Grand Bay, Alabama
Encyclopedia
Grand Bay is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Mobile County
, Alabama
, United States
. It is included in the Mobile metropolitan statistical area. The population was 3,918 at the 2000 census.
midway between the Alabama/Mississippi state line and the town of St. Elmo, Alabama
, a few miles inland from the Mississippi Sound
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 8.7 square miles (22.5 km²), of which, 8.7 square miles (22.5 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.34%) is water.
of 2000, there were 3,918 people, 1,364 households, and 1,078 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 452.3 people per square mile (174.7/km²). There were 1,441 housing units at an average density of 166.4 per square mile (64.2/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 89.00% White
, 8.88% Black
or African American
, 0.23% Native American
, 0.79% Asian
, 0.05% Pacific Islander
, 0.13% from other races
, and 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanic
or Latino
of any race were 0.87% of the population.
There were 1,364 households out of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.5% were married couples
living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.9% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $38,941, and the median income for a family was $43,654. Males had a median income of $33,177 versus $21,920 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $15,741. About 6.9% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.
Grand Bay is located within District 3 of the Mobile County Commission. The current commissioner is Mike Dean (R). In the Alabama Legislature, Grand Bay is represented by House District 105, current representative is David Sessions
(R). In the State Senate, Grand Bay is located within District 34. This District is currently represented by Rusty Glover.
In the US House, Grand Bay, and all of Mobile County is located within the 1st Congressional District. Currently, Jo Bonner(R) is the representative.
reached the town as a preliminary move in the siege of Mobile.
In 1870 the United States Postal Service established a Post Office at a location near the center of the current community. Settlement began in earnest when the Grand Bay Land Company began offering ten acre lots for sale sometime before 1900. The lots were marketed to people living in and around Chicago and other northern cities as a way to live self-sufficiently in a mild climate. Supposedly, ten acres planted in pecan and satsuma trees would be enough to supply the needs of anyone. The timber industry also attracted many to the area. Much of the region south of Grand Bay to the coast along the Mississippi Sound
was clearcut.
For a time, the town flourished. A weekly newspaper was published there and telegraph service was offered to the region through an operator at Grand Bay. The town had a number of businesses including a hotel, drug store, several general merchandise stores and a bank. However, hurricanes in 1906 and 1910, along with a severe freeze, sent many scurrying back north. Their efforts, however, have not gone unnoticed even today. Cogon Grass, a highly-invasive rhizome, first introduced to the area as packing material in satsuma trees imported from Asia, has now become a serious Southeastern agricultural problem.
In 1993, the old Grand Bay State Bank building became the temporary site of the El Cazador Museum, and held treasure from the El Cazador. The area in and around the old bank building now forms the Grand Bay Historic District
and is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
The annual celebration has a long and storied history, having begun during the earliest years of the 20th Century. As the community and surrounding area changed during World War II, the annual celebration was discontinued. It was revived in 1973 by the Grand Bay Junior Chamber of Commerce. Currently, it is sponsored by the Odd Fellows fraternity. It is currently held at the local baseball park just north of U.S. Highway 90 on the west side of Grand Bay.
In addition, the area has become home to a large peach business and satsumas, once destroyed by freezing temperatures, have now returned to commercial production in a more weather-hardy variety.
Grand Bay Watermelons, however, remain the produce most identified with the community.
, a racially segregated elementary school established in 1919.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in Mobile County
Mobile County, Alabama
Mobile County[p] is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of a tribe of Indians, the Maubila tribe . As of 2011, its population was 415,704. Its county seat is Mobile, Alabama...
, 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 included in the Mobile metropolitan statistical area. The population was 3,918 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Grand Bay is located at 30°28′27"N 88°20′31"W (30.474055, -88.341836), along U.S. Route 90U.S. Route 90
U.S. Route 90 is an east–west United States highway. Despite the "0" in its route number, U.S. 90 never was a full coast-to-coast route; it has always ended at Van Horn, Texas. A short-lived northward extension to U.S...
midway between the Alabama/Mississippi state line and the town of St. Elmo, Alabama
St. Elmo, Alabama
St. Elmo is an unincorporated community in Mobile County, Alabama, United States located approximately 7 miles due north of Bayou La Batre and the Mississippi Sound and approximately 10 miles east of Grand Bay, Alabama.-Geography:...
, a few miles inland from the Mississippi Sound
Mississippi Sound
The Mississippi Sound is a sound along the Gulf Coast of the United States. It runs east-west along the southern coasts of Mississippi and Alabama, from Waveland, Mississippi, to the Dauphin Island Bridge, a distance of about 145 kilometers...
.
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 CDP has a total area of 8.7 square miles (22.5 km²), of which, 8.7 square miles (22.5 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.34%) is water.
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 3,918 people, 1,364 households, and 1,078 families residing in the CDP. 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 452.3 people per square mile (174.7/km²). There were 1,441 housing units at an average density of 166.4 per square mile (64.2/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 89.00% 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...
, 8.88% 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...
, 0.23% 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...
, 0.79% 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...
, 0.05% 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...
, 0.13% 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 0.92% from two or more races. 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 were 0.87% of the population.
There were 1,364 households out of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.5% 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, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.9% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $38,941, and the median income for a family was $43,654. Males had a median income of $33,177 versus $21,920 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 CDP was $15,741. About 6.9% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.
Government and Local Services
While Grand Bay is unincorporated, the area is served by the Grand Bay Water Works Board for water service and an active volunteer fire department for fire protection. The Mobile County Sheriff's Department maintains a satellite office in Grand Bay as well. Grand Bay Water Works also provides limited sewer service for Breitling Elementary School and the business district around the Interstate 10 exchange. The Mobile County Commission, a three-member elected panel, provides all other services including road and street repair.Grand Bay is located within District 3 of the Mobile County Commission. The current commissioner is Mike Dean (R). In the Alabama Legislature, Grand Bay is represented by House District 105, current representative is David Sessions
David Sessions
David Sessions is a Republican Party member of the Alabama House of Representatives from House District 105. Sessions was elected to office on May 10, 2011 in a special election held to fill the legislative seat left vacant by the appointment of Spencer Collier to the Alabama Department of...
(R). In the State Senate, Grand Bay is located within District 34. This District is currently represented by Rusty Glover.
In the US House, Grand Bay, and all of Mobile County is located within the 1st Congressional District. Currently, Jo Bonner(R) is the representative.
History
According to local legend, George Cassibry was the first person to settle in Grand Bay. Whether this is true or not, no one knows for certain. What is certain is that exploration and settlement of the area was well underway by the mid-nineteenth century. During the Civil War, the town saw brief military action as a column of troops under U.S. General Gordon GrangerGordon Granger
Gordon Granger was a career U.S. army officer and a Union general during the American Civil War. He distinguished himself at the Battle of Chickamauga.-Early life & Mexico:...
reached the town as a preliminary move in the siege of Mobile.
In 1870 the United States Postal Service established a Post Office at a location near the center of the current community. Settlement began in earnest when the Grand Bay Land Company began offering ten acre lots for sale sometime before 1900. The lots were marketed to people living in and around Chicago and other northern cities as a way to live self-sufficiently in a mild climate. Supposedly, ten acres planted in pecan and satsuma trees would be enough to supply the needs of anyone. The timber industry also attracted many to the area. Much of the region south of Grand Bay to the coast along the Mississippi Sound
Mississippi Sound
The Mississippi Sound is a sound along the Gulf Coast of the United States. It runs east-west along the southern coasts of Mississippi and Alabama, from Waveland, Mississippi, to the Dauphin Island Bridge, a distance of about 145 kilometers...
was clearcut.
For a time, the town flourished. A weekly newspaper was published there and telegraph service was offered to the region through an operator at Grand Bay. The town had a number of businesses including a hotel, drug store, several general merchandise stores and a bank. However, hurricanes in 1906 and 1910, along with a severe freeze, sent many scurrying back north. Their efforts, however, have not gone unnoticed even today. Cogon Grass, a highly-invasive rhizome, first introduced to the area as packing material in satsuma trees imported from Asia, has now become a serious Southeastern agricultural problem.
In 1993, the old Grand Bay State Bank building became the temporary site of the El Cazador Museum, and held treasure from the El Cazador. The area in and around the old bank building now forms the Grand Bay Historic District
Grand Bay Historic District
Grand Bay Historic District is a federal Historic district located in Grand Bay, Alabama. Created in 1990, the district comprises twelve acres and the three remaining original buildings from Grand Bay's central business district. The buildings include the former Freeland General Store, Grand Bay...
and is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
Watermelon Festival
A July 4 tradition since 1973, the current version of the Grand Bay Watermelon Festival offers tourists and locals an opportunity to sample locally grown watermelon while enjoying amusement rides, arts & crafts, and informative displays from area merchants and service providers.The annual celebration has a long and storied history, having begun during the earliest years of the 20th Century. As the community and surrounding area changed during World War II, the annual celebration was discontinued. It was revived in 1973 by the Grand Bay Junior Chamber of Commerce. Currently, it is sponsored by the Odd Fellows fraternity. It is currently held at the local baseball park just north of U.S. Highway 90 on the west side of Grand Bay.
Pecans and Fruit
Much of the rural land around Grand Bay is planted in pecan trees, another reminder of the Grand Bay Land Company days. Many of the pecan orchards have been converted from agricultural production for use as residential home sites. However, pecan production is still an important business and provides supplemental income to residents who work in nonagricultural jobs.In addition, the area has become home to a large peach business and satsumas, once destroyed by freezing temperatures, have now returned to commercial production in a more weather-hardy variety.
Grand Bay Watermelons, however, remain the produce most identified with the community.
Community center
The Grand Bay-St. Elmo Community Center is a multi-use facility located on the east side of Grand Bay at 11610 Highway 90. The building is near the intersection of Highway 90 and Ramsay Road Extension. Constructed in 2005, the center operates on a non-profit basis. Facilities are available for rent to the public. The Center is located on the site of the former Grand Bay Elementary School for ColoredGrand Bay Elementary School for Colored
The Grand Bay Elementary School for Colored, also known simply as the Grand Bay School, was a racially segregated elementary school located midway between Grand Bay, Alabama and St. Elmo, Alabama along U.S. Route 90. The school was established in 1919 with support from the residents of the...
, a racially segregated elementary school established in 1919.
Economy
The business section of Grand Bay stretches East to West along Highway 90 for about two miles from Festival Park Road on the west side to Highway 188 on the east, and North to South along Grand Bay Wilmer Road from Highway 90 to Old Pascagoula Road. Recent development has centered around two areas. Primarily at the intersection of Grand Bay-Wilmer Road and US Highway 90, and at the intersection of Grand Bay-Wilmer Road and Interstate 10.Notable people from Grand Bay
- Don HultzDon HultzWilliam Donald Hultz is a former American football defensive lineman in the National Football League. He is the child of Wilfred R. and Faye Hultz....
NFL football player. - Melinda HaynesMelinda HaynesMelinda Haynes is an American novelist. She grew up in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. For much of her adult life she was a painter. In 1999, she wrote her first published novel, Mother of Pearl, while living in a mobile home in Grand Bay, Alabama. Melinda Haynes currently resides in Mobile, Alabama...
Award-winning author. - Joe HilleyJoe HilleyJoe Hilley is a New York Times Best Selling author. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama and grew up on the Gulf Coast in the town of Grand Bay, Alabama. He is a graduate of Asbury College, Asbury Theological Seminary, and Cumberland School of Law at Samford University.Hilley began writing at night...
New York Times best-selling author. - Bob HenleyBob HenleyRobert Clifton Henley is a former American professional baseball player. He graduated from Mobile County High School in Grand Bay, Alabama. In 1991 he was drafted in the Amateur Draft by the Montreal Expos. He played one season with the Major League team in 1998...
MLB Montreal Expos. - David SessionsDavid SessionsDavid Sessions is a Republican Party member of the Alabama House of Representatives from House District 105. Sessions was elected to office on May 10, 2011 in a special election held to fill the legislative seat left vacant by the appointment of Spencer Collier to the Alabama Department of...
Alabama House of RepresentativesAlabama House of RepresentativesThe Alabama House of Representatives is the lower house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alabama. The House is composed of 105 members representing an equal amount of districts, with each constituency containing at least 42,380 citizens. There are no term... - Mark WoodyardMark WoodyardMark Anthony Woodyard is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the independent Atlantic League. Woodyard played for the Detroit Tigers in the season. In three games, he pitched in six innings with a 1.50 ERA...
MLB Detroit Tigers.