Tallassee

Tallassee is located on the Tallapoosa River in both Tallapoosa and Elmore Counties in east-central Alabama. Osceola, a Seminole chief, was born in the Creek town of Talisi.

Prior to white settlement, the Tallassee area was originally inhabited by the Creeks. Its name is probably an adaptation of the name Talisi, an important Creek town located nearby. Few settlers lived in the area until after the Creeks were removed forcibly from their land in 1832. By 1835, however, the town had been laid out and was inhabited by a number of settlers. The first post office was opened in either 1836 or 1837. In 1836, the services of the "Tallassee Guards" were offered to the Gov. Clement Comer Clay in the Second Creek War.

By 1841, the Tallassee Falls Manufacturing Company began producing first cotton and later wool cloth. The owners took advantage of the nearby Tallassee Falls to power the facility, the second such mill built in the state; it would remain a major part of the town's economy for more than 160 years. During the Civil War, the plant supplied cloth for uniforms for the Confederate Army, and in 1863 a carbine rifle manufacturing facility also was constructed there.

During the war, the Tallassee Guards became part of the Confederate forces. Because of the arms manufacturing facility located in Tallassee, federal forces attempted at least two unsuccessful raids. After the war, the continued operation of the mills helped Tallassee weather Reconstruction better than most towns.

In 1900, the Tallassee Falls Manufacturing Company became part of the Mount Vernon-Woodberry Cotton Duck Company. The town itself remained largely isolated until late in the century, when in an expansion the mill built a railroad to Montgomery, Montgomery County. The first train ran in 1896. At the same time a dam was constructed across the Tallapoosa River to generate power for the mill and the town. In 1915, the Tallassee school system was established. Also in 1915, a fire damaged a number of buildings downtown, and in 1916 a tornado caused minor damage, in particular to the mill's company store. The mill, after some financial difficulties, was restructured as the Mount Vernon-Woodberry Mills Inc.

The Tallassee National Guard Company served in World War I, and a community library was established in 1921. During World War II, the mills received awards of excellence from the U.S. Army for production of war materials.

The last textile mills in Tallassee closed their doors in 2005, with the loss of approximately 580 jobs. The Hotel Talisi, a local landmark, burned as a result of arson in November 2009.

According to 2020 Census estimates, Tallassee recorded a population of 4,818. Of that number, 73.3 percent of respondents identified themselves as white, 23.4 percent as African American, 2.7 percent as two or more races, 1.8 percent as Hispanic, and 0.1 percent as Asian. The town's median household income was $50,313, and the per capita income was $25,948.

According to 2020 Census estimates, the workforce in Tallassee was divided among the following industrial categories:

Tallassee schools are part of the Tallassee City School System. The city has one elementary school, one middle school, one junior high school, and one high school.

Tallassee is served by State Highway 14, which runs northwest-northeast through the town, and State Highway 229, which runs northwest-south. Tallassee Municipal Airport serves general aviation.

The Tallassee Commercial Historic District and the Tallassee Mill are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Confederate Arsenal House (Elliott House), the First United Methodist Church, Herron Hill, the Hotel Talisi, and the Tallassee Mill are all listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

Tallassee holds an annual Trade Day arts and crafts show in October that includes food, live entertainment, and a children's area. The city also holds a Farmers' Market each Saturday from June through late August.

Additional Resources

Golden, Virginia Noble. A History of Tallassee for Tallasseeans. Tallassee, Ala.: Tallassee Mills of Mount Vernon-Woodberry Mills, Incorporated, 1949.

Wadsworth, E. W. A History of Tallassee. Montgomery, Ala.: Blount Foundation, 2004.