Ohatchee, Alabama

Ohatchee, Alabama
Town

Location in Calhoun County and the state of Alabama
Coordinates: 33°48′11″N 86°2′12″W / 33.80306°N 86.03667°W
Country United States
State Alabama
County Calhoun
Area
  Total 5.9 sq mi (15.4 km2)
  Land 5.9 sq mi (15.3 km2)
  Water 0.04 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation 509 ft (155 m)
Population (2010)
  Total 1,170
  Density 198/sq mi (76.5/km2)
Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6)
  Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code 36271
Area code 256
FIPS code 01-56472
GNIS feature ID 0124185

Ohatchee (inc. 1956) is a town in Calhoun County, Alabama, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 1,170.[1] It is included in the AnnistonOxford, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Andrew Jackson used the area around present-day Ohatchee to prepare for the Battle of Talladega. It was at this battle that Jackson found an Indian boy next to the body of his mother. Jackson adopted the child, naming him Lyncoya Jackson. Lyncoya died of tuberculosis in 1828 at the age of sixteen.[2][3] The site of the battle is marked with a large stone marker along Alabama Highway 144 between Alexandria and Ohatchee, near Tallaseehatchee Creek.

Between 1863 and 1864, Alfred A. Janney built a furnace, now named Janney Furnace, to produce pig iron for the Confederate States of America during the Civil War.[4] The furnace never went into production, but locals often speak of the quality of the construction becausee the structure was supposedly built by slaves. The site is now a part of the Calhoun County Park System and features a Civil War memorial alongside a Civil War and Native American museum. The site hosts a town festival every year that includes vendors, children's activities, music, and a Civil War reenactment.

Ohatchee became an incorporated town in 1956.

Geography

Ohatchee is located in western Calhoun County at 33°48'10.944" North, 86°2'11.864" West (33.803040, -86.036629).[5] The town center lies just north of the confluence of Tallaseehatchee Creek with Ohatchee Creek, a tributary of the Coosa River. A northwest extension of the town limits reaches to the shores of the Coosa River along Neely Henry Lake.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.9 square miles (15.4 km2), of which 5.9 square miles (15.3 km2) is land and 0.039 square miles (0.1 km2), or 0.69%, is water.[1]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1960437
19704451.8%
198086093.3%
19901,04221.2%
20001,21516.6%
20101,170−3.7%
Est. 20131,148−1.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
2013 Estimate[7]

As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 1,215 people, 475 households, and 357 families residing in the town. The population density was 202.3 people per square mile (78.1/km²). There were 562 housing units at an average density of 93.6 per square mile (36.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.49% White, 3.87% Black or African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.25% Asian, and 0.99% from two or more races. 0.41% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 475 households out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.2% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the town the age distribution of the population shows 24.7% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $38,359, and the median income for a family was $42,891. Males had a median income of $34,625 versus $24,659 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,032. About 11.7% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.1% of those under age 18 and 15.3% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

References

Coordinates: 33°48′11″N 86°02′12″W / 33.80304°N 86.036629°W