Cherokee, Alabama
Encyclopedia
Colbert County, Alabama
Colbert County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of brothers George and Levi Colbert, Chickasaw Indian chiefs. George Colbert operated a ferry across the Tennessee River in 1790 near present day Cherokee....
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is part of the Florence
Florence, Alabama
Florence is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States, in the northwestern corner of the state.According to the 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the city's population was 36,721....
- Muscle Shoals
Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Muscle Shoals is a city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. As of 2007, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of the city to be 12,846. The city is included in The Shoals MSA. It is famous for its contributions to American popular music.-Geography:Muscle Shoals is located...
Metropolitan Statistical Area known as "The Shoals
The Shoals
The Shoals is a metropolitan area in northwestern Alabama, officially known as the Florence-Muscle Shoals Metropolitan Area, including the cities of Florence, Muscle Shoals, Tuscumbia, and Sheffield, and the counties of Lauderdale and Colbert...
". As of the 2000 census, the population of the town is 1,237.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Cherokee has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²), all land.Climate
| Average Low | Average High | |
|---|---|---|
| January | 26 °F | 47 °F |
| April | 44 °F | 71 °F |
| July | 66 °F | 89 °F |
| October | 44 °F | 72 °F |
- Annual PrecipitationPrecipitation (meteorology)In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
60.6 inches
Demographics
Census
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 1,237 people, 510 households, and 370 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 552.5 people per square mile (213.2/km2). There were 557 housing units at an average density of 248.8 per square mile (96.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 78.33% 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...
, 20.21% 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...
, 0.32% 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...
, and 1.13% from two or more races. 0.49% 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 510 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.8% 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, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.3% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $24,597, and the median income for a family was $28,839. Males had a median income of $26,667 versus $20,096 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 $12,431. About 18.6% of families and 22.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.7% of those under age 18 and 15.7% of those age 65 or over.
The current mayor of Cherokee is Chuck Lansdell. The Chief of Police is Frank Regan.
Restaurants
Cherokee has several local restaurants featuring Southern CuisineCuisine of the Southern United States
The cuisine of the Southern United States is defined as the historical regional culinary form of states generally south of the Mason Dixon Line dividing Pennsylvania from Maryland and Delaware as well as along the Ohio River, and extending west to Southern Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.The most...
. Some current locations include JJ's and the Family Diner.
Banking
Two regional banks have branch offices in Cherokee providing banking services to western Colbert County. Prior to the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
Cherokee was home to the Tennessee Valley Bank.
General Merchandise
The town has hosted many businesses over the years, but after a major fire in the 1960s the downtown business district declined. Today the town still features grocery stores, hardware stores, and a drug store.Education
Schools in Cherokee are part of the Colbert County School SystemColbert County Schools
Colbert County Schools is the school system serving Colbert County, Alabama. As of 2007 Billy Hudson was superintendent.-Member schools:*Cherokee Elementary School*Cherokee High School* Hatton Elementary School*Leighton Elementary School...
and serve rural western Colbert County. Cherokee Elementary School and Cherokee High School are located on the northern side of town along North Pike. The land for this complex, including the football field, was donated by the Harris family of Cherokee.
The population in western Colbert County has declined in recent years. Cherokee Middle School closed after the 2006 / 2007 year and was consolidated into Cherokee Elementary and Cherokee High Schools. The site was once home to one of the original Rosenwald School
Rosenwald School
A Rosenwald School was the name informally applied to over five thousand schools, shops, and teachers' homes in the United States which were built primarily for the education of African-Americans in the early twentieth century. The need arose from the chronic underfunding of public education for...
s. The former middle school now serves as the town hall while it is still owned by the Colbert County Board of Education.
U.S. Highway 72
US Highway 72U.S. Route 72
U.S. Route 72 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 337 miles from southeast Tennessee through northern Alabama and northern Mississippi to southwest Tennessee. The highway's eastern terminus is Chattanooga, Tennessee. Its western terminus is Memphis, Tennessee...
is the major corridor through Cherokee. This important highway followed the railroad and was once known as The Memphis Pike. U.S. Highway 72 is still part of the Lee Highway
Lee Highway
The Lee Highway was a National Auto Trail in the United States connecting New York City and San Francisco, California via the South and Southwest. It was named after Robert E...
.
Natchez Trace Parkway
The Natchez Trace ParkwayNatchez Trace Parkway
The Natchez Trace Parkway is a National Park Service unit in the southeastern United States that commemorates the historic Old Natchez Trace and preserves sections of the original trail....
passes north and west of Cherokee and is part of the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
. This highway provides a vital source of tourism for the area.
Rail
The Memphis and Charleston RailroadMemphis and Charleston Railroad
The Memphis and Charleston Railroad, completed in 1857, was the first railroad in the United States to link the Atlantic Ocean with the Mississippi River. Chartered in 1846 the railroad ran from Memphis, Tennessee to Stevenson, Alabama through the towns of Corinth, Mississippi and Huntsville,...
was vital to the founding of present day Cherokee. Once a vital passenger carrier for the area, the railroad is an important artery for the Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
system, connecting Chattanooga
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
and Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. The railroad has a spur to Cherokee Nitrogen to transport ammonia
Ammonia
Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . It is a colourless gas with a characteristic pungent odour. Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by serving as a precursor to food and fertilizers. Ammonia, either directly or...
and ammonium nitrate manufactured by the facility.
River
The Tennessee RiverTennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
was a critical transportation corridor for the South during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Cherokee is located near Pickwick Landing, the location for the Battle of Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
and the struggle for control of the river. The river provides recreation, continues to transport goods, and is an important factor in industrial activity in the area.
Air
Northwest Alabama Regional AirportNorthwest Alabama Regional Airport
Northwest Alabama Regional Airport is a public-use airport in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. It located one nautical mile east of the central business district of Muscle Shoals. The airport is operated by the counties of Colbert and Lauderdale. It is mostly used for general aviation, but...
is located 23 miles east of Cherokee. It is served by Delta Connection - Mesaba Airlines
Mesaba Airlines
Mesaba Airlines is an American regional airline based in Eagan, Minnesota. The airline operates under Mesaba Aviation, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Pinnacle Airlines Corporation...
, providing public transportation to Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
Barton Riverfront Industrial Park
The Barton Riverfront Industrial Park is located in the BartonBarton, Alabama
Barton is an unincorporated community located in western Colbert County, Alabama, United States. It is about ten miles west of the county seat of Tuscumbia, and just south of Tennessee River.-History:...
community east of Cherokee near the Tennessee River. The park was constructed to attract industry to western Colbert County and has become an important economical revitalization to the area. The first company to locate in the park was SCA Tissue North America which started operation in 2004.
In July, 2007 National Steel Car announced a decision to locate a new manufacturing facility in the industrial park, the largest new employer in Colbert County in the prior 40 years. The facility has become an independent entity of its former parent and is now named National Alabama Corporation. Retirement Systems of Alabama is the primary shareholder.
Major Employers
Cherokee Nitrogen
Cherokee Nitrogen, owned by LSB Industries, is located on the north side of town. It was built in 1962 by Armour Agri-Chemicals and has been owned by USS Agri-Chemicals (a division of United States SteelU.S. Steel
The United States Steel Corporation , more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an integrated steel producer with major production operations in the United States, Canada, and Central Europe. The company is the world's tenth largest steel producer ranked by sales...
) and LaRoche Industries before being bought by LSB Industries. Cherokee Nitrogen provides nitrogen products, ammonia, and ammonia nitrate. Located adjacent to the facility is Nelson Brothers who uses the ammonia nitrate in the production of dynamite and Linde who sells Carbon Dioxide produced as a byproduct of the process at Cherokee Nitrogen.
SCA Tissue North America
SCA Tissue North America, a division of Svenska Cellulosa AktiebolagetSvenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget
Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget is a Swedish consumer goods company and pulp and paper manufacturer with headquarters in Stockholm. It has approximately 45,000 employees and a turnover of approximately SEK 107 billion...
, was the first tenant of the Barton Riverfront Industrial Park located east of town in the Barton community. As of 2010 it has undergone several expansions and is Cherokee's largest employer.
Vulcan Materials
Vulcan Materials' Cherokee Facility has been located on the east edge of town for many years. Crushed limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
from this quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
is used throughout Alabama and Mississippi.
UCM Magnesia
UCM Magnesia is located in the Barton area. Originally Muscle Shoals ElectroChemical Corp, it was also owned by Glasrock and later Muscle Shoals Minerals, this facility is an important supplier of high quality magnesiaMagnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12, and common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and ninth in the known universe as a whole...
powder
Powder metallurgy
Powder metallurgy is the process of blending fine powdered materials, pressing them into a desired shape , and then heating the compressed material in a controlled atmosphere to bond the material . The powder metallurgy process generally consists of four basic steps: powder manufacture, powder...
.
National Alabama
National Alabama was designed to provide steel railcarsRailroad car
A railroad car or railway vehicle , also known as a bogie in Indian English, is a vehicle on a rail transport system that is used for the carrying of cargo or passengers. Cars can be coupled together into a train and hauled by one or more locomotives...
and was expected to be the largest employer in the area. As of 2010 the depressed economy has delayed full production at the facility and the company is looking for alternative products to produce.
Natchez Trace Parkway
The Natchez Trace Parkway is one of the most significant historical attractions in the area. The section of the Natchez Trace near Cherokee includes the Colbert Ferry site, the home of George ColbertGeorge Colbert
George Colbert was a Native American leader of the Chickasaw people in the early 19th century. He commanded 350 Chickasaw troops, whom he had recruited, as a militia captain under Andrew Jackson during the Creek War of 1813-1814. Later he joined the US Army under Jackson for the remainder of the...
, and the home of Levi Colbert
Levi Colbert
Levi Colbert , also known as Itawamba, was a Native American of the Chickasaw. Colbert was called Itte-wamba Mingo, meaning bench chief...
. The Colbert family were leaders of the Chickasaw Nation
Chickasaw Nation
The Chickasaw Nation is a federally recognized Native American nation, located in Oklahoma. They are one of the members of the Five Civilized Tribes. The Five Civilized Tribes were differentiated from other Indian reservations in that they had semi-autonomous constitutional governments and...
that resided in this area before they were forcibly relocated in the 19th century.
Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Graveyard
Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial GraveyardKey Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Graveyard
The Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Graveyard is a cemetery located in rural Colbert County, Alabama, USA, reserved specifically for the burial of coon dogs. Key Underwood established the cemetery on September 4, 1937 by burying his coon dog, Troop. Underwood chose the spot as it was previously a...
is one of the world's most unique cemeteries dedicated to the burial of coon dogs
Coonhound
A Coonhound is a type of scent hound and a member of the hound group.Coonhounds are an American style of hunting dog developed for the quarry and working conditions found in the United States. Coondogs are highly valued.-History:...
. Each Labor Day a large celebration is held at the graveyard and is attended by many politicians seeking office.
Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter
Stanfield-Worley Bluff ShelterStanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter
The Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter, located on private property in Colbert County in northwestern Alabama, United States, is one of the most important prehistoric sites excavated in the state due to the archeological evidence deposited by the Paleo-Indians who once occupied the rock shelter...
, located near Cherokee, is a significant find of early human life in North America.
Barton Hall
Barton HallBarton Hall (Alabama)
Barton Hall, also known as the Cunningham Plantation, is an antebellum plantation house built for Armstead Barton in the 1840s near present day Cherokee, Alabama...
is located southwest of town and was a significant plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
prior to and during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The residence is on the National Historical Register but is privately owned and not open to the public.
Bear Creek Watershed
Buzzard Roost and Bear Creek, located west of Cherokee, provide excellent locations for fishing and water sports. One of the state's oldest wooden covered bridgeCovered bridge
A covered bridge is a bridge with enclosed sides and a roof, often accommodating only a single lane of traffic. Most covered bridges are wooden; some newer ones are concrete or metal with glass sides...
s once crossed Buzzard Roost but was burned in 1972.
Riverton Rose Trail
Riverton Rose Trail winds along Bear Creek from U.S. 72 to Riverton, Alabama. Before the Tennessee Valley AuthorityTennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority is a federally owned corporation in the United States created by congressional charter in May 1933 to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley, a region particularly affected...
closed the gates on Pickwick Dam
Pickwick Landing Dam
Pickwick Landing Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Tennessee River in Hardin County, in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The dam is one of nine dams on the river owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the 1930s as part of a New Deal-era initiative to create a...
this town was an important transportation location on the Tennessee River as it marked the beginning of the treacherous shoals that once hampered transportation in the Shoals Area. Today most of the town is flooded by the waters of Pickwick Lake
Pickwick Lake
Pickwick Lake is the reservoir created by Pickwick Landing Dam as part of the Tennessee Valley Authority. The lake stretches from Pickwick Landing Dam to Wilson Dam....
on the Tennessee River.
Colbert Ferry
Colbert Ferry is located by the Tennessee River on the Natchez Trace Parkway. It was the home of George Colbert who ran a ferryFerry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
to carry passengers traveling the Natchez Trace across the Tennessee River.