Dale County, Alabama

Dale County
County
Location within the U.S. state of Alabama
Alabama's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 31°26′00″N 85°36′00″W
Country	United States
State	Alabama
Founded	December 22, 1824
Seat	Ozark
Largest city	Ozark
Area
• Total	562.67 sq mi (1,457.3 km2)
• Land	561.07 sq mi (1,453.2 km2)
• Water	1.60 sq mi (4.1 km2)  0.3%
Population  (2010)
• Total	50,251
• Density	89/sq mi (34.5/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Website	www.dalecountyal.org

Dale County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. The vast majority of Fort Rucker U.S. Army Aviation Center for Excellence is located in Dale County. Its name is in honor of General Samuel Dale. As of the 2010 census the population was 50,251. Its county seat and largest city is Ozark.

Dale County is part of the Enterprise–Ozark Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The area now known as Dale County was originally inhabited by members of the Creek Indian nation, who occupied all of southeastern Alabama during this period. The county, together with the surrounding area, was ceded to the United States in the 1814 Treaty of Fort Jackson, ending the Creek Indian Wars. A blockhouse had been constructed during the conflict on the northwestern side of the Choctawhatchee River, and the first non-Indian residents of Dale County would be veterans who began to settle in the area around 1820.

Dale County was established on December 22, 1824. It originally included the whole of what is now Coffee County and Geneva County, together with the "panhandle" portion of Houston County. The original county seat was located at Dale's Court House (now the town of Daleville), but when Coffee County split from Dale in 1841, the seat was moved to Newton. Here it remained until 1870 when, following a courthouse fire in 1869 and the formation of Geneva County (which took the southern third of Dale County), the county seat was moved to the town of Ozark, where it remains. In 1903 a small portion of the southeast part of Dale county was joined to the newly-formed Houston County.

Portions of the 15th Regiment of Alabama Infantry, which served with great distinction throughout the U.S. Civil War, were recruited in Dale County, with all of Co. "E" and part of Co. "H" being composed of Dale County residents. This unit is most famous for being the regiment that confronted the 20th Maine on the Little Round Top during the Battle of Gettysburg on July 2, 1863. Despite several ferocious assaults, the 15th was ultimately unable to dislodge the Union troops, and was ultimately forced to retreat after a desperate bayonet charge led by the 20th Maine's commander, Col. Joshua L. Chamberlain. This assault was vividly recreated in Ronald F. Maxwell's 1993 film Gettysburg.

Geography

Dale County is located in the southeastern corner of the State of Alabama. According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 562.67 square miles (1,457.3 km²), of which 561.07 square miles (1,453.2 km²) (or 99.72%) is land and 1.60 square miles (4.1 km²) (or 0.28%) is water.

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 84
• U.S. Highway 231
• State Route 27
• State Route 51
• State Route 85
• State Route 92
• State Route 123
• State Route 134

Adjacent counties

• Barbour County (north)
• Henry County (east)
• Houston County (southeast)
• Geneva County (southwest)
• Coffee County (west)
• Pike County (northwest)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1830	2,031		—
1840	7,397		264.2%
1850	6,382		−13.7%
1860	12,197		91.1%
1870	11,325		−7.1%
1880	12,677		11.9%
1890	17,225		35.9%
1900	21,189		23.0%
1910	21,608		2.0%
1920	22,711		5.1%
1930	23,175		2.0%
1940	22,685		−2.1%
1950	20,828		−8.2%
1960	31,066		49.2%
1970	52,995		70.6%
1980	47,821		−9.8%
1990	49,633		3.8%
2000	49,129		−1.0%
2010	50,251		2.3%
2011 (est.)	50,044		−0.4%
U.S. Decennial Census 2011 estimate through 1960

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 49,129 people, 18,878 households, and 13,629 families residing in the county. The population density was 88 people per square mile (34/km²). There were 21,779 housing units at an average density of 39 per square mile (15/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 74.4% White, 20.4% Black or African American, 0.60% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 1.3% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. 3.4% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 2.85% of the population reported speaking Spanish at home, while 1.51% speak German.[1]

There were 18,878 households out of which 36% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.5 and the average family size was 3.0.

In the county the population was spread out with 26.6% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,998, and the median income for a family was $37,806. Males had a median income of $29,844 versus $19,988 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,010. 15% of the population and 12.6% of families were below the poverty line. 19.4% of those under the age of 18 and 16.5% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Municipalities and census-designated places

• Ariton
• Clayhatchee
• Daleville
• Dothan (part - most of Dothan is in Houston County, with additional portions in Henry County)
• Enterprise (part - most of Enterprise is in Coffee County)
• Fort Rucker (U.S. Army base, treated as a census-designated place)
• Grimes
• Level Plains
• Midland City
• Napier Field
• Newton
• Ozark
• Pinckard

Unincorporated communities

• Arguta (southwest of Blue Springs)
• Asbury (northeast of Ozark)
• Barefield Crossroads (west of Abbeville)
• Barnes (southeast of Abbeville)
• Beamon (northeast of Ozark)
• Bells Crossroads (northwest of Clayton)
• Bertha (southeast of Blue Springs)
• Bethel (southwest of Clio)
• Browns Crossroad (northeast of Newton)
• Clopton (southeast of Blue Springs)
• Dill (north of Ozark)
• Dillard (northwest of Ozark)
• Dykes Crossroad (southwest of Blue Springs)
• Echo (east of Ozark)
• Ewell (southeast of Ozark)
• Gerald (northwest of Daleville)
• Kelly (southwest of Newton)
• Mabson (east of Ozark)
• Marley Mill (northwest of Ozark)
• Plainview (north of Newton)
• Roberts Crossroads (south of Blue Springs)
• Rocky Head (southwest of Clio)
• Skipperville (northeast of Ozark)
• Sylvan Grove (northeast of Midland City)
• Waterford (north of Newton)
• Wicksburg

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Dale County, Alabama
• Properties on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in Dale County, Alabama