Beatrice

James P. Kaetz, Auburn University
Beatrice is located in north-central Monroe County in the southwestern corner of the state. It has a mayor/city council form of government.
History
Rikard's Mill Historical Park
Beatrice was established by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad during construction of a line between Pine Apple, Wilcox County, and Repton, Conecuh County, in 1899-1900. The town was named for the granddaughter of the general superintendent of construction on the project and was constructed on land gifted by local landowner Barbara Robbins to the railroad for a right of way. The Robbins home was later converted into a popular hotel that was in service for many years. The Robbins family also sold much of their remaining land to create the town center. Beatrice was incorporated in 1901.
The town prospered as a shipping center, with one of the main products being cotton from the surrounding farms. The first school was called the Quigley Institute after a local land speculator who had bought the bulk of the land from the Robbins family and laid it out as a town. The first bank opened in 1907. Businesses in town include a 100-year-old outdoors store.
Demographics
According to 2016 Census estimates, Beatrice recorded a population of 278. Of that number, 77.7 percent of respondents identified themselves as African American, and 22.3 percent as white. The town's median household income was $14,063, and the per capita income was $11,833.
Employment
According to 2016 Census estimates, the workforce in Beatrice was divided among the following industrial categories:
  • Educational services and health care and social assistance (70.2 percent)
  • Public administration (8.5 percent)
  • Manufacturing (6.4 percent)
  • Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services (6.4 percent)
  • Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing (4.3 percent)
  • Retail trade (4.3 percent)
Education
Schools in Beatrice are part of the Monroe County school system; the town has one K-12 school.
Transportation
State Highway 265 runs north from the center of Beatrice, and State Highway 21/47 runs south and east.
Events and Places of Interest
The Robbins Hotel (1840) and the New Hope Baptist Church (1870) are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Rikard's Mill Historical Park, part of the Monroe County Heritage Museum, is located in Beatrice.
Additional Resources
Monroe County Heritage Book Committee. The Heritage of Monroe County, Alabama. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 2004.
Published:  April 21, 2014   |   Last updated:  October 28, 2021