West Blocton

West Blocton is located in Bibb County just southwest of Birmingham in the central part of the state. It has a mayor/city council form of government.

West Blocton sprang up in the late nineteenth century near mines owned by the Cahaba Coal Company. It was the fastest-growing town in the coal-mining district and had a reputation for lawlessness. It first was dubbed Suttletown after an early store owner in the area, then Smith, and finally West Blocton to differentiate it from the nearby town of Blocton, which no longer exists. Both towns supposedly derived their names from the huge intact blocks of coal, some weighing as much as a ton, that were removed from the mine. West Blocton was incorporated in 1901.

Several businesses quickly opened, including a dispensary that gave half of its profits to the town. Other businesses included dry goods stores, a stable, and a photographer. A rudimentary water system was available by 1902, and the first public school opened in 1903. The first post office opened in 1904. The town was notable for its large Jewish community, which had largely disappeared by the 1920s.

In 1903, West Blocton was hit by a tornado, then by a flood in 1916, and then by a major fire in 1927. The town rebuilt each time. In 1935, the town's high school was declared structurally unsound and a new one was built.

According to 2020 Census estimates, West Blocton recorded a population of 1,198. Of that number, 89.6 percent of respondents identified themselves as white, 9.5 percent as African American, 2.5 percent as Hispanic, and 0.9 percent as two or more races. The town's median household income was $36,667, and the per capita income was $22,867.

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

Public education in West Blocton is overseen by the Bibb County Public Schools in one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school. There is also a 9-12 vocational high school.

West Blocton is traversed by State Highway 5, which runs north-south on the west side of the town, and County Road 24, which bisects the town running east and west.

Each year, West Blocton holds the Cahaba Lily Festival in May to coincide with the blooming period of this Alabama native aquatic plant in the shoals of the nearby Cahaba River. The festival features lectures, craft vendors, a luncheon, and canoe tours of the blooming area. Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge, located in West Blocton, is home to the largest occurrence of Cahaba lilies in the state.

Blocton Italian Catholic Cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the West Blocton Commercial Historic District (c. 1922) is listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

Additional Resources

Adams, Charles Edward. Blocton: The History of an Alabama Coal Mining Town. Brierfield, Ala.: Cahaba Trace Commission, 2001.

Ellison, Rhonda Coleman. Bibb County, Alabama: The First Hundred Years. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1984.