Phil Campbell, Alabama
Encyclopedia
Phil Campbell is a town in Franklin County
, Alabama
, United States
. At the 2000 census the population was 1,091. Phil Campbell is the birthplace of Billy Sherrill
.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.1 square miles (10.6 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 1,091 people, 458 households, and 317 families residing in the town. The population density
was 267.4 people per square mile (103.2/km²). There were 535 housing units at an average density of 131.1 per square mile (50.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.99% White
, 0.27% Native American
, 0.18% from other races
, and 0.55% from two or more races. 0.82% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 458 households out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.4% were married couples
living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.1% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $24,598, and the median income for a family was $30,221. Males had a median income of $24,219 versus $17,316 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $16,053. About 14.2% of families and 20.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.9% of those under age 18 and 19.2% of those age 65 or over.
In June 1995 the writer Phil Campbell organized and wrote about a convention of people who shared their name with the town of Phil Campbell, Alabama. Twenty-two Phil Campbells and one Phyllis Campbell, hailing from all over America, attended. The story of the Phil Campbell convention was published in Might Magazine
, a San-Francisco-based publication founded by Dave Eggers
. The essay was later included in Might’s anthology, Shiny Adidas Tracksuits and the Death of Camp, and the convention itself was mentioned by Ripley's Believe it or Not!
A second “Phil Campbell Day” was organized the following year, but it was not as well attended. Phil Campbell’s city hall, however, still maintains a file of all the Phil Campbells who visit.
The second school was constructed in 1915 and was located at the site of the present school on Alabama State Route 13
in Phil Campbell. This school was a small wooden building. Like the previous school, this school was also destroyed by fire. The fire began at six o'clock in the evening on Christmas Day, 1924.
During the next two years, school was held in local church buildings, the town's former bank building, and the U.S. Post Office building located near the railroad.
Graduation services for the first accredited Phil Campbell High School class were conducted in the Phil Campbell Methodist Church. The year was 1926 and the class had eight graduating members.
The third Phil Campbell school was completed in 1926. There were two buildings, a main classroom building and a vocational school. After the main building was destroyed by fire in 1954, the present school buildings were constructed.
grocery store, H&R Block
, and Dollar General
. The town has a total of three traffic lights.
Every summer Phil Campbell hosts an annual celebration, the Downtown Hoedown (formerly Phil Campbell Day). During this celebration there are carnival rides, car shows, and arts-and-crafts items for sale. Local bands and singers perform during the evening. Beginning in 2010, there was a 5k road race called the Hoedown Hustle 5k and a 1-mile fun run.
The town is home to a campus of Northwest-Shoals Community College (the state's first junior college). Before Christmas every year, students from NWSCC perform The Legend of Toyland. This is a live choreographed performance set to pre-recorded narration. Schools from surrounding counties bring students to watch the entertaining performance that has been running for over 25 years. Lanny McAlister (music director at NWSCC) is credited for the creation of the production as well as directing it all these years.
Phil Campbell is also home to Dismals Canyon
, a privately owned, natural conservatory that has been designated a National Natural Landmark
by the National Park Service
. Dismals Canyon features a natural swimming pool, natural shelters used by various Native American tribes for over 10,000 years, nature trails, rare luminous insects, and natural rock formations.
Franklin County, Alabama
Franklin County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of Benjamin Franklin, famous statesman, scientist, and printer. As of 2010, the population was 31,704...
, 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...
. At the 2000 census the population was 1,091. Phil Campbell is the birthplace of Billy Sherrill
Billy Sherrill
Billy Sherrill is a record producer and arranger who is most famous for his association with a number of country artists, most notably Tammy Wynette...
.
Geography
Phil Campbell is located at 34.351505°N 87.707414°W.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.1 square miles (10.6 km²), all of it land.
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 1,091 people, 458 households, and 317 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 267.4 people per square mile (103.2/km²). There were 535 housing units at an average density of 131.1 per square mile (50.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.99% 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...
, 0.27% 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...
, 0.18% 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 0.55% from two or more races. 0.82% 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 458 households out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.4% 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, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.1% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $24,598, and the median income for a family was $30,221. Males had a median income of $24,219 versus $17,316 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 $16,053. About 14.2% of families and 20.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.9% of those under age 18 and 19.2% of those age 65 or over.
Town history
In the 1880s, a railroad work crew leader and engineer by the name of Phillip Campbell (originally from England) established a work camp near the location of modern Phil Campbell. Mel Allen, a prominent local businessman, told Campbell if he would construct a railroad depot and add a side track to the stretch of railroad going through the area, he would name the subsequent town after Campbell. Campbell built both the depot and siding, which led to Phil Campbell being the only town in Alabama to have both the first and last names of an individual.In June 1995 the writer Phil Campbell organized and wrote about a convention of people who shared their name with the town of Phil Campbell, Alabama. Twenty-two Phil Campbells and one Phyllis Campbell, hailing from all over America, attended. The story of the Phil Campbell convention was published in Might Magazine
Might magazine
Might was a San Francisco-based magazine co-founded in the early 1990s by David Moodie, Marny Requa and Dave Eggers, who went on to describe the magazine's rise and fall in his bestselling memoir A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius....
, a San-Francisco-based publication founded by Dave Eggers
Dave Eggers
Dave Eggers is an American writer, editor, and publisher. He is known for the best-selling memoir A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and for his more recent work as a screenwriter. He is also the co-founder of the literacy project 826 Valencia.-Life:Eggers was born in Boston, Massachusetts,...
. The essay was later included in Might’s anthology, Shiny Adidas Tracksuits and the Death of Camp, and the convention itself was mentioned by Ripley's Believe it or Not!
Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Ripley's Believe It or Not! is a franchise, founded by Robert Ripley, which deals in bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims...
A second “Phil Campbell Day” was organized the following year, but it was not as well attended. Phil Campbell’s city hall, however, still maintains a file of all the Phil Campbells who visit.
Tornado
On April 27, 2011, the town suffered extensive damage from a swift moving tornado.The tornado was classified as an EF-5 with 210 mile an hour winds. The tornado damaged many buildings in and around the main part of town. Twenty-six people lost their lives. A reporter stated that the town may never be able to recover from the tornado because the damage was so extensive. The Phil Campbell Convention has set up a website for people to donate money to help repair houses in two areas of the town in addition to assisting in the repair of the high school and city hall. The members of the convention plan to travel to the town to assist the local community in rebuilding. The town was also affected by an F5 tornado on April 3, 1974.Town council
The members of the city council are: Danny Brown, Dewey Cooper, Roy Nagle, Eddie Barton, and Jim Cartee. The Mayor of Phil Campbell is Jerry Mays.Phil Campbell High School
The first school in Phil Campbell was a two story frame building constructed in 1910. It was located at the back of the Phil Campbell Methodist Church. The school was subsequently destroyed by fire.The second school was constructed in 1915 and was located at the site of the present school on Alabama State Route 13
Alabama State Route 13
State Route 13 is a state highway in the western part of the U.S. state of Alabama. Except for a portion roughly between Berry and Russellville, SR-13 is the unsigned designation for U.S. Highway 43...
in Phil Campbell. This school was a small wooden building. Like the previous school, this school was also destroyed by fire. The fire began at six o'clock in the evening on Christmas Day, 1924.
During the next two years, school was held in local church buildings, the town's former bank building, and the U.S. Post Office building located near the railroad.
Graduation services for the first accredited Phil Campbell High School class were conducted in the Phil Campbell Methodist Church. The year was 1926 and the class had eight graduating members.
The third Phil Campbell school was completed in 1926. There were two buildings, a main classroom building and a vocational school. After the main building was destroyed by fire in 1954, the present school buildings were constructed.
Local features
The town was founded in 1857. Highlights of the downtown district include the Chat 'n' Chew restaurant and Mrs D's. Other businesses include a Piggly WigglyPiggly Wiggly
Piggly Wiggly is a supermarket chain operating in the Midwestern and Southern regions of the United States, run by Piggly Wiggly, LLC, an affiliate of C&S Wholesale Grocers. The current company headquarters is in Keene, New Hampshire....
grocery store, H&R Block
H&R Block
H&R Block is a tax preparation company in the United States, claiming more than 22 million customers worldwide, with offices in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. The Kansas City-based company also offers banking, personal finance and business consulting services.Founded in 1955 by brothers...
, and Dollar General
Dollar General
Dollar General Corp. is a U.S. chain of variety stores headquartered in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. As of January 2011, Dollar General operated over 9,300 stores in 35 U.S. states....
. The town has a total of three traffic lights.
Every summer Phil Campbell hosts an annual celebration, the Downtown Hoedown (formerly Phil Campbell Day). During this celebration there are carnival rides, car shows, and arts-and-crafts items for sale. Local bands and singers perform during the evening. Beginning in 2010, there was a 5k road race called the Hoedown Hustle 5k and a 1-mile fun run.
The town is home to a campus of Northwest-Shoals Community College (the state's first junior college). Before Christmas every year, students from NWSCC perform The Legend of Toyland. This is a live choreographed performance set to pre-recorded narration. Schools from surrounding counties bring students to watch the entertaining performance that has been running for over 25 years. Lanny McAlister (music director at NWSCC) is credited for the creation of the production as well as directing it all these years.
Phil Campbell is also home to Dismals Canyon
Dismals Canyon
Dismals Canyon is a sandstone gorge near Phil Campbell in Franklin County, Alabama. It was declared a National Natural Landmark in May 1974.Dismals Canyon is one of only a few places where insects called dismalites can be found. The larval forms of these flies emit a bright blue-green light to...
, a privately owned, natural conservatory that has been designated a National Natural Landmark
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...
by 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...
. Dismals Canyon features a natural swimming pool, natural shelters used by various Native American tribes for over 10,000 years, nature trails, rare luminous insects, and natural rock formations.