Ider

Ider is located in northern DeKalb County in the northeastern part of the state. It has a mayor/city council form of government. Bluegrass musician and instrument maker Gene Ivey is from Ider.

According to one source, the first post office was established in Ider in October 1856, but another source places its founding in November 1877. The origin of the town's name is uncertain; one possibility is that it might be a variation of the name "Ida." One of the earliest schools located in Ider was the Marona School, which graduated a class of 24 in 1895. The post office was closed in 1907 and reestablished in 1924. Ider is known for its Sacred Harp singings, and Terry Wootten, a member of the committee that produced the Denson Edition of the The Sacred Harp songbook, was born in Ider. The town's economy has centered primarily on agriculture since its founding; it incorporated in October 1973.

Ider's population according to the 2010 Census was 723. Of that number, 93.2 percent of respondents identified themselves as white, 4.0 percent as Native American, 2.1 percent as two or more races, 0.6 percent as African American, and 0.1 percent as Hispanic or Latino. The town's median household income, according to 2010 estimates, was $31,324, and the per capita income was $16,259.

According to 2010 Census estimates, the work force in Ider was divided among the following industrial categories:

· Educational services, and health care and social assistance (23.4   percent)
· Manufacturing (20.7 percent)
· Transportation and warehousing and utilities (12.7 percent)
· Finance, insurance, and real estate, rental, and leasing (8.6 percent)
· Arts, entertainment, recreation, and accommodation and food services   (8.0 percent)
· Professional, scientific, management, and administrative and waste   management services (7.7 percent)
· Other services, except public administration (5.9 percent)
· Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and extractive (4.7 percent)
· Retail trade (4.1 percent)
· Information (1.8 percent)
· Construction (1.2 percent)
· Wholesale trade (1.2 percent)

Schools in Ider are part of the DeKalb County school system; the town has approximately 860 students and 53 teachers in one K-12 school.

State Highway 117 runs northwest-southeast through Ider, and State Highway 75 runs northeast-southwest.

Ider holds an annual Mule Day festival on Labor Day. It includes a parade, an antique car show, arts and crafts vendors, food, and entertainment. The town also holds a Homecoming parade and a Christmas parade.

Ider maintains one municipal park that has a walking trail, tennis courts, baseball fields, playground equipment, and an outdoor stage.

Additional Resources

Adams, Berthel. Trailing Smokes: A Pictorial History of Ider School District, DeKalb County, Alabama. Collegedale, Tenn.: The College Press, 1973.

DeKalb County Heritage Book Committee. Heritage of DeKalb County, Alabama. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, Inc., 1998.