barnes and McCall usually make headlines in the weekly Tri-City Ledger.
.
Century is within the zones of the following schools:
Escambia County, Florida
Escambia County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of Florida. The 2010 population was 297,619. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 296,772. Its county seat is Pensacola.- History :...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,714 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Pensacola
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
–Ferry Pass
Ferry Pass, Florida
Ferry Pass is a census-designated place in Escambia County, Florida, United States. The population was 27,176 at the 2000 census. It is a principal city of the Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
–Brent
Brent, Florida
Brent is a census-designated place in Escambia County, Florida, United States. The population was 22,257 at the 2000 census. It is a principal city of the Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area
30° 26′ 0″ N, 87° 12′ 0″ WThe Pensacola metropolitan area is the metropolitan area centered on Pensacola, Florida.The Office of Management and Budget has designated Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as the Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan statistical area used...
.
Geography
Century is located at 30°58′40"N 87°15′41"W (30.977648, -87.261500).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.5 km²), of which, 3.3 square miles (8.5 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (1.80%) is water.
Century is located in the Western Highlands of Florida. This physiographic province of the northern Gulf Coast is made up of sand, silt, and clay hills. These highlands are deeply incised by creeks and rivers. Century is located on the western edge of the Escambia River floodplain. A small portion of the town (the eastern side) is within the floodplain itself. Most of the community, however, is located above the floodplain on level to gently sloping hillsides.
Century's roadway network is highly irregular. It essentially does not conform to the state of Florida's section, township and range survey system, for two reasons. The first is because Spanish Land Grants were issued along the Escambia River in the 16th and 17th centuries. These boundaries established a unique survey system that contorted east-to-west survey boundaries once Florida became a state and a state survey system was adopted. Essentially, previously existing survey systems were "grandfathered" in. The second reason for an irregular roadway and property boundary system is due to the community originally being built around the Louisville and Nashville Railroad
Louisville and Nashville Railroad
The Louisville and Nashville Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States.Chartered by the state of Kentucky in 1850, the L&N, as it was generally known, grew into one of the great success stories of American business...
(now the CSX railway). Automobile highways were eventually constructed, and closely paralleled the railway. A more modern highway (US 29) was constructed and moved many of the commercial operations west of the small original core of the community (now mostly located within the Alger-Sullivan Lumber Company Residential Historic District
Alger-Sullivan Lumber Company Residential Historic District
The Alger-Sullivan Lumber Company Residential Historic District is a historic district in Century, Florida. The district is bounded by Pinewood Avenue, Front Street, Jefferson Avenue, Church Street, and Mayo Street, encompasses approximately , and contains 45 historic buildings. On September 28,...
).
U.S. Route 29 is frequently used by residents of Escambia County, Florida
Escambia County, Florida
Escambia County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of Florida. The 2010 population was 297,619. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 296,772. Its county seat is Pensacola.- History :...
to reach points north. Interstate 65 (located in Alabama) is connected by Alabama Highway 113 and provides the area with a route to Montgomery, Birmingham and Atlanta. From a southbound perspective, Century is en route between these major cities and the coastal beaches at Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key in Florida.
Along with US 29, Century is the terminus of State Road 4
Florida State Road 4
State Road 4 is a two-lane Florida State Road in Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Escambia counties. It is signed east–west, but the road is slightly diagonal. It is about 45 miles long, from Century near the Alabama state border at an intersection with U.S. Route 29, to the farming community of...
, which leads east to the communities of Jay, Munson, Baker, and Milligan, Florida.
Fresh water supplies are abundant, with water being withdrawn as groundwater from the Sand-and-Gravel Aquifer.
In 1970, oil was discovered in the nearby community of Jay, Florida
Jay, Florida
Jay is a town in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 579 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 650. It is part of the Pensacola–Ferry Pass–Brent Metropolitan Statistical Area....
. Oil was also discovered near the town of Century, especially to its northeast. Oil became important to the local economy during the latter quarter of the 20th century.
Gravel and sand is mined in open pits in and near Century. These natural mineral deposits are essential to supporting the construction industries in nearby Pensacola
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
and Mobile
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
especially for use as aggregate materials in concrete.
Timber and pulpwood are other valuable natural commodities of the area. Nearby papermills at Cantonment
Cantonment, Florida
Cantonment, Florida is a suburb approximately north of downtown Pensacola, Florida. Most of the people who live in Cantonment commute to either Pensacola or the Pace, Florida and Milton, Florida areas for employment. The two largest employers are International Paper and Ascend. Schools include...
and Brewton, Alabama
Brewton, Alabama
Brewton is a city in Escambia County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 5,498. The city is the county seat of Escambia County.-History:...
provide a market for cut pulpwood. Timber processing is conducted by another industry about ten miles south of Century.
Demographics
As of the 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...
of 2000, there were 1,714 people, 680 households, and 448 families residing in the town. 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 522.5 inhabitants per square mile (201.8/km²). There were 800 housing units at an average density of 243.9 per square mile (94.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 39.67% White, 56.65% African American, 0.58% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.35% 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 2.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.63% of the population.
There were 680 households out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.5% 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, 25.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the town the population was spread out with 30.0% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 80.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $20,703, and the median income for a family was $28,241. Males had a median income of $26,932 versus $17,390 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 town was $10,412. About 24.5% of families and 30.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.4% of those under age 18 and 26.1% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
The small town of Century has become famous for its political headlines and outspoken elected officials.In November 2007, the Pensacola News Journal
Pensacola News Journal
The Pensacola News Journal is a daily morning newspaper serving Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in Florida. It is Northwest Florida's most widely-read daily....
reported that former mayor Evelyn Hammond came under investigation by the Florida Commission on Ethics. Hammond previously filed a complaint in September that Mayor-elect Freddie McCall Sr., incoming council member Nadine McCaw and two residents attempted to buy votes by offering money and watermelons. Hammond has been publicly accused of allowing her family members to receive city utilities for years without payment.
When quoted in the local newspaper, the Tri-City Ledger, Hammond often blames former mayor Benny Barnes for all the scandal associated with her tenure in office. Barnes currently works as the President of the Century Chamber of Commerce and has distanced himself from the scandal associated with Hammond's term as mayor.
When Barnes voiced his support for Hammond's opponent Freddie McCall, Sr. in the last mayoral election, Hammond called McCall and his supporters "puppets of Benny Barnes" in the Tri-City Ledger.
Local politics continue to be a controversial issue in Century as former mayor Hammond attends regularly scheduled city council meetings. Her comments regarding Barnes and McCall usually make headlines in the weekly Tri-City Ledger.
Economy
A Florida prison known as Century Correctional Institution is the only major employer in the region. This facility has employs a full-time staff of 401, which is almost 25% of the entire population of Century.Education
Residents of Century and the surrounding area in Escambia County, Florida are served by the Escambia County School DistrictEscambia County School District
The Escambia County School District is the organization responsible for the administration of public schools in Escambia County, Florida, in the United States...
.
Century is within the zones of the following schools:
- Bratt Elementary School (Bratt, Florida)
- Ernest Ward Middle School (Walnut Hill, Florida)
- Northview High School (Bratt, Florida)