Jump to content

Fort Payne, Alabama: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 34°27′13″N 85°42′23″W / 34.45361°N 85.70639°W / 34.45361; -85.70639
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Undid revision 331605150 by Lackey1981 (talk) WP:SPAM
Fort Payne, Alabama is near Lookout Mountain.
 
(325 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|City in and county seat of DeKalb County, Alabama}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name = Fort Payne, Alabama
| official_name = Fort Payne
|settlement_type = [[City]]
| settlement_type = [[City]]
|image_skyline = FortPayneAir.jpg
| image_skyline = Gault Ave, Fort Payne, Alabama April 2018 1.jpg
|imagesize = 325px
| imagesize =
|image_caption = <small>Aerial view of Fort Payne, Alabama<br>([[Lookout Mountain]] in background0</small>
| image_caption = [[U.S. Route 11#Alabama|Gault Avenue]] in downtown Fort Payne
|image_seal =
| image_flag = Flag of Fort Payne, Alabama.png
| image_seal =
|image_map = DeKalb_County_Alabama_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Fort_Payne_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize = 175px
| image_blank_emblem = Logo of Fort Payne, Alabama.png
| blank_emblem_type = logo
|map_caption = Location in [[DeKalb County, Alabama|DeKalb County]] and the state of [[Alabama]]
| image_map = File:DeKalb County Alabama Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Fort Payne Highlighted 0127616.svg
|image_map1 =
|mapsize1 =
| mapsize = 250px
| map_caption = Location of Fort Payne in DeKalb County, Alabama.
|map_caption1 =
| nickname = Official Sock Capital of the World
|subdivision_type = [[List of countries|Country]]
|subdivision_type1 = [[Political divisions of the United States|State]]
| subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_type1 = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_type2 = [[List of counties in Alabama|County]]
|subdivision_name = [[United States]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[List of counties in Alabama|County]]
|subdivision_name1 = [[Alabama]]
| subdivision_name = United States
|subdivision_name2 = [[DeKalb County, Alabama|DeKalb]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Alabama]]
|government_type = Mayor-Council (5 members)
| subdivision_name2 = [[DeKalb County, Alabama|DeKalb]]
|leader_title = Mayor
| government_type = Mayor-Council (5 members)
| leader_title = Mayor
|leader_name = [http://www.ag.auburn.edu/adm/alumni/activities/documents/JordanWA.pdf Bill Jordan] (term ends 2012)
|established_date = 1889
| leader_name = Brian Baine
|area_magnitude =
| established_date = 1889
|area_total_km2 = 144.9
| area_magnitude =
|area_total_sq_mi = 56
| area_total_km2 = 147.01
|area_land_km2 = 144.7
| area_total_sq_mi = 56.76
|area_land_sq_mi = 55.9
| area_land_km2 = 146.09
|area_water_km2 = 0.2
| area_land_sq_mi = 56.41
|area_water_sq_mi = 0.1
| area_water_km2 = 0.92
|elevation_ft = 906
| area_water_sq_mi = 0.35
|elevation_m = 276
| elevation_ft = 1079
|population_as_of = 2000
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| population_as_of = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
|population_footnotes =
|population_total = 12938
| population_footnotes =
|population_metro =
| population_total = 14877
| population_metro =
|population_density_km2 = 89.3
| population_density_km2 = 101.83
|population_density_sq_mi = 231
| population_density_sq_mi = 263.75
|timezone = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset = -6
| timezone = [[Central Time Zone (North America)|Central (CST)]]
| utc_offset = -6
|latd = 34 |latm = 27 |lats = 13 |latNS = N
| coordinates = {{coord|34|27|13|N|85|42|23|W|region:US-AL|display=inline,title}}
|longd = 85 |longm = 42 |longs = 23 |longEW = W
|timezone_DST = CDT
| timezone_DST = CDT
|utc_offset_DST = -5
| utc_offset_DST = -5
|postal_code_type = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code_type = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code = 35967-35968
| postal_code = 35967-35968
|area_code = [[Area code 256|256]]
| area_code = [[Area code 256|256]]
|blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info = 01-27616
| blank_info = 01-27616
|blank1_name = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_name = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info = 0150235
| blank1_info = 2403645<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2403645}}</ref>
|footnotes =
| footnotes =
|website = http://www.fortpayne.org/
| website = {{URL|www.fortpayne.org}}
| unit_pref = Imperial
| area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_01.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 29, 2021}}</ref>
| name =
|pop_est_as_of =
|pop_est_footnotes =
|population_est =
}}
}}
'''Fort Payne''' is a city in [[DeKalb County, Alabama|DeKalb County]], [[Alabama]], [[United States]]. At the 2000 census the population was 12,938. The city is the [[county seat]] of [[DeKalb County, Alabama|DeKalb County]]. It bills itself as the "Official [[Sock]] Capital of the World."
'''Fort Payne''' is a city in and [[county seat]] of [[DeKalb County, Alabama|DeKalb County]], in northeastern [[Alabama]], United States. It is near [[Lookout Mountain]]. At the [[2020 United States Census|2020 census]], the population was 14,877.


This city developed around a fort of the same name, built in the 1830s to intern the [[Cherokee]] tribe who were being rounded up by the military before being forcibly removed to [[Indian Territory]] in 1838 on what they called the [[Trail of Tears]].
In the 19th century this was the site of [[Willstown (Cherokee town)|Willstown]], an important village of the [[Cherokee]]s who relocated to [[Tahlequah, Oklahoma]] during the [[Cherokee removal|Cherokee Trail of Tears]]. For a time beginning in 1989, Fort Payne held the world record for "Largest Cake Ever Baked", for a cake of 128,238 pounds (58,290&nbsp;kg) baked to commemorate the city's centennial.<ref>"Biggest and Most and Devoured in the U.S.A.," ''The New York Times'', July 3, 1991</ref>


European-American settlers gradually developed a community around the former fort. It grew rapidly in the late 19th century based on industrial resources, and manufacturing increased in the early 20th century. At the beginning of the 21st century, it still had 7000 workers in 100 mills producing varieties of socks, nearly half the world production. The volume of production has declined because of competition from China.
A magnitude 4.9 [[Fort Payne Earthquake|earthquake]] occurred here in 2003.<ref>[ftp://hazards.cr.usgs.gov/maps/sigeqs/20030429/20030429.pdf U.S. Geological Survey: Fort Payne, Alabama Earthquake of 29 April 2003]</ref>


== History ==
==History==
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, this was the site of [[Willstown (Cherokee town)|Willstown]], an important town of the Lower Cherokee. They had moved south along the [[Tennessee River]] and into what became Alabama in an effort to escape European-American pressure.
The site of Fort Payne was originally the important village of [[Willstown]], [[Cherokee Nation]]. For a time it was the home of ''[[Sequoyah]]'', who invented the Cherokee [[syllabary]], enabling reading and writing in the language. The settlement was commonly called Willstown, after its headman, a red-headed mixed-race man named Will. According to Major John Norton, a more accurate transliteration would have been ''Titsohili''. The son of a Cherokee adoptee of the Mohawk, Norton grew up among Native Americans and traveled extensively throughout the region in the early 19th century. He stayed at Willstown several times,<ref name="tourdekalb.com">[http://www.tourdekalb.com/history.shtml DeKalb County Tourist Association: History of DeKalb County]</ref>


For a time this was the home of [[Sequoyah]], a silversmith who by 1821 created the Cherokee [[syllabary]], one of the few writing systems created by an individual from a pre-literate culture.<ref name="nyt">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/23/science/23cherokee.html?ref=science | title=Carvings From Cherokee Script's Dawn | work=New York Times | date=June 22, 2009 | access-date=June 23, 2009 | author=Wilford, John Noble}}</ref> In Alabama, his people soon started publishing the first newspaper in Cherokee and English, ''[[Cherokee Phoenix|The Cherokee Phoenix]]''.<ref name="nyt"/>
During the 1830s prior to [[Indian removal]], the US Army under command of Major John Payne built a fort here that was used to intern Cherokees until relocation to [[Oklahoma]]. Their forced exile became known as the [[Trail of Tears]].)


This settlement was commonly called Willstown after its headman, Will Weber, who had striking red hair. He was the son of Cherokee and German parents and raised as Cherokee.
By the 1860s, Fort Payne and the surrounding area were still sparsely settled. It had no strategic targets and was the scene of only minor skirmishes between [[Union]] and [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] forces during the Civil War. About the time of the [[Second Battle of Chattanooga]], a large Union force briefly entered the county, but it did not engage substantial Confederate forces.<ref>[http://www.landmarksdekalbal.org/articles/CivilWarSkirmishes.html Landmarks of DeKalb County: Civil War Skirmishes]</ref><ref name="landmarksdekalbal.org">[http://www.landmarksdekalbal.org/history/DeKalbHistory.html Landmarks of DeKalb: History of DeKalb County]</ref>


[[John Norton (Mohawk chief)|John Norton]], a man born in Scotland about 1770 to Scottish and Cherokee parents, visited this area and other parts of the Cherokee homeland in 1809-1810. He had come to North America as a [[British Army|British soldier]] and became close to [[Mohawk people]] at the Grand River Reserve in Ontario, where he served as an interpreter.<ref>*Taylor, Alan, ''The Divided Ground, Indians, Settlers, and the Northern Borderland of the American Revolution'', 2006, {{ISBN|0-679-45471-3}}, pp.6-7</ref>
In 1878 Fort Payne became the county seat, and in 1889 it was incorporated as a town. The community of [[Lebanon, Alabama|Lebanon]] had served as the county seat since 1850. With the completion of rail lines between [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham]] and [[Chattanooga, Tennessee|Chattanooga]], Fort Payne began to grow, as it was on the rail line. County sentiment supported having the seat in a community served by the railroad.<ref name="landmarksdekalbal.org"/>


During the 1830s prior to [[Indian removal]], the [[United States Army|US Army]] under command of Major John Payne built a fort near Willstown to intern Cherokee from Alabama until they were forcibly [[Indian Removal|removed]] to [[Indian Territory]] (now [[Oklahoma]]). Their forced exile became known as the [[Trail of Tears]]. Only a chimney of Fort Payne still stands in the downtown of the city that developed around it.
In the late 1880s, Fort Payne experienced explosive growth as investors and workers from New England and the North flooded into the region to exploit coal and iron deposits discovered a few years earlier. This period is called the "Boom Days", or simply as the "Boom". Many of the notable and historic buildings in Fort Payne date from this period of economic growth, including the state's oldest standing theater, the [http://www.landmarksdekalbal.org/articles/OperaHouse.html Fort Payne Opera House]; the former factory of the Hardware Manufacturing Company (today known as the W.B. Davis Mill Building, and home to an [http://www.mjsgrillatthemill.com/ antiques mall and deli]), and the [http://www.fortpaynedepotmuseum.org/ Fort Payne Depot Museum], formerly the passenger station for the present-day [[Norfolk Southern Railway]]. Today it serves as a museum of local history.<ref name="tourdekalb.com"/>


===19th-20th century growth===
[[Image:DeKalb Hotel.jpg|thumb|left|250px|<small>The DeKalb Hotel.<br>Built in the Boom in 1889; burned 1918.</small>]]
[[Image:DeKalb Hotel.jpg|thumb|The DeKalb Hotel, built in the Boom in 1889, burned 1918]]


Although European Americans had pressed for Indian removal in the Southeast because they wanted land to cultivate, by the 1860s, the city of Fort Payne and the surrounding area were only sparsely settled. Development of cotton plantations and larger settlements had taken place in the uplands region known as the Black Belt. With no strategic targets nearby, during the Civil War only minor skirmishes between [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] and [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] forces took place here. About the time of the [[Second Battle of Chattanooga]], a large Union force briefly entered the county, but it did not engage substantial Confederate forces.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Civil War Skirmishes |work=Landmarks of DeKalb County |date=March 18, 2016 |url=http://www.landmarksdekalbal.org/articles/CivilWarSkirmishes.html }}</ref><ref name="landmarksdekalbal.org">{{Cite web | title=History of DeKalb County |work=Landmarks of DeKalb |date=November 23, 2015 |url=http://www.landmarksdekalbal.org/history/DeKalbHistory.html }}</ref>
The iron and coal deposits turned out to be much smaller than expected. Many of the Boom promoters left the region, and Fort Payne experienced a period of economic decline. That downturn shifted in 1907, when the W.B. Davis Hosiery Mill began operations. This was the beginning of decades of hosiery manufacture in Fort Payne.<ref>[http://www.landmarksdekalbal.org/communities/FortPayne4.html Landmarks of DeKalb Communities: Fort Payne]</ref> By the beginning of the 21st century, the hosiery industry in Fort Payne employed over 7,000 people in more than 100 mills. It produced more than half of the socks made in the United States.


In 1878 the city Fort Payne was designated as the county seat, and in 1889 it was incorporated as a town. The community of [[Lebanon, Alabama|Lebanon]] had served as the DeKalb county seat since 1850. With the completion of rail lines between [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham]] and [[Chattanooga, Tennessee|Chattanooga]] that went through Fort Payne, the city's growth was stimulated by connection to this new transportation route. County sentiment had supported having the seat in a community served by the railroad, seen as key to the future.<ref name="landmarksdekalbal.org"/>
Beginning in the 1990s, the [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] and the [[Central American Free Trade Agreement]] lowered [[tariffs]] on textile products imported into the United States, resulting in large increases in sock imports. Many businesses in Fort Payne accused foreign manufacturers, particularly those from [[China]], of engaging in [[Dumping (pricing policy)|dumping]] of socks below cost, to force American companies out of the sock business. By 2005, hosiery mill employment in Fort Payne had declined to around 5,500, and several mills had closed. In later 2005 the federal government gained an agreement with the Chinese government to slow the schedule for the removal of tariffs, delaying their full removal until 2008.<ref>[http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20051109/NEWS/511090350 "Government Acts to Help Textile Mills," ''The Gadsden Times'', November 9, 2005, p. B1]</ref><ref>"'Sock Capital of the World' Fights Back," ''The Huntsville Times'', September 1, 2004, p. B2</ref>


In the late 1880s, Fort Payne's growth was stimulated after the discovery of coal and iron deposits, needed to support industrialization. Investors and especially workers from [[New England]] and the North flooded into the region for new jobs. This period is called the "Boom Days", or simply the "Boom".
Reacting more quickly to changes than at the end of the Boom, in the 1990s business and civic leaders in Fort Payne began to take steps to diversify the city's economy. Several new commercial and industrial projects were developed. The largest was the 2006 construction of a distribution center for [http://www.childrensplace.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Home?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001 The Children's Place] stores, a facility that employed 600 people in its first phase of operation.<ref>[http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20060927/NEWS/609270333 New Retail Distribution Center in DeKalb Will Employ up to 600 Workers", ''The Gadsden Times'', September 27, 2006, p. A1]</ref>


Many of the notable historic buildings in Fort Payne date from this period of economic growth and prosperity, including the state's oldest standing theater, the [[Fort Payne Opera House]]; the former factory of the Hardware Manufacturing Company (today known as the [[W. B. Davis Hosiery Mill|W. B. Davis Mill Building]], now the location of the [[Fort Payne Depot Museum]], and formerly the passenger station for the present-day [[Norfolk Southern Railway]]. Following the decline of passenger traffic in the mid-20th century as people took to automobiles, today the depot serves as a museum of local history.<ref name="tourdekalb.com">{{Cite web |title=History of DeKalb County |publisher=DeKalb County Tourist Association |url=http://www.tourdekalb.com/history.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121010642/http://www.tourdekalb.com/history.shtml |archive-date=November 21, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Near Fort Payne is [http://www.akinsfurniture.com/aboutus.htm Akins Furniture], a business in an old country store building, which bills itself as the largest furniture store in Alabama.<ref>"Furniture Warehouse, Store to Boost Job Force", ''The Birmingham News'', January 11, 2006, p. 2C</ref>


The iron and coal deposits were much smaller than expected. Many of the promoters left the region for [[Birmingham, Alabama]], which became the state's major industrial city. Fort Payne suffered a period of economic decline. In 1907, the W.B. Davis Hosiery Mill began operations, processing area cotton to produce socks and hosiery. [[Hosiery]] manufacture has led the economy in Fort Payne.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fort Payne |work=Landmarks of DeKalb Communities |date=March 15, 2016 |url=http://www.landmarksdekalbal.org/communities/FortPayne4.html }}</ref> At the beginning of the 21st century, the hosiery industry in Fort Payne employed over 7,000 people in more than 100 mills. It produced more than half of the socks made in the United States and claimed to be the "Sock Capital of the World."
== Local Attractions ==
Fort Payne houses the headquarters for the nearby [[Little River Canyon National Preserve]], a 14,000-acre (57&nbsp;km²) [[National Park Service]] facility established by Congress in 1992. The canyon itself is at [[Lookout Mountain]] outside the city limits. Another attraction based on natural resources is DeSoto State Park, a smaller facility with a lodge, restaurant, cabins, and river access areas.


Beginning in the 1990s, the [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] and the [[Central American Free Trade Agreement]] lowered [[tariff]]s on textile products imported into the United States, resulting in large increases in sock imports. By the early 2000s a very large, highly-efficient centre for sock production had grown up around [[Datang, Zhuji]] in [[Zhejiang Province]], China. Raw materials and hosiery machines were also manufactured at Datang. While in Fort Payne a company might have to wait two months for a replacement part for a hosiery machine to arrive from Italy, a manufacturer in Datang would have to wait half an hour for the part to arrive from a local company.
[[Image:Little River Canyon.jpg|thumb|right|250px|<small>Little River Canyon, just outside Fort Payne city limits.<br>National Park Service photo</small>]]


American multinational retail corporations began to source hosiery products from Datang. The American companies’ strict negotiating positions required the Datang producers to accept as little as 3% profit. As American retail corporations began to source their products from China, Datang became the new "Sock Capital of the World."<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://finance.sina.com.cn/chanjing/cyxw/2022-01-11/doc-ikyakumx9737863.shtml | title=这个号称"国际袜都"的小镇，现在怎么样了？ | date=January 11, 2022 }}</ref> Many businesses in Fort Payne accused foreign manufacturers, particularly those from [[China]], of engaging in [[Dumping (pricing policy)|dumping]] of socks below cost to force American companies out of the sock business. By 2005, hosiery mill employment in Fort Payne had declined to around 5,500, and several mills had closed. In late 2005, the federal government gained an agreement with the Chinese government to slow the schedule for the removal of tariffs, delaying their full removal until 2008.<ref>{{cite news |title=Government Acts to Help Textile Mills |newspaper=[[The Gadsden Times]] |page=B1 |date=November 9, 2005 |url=http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20051109/NEWS/511090350 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title='Sock Capital of the World' Fights Back |newspaper=[[The Huntsville Times]] |page=B2 |date=September 1, 2004}}</ref> The hosiery industry continues to have a foothold in the community, diversifying from athletic socks to boutique designs such as [https://zkano.com/ Zkano], and other specialty and medical socks.
The country music group [[Alabama (band)|Alabama]] is based in Fort Payne. The city also houses the group's [http://www.thealabamaband.com/fanclub.html Fan Club and Museum].


In the 1990s, facing the international threat to their manufacturing, business and civic leaders in Fort Payne began to take steps to diversify the city's economy. Several new commercial and industrial projects were developed. The largest was the 2006 construction of a distribution center for [[The Children's Place]] stores, a facility that employed 600 people in its first phase of operation.<ref>{{Cite news |title=New Retail Distribution Center in DeKalb Will Employ up to 600 Workers |newspaper=[[The Gadsden Times]] |page=A1 |date=September 27, 2006 |url=http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20060927/NEWS/609270333 }}</ref>
Fort Payne is within a 30-minute drive of substantial water recreational areas, notably [[Guntersville Lake]], and Lake Weiss, an artificial lake on the [[Coosa River]]. Fort Payne is also near [[Mentone, Alabama|Mentone]], a popular mountain resort area known for summer children's camps and rustic hotels, restaurants and cabins.

Other large corporations represented in Fort Payne include [[Heil Environmental Industries]] (a division of Dover Industries, manufacturing sanitation trucks); Vulcraft (a division of [[Nucor]] Corporation, manufacturing steel roofing systems); and [https://www.gametime.com/ Game Time] (a division of Playcore, manufacturing commercial playground equipment).


==Geography==
==Geography==
[[File:Fort Payne Alabama (50427083516).jpg|thumb|right|Aerial view of Fort Payne]]
Fort Payne is located at {{Coord|34|27|14|N|85|42|24|W|type:city}} (34.453829, -85.706648){{GR|1}}.
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|144.6|sqkm|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|143.7|sqkm|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|0.9|sqkm|order=flip}}, or 0.64%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US0127616| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Fort Payne city, Alabama| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=October 5, 2015}}{{dead link|bot=medic|date=April 2020}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>


The city center lies in a narrow valley on Big Wills Creek in the [[Cumberland Plateau|Cumberland Plateau region]] immediately west of [[Lookout Mountain]], with [[Sand Mountain (Alabama)|Sand Mountain]] at a distance to the west. The city limits reach to the east and south so that more than half of the city's area is now located on Lookout Mountain. Drainage is through Big Wills Creek to the [[Coosa River]].
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of 56.0&nbsp;[[square mile]]s (144.9&nbsp;[[km²]]), of which, 55.9&nbsp;square miles (144.7&nbsp;km²) of it is land and 0.1&nbsp;square miles (0.2&nbsp;km²) of it (0.14%) is water.


A magnitude 4.9 [[Fort Payne Earthquake|earthquake]] occurred here in 2003.<ref>[ftp://hazards.cr.usgs.gov/maps/sigeqs/20030429/20030429.pdf U.S. Geological Survey: Fort Payne, Alabama Earthquake of 29 April 2003]</ref>
The town lies in a narrow valley on Big Wills Creek in the [[Cumberland Plateau|Cumberland Plateau region]] immediately west of [[Lookout Mountain]], with [[Sand Mountain (Alabama)|Sand Mountain]] somewhat more removed to the west. Drainage is through Big Wills Creek to the [[Coosa River]].


===Climate===
Elevation: 899 feet
Fort Payne is notable for a subtropical climate. Winters usually feature measurable, though infrequent, snow. Cloudmont Ski Resort on Lookout Mountain generates man-made snow as winter temperatures permit. The area is subject to occasional tornadoes. The city's northern side was struck by [[Tornado outbreak of Leap Day 1952|F3]] and F4 tornadoes [[Tornado outbreak of Leap Day 1952|February 29, 1952]] and May 19, 1973, respectively, both of which caused considerable damage.<ref name="CDNS">{{cite web |title=Climatological Data National Summary Publication {{!}} IPS {{!}} National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) |url=https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/IPS/cdns/cdns.html |website=www.ncdc.noaa.gov |access-date=August 19, 2020}}</ref><ref name="HUNReport">{{cite web |last1=US Department of Commerce |first1=NOAA |title=February 29th, 1952 Fayetteville Tornado Weather Setup |url=https://www.weather.gov/hun/hunsur_1952-02-29 |website=www.weather.gov |access-date=August 30, 2020 |language=EN-US}}</ref><ref name="Minvale1">{{cite web |title=Alabama F3 |url=http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/tornado/19520229.1.5 |website=Tornado History Project |publisher=Storm Prediction Center |access-date=August 30, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Minvale2">{{cite report |title=Alabama Event Report: F3 Tornado |url=https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=9979435 |website=National Weather Service |publisher=National Centers for Environmental Information |access-date=August 31, 2020}}</ref><ref>[http://www.weather.gov/hun/?n=dekalbtor Huntsville Tornado Database], National Weather Service</ref> Exactly ten years later, a tornado struck the city again. In the [[Palm Sunday tornado outbreak of 1994]], an F3 tornado passed just west of the city<ref>"DeKalb Assessing Tornado Damage," ''The Huntsville Times'', March 29, 1994, p. B1</ref>


Occasionally, a hurricane that has made landfall in the Gulf of Mexico will reach Fort Payne as a tropical storm or tropical depression. However, in 1995 the eye of [[Hurricane Opal]] reached Fort Payne with hurricane-force winds.<ref>"Area Escapes Storm's Worst," ''The Huntsville Times'', October 5, 1995, p. A1</ref> The 1993 [[Storm of the Century (1993)|Storm of the Century]] dumped more than {{convert|20|in|cm}} of snow on Fort Payne, immobilizing the city and the surrounding area for days. The [[Köppen Climate Classification]] subtype for this climate is "Cfa". (Humid Subtropical Climate).<ref>[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=340310&cityname=Fort+Payne%2C+Alabama%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Fort Payne]</ref>
== Lodgings ==
*Holiday Inn Express & Suites
*Days Inn
*Mountain View


{{Weather box <!-- Infobox begins -->
== Climate ==
| single line = Y
Fort Payne is notable for a temperate, subtropical climate. Winters usually feature measurable, though infrequent, snow. The [http://www.cloudmont.com/ Cloudmont Ski Resort], nearby on Lookout Mountain, makes manmade snow as winter temperatures permit. The area is subject to occasional tornadoes. In the [[Palm Sunday tornado outbreak of 1994]], an F3 tornado passed just west of the city, and the city itself was hit by tornadoes in 1973 and 1982.<ref>"DeKalb Assessing Tornado Damage," ''The Huntsville Times'', March 29, 1994, p. B1</ref> Occasionally, a hurricane that has made landfall in the Gulf of Mexico will reach Fort Payne as a tropical storm or tropical depression. However, in 1995 the eye of [[Hurricane Opal]] reached Fort Payne with hurricane-force winds.<ref>"Area Escapes Storm's Worst," ''The Huntsville Times'', October 5, 1995, p. A1</ref> Even more freakish was the famous 1993 [[Storm of the Century (1993)|Storm of the Century]], which dumped more than 20&nbsp;inches of snow on Fort Payne, immobilizing the city and the surrounding area for days.
| location = Fort Payne, Alabama, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 2001&ndash;present


|Jan record high F = 76
|Feb record high F = 81
|Mar record high F = 87
|Apr record high F = 89
|May record high F = 94
|Jun record high F = 102
|Jul record high F = 104
|Aug record high F = 103
|Sep record high F = 100
|Oct record high F = 102
|Nov record high F = 89
|Dec record high F = 77

|Jan avg record high F = 70.0
|Feb avg record high F = 73.1
|Mar avg record high F = 80.6
|Apr avg record high F = 85.1
|May avg record high F = 90.5
|Jun avg record high F = 95.8
|Jul avg record high F = 97.3
|Aug avg record high F = 97.3
|Sep avg record high F = 93.9
|Oct avg record high F = 88.1
|Nov avg record high F = 77.8
|Dec avg record high F = 71.9
|year avg record high F = 98.9

<!-- Average high temperatures -->
| Jan high F =52.2
| Feb high F =56.7
| Mar high F =65.1
| Apr high F =73.5
| May high F =81.0
| Jun high F =87.7
| Jul high F =90.8
| Aug high F =90.2
| Sep high F =85.8
| Oct high F =76.1
| Nov high F =64.1
| Dec high F =55.4
<!-- Mean daily temperature -->
| Jan mean F =41.8
| Feb mean F =46.2
| Mar mean F =53.7
| Apr mean F =61.5
| May mean F =69.7
| Jun mean F =77.1
| Jul mean F =80.4
| Aug mean F =79.7
| Sep mean F =74.7
| Oct mean F =63.9
| Nov mean F =52.6
| Dec mean F =45.1
<!-- Average low temperatures -->
| Jan low F =31.5
| Feb low F =35.6
| Mar low F =42.4
| Apr low F =49.5
| May low F =58.4
| Jun low F =66.6
| Jul low F =70.0
| Aug low F =69.2
| Sep low F =63.7
| Oct low F =51.8
| Nov low F =41.2
| Dec low F =34.9

|Jan avg record low F = 13.1
|Feb avg record low F = 19.5
|Mar avg record low F = 24.8
|Apr avg record low F = 33.8
|May avg record low F = 42.5
|Jun avg record low F = 57.1
|Jul avg record low F = 62.2
|Aug avg record low F = 61.6
|Sep avg record low F = 52.2
|Oct avg record low F = 34.7
|Nov avg record low F = 23.8
|Dec avg record low F = 19.9
|year avg record low F = 11.7

|Jan record low F = 1
|Feb record low F = 8
|Mar record low F = 18
|Apr record low F = 27
|May record low F = 38
|Jun record low F = 52
|Jul record low F = 55
|Aug record low F = 51
|Sep record low F = 40
|Oct record low F = 28
|Nov record low F = 15
|Dec record low F = 6

<!-- Total precipitation, this should include rain and snow. -->
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation inch =5.27
| Feb precipitation inch =5.39
| Mar precipitation inch =5.28
| Apr precipitation inch =5.07
| May precipitation inch =5.01
| Jun precipitation inch =4.60
| Jul precipitation inch =5.38
| Aug precipitation inch =3.86
| Sep precipitation inch =4.42
| Oct precipitation inch =3.60
| Nov precipitation inch =4.53
| Dec precipitation inch =5.62

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 8.3
|Feb precipitation days = 9.2
|Mar precipitation days = 8.6
|Apr precipitation days = 8.8
|May precipitation days = 9.1
|Jun precipitation days = 9.1
|Jul precipitation days = 10.4
|Aug precipitation days = 7.8
|Sep precipitation days = 6.2
|Oct precipitation days = 6.5
|Nov precipitation days = 8.0
|Dec precipitation days = 9.0
|year precipitation days = 101.0

|source 1 = NOAA (precip days 1981&ndash;2010)<ref name = NOAA>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00013043&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: FT Payne, AL (1991&ndash;2020)
|access-date = March 4, 2023
}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly&stations=USC00013043&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Fort Payne, AL
|access-date = March 4, 2023
}}
</ref>
|source 2 = National Weather Service (mean maxima/minima 2006&ndash;2020)<ref name = NOWData>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=hun
|publisher = National Weather Service
|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Huntsville
|access-date = March 4, 2023
}}
</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1890= 2698
|1900= 1037
|1910= 1317
|1920= 2025
|1930= 3375
|1940= 4424
|1950= 6226
|1960= 7029
|1970= 8435
|1980= 11485
|1990= 11838
|2000= 12938
|2010= 14012
|2020= 14877
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 6, 2013}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|+Fort Payne racial composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US0127616&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 11, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
! style="background: #DDDDDD; color: #000000" height="17" | Month
!Race
! style="background: #A0A0FF; color:#000000;" | Jan
!Num.
! style="background: #A0A0FF; color:#000000;" | Feb
!Perc.
! style="background: #BBBBFF; color:#000000;" | Mar
|-
! style="background: #CCCCDD; color:#000000;" | Apr
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
! style="background: #CCCCDD; color:#000000;" | May
|9,852
! style="background: #E06655; color:#000000;" | Jun
|66.21%
! style="background: #EE5533; color:#000000;" | Jul
|-
! style="background: #EE5533; color:#000000;" | Aug
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
! style="background: #CCCCDD; color:#000000;" | Sep
|498
! style="background: #CCCCDD; color:#000000;" | Oct
|3.35%
! style="background: #BBBBFF; color:#000000;" | Nov
|-
! style="background: #A0A0FF; color:#000000;" | Dec
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
! style="background: #DDDDDD; color:#000000;" | Year
|91
|0.61%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
|118
|0.79%
|-
|-
|[[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]]
! style="background: #DDDDDD; color:#000080;" | Average high<br/>°F (°C)
|5
| style="background: #FFFFCC; color: black;" | 50 (10)
|0.03%
| style="background: #FFFF99; color: black;" | 53 (12)
| style="background: #FFCC66; color: black;" | 60 (16)
| style="background: #FFCC00; color: black;" | 69 (21)
| style="background: #FF9900; color: black;" | 78 (26)
| style="background: #FF9900; color: black;" | 86 (30)
| style="background: #FF9900; color: black;" | 87 (31)
| style="background: #FF9900; color: black;" | 87 (31)
| style="background: #FF9900; color: black;" | 82 (28)
| style="background: #FFCC00; color: black;" | 73 (23)
| style="background: #FFCC66; color: black;" | 60 (16)
| style="background: #FFFF99; color: black;" | 51 (11)
| style="background: #FFCC00; color: black;" | 69 (21)
|-
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
! style="background: #DDDDDD; color:#000080;" height="16;" | Average low<br/>°F (°C)
|651
| style="background: #F8F0F0; color: black;" | 30 (-1)
|4.38%
| style="background: #F8F0F0; color: black;" | 30 (-1)
| style="background: #FFFFCC; color: black;" | 35 (2)
| style="background: #FFFFCC; color: black;" | 42 (6)
| style="background: #FFFF99; color: black;" | 51 (11)
| style="background: #FFCC66; color: black;" | 60 (16)
| style="background: #FFCC66; color: black;" | 64 (18)
| style="background: #FFCC66; color: black;" | 62 (17)
| style="background: #FFCC66; color: black;" | 57 (14)
| style="background: #FFFF99; color: black;" | 44 (7)
| style="background: #FFFFCC; color: black;" | 35 (2)
| style="background: #F8F0F0; color: black;" | 30 (-1)
| style="background: #FFFF99; color: black;" | 44 (7)
|-
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
! style="background: #DDDDDD; color:#000080;" | Average rainfall: inches/[[millimeter|mm]]
|3,665
| style="background: #44AADD;" | 5.3 /<br/>134
|24.63%
| style="background: #44AADD;" | 5.3 /<br/>134
| style="background: #2288BB;" | 6.1<br/>155
| style="background: #44AADD;" | 4.9<br/>124
| style="background: #44AADD;" | 4.3<br/>110
| style="background: #44AADD;" | 4.2<br/>108
| style="background: #44AADD;" | 5<br/>128
| style="background: #44AADD;" | 4<br/>102
| style="background: #66CCFF;" | 3.5<br/>89
| style="background: #66CCFF;" | 3.1<br/>79
| style="background: #66CCFF;" | 3.9<br/>99
| style="background: #2288BB;" | 5<br/>127
| style="background: #44AADD;" | 54.6 /<br/>1389
|}
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 14,877 people, 5,066 households, and 3,219 families residing in the city.
<small>[http://www.Weatherbase.com source: weatherbase.com]</small>


==Demographics==
===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]{{GR|2}} of 2000, there were 12,938 people, 5,046 households, and 3,506 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was 231.5 people per square mile (89.4/km²). There were 5,585 housing units at an average density of 100.0/sq&nbsp;mi (38.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.22% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 4.53% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.80% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.55% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.16% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 8.41% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 2.33% from two or more races. 12.17% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.
Fort Payne had at the 2010 census a population of 14,012. There were 5,296 households. The racial makeup of the population was 72.0% non-Hispanic white, 4.2% black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.1% non-Hispanic from some other race, 2.5% reporting two or more races and 20.9% Hispanic or Latino of any race.<ref>2010 general profile of population and housing characteristics of Fort Payne from the US census</ref>

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 12,938 people, 5,046 households, and 3,506 families residing in the city.<ref name=2000census>{{Cite web
| title = Fact Sheet
| work = American Fast Facts
| publisher = United States Census Bureau
| url = http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=&_geoContext=&_street=&_county=fort+payne&_cityTown=fort+payne&_state=04000US01&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010&show_2003_tab=&redirect=Y
| access-date = February 2, 2010
| archive-url = https://archive.today/20200212053434/http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=&_geoContext=&_street=&_county=fort+payne&_cityTown=fort+payne&_state=04000US01&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010&show_2003_tab=&redirect=Y
| archive-date = February 12, 2020
| url-status = dead
}}</ref> The [[population density]] was {{convert|231.5|PD/sqmi}}. There were 5,585 housing units at an average density of {{convert|100.0|/sqmi}}<ref name=2000censusarea>{{Cite web
| title = Geographic Comparison Table- Alabama
| work = American Fast Facts
| publisher = United States Census Bureau
| url = http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US01&-_box_head_nbr=GCT-PH1&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&-format=ST-7
| access-date = February 2, 2010
| archive-url = https://archive.today/20200212042737/http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US01&-_box_head_nbr=GCT-PH1&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&-format=ST-7
| archive-date = February 12, 2020
| url-status = dead
}}</ref>
The racial makeup of the city was 83.22% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 4.53% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.80% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.55% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.16% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 8.41% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 2.33% from two or more races. 12.17% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.<ref name=2000census/>

There were 5,046 households, out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.97.<ref name=2000census/>

In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.4% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.<ref name=2000census/>

The median income for a household in the city was $33,560, and the median income for a family was $40,200. Males had a median income of $29,731 versus $20,135 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $19,690. About 8.3% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 15.0% of those under age 18 and 17.6% of those age 65 or over.<ref name=2000census/>

==Arts and culture==
[[Image:FortPayneAlCityHall.jpg|thumb|Former city hall, now police headquarters]]
[[Image:DeKalbCountyAlCourthouse.jpg|thumb|DeKalb County Courthouse]]


The ruins of the old Fort Payne are visible in the historic downtown of the city.
[[Image:FortPayneAlCityHall.jpg|thumb|The City Hall in Fort Payne, Alabama]]


The [[National Park Service]] has headquarters here for the nearby [[Little River Canyon National Preserve]], a {{convert|14000|acre|sqkm|adj=on}} protected area established by Congress in 1992. The canyon is on [[Lookout Mountain]] outside the city limits.
There were 5,046 households out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.97.


Another natural attraction is [[DeSoto State Park]]. While smaller in area, it has a lodge, restaurant, cabins, and river access areas. [[Manitou Cave]] is also near Fort Payne.
[[Image:DeKalbCountyAlCourthouse.jpg|thumb|The DeKalb County Alabama Courthouse in Fort Payne, Alabama]]


The country music group [[Alabama (American band)|Alabama]] is based in Fort Payne. The city also houses the group's fan club and museum.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.


Fort Payne is within a 30-minute drive of substantial water recreational areas, notably [[Guntersville Lake]] and [[Weiss Lake]], an artificial lake on the [[Coosa River]]. Fort Payne is also near [[Mentone, Alabama|Mentone]], a popular mountain resort area known for summer children's camps, rustic hotels, restaurants, and cabins.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,560, and the median income for a family was $40,200. Males had a median income of $29,731 versus $20,135 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $19,690. About 8.3% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 15.0% of those under age 18 and 17.6% of those age 65 or over.


==Education==
==Education==
Fort Payne is served by the [http://www.ftpayk12.org/ Fort Payne City Schools system], which includes:
Fort Payne is served by the [[Fort Payne City Schools]] system. Schools in the district include Wills Valley Elementary (K-2), Little Ridge Intermediate (3-5) Fort Payne Middle School (6-8), and [[Fort Payne High School]] (9-12).
*Wills Valley Elementary (K-2)
*Williams Avenue Elementary (3-4)
*Fort Payne Middle School (5-8)
*Fort Payne High School (9-12), home of the Wildcats


Brian Jett is the Superintendent of Education.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.ftpayk12.org/|title=Fort Payne City Schools|publisher= Fort Payne City Schools|access-date=March 7, 2012}}</ref>
== Health Care ==
*[http://www.dekalbregional.com/default.aspx DeKalb Regional Medical Center] 134 bed facility


== Media ==
==Media==
*Radio: [[WFPA (AM)|WFPA-AM 1400]]
*Radio stations
**[[WFPA (AM)|WFPA-AM 1400]] ([[News radio|News]]/[[Talk radio|Talk]])
*Radio: [[WZOB|WZOB-AM 1250]]
** [[WZOB|WZOB-AM 1250]] ([[Country music|Country]])
*Newspaper: ''[http://times-journal.com/index.lasso? The Times Journal]''
*Newspapers
**''The [[Times-Journal]]''
**''[[The Dekalb Advertiser]]''
**''Southern Torch''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://southerntorch.com/|title=Homepage|website=Southern Torch|access-date=April 15, 2019}}</ref>


==Infrastructure==
== Transportation ==
===Health care===
*DeKalb Regional Medical Center- 134-bed facility

===Transportation===
*[[Image:I-59.svg|25px]] [[Interstate 59]]
*[[Image:I-59.svg|25px]] [[Interstate 59]]
*[[Image:US 11.svg|25px]] [[U.S. Route 11 in Alabama|U.S. Highway 11]]
*[[Image:US 11.svg|25px]] [[U.S. Route 11 in Alabama|U.S. Highway 11]]
*[[Image:Alabama 35.svg|25px]] [[Alabama State Route 35]]
*[[Image:Alabama 35.svg|25px]] [[Alabama State Route 35]]
*[[Image:Nsheadlogo.svg|45px]] [[Norfolk Southern Railway]]
*[[Norfolk Southern Railway]]
*[[Image:CZ-A20 Letadla.jpg|25px]] [[Isbell Field]] (municipal airport)
*[[File:Airport Sign.svg|25px]] [[Isbell Field]] (municipal airport)


==Notable natives and residents==
==Notable people==
*[[Miles C. Allgood]], Congressman, State Auditor
*[[Miles C. Allgood]] (1878–1977), [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. congressman]]
*[[Mark E. Biddle]], [[Old Testament]] scholar
*[[Randy Owen]], [[Jeff Cook]] and Teddy Gentry, of the country music band [[Alabama (band)|Alabama]]
*[[Harry B. Brock, Jr.]], banker and philanthropist
*Lt. Gen. [[Duward Crow]], Assistant Vice Chief of Staff, USAF and Associate Deputy Administrator, NASA
*[[Weston Burt]], country music singer
*[[Howard Finster]], famous religious folk artist and Baptist minister, pastor of [http://www.fortpayne.net/mtcarmel Mount Carmel Baptist Church]
*[[David Brown (translator)]], Cherokee interpreter and missionary
*[[Jeff Cook]], [[Teddy Gentry]], and [[Randy Owen]], founders of the [[country music]] band [[Alabama (American band)|Alabama]]
*[[Thomas H. Cook]], mystery writer
*Lt. Gen. [[Duward Crow]] (1919–1997), Assistant Vice Chief of Staff, [[United States Air Force|USAF]] and Associate Deputy Administrator, [[NASA]]
*James Dean, author, artist ([[Pete the Cat]])
*[[Jerry Ellis (author)|Jerry Ellis]], author
*[[Howard Finster]], religious [[folk art]]ist and [[Baptists|Baptist minister]]
*Flock Family ([[NASCAR]] drivers)
*Flock Family ([[NASCAR]] drivers)
:*[[Bob Flock]]
**[[Bob Flock]] (1918–1964)
:*[[Fonty Flock]]
**[[Fonty Flock]] (1921–1972)
:*[[Tim Flock]]
**[[Tim Flock]] (1924–1998)
:*[[Ethel Mobley]]
**[[Ethel Mobley]] (1920–1984)
*[[Milford W. Howard]], Congressman, author and silent film producer and actor
*[[Milford W. Howard]], congressman and author
*[[Sheila LaBarre]], convicted murderer
*Lt. Gen. [[Forrest S. McCartney]], USAF, commander, [[John F. Kennedy Space Center]]
*Lt. Gen. [[Forrest S. McCartney]], [[United States Air Force|USAF]], and director of the [[John F. Kennedy Space Center]]
*[[James McKinney (musician)|James McKinney]], [[5-string banjo]] player
*[[Evan McPherson]], [[National Football League|NFL]] player
*[[Larry Nelson]], professional golfer
*[[Larry Nelson]], professional golfer
*[[Philip Ober]], actor
*[[Philip Ober]], actor
*[[Lilius Bratton Rainey]], Congressman
*[[Lilius Bratton Rainey]], congressman
*[[Ron Sparks (politician)|Ron Sparks]], Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries
*[[Ron Sparks (politician)|Ron Sparks]], Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries, 2010 Democratic gubernatorial nominee
*[[Katherine Stinson]], pioneer aviatrix, fourth woman in the U.S. to become a licensed pilot
*[[Edward Stinson]], aviator and founder of the [[Stinson Aircraft Company]]
*[[Katherine Stinson]], pioneer aviator, fourth woman in the U.S. to become a licensed pilot; sister of Edward Stinson

==Local facts==
For a time beginning in 1989, Fort Payne held the world record for "Largest Cake Ever Baked", for a cake of {{convert|128238|lb}} baked to commemorate the city's centennial.<ref>"Biggest and Most and Devoured in the U.S.A.," ''The New York Times'', July 3, 1991</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{Mapit-US-cityscale|34.453829|-85.706648}}
{{Wikivoyage|Fort Payne}}
* [http://www.fortpayne.org FortPayne.org]
* [http://www.FortPayne.info FortPayne Information Site]
* [http://www.fortpayne.org City of Fort Payne official website]
* [http://www.fortpayne.net Fort Payne OnLine]
* [http://www.boomdays.org BoomDays.org]
* [http://www.landmarksdekalbal.org/ Landmarks of DeKalb County, Alabama]


{{DeKalb County, Alabama}}
{{DeKalb County, Alabama}}
{{Largest cities of Alabama}}
{{Alabama county seats}}


{{authority control}}
.


[[Category:Cities in Alabama]]
[[Category:Cities in Alabama]]
[[Category:DeKalb County, Alabama]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1889]]
[[Category:Cities in DeKalb County, Alabama]]
[[Category:Micropolitan areas of Alabama]]
[[Category:Micropolitan areas of Alabama]]
[[Category:County seats in Alabama]]
[[Category:County seats in Alabama]]
[[Category:U.S. Route 11]]

[[de:Fort Payne]]
[[fr:Fort Payne (Alabama)]]
[[io:Fort Payne, Alabama]]
[[id:Fort Payne, Alabama]]
[[it:Fort Payne]]
[[ht:Fort Payne (Alabama)]]
[[nl:Fort Payne]]
[[pl:Fort Payne]]
[[pt:Fort Payne]]
[[simple:Fort Payne, Alabama]]
[[vo:Fort Payne]]

Latest revision as of 13:27, 18 November 2024

Fort Payne
City
Gault Avenue in downtown Fort Payne
Gault Avenue in downtown Fort Payne
Flag of Fort Payne
Flag
Official logo of Fort Payne
logo
Nickname: 
Official Sock Capital of the World
Location of Fort Payne in DeKalb County, Alabama.
Location of Fort Payne in DeKalb County, Alabama.
Coordinates: 34°27′13″N 85°42′23″W / 34.45361°N 85.70639°W / 34.45361; -85.70639
CountryUnited States
StateAlabama
CountyDeKalb
Government
 • TypeMayor-Council (5 members)
 • MayorBrian Baine
Area
[1]
 • Total
56.76 sq mi (147.01 km2)
 • Land56.41 sq mi (146.09 km2)
 • Water0.35 sq mi (0.92 km2)
Elevation
[2]
1,079 ft (329 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
14,877
 • Density263.75/sq mi (101.83/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
35967-35968
Area code256
FIPS code01-27616
GNIS feature ID2403645[2]
Websitewww.fortpayne.org

Fort Payne is a city in and county seat of DeKalb County, in northeastern Alabama, United States. It is near Lookout Mountain. At the 2020 census, the population was 14,877.

This city developed around a fort of the same name, built in the 1830s to intern the Cherokee tribe who were being rounded up by the military before being forcibly removed to Indian Territory in 1838 on what they called the Trail of Tears.

European-American settlers gradually developed a community around the former fort. It grew rapidly in the late 19th century based on industrial resources, and manufacturing increased in the early 20th century. At the beginning of the 21st century, it still had 7000 workers in 100 mills producing varieties of socks, nearly half the world production. The volume of production has declined because of competition from China.

History

[edit]

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, this was the site of Willstown, an important town of the Lower Cherokee. They had moved south along the Tennessee River and into what became Alabama in an effort to escape European-American pressure.

For a time this was the home of Sequoyah, a silversmith who by 1821 created the Cherokee syllabary, one of the few writing systems created by an individual from a pre-literate culture.[3] In Alabama, his people soon started publishing the first newspaper in Cherokee and English, The Cherokee Phoenix.[3]

This settlement was commonly called Willstown after its headman, Will Weber, who had striking red hair. He was the son of Cherokee and German parents and raised as Cherokee.

John Norton, a man born in Scotland about 1770 to Scottish and Cherokee parents, visited this area and other parts of the Cherokee homeland in 1809-1810. He had come to North America as a British soldier and became close to Mohawk people at the Grand River Reserve in Ontario, where he served as an interpreter.[4]

During the 1830s prior to Indian removal, the US Army under command of Major John Payne built a fort near Willstown to intern Cherokee from Alabama until they were forcibly removed to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). Their forced exile became known as the Trail of Tears. Only a chimney of Fort Payne still stands in the downtown of the city that developed around it.

19th-20th century growth

[edit]
The DeKalb Hotel, built in the Boom in 1889, burned 1918

Although European Americans had pressed for Indian removal in the Southeast because they wanted land to cultivate, by the 1860s, the city of Fort Payne and the surrounding area were only sparsely settled. Development of cotton plantations and larger settlements had taken place in the uplands region known as the Black Belt. With no strategic targets nearby, during the Civil War only minor skirmishes between Union and Confederate forces took place here. About the time of the Second Battle of Chattanooga, a large Union force briefly entered the county, but it did not engage substantial Confederate forces.[5][6]

In 1878 the city Fort Payne was designated as the county seat, and in 1889 it was incorporated as a town. The community of Lebanon had served as the DeKalb county seat since 1850. With the completion of rail lines between Birmingham and Chattanooga that went through Fort Payne, the city's growth was stimulated by connection to this new transportation route. County sentiment had supported having the seat in a community served by the railroad, seen as key to the future.[6]

In the late 1880s, Fort Payne's growth was stimulated after the discovery of coal and iron deposits, needed to support industrialization. Investors and especially workers from New England and the North flooded into the region for new jobs. This period is called the "Boom Days", or simply the "Boom".

Many of the notable historic buildings in Fort Payne date from this period of economic growth and prosperity, including the state's oldest standing theater, the Fort Payne Opera House; the former factory of the Hardware Manufacturing Company (today known as the W. B. Davis Mill Building, now the location of the Fort Payne Depot Museum, and formerly the passenger station for the present-day Norfolk Southern Railway. Following the decline of passenger traffic in the mid-20th century as people took to automobiles, today the depot serves as a museum of local history.[7]

The iron and coal deposits were much smaller than expected. Many of the promoters left the region for Birmingham, Alabama, which became the state's major industrial city. Fort Payne suffered a period of economic decline. In 1907, the W.B. Davis Hosiery Mill began operations, processing area cotton to produce socks and hosiery. Hosiery manufacture has led the economy in Fort Payne.[8] At the beginning of the 21st century, the hosiery industry in Fort Payne employed over 7,000 people in more than 100 mills. It produced more than half of the socks made in the United States and claimed to be the "Sock Capital of the World."

Beginning in the 1990s, the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Central American Free Trade Agreement lowered tariffs on textile products imported into the United States, resulting in large increases in sock imports. By the early 2000s a very large, highly-efficient centre for sock production had grown up around Datang, Zhuji in Zhejiang Province, China. Raw materials and hosiery machines were also manufactured at Datang. While in Fort Payne a company might have to wait two months for a replacement part for a hosiery machine to arrive from Italy, a manufacturer in Datang would have to wait half an hour for the part to arrive from a local company.

American multinational retail corporations began to source hosiery products from Datang. The American companies’ strict negotiating positions required the Datang producers to accept as little as 3% profit. As American retail corporations began to source their products from China, Datang became the new "Sock Capital of the World."[9] Many businesses in Fort Payne accused foreign manufacturers, particularly those from China, of engaging in dumping of socks below cost to force American companies out of the sock business. By 2005, hosiery mill employment in Fort Payne had declined to around 5,500, and several mills had closed. In late 2005, the federal government gained an agreement with the Chinese government to slow the schedule for the removal of tariffs, delaying their full removal until 2008.[10][11] The hosiery industry continues to have a foothold in the community, diversifying from athletic socks to boutique designs such as Zkano, and other specialty and medical socks.

In the 1990s, facing the international threat to their manufacturing, business and civic leaders in Fort Payne began to take steps to diversify the city's economy. Several new commercial and industrial projects were developed. The largest was the 2006 construction of a distribution center for The Children's Place stores, a facility that employed 600 people in its first phase of operation.[12]

Other large corporations represented in Fort Payne include Heil Environmental Industries (a division of Dover Industries, manufacturing sanitation trucks); Vulcraft (a division of Nucor Corporation, manufacturing steel roofing systems); and Game Time (a division of Playcore, manufacturing commercial playground equipment).

Geography

[edit]
Aerial view of Fort Payne

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 55.8 square miles (144.6 km2), of which 55.5 square miles (143.7 km2) is land and 0.35 square miles (0.9 km2), or 0.64%, is water.[13]

The city center lies in a narrow valley on Big Wills Creek in the Cumberland Plateau region immediately west of Lookout Mountain, with Sand Mountain at a distance to the west. The city limits reach to the east and south so that more than half of the city's area is now located on Lookout Mountain. Drainage is through Big Wills Creek to the Coosa River.

A magnitude 4.9 earthquake occurred here in 2003.[14]

Climate

[edit]

Fort Payne is notable for a subtropical climate. Winters usually feature measurable, though infrequent, snow. Cloudmont Ski Resort on Lookout Mountain generates man-made snow as winter temperatures permit. The area is subject to occasional tornadoes. The city's northern side was struck by F3 and F4 tornadoes February 29, 1952 and May 19, 1973, respectively, both of which caused considerable damage.[15][16][17][18][19] Exactly ten years later, a tornado struck the city again. In the Palm Sunday tornado outbreak of 1994, an F3 tornado passed just west of the city[20]

Occasionally, a hurricane that has made landfall in the Gulf of Mexico will reach Fort Payne as a tropical storm or tropical depression. However, in 1995 the eye of Hurricane Opal reached Fort Payne with hurricane-force winds.[21] The 1993 Storm of the Century dumped more than 20 inches (51 cm) of snow on Fort Payne, immobilizing the city and the surrounding area for days. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfa". (Humid Subtropical Climate).[22]

Climate data for Fort Payne, Alabama, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 2001–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 76
(24) 		81
(27) 		87
(31) 		89
(32) 		94
(34) 		102
(39) 		104
(40) 		103
(39) 		100
(38) 		102
(39) 		89
(32) 		77
(25) 		104
(40)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 70.0
(21.1) 		73.1
(22.8) 		80.6
(27.0) 		85.1
(29.5) 		90.5
(32.5) 		95.8
(35.4) 		97.3
(36.3) 		97.3
(36.3) 		93.9
(34.4) 		88.1
(31.2) 		77.8
(25.4) 		71.9
(22.2) 		98.9
(37.2)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 52.2
(11.2) 		56.7
(13.7) 		65.1
(18.4) 		73.5
(23.1) 		81.0
(27.2) 		87.7
(30.9) 		90.8
(32.7) 		90.2
(32.3) 		85.8
(29.9) 		76.1
(24.5) 		64.1
(17.8) 		55.4
(13.0) 		73.2
(22.9)
Daily mean °F (°C) 41.8
(5.4) 		46.2
(7.9) 		53.7
(12.1) 		61.5
(16.4) 		69.7
(20.9) 		77.1
(25.1) 		80.4
(26.9) 		79.7
(26.5) 		74.7
(23.7) 		63.9
(17.7) 		52.6
(11.4) 		45.1
(7.3) 		62.2
(16.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 31.5
(−0.3) 		35.6
(2.0) 		42.4
(5.8) 		49.5
(9.7) 		58.4
(14.7) 		66.6
(19.2) 		70.0
(21.1) 		69.2
(20.7) 		63.7
(17.6) 		51.8
(11.0) 		41.2
(5.1) 		34.9
(1.6) 		51.2
(10.7)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 13.1
(−10.5) 		19.5
(−6.9) 		24.8
(−4.0) 		33.8
(1.0) 		42.5
(5.8) 		57.1
(13.9) 		62.2
(16.8) 		61.6
(16.4) 		52.2
(11.2) 		34.7
(1.5) 		23.8
(−4.6) 		19.9
(−6.7) 		11.7
(−11.3)
Record low °F (°C) 1
(−17) 		8
(−13) 		18
(−8) 		27
(−3) 		38
(3) 		52
(11) 		55
(13) 		51
(11) 		40
(4) 		28
(−2) 		15
(−9) 		6
(−14) 		1
(−17)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 5.27
(134) 		5.39
(137) 		5.28
(134) 		5.07
(129) 		5.01
(127) 		4.60
(117) 		5.38
(137) 		3.86
(98) 		4.42
(112) 		3.60
(91) 		4.53
(115) 		5.62
(143) 		58.03
(1,474)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 8.3 9.2 8.6 8.8 9.1 9.1 10.4 7.8 6.2 6.5 8.0 9.0 101.0
Source 1: NOAA (precip days 1981–2010)[23][24]
Source 2: National Weather Service (mean maxima/minima 2006–2020)[25]

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18902,698—
19001,037−61.6%
19101,31727.0%
19202,02553.8%
19303,37566.7%
19404,42431.1%
19506,22640.7%
19607,02912.9%
19708,43520.0%
198011,48536.2%
199011,8383.1%
200012,9389.3%
201014,0128.3%
202014,8776.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[26]

2020 census

[edit]
Fort Payne racial composition[27]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 9,852 66.21%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 498 3.35%
Native American 91 0.61%
Asian 118 0.79%
Pacific Islander 5 0.03%
Other/Mixed 651 4.38%
Hispanic or Latino 3,665 24.63%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 14,877 people, 5,066 households, and 3,219 families residing in the city.

2010 census

[edit]

Fort Payne had at the 2010 census a population of 14,012. There were 5,296 households. The racial makeup of the population was 72.0% non-Hispanic white, 4.2% black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.1% non-Hispanic from some other race, 2.5% reporting two or more races and 20.9% Hispanic or Latino of any race.[28]

2000 census

[edit]

As of the census[29] of 2000, there were 12,938 people, 5,046 households, and 3,506 families residing in the city.[30] The population density was 231.5 inhabitants per square mile (89.4/km2). There were 5,585 housing units at an average density of 100.0 per square mile (38.6/km2)[31] The racial makeup of the city was 83.22% White, 4.53% Black or African American, 0.80% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 8.41% from other races, and 2.33% from two or more races. 12.17% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[30]

There were 5,046 households, out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.97.[30]

In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.4% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.[30]

The median income for a household in the city was $33,560, and the median income for a family was $40,200. Males had a median income of $29,731 versus $20,135 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,690. About 8.3% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.0% of those under age 18 and 17.6% of those age 65 or over.[30]

Arts and culture

[edit]
Former city hall, now police headquarters
DeKalb County Courthouse

The ruins of the old Fort Payne are visible in the historic downtown of the city.

The National Park Service has headquarters here for the nearby Little River Canyon National Preserve, a 14,000-acre (57 km2) protected area established by Congress in 1992. The canyon is on Lookout Mountain outside the city limits.

Another natural attraction is DeSoto State Park. While smaller in area, it has a lodge, restaurant, cabins, and river access areas. Manitou Cave is also near Fort Payne.

The country music group Alabama is based in Fort Payne. The city also houses the group's fan club and museum.

Fort Payne is within a 30-minute drive of substantial water recreational areas, notably Guntersville Lake and Weiss Lake, an artificial lake on the Coosa River. Fort Payne is also near Mentone, a popular mountain resort area known for summer children's camps, rustic hotels, restaurants, and cabins.

Education

[edit]

Fort Payne is served by the Fort Payne City Schools system. Schools in the district include Wills Valley Elementary (K-2), Little Ridge Intermediate (3-5) Fort Payne Middle School (6-8), and Fort Payne High School (9-12).

Brian Jett is the Superintendent of Education.[32]

Media

[edit]

Infrastructure

[edit]

Health care

[edit]
  • DeKalb Regional Medical Center- 134-bed facility

Transportation

[edit]

Notable people

[edit]

Local facts

[edit]

For a time beginning in 1989, Fort Payne held the world record for "Largest Cake Ever Baked", for a cake of 128,238 pounds (58,168 kg) baked to commemorate the city's centennial.[34]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Fort Payne, Alabama
  3. ^ a b Wilford, John Noble (June 22, 2009). "Carvings From Cherokee Script's Dawn". New York Times. Retrieved June 23, 2009.
  4. ^ *Taylor, Alan, The Divided Ground, Indians, Settlers, and the Northern Borderland of the American Revolution, 2006, ISBN 0-679-45471-3, pp.6-7
  5. ^ "Civil War Skirmishes". Landmarks of DeKalb County. March 18, 2016.
  6. ^ a b "History of DeKalb County". Landmarks of DeKalb. November 23, 2015.
  7. ^ "History of DeKalb County". DeKalb County Tourist Association. Archived from the original on November 21, 2008.
  8. ^ "Fort Payne". Landmarks of DeKalb Communities. March 15, 2016.
  9. ^ "这个号称"国际袜都"的小镇，现在怎么样了？". January 11, 2022.
  10. ^ "Government Acts to Help Textile Mills". The Gadsden Times. November 9, 2005. p. B1.
  11. ^ "'Sock Capital of the World' Fights Back". The Huntsville Times. September 1, 2004. p. B2.
  12. ^ "New Retail Distribution Center in DeKalb Will Employ up to 600 Workers". The Gadsden Times. September 27, 2006. p. A1.
  13. ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Fort Payne city, Alabama". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved October 5, 2015.[dead link‍]
  14. ^ U.S. Geological Survey: Fort Payne, Alabama Earthquake of 29 April 2003
  15. ^ "Climatological Data National Summary Publication | IPS | National Climatic Data Center (NCDC)". www.ncdc.noaa.gov. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  16. ^ US Department of Commerce, NOAA. "February 29th, 1952 Fayetteville Tornado Weather Setup". www.weather.gov. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  17. ^ "Alabama F3". Tornado History Project. Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  18. ^ Alabama Event Report: F3 Tornado. National Weather Service (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  19. ^ Huntsville Tornado Database, National Weather Service
  20. ^ "DeKalb Assessing Tornado Damage," The Huntsville Times, March 29, 1994, p. B1
  21. ^ "Area Escapes Storm's Worst," The Huntsville Times, October 5, 1995, p. A1
  22. ^ Climate Summary for Fort Payne
  23. ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: FT Payne, AL (1991–2020)". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  24. ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Fort Payne, AL". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  25. ^ "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Huntsville". National Weather Service. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  26. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". Census.gov. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
  27. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  28. ^ 2010 general profile of population and housing characteristics of Fort Payne from the US census
  29. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  30. ^ a b c d e "Fact Sheet". American Fast Facts. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2010.
  31. ^ "Geographic Comparison Table- Alabama". American Fast Facts. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2010.
  32. ^ "Fort Payne City Schools". Fort Payne City Schools. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
  33. ^ "Homepage". Southern Torch. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  34. ^ "Biggest and Most and Devoured in the U.S.A.," The New York Times, July 3, 1991
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fort Payne, Alabama.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Fort Payne.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Fort_Payne,_Alabama&oldid=1258163736"