Semmes, Alabama
Encyclopedia
For other uses, see Semmes (disambiguation)
.
Semmes is a city
in western Mobile County
, Alabama
, in the Mobile
metropolitan statistical area. Formerly an unincorporated community, voters in Semmes approved incorporation of a part of the community as the city of Semmes on August 17, 2010. After a statuatory enumeration, or census, the city was officially declared incorporated on May 2, 2011, by Mobile County Probate Judge Don Davis. The statuatory census indicated that the city has a population of 2,897 people. The city covers 2100 acres (849.8 ha). The mayor of Semmes is Judy Hale.
is 256 feet. The Semmes area is bounded to the North by the Citronelle
area, bounded to the East by the cities of Saraland
and Prichard
, bounded to the South by the city of Mobile
, and finally bounded to the West by Big Creek Lake
.
and has a subtropical climate, which consists of warm, wet winters and very hot, very humid summers. Semmes is also vulnerable to hurricanes, which the area frequently experiences.
Raphael Semmes
(1809–1877), an officer
in the United States Navy
from 1826 to 1860 and the Confederate States Navy
from 1860 to 1865.
Once the election was certified in August, the Mobile County Probate Judge ordered an enumeration, or census, of the citizens of the new municipality, in accordance with Alabama law. The enumeration was completed in late April, 2011, and the city was declared incorporated by the Probate Judge on May 2, 2011. The Probate Judge also set the date of the first municipal election which was scheduled for June 28, 2011, to elect the mayor and the 5 at-large city council seats. Additionally, the City of Mobile, upon the issuance of the order of incorporation, removed the Semmes from its police, fire, and planning extraterritorial jurisdictions, and no longer provides any services to the areas or collects any taxes in the area.
Only one person, Judy Hale, filed with the Probate Judge to run for the office of Mayor, and, as such, was deemed elected without an election taking place. Likewise, only 5 citizens qualified to run for the 5 at-large City Council seats, and were subsequently deemed elected. Those Council Members are: Jerry Shirey, Dave Baker, Mary Calhoun, Phillip Dodd, and Teresa Bonner. They will take the oath of office at the first Semmes City Council meeting on June 6, 2011.
In 1994, a group of volunteers, former students, teachers and community citizens formed "Alumni & Friends of Semmes School, Inc." to preserve the 1902 one-room Semmes School and return it to its original location. The Mobile County School Board had planned to tear down the school when concerned citizens formed a group to save to school. The School Board gave a 99 year lease to the group and moved the school back to its original site. The school was restored to its 1902 status in 1998 by volunteers and donations, and continues to operate with volunteers as a hands-on 1900's school.
Alumni & Friends of Semmes School is a volunteer organization whose goal is that Semmes 1902 School will continue to be used as a living history classroom. Malone Chapel is a replica of Mt. Pleasant Church that was located on this exact spot. The chapel is rented for weddings and special events with the funds going towards operational expenses.
Semmes
Semmes may refer to:*Semmes, Alabama, a community in southwest AlabamaIn military history:*Alexander Alderman Semmes , American Civil War Union Navy commodore....
.
Semmes is a city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in western 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...
, in the 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...
metropolitan statistical area. Formerly an unincorporated community, voters in Semmes approved incorporation of a part of the community as the city of Semmes on August 17, 2010. After a statuatory enumeration, or census, the city was officially declared incorporated on May 2, 2011, by Mobile County Probate Judge Don Davis. The statuatory census indicated that the city has a population of 2,897 people. The city covers 2100 acres (849.8 ha). The mayor of Semmes is Judy Hale.
Geography
Semmes is located at 30.778N, -88.259W. ElevationElevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
is 256 feet. The Semmes area is bounded to the North by the Citronelle
Citronelle, Alabama
Citronelle is a city in Mobile County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 3,659. It is included in the Mobile metropolitan statistical area.-History:This was long part of the territory of thousands of years of indigenous peoples...
area, bounded to the East by the cities of 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....
and Prichard
Prichard, Alabama
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...
, bounded to the South by the city 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...
, and finally bounded to the West by Big Creek Lake
Big Creek Lake
Big Creek Lake is a municipal reservoir which serves as the main source of drinking water for the city of Mobile, Alabama and its suburbs. It was formed by the damming of Big Creek, a tributary of the Escatawpa River in southwest Alabama...
.
Climate
Semmes is on the central Gulf CoastGulf Coast of the United States
The Gulf Coast of the United States, sometimes referred to as the Gulf South, South Coast, or 3rd Coast, comprises the coasts of American states that are on the Gulf of Mexico, which includes Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida and are known as the Gulf States...
and has a subtropical climate, which consists of warm, wet winters and very hot, very humid summers. Semmes is also vulnerable to hurricanes, which the area frequently experiences.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high °F (°C) | 60 | 64 | 71 | 79 | 85 | 90 | 91 | 91 | 87 | 80 | 70 | 63 | 77 |
| Avg low °F (°C) | 40 | 43 | 50 | 58 | 64 | 71 | 73 | 73 | 69 | 57 | 49 | 43 | 57 |
| Rainfall (in inches) | 4.8 | 5.5 | 6.4 | 4.5 | 5.7 | 5.0 | 6.9 | 7.0 | 5.9 | 2.9 | 4.1 | 5.3 | 64 |
| Relative Humidity(%) | 59.0 | 73.0 | 71.5 | 72.5 | 71.5 | 72.5 | 74.0 | 76.5 | 76.5 | 74.0 | 70.5 | 72.0 | 75.0 |
| Source: Climate Zone | |||||||||||||
History
The community was named for AdmiralAdmiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Raphael Semmes
Raphael Semmes
For other uses, see Semmes .Raphael Semmes was an officer in the United States Navy from 1826 - 1860 and the Confederate States Navy from 1860 - 1865. During the American Civil War he was captain of the famous commerce raider CSS Alabama, taking a record sixty-nine prizes...
(1809–1877), an officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
from 1826 to 1860 and the Confederate States Navy
Confederate States Navy
The Confederate States Navy was the naval branch of the Confederate States armed forces established by an act of the Confederate Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American Civil War...
from 1860 to 1865.
Incorporation
On March 3, 2010, the members of the Friends of Semmes and the associated Incorporate Semmes organizations presented Mobile County Probate Judge Don Davis with a petition seeking to incorporate an area within the Semmes community as the City of Semmes. The proposed incorporation did not include the entire area known as Semmes due to certain population density requirements of Alabama State Law. Judge Davis set the date for the referendum as Tuesday, August 17, 2010. After voting closed, unofficial returns showed the plebiscite passing with 74.19% of the voters in favor of incorporation. The vote must be certified by the Probate Judge to be official, however, this seems almost certain as the number of provisional ballots is not enough to overcome the deficit. Some voters complained about the "zig-zag" nature of the proposed city limits which excluded some areas of the community from the vote, with some even referring to the proposed city as a gerrymander.Once the election was certified in August, the Mobile County Probate Judge ordered an enumeration, or census, of the citizens of the new municipality, in accordance with Alabama law. The enumeration was completed in late April, 2011, and the city was declared incorporated by the Probate Judge on May 2, 2011. The Probate Judge also set the date of the first municipal election which was scheduled for June 28, 2011, to elect the mayor and the 5 at-large city council seats. Additionally, the City of Mobile, upon the issuance of the order of incorporation, removed the Semmes from its police, fire, and planning extraterritorial jurisdictions, and no longer provides any services to the areas or collects any taxes in the area.
Only one person, Judy Hale, filed with the Probate Judge to run for the office of Mayor, and, as such, was deemed elected without an election taking place. Likewise, only 5 citizens qualified to run for the 5 at-large City Council seats, and were subsequently deemed elected. Those Council Members are: Jerry Shirey, Dave Baker, Mary Calhoun, Phillip Dodd, and Teresa Bonner. They will take the oath of office at the first Semmes City Council meeting on June 6, 2011.
Future
Leaders of the incorporation effort stated to members of the local media and to some citizens not included in the incorporation area that future plans include several annexations of the surrounding area.Education
Semmes is a part of the Mobile County Public Schools system, with a total enrollment of over 65,000 students.Community Park
The first-ever Community Park in Semmes opened on February 3, 2007. The 10400 sq ft (966.2 m²) park was built adjacent to the Semmes Community Center at a cost of $600,000.Semmes Heritage Park
Semmes School is the oldest continuous-in-use school in the State of Alabama and is listed on the Alabama Historical Landmarks.In 1994, a group of volunteers, former students, teachers and community citizens formed "Alumni & Friends of Semmes School, Inc." to preserve the 1902 one-room Semmes School and return it to its original location. The Mobile County School Board had planned to tear down the school when concerned citizens formed a group to save to school. The School Board gave a 99 year lease to the group and moved the school back to its original site. The school was restored to its 1902 status in 1998 by volunteers and donations, and continues to operate with volunteers as a hands-on 1900's school.
Alumni & Friends of Semmes School is a volunteer organization whose goal is that Semmes 1902 School will continue to be used as a living history classroom. Malone Chapel is a replica of Mt. Pleasant Church that was located on this exact spot. The chapel is rented for weddings and special events with the funds going towards operational expenses.
External links
- City of Semmes
- Friends of Semmes
- Save Semmes -- A Website for the Community of Semmes AL
- Semmes Heritage Park -- Original 1902 Semmes School House & Replica Malone Chapel; Operated and Maintained by Alumni and Friends of Semmes School
- Talk of Semmes™ -- An online newspaper for and about Semmes AL and home base for the Talk Of Semmes Internet Talk Show
- Semmes Business Directory™ -- Business Listings for Semmes Alabama
- Semmes Shopper™ -- Classified Advertising for Semmes Alabama