Coffee County, Alabama
Encyclopedia
Coffee County is a county
of the U.S. state
of Alabama
. Its name is in honor of General John Coffee
. As of 2010 the population was 49,948. Its county seats are Elba
and Enterprise
.
Coffee County is part of the Enterprise–Ozark
Micropolitan Statistical Area
.
, which was incorporated in 1824. Coffee County was formed from the western part of Dale County in 1841. It was named after John R. Coffee
, a hero in the Creek War of 1813—14
. The first county seat was in Wellborn. After the courthouse was destroyed by fire in 1851, the county seat was moved to Elba.
of 2000, there were 43,615 people, 17,421 households, and 12,490 families residing in the county. The population density
was 64 people per square mile (25/km2). There were 19,837 housing units at an average density of 29 per square mile (11/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 77.11% White
, 18.37% Black
or African American
, 0.91% Native American
, 0.95% Asian
, 0.09% Pacific Islander
, 0.89% from other races
, and 1.67% from two or more races. 2.71% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 17,421 households out of which 32.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.40% were married couples
living together, 12.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.30% were non-families. 24.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.80% under the age of 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 14.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,664, and the median income for a family was $39,664. Males had a median income of $31,468 versus $20,234 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $18,321. About 11.30% of families and 14.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.30% of those under age 18 and 13.50% of those age 65 or over.
's 1971 novel Addie Pray
, which inspired the movie Paper Moon
.
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
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...
. Its name is in honor of General John Coffee
John Coffee
John Coffee was an American planter and military leader. He was considered the most even-tempered and least selfish of Andrew Jackson's lifelong friends...
. As of 2010 the population was 49,948. Its county seats are Elba
Elba, Alabama
Elba is a city in Coffee County, Alabama. At the time of the 2000 U.S. census, its population was 4,185.Elba is the official county seat of Coffee County, though Coffee County has two County Courthouses, with the other one being located in the town of Enterprise...
and Enterprise
Enterprise, Alabama
Enterprise is a city in the southeastern part of Coffee and Dale Counties in the southeastern part of Alabama in the Southern United States. The population was estimated to be 25,909 in the year 2009....
.
Coffee County is part of the Enterprise–Ozark
Ozark, Alabama
Ozark is a city in and the county seat of Dale County, Alabama, United States. In 1990 the city population was 12,922. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city was 15,119....
Micropolitan Statistical Area
Enterprise-Ozark micropolitan area
The Enterprise–Ozark Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in southeastern Alabama, anchored by the cities of Enterprise and Ozark...
.
History
The land in Coffee County was originally part of Dale CountyDale County, Alabama
Dale County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of General Samuel Dale. As of the 2010 census the population was 50,251...
, which was incorporated in 1824. Coffee County was formed from the western part of Dale County in 1841. It was named after John R. Coffee
John Coffee
John Coffee was an American planter and military leader. He was considered the most even-tempered and least selfish of Andrew Jackson's lifelong friends...
, a hero in the Creek War of 1813—14
Creek War
The Creek War , also known as the Red Stick War and the Creek Civil War, began as a civil war within the Creek nation...
. The first county seat was in Wellborn. After the courthouse was destroyed by fire in 1851, the county seat was moved to Elba.
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 680.48 square miles (1,762.4 km²), of which 678.99 square miles (1,758.6 km²) (or 99.78%) is land and 1.49 square miles (3.9 km²) (or 0.22%) is water.Major highways
U.S. Highway 84
State Route 27
State Route 51
State Route 87
State Route 88
State Route 92
State Route 134
Adjacent counties
- Pike CountyPike County, AlabamaPike County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of General Zebulon Pike, of New Jersey, an explorer who led an expedition to southern Colorado and discovered Pikes Peak in 1806. As of 2010 the population was 32,899. Its county seat is Troy.- History :In 1819 the State...
(north) - Dale CountyDale County, AlabamaDale County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of General Samuel Dale. As of the 2010 census the population was 50,251...
(east) - Geneva CountyGeneva County, Alabama-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*86.3% White*9.5% Black*0.8% Native American*0.3% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.6% Two or more races*3.4% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
(south) - Covington CountyCovington County, AlabamaCovington County, Alabama, is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of Brigadier General Leonard Covington of Maryland. As of 2010 the population was 37,765...
(west) - Crenshaw CountyCrenshaw County, AlabamaCrenshaw County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of a judge, Anderson Crenshaw. As of 2010 the population was 13,906. Its county seat is Luverne.-Geography:...
(northwest)
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 43,615 people, 17,421 households, and 12,490 families residing in the county. 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 64 people per square mile (25/km2). There were 19,837 housing units at an average density of 29 per square mile (11/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 77.11% 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...
, 18.37% 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...
, 0.91% 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...
, 0.95% 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...
, 0.09% 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...
, 0.89% 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 1.67% from two or more races. 2.71% 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 17,421 households out of which 32.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.40% 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, 12.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.30% were non-families. 24.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.80% under the age of 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 14.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,664, and the median income for a family was $39,664. Males had a median income of $31,468 versus $20,234 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 county was $18,321. About 11.30% of families and 14.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.30% of those under age 18 and 13.50% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
- ElbaElba, AlabamaElba is a city in Coffee County, Alabama. At the time of the 2000 U.S. census, its population was 4,185.Elba is the official county seat of Coffee County, though Coffee County has two County Courthouses, with the other one being located in the town of Enterprise...
- EnterpriseEnterprise, AlabamaEnterprise is a city in the southeastern part of Coffee and Dale Counties in the southeastern part of Alabama in the Southern United States. The population was estimated to be 25,909 in the year 2009....
(part - part of Enterprise is in Dale CountyDale County, AlabamaDale County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of General Samuel Dale. As of the 2010 census the population was 50,251...
) - KinstonKinston, AlabamaKinston is a town in Coffee County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 602. It is part of the Enterprise–Ozark Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Kinston is located at .According to the U.S...
- New BrocktonNew Brockton, AlabamaNew Brockton is a town in Coffee County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 1,250. The community was named for Huey E. Brock, settler.New Brockton is part of the Enterprise–Ozark Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
Unincorporated communities
- Alberton
- Basin
- Battens Crossroads
- Bluff Springs
- Brooklyn
- Central City
- Chesnut Grove
- Clintonville
- Clowers Crossroads
- Coppinville
- Curtis
- DamascusDamascus, AlabamaDamascus is a city in Escambia County, Alabama, United States....
- Danleys Crossroads
- Frisco
- Goodman
- Ino
- Jack
- Java
- Keyton
- Lowry Mill
- Newby
- Perry Store
- Pine Level
- Rhoades
- Richburg
- Roeton
- Shady Grove
- Tabernacle
- Turner Crossroads
- Victoria
- Wilkinstown
- Zoar
Notable people
- Coffee County is home to "The Dancing Ghost" of Grancer HarrisonGrancer HarrisonWilliam "Grancer" Harrison , aka The Dancing Ghost of Grancer Harrison, is the subject of several ghost stories about his alleged spirit seen dancing at his grave-site near Kinston, Alabama. The story was featured in the book 13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey...
, featured in the book 13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey is a book first published in 1969 by folklorist Kathryn Tucker Windham and Margaret Gillis Figh. The book contains thirteen ghost stories from the U.S. state of Alabama. The book was the first in a series of seven Jeffrey books, most featuring ghost stories from a...
.
In popular culture
The county is referred to in Joe David BrownJoe David Brown
Joe David Brown was an American novelist and journalist from Birmingham, Alabama. He drew memorably from his own life to compose his fiction: his grandfather's role as a minister, his own knowledge of confidence games from his work as a reporter, his World War II experiences, and his residence on...
's 1971 novel Addie Pray
Addie Pray
Addie Pray is a novel by Joe David Brown. It was the basis for the movie Paper Moon directed by Peter Bogdanovich. The novel was re-printed in 2002 as a paperback with the title Paper Moon: A Novel....
, which inspired the movie Paper Moon
Paper Moon (film)
Paper Moon is a 1973 American comedy film directed by Peter Bogdanovich and released by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was adapted from the novel Addie Pray by Joe David Brown, and the film was shot in black-and-white. The film is set during the Great Depression in the U.S. states of Kansas and...
.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Coffee County, Alabama
- Properties on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in Coffee County, Alabama