Hurtsboro

James P. Kaetz, Auburn University
Hurtsboro is located in central Russell County in southeastern Alabama. It has a mayor city-council form of government.
History
Hurtsboro City Hall
The area near Hurtsboro was settled somewhat later than other sections of Russell County because it was located somewhat south of the Federal Road, the main route for settlement in the early nineteenth century, and thus did not immediately benefit from the tide of settlers coming in on the road. In 1857, Joel Hurt Sr. and his partner William Marshall established a sawmill near the route of the Mobile and Girard Railroad. The settlement that grew up around the sawmill became known as Hurtsville. When the town incorporated in 1872, the name was changed to Hurtsboro to avoid any confusion in the postal service with already incorporated Huntsville.
Hurtsboro's zenith came in the early 1900s, when two railways, the Central of Georgia and the Seaboard Airline, both extended lines through the town and shared a depot there. Stores and hotels serving travelers on the two lines fronted the Central of Georgia track. With the decline in railway travel came a corresponding decline in the city's population.
On April 1, 1981, Hurtsboro was dealt a severe blow when a tornado hit the town, killing two and injuring 23 and damaging many downtown buildings and residences.
Demographics
According to 2016 Census estimates, Hurtsboro recorded a population of 582. Of that number, 66.7 percent identified themselves as black, 31.6 percent as white, 1.7 percent as Native American, and 0.7 percent as Hispanic. The city's median household income was $20,536, and per capita income was $13,768.
Employment
According to 2016 Census estimates, the workforce in Hurtsboro was divided among the following industrial categories:
  • Educational services, and health care and social assistance (26.9 percent)
  • Manufacturing (20.8 percent)
  • Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and extractive (11.5 percent)
  • Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services (10.8 percent)
  • Other services, except public administration (7.4 percent)
  • Arts, entertainment, recreation, and accommodation and food services (5.4 percent)
  • Finance, insurance, and real estate, rental, and leasing (5.4 percent)
  • Public administration (5.4 percent)
  • Construction (3.1 percent)
  • Transportation and warehousing and utilities (3.1 percent)
Education
Schools in Hurtsboro are part of the Russell County School District; the town has one elementary school.
Transportation
Hurtsboro lies on State Highway 51, which runs north-southwest through the city, and State Highway 26, which runs east-west. County Road 10 runs northwest from the city, and County Road 40 runs southeast from the city.
Events and Places of Interest
The Joel Hurt House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as is the Hurtsboro Historic District.

Additional Resources

Russell County Heritage Book Committee. The Heritage of Russell County, Alabama. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 2003.
Published:  July 15, 2011   |   Last updated:  January 1, 1970