Prichard, Alabama
Encyclopedia
Prichard is a city in Mobile County
, Alabama
, in the United States
.
Prichard borders the north side of Mobile
, as well as the Mobile suburbs of Chickasaw, Alabama
, Saraland, Alabama
, and the unincorporated sections of Eight Mile, Alabama
. As of 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 27,963. It is a part of the Mobile metropolitan statistical area.
landed in Mobile Bay
prior to the Civil War
. Africatown
evolved into a greater part of the Plateau/Magazine area which developed along Telegraph Road, and eventually, Plateau and Magazine had their territory split between Mobile and Prichard.
After 1900, Prichard began a slow and steady development. In 1925, Prichard was incorporated as a city. During World War II
Prichard became a company town as many Mobile shipbuilding companies built homes for their workers in Prichard. During the 1950s and 60's, Prichard annexed historic Whistler
as well as parts of Eight Mile, Alabama
and Kushla
. The 40's and 50's saw phenomenal growth in the Mobile area, and Mobile, Prichard and Chickasaw all recorded their highest city-proper populations in 1960. Following the Civil Rights Movement
however, Prichard's rigid system of segregation collapsed, and many blacks who had previously lived in the Bullshead/Neely/Trinity Gardens area of Prichard began moving into East Prichard (downtown Prichard) causing a dramatic white flight to occur.
In 1960, Prichard recorded a population of 47,371. In 1970, the population had decreased to 41,000 and by 1990 it had decreased to approximately 34,000.
In 1970, Vigor High School
on Wilson Avenue, which had been Prichard's white high school during segregation was 70% white, by 1980, it was 80% black, even considering the fact that most of Prichard's remaining white areas were in its district. In 1994, construction of Interstate 165
was completed, and it has produced some economic benefits in East Prichard. The 1980s downtown vacancy rate was near 80%, as of 2000, it was closer to 30%. In 2004, the Prichard Housing Authority began demolition of the Bessemer Avenue Housing Project in Bullshead.
In December 2006, the city of Prichard was selected as the site of the future Alabama Motorsports Park
, a Dale Earnhardt Jr. Speedway and theme park. This complex of racetracks and entertainment venues is planned to be on nearly 3000 acres (12.1 km²) of land near the intersection of Industrial Parkway (Alabama State Route 158) and US Highway 45 in the northern section of Prichard.
. In 1968, Cooper founded the Black American Law Students Association at New York University. While Mayor Cooper was popular with both blacks and whites, however, he engaged in many battles with the Prichard City Council during his tenure.
In the 1980s and 1990s problems with crime, drugs and middle class flight were elevated when the area's major financial and employment base left with the closing of factories operated by Scott Paper Company
and International Paper
as well as Brookley Field Air Base
. This devastated the area and the city struggled to recover. In 1999, the city declared bankruptcy.
In November 2004, Mobile County voters narrowly (500 votes out of 100,000 cast on the issue) defeated a local amendment which would have allowed Prichard to set up a special trade zone. The measure passed by a 2/3s vote in Prichard, and also passed by smaller margins in Mobile and Chickasaw, but was defeated by the rest of Mobile County.
In 2004, the city hired an actuary to analyze and summarize their employees’ pension plan. He told the city the plan would run out of money by the summer of 2009. In September of that year, the city's pension fund ran out of money and stopped paying pensions.
The city filed for bankruptcy again in October 2009.
of Prichard is Ron Davis. Davis was elected mayor in the 2004 municipal elections, defeating incumbent
mayor Charles Harden. In 2010, Councilwoman Earline Martin-Harris suggested dissolving the city and offered an alternative budget which would make all city employees part-time employees. As of April 2011, pensioners have not received their pension checks nor has a budget been passed in eighteen months.
The city is served by a five-member city council
, which is composed of five districts of equal size. The city council is responsible for establishing the policies of the city of Prichard. The current council president is Herman Towner. The Prichard City Council meets every Thursday at 4:30 pm in the Council Chambers at Prichard City Hall.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 25.5 square miles (66 km²), of which, 25.4 square miles (65.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.31%) is water.
of 2000, there were 28,633 people, 9,841 households, and 7,272 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,127.6 people per square mile (435.4/km²). There were 11,336 housing units at an average density of 446.4 per square mile (172.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.53% Black
or African American
, 14.18% White
, 0.30% Native American
, 0.12% Asian
, 0.02% Pacific Islander
, 0.07% from other races
, and 0.79% from two or more races. 0.57% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 9,841 households out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.8% were married couples
living together, 36.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.1% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.35.
In the city the population was spread out with 31.4% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $19,544, and the median income for a family was $23,519. Males had a median income of $26,543 versus $17,040 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $10,626. About 31.8% of families and 35.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 47.8% of those under age 18 and 25.8% of those age 65 or over.
serves Prichard. Elementary schools in Prichard include Collins-Rhodes Elementary School, Grant Elementary School, Indian Springs Elementary School, Robbins Elementary School, and Whitley Elementary School.
Students are zoned to North Mobile County Middle School.
Vigor High School
is in Prichard. Blount High School is in an unincorporated area
in Eight Mile
, adjacent to Prichard. Faulkner Vocational School, a magnet school, is in Prichard.
The current Collins Rhodes school opened in 2007, replacing Eight Mile Elementary School. On September 7, 2010 North Mobile County Middle School opened, replacing the role of Adams Middle School in Saraland
, because residents outside of Saraland are no longer zoned to Adams Middle.
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...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Prichard borders the north side of 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...
, as well as the Mobile suburbs of Chickasaw, Alabama
Chickasaw, Alabama
Chickasaw is a city in Mobile County, Alabama, United States. As of July 2007, the population was 5,979. It is included in the Mobile metropolitan statistical area.-Geography:Chickasaw is located at . According to the U.S...
, Saraland, Alabama
Saraland, Alabama
Saraland is a city in Mobile County, Alabama, in the United States, and a suburb of Mobile, Alabama. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city is 13,405. It is a part of the Mobile metropolitan area. Saraland is the third largest city in Mobile County....
, and the unincorporated sections of Eight Mile, Alabama
Eight Mile, Alabama
Eight Mile is an unincorporated community in Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The community is named for its distance from the city of Mobile.-Geography:Eight Mile is located at . The elevation is ....
. As of 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 27,963. It is a part of the Mobile metropolitan statistical area.
History
Prichard began as a settlement in the 1830s bordering Telegraph Road (known now as U.S. Highway 43) It remained largely unsettled until the ClotildeClotilde (slave ship)
The schooner Clotilde was the last known U.S. slave ship to bring slaves from Africa to the United States, arriving at Mobile Bay in autumn 1859 , with 110-160 slaves. The ship was a two-masted schooner, 86 ft long by 23 ft , and it was burned and scuttled at Mobile Bay, soon after...
landed in Mobile Bay
Mobile Bay
Mobile Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, lying within the state of Alabama in the United States. Its mouth is formed by the Fort Morgan Peninsula on the eastern side and Dauphin Island, a barrier island on the western side. The Mobile River and Tensaw River empty into the northern end of the...
prior to the 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...
. Africatown
Africatown
Africatown, also known as AfricaTown USA and Africa Town, is a community in Mobile County, Alabama, located three miles north of the city of Mobile. It was formed by West Africans who were among the last known illegal shipment of slaves to the United States...
evolved into a greater part of the Plateau/Magazine area which developed along Telegraph Road, and eventually, Plateau and Magazine had their territory split between Mobile and Prichard.
After 1900, Prichard began a slow and steady development. In 1925, Prichard was incorporated as a city. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Prichard became a company town as many Mobile shipbuilding companies built homes for their workers in Prichard. During the 1950s and 60's, Prichard annexed historic Whistler
Whistler, Alabama
Whistler, Alabama, was an unincorporated town in Mobile County, until the 1950s when it was annexed into neighboring Prichard. The founding of Whistler, in the 1850s, coincided with construction of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. The M & O, an early land grant railroad, eventually extended from...
as well as parts of Eight Mile, Alabama
Eight Mile, Alabama
Eight Mile is an unincorporated community in Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The community is named for its distance from the city of Mobile.-Geography:Eight Mile is located at . The elevation is ....
and Kushla
Kushla
Kushla is a village in southern Bulgaria, Zlatograd municipality, Smolyan Province, located near the border with Greece. In the Ottoman times the town was called Ugurli in Turkish and Kotyli in Greek. In 1918 the village was part of the Satres community...
. The 40's and 50's saw phenomenal growth in the Mobile area, and Mobile, Prichard and Chickasaw all recorded their highest city-proper populations in 1960. Following the Civil Rights Movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
however, Prichard's rigid system of segregation collapsed, and many blacks who had previously lived in the Bullshead/Neely/Trinity Gardens area of Prichard began moving into East Prichard (downtown Prichard) causing a dramatic white flight to occur.
In 1960, Prichard recorded a population of 47,371. In 1970, the population had decreased to 41,000 and by 1990 it had decreased to approximately 34,000.
In 1970, Vigor High School
Vigor High School
Vigor High School, located in Prichard, Alabama, is a public high school that educates grades 9-12. It is operated by the Mobile County Public School System.-Dress code:...
on Wilson Avenue, which had been Prichard's white high school during segregation was 70% white, by 1980, it was 80% black, even considering the fact that most of Prichard's remaining white areas were in its district. In 1994, construction of Interstate 165
Interstate 165
Interstate 165 is a spur from Interstate 65 that provides access to Mobile, Alabama. It runs for 4.9 miles from Beauregard Street in downtown Mobile north to Interstate 65 in Prichard. As it is, I-165 terminates into Water Street which itself terminates into an I-10 on-ramp less than two miles ...
was completed, and it has produced some economic benefits in East Prichard. The 1980s downtown vacancy rate was near 80%, as of 2000, it was closer to 30%. In 2004, the Prichard Housing Authority began demolition of the Bessemer Avenue Housing Project in Bullshead.
In December 2006, the city of Prichard was selected as the site of the future Alabama Motorsports Park
Alabama Motorsports Park
Alabama Motorsports Park is currently being developed north of Mobile, AL with opening projected for 2012. The park has plans for a lighted 'D'-shaped oval, a road course, and a karting track along with RV parks, retail shops, and condominium units on the tract...
, a Dale Earnhardt Jr. Speedway and theme park. This complex of racetracks and entertainment venues is planned to be on nearly 3000 acres (12.1 km²) of land near the intersection of Industrial Parkway (Alabama State Route 158) and US Highway 45 in the northern section of Prichard.
Recent political history
In 1972, while still a majority white city, Prichard elected its first black Mayor, Algernon Johnson (A.J.) Cooper, who would serve 2 terms as Prichard's mayor, and would eventually serve in the administration of President Bill ClintonBill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. In 1968, Cooper founded the Black American Law Students Association at New York University. While Mayor Cooper was popular with both blacks and whites, however, he engaged in many battles with the Prichard City Council during his tenure.
In the 1980s and 1990s problems with crime, drugs and middle class flight were elevated when the area's major financial and employment base left with the closing of factories operated by Scott Paper Company
Scott Paper Company
The Scott Paper Company is a USA-based corporation which manufactures mostly paper based consumer products.Scott Paper was founded in 1879 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by brothers E. Irvin and Clarence Scott, and is often credited as being the first to market toilet paper sold on a roll...
and International Paper
International Paper
International Paper Company is an American pulp and paper company, the largest such company in the world. It has approximately 59,500 employees, and it is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.-History:...
as well as Brookley Field Air Base
Mobile Downtown Airport
Mobile Downtown Airport is a public use airport located three nautical miles south of the central business district of Mobile, a city in Mobile County, Alabama, United States. It is also known as Brookley Field. The airport is part of the Brookley Complex, an industrial complex which lies on the...
. This devastated the area and the city struggled to recover. In 1999, the city declared bankruptcy.
In November 2004, Mobile County voters narrowly (500 votes out of 100,000 cast on the issue) defeated a local amendment which would have allowed Prichard to set up a special trade zone. The measure passed by a 2/3s vote in Prichard, and also passed by smaller margins in Mobile and Chickasaw, but was defeated by the rest of Mobile County.
In 2004, the city hired an actuary to analyze and summarize their employees’ pension plan. He told the city the plan would run out of money by the summer of 2009. In September of that year, the city's pension fund ran out of money and stopped paying pensions.
The city filed for bankruptcy again in October 2009.
City government
The current mayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Prichard is Ron Davis. Davis was elected mayor in the 2004 municipal elections, defeating incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
mayor Charles Harden. In 2010, Councilwoman Earline Martin-Harris suggested dissolving the city and offered an alternative budget which would make all city employees part-time employees. As of April 2011, pensioners have not received their pension checks nor has a budget been passed in eighteen months.
The city is served by a five-member city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
, which is composed of five districts of equal size. The city council is responsible for establishing the policies of the city of Prichard. The current council president is Herman Towner. The Prichard City Council meets every Thursday at 4:30 pm in the Council Chambers at Prichard City Hall.
| District | Representative | | Position |
|---|---|---|
| I | Herman Towner | Council President |
| II | Earline Martin-Harris | Councilwoman |
| III | ||
| IV | Troy Ephriam | Councilman |
| V | Ossia Edwards | Councilwoman |
Geography
Prichard is located at 30°44′53"N 88°6′1"W (30.748038, -88.100384).According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 25.5 square miles (66 km²), of which, 25.4 square miles (65.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.31%) 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 28,633 people, 9,841 households, and 7,272 families residing in the city. 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 1,127.6 people per square mile (435.4/km²). There were 11,336 housing units at an average density of 446.4 per square mile (172.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.53% 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...
, 14.18% 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...
, 0.30% 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...
, 0.12% 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...
, 0.02% 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...
, 0.07% 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 0.79% from two or more races. 0.57% 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 9,841 households out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.8% 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, 36.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.1% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.35.
In the city the population was spread out with 31.4% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $19,544, and the median income for a family was $23,519. Males had a median income of $26,543 versus $17,040 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 city was $10,626. About 31.8% of families and 35.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 47.8% of those under age 18 and 25.8% of those age 65 or over.
Primary and secondary schools
The Mobile County Public School SystemMobile County Public School System
Mobile County Public School System is a school district based in the Mobile County Public Schools Central Office Campus in an unincorporated area in Mobile County, Alabama United States....
serves Prichard. Elementary schools in Prichard include Collins-Rhodes Elementary School, Grant Elementary School, Indian Springs Elementary School, Robbins Elementary School, and Whitley Elementary School.
Students are zoned to North Mobile County Middle School.
Vigor High School
Vigor High School
Vigor High School, located in Prichard, Alabama, is a public high school that educates grades 9-12. It is operated by the Mobile County Public School System.-Dress code:...
is in Prichard. Blount High School is in an unincorporated area
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Eight Mile
Eight Mile, Alabama
Eight Mile is an unincorporated community in Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The community is named for its distance from the city of Mobile.-Geography:Eight Mile is located at . The elevation is ....
, adjacent to Prichard. Faulkner Vocational School, a magnet school, is in Prichard.
The current Collins Rhodes school opened in 2007, replacing Eight Mile Elementary School. On September 7, 2010 North Mobile County Middle School opened, replacing the role of Adams Middle School in Saraland
Saraland, Alabama
Saraland is a city in Mobile County, Alabama, in the United States, and a suburb of Mobile, Alabama. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city is 13,405. It is a part of the Mobile metropolitan area. Saraland is the third largest city in Mobile County....
, because residents outside of Saraland are no longer zoned to Adams Middle.