Ethelsville

Ethelsville is located in northwest Pickens County in the west-central part of the state close to the Mississippi border. It has a mayor/city council form of government.

History

Ethelsville, originally called Yorkville, was one of the earliest settlements in the state and also the location of the first Baptist church in Pickens County. It took its current name from Ethel Hancock, who was the daughter of local physician J. T. Hancock. His son Thomas was the town’s first postmaster. The town was incorporated in 1952 or 1956, depending on the source, and at the time it was still an active railroad stop, with four freight trains and six passenger trains stopping there daily. When the railroad discontinued stops in Ethelsville, the population began to decline.

In 1843, local resident John H. Alexander uncovered a shield and pair of copper scales while plowing his fields. The shield was engraved with the word “Hispana,” which most historians have recognized as evidence that Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto likely passed through Pickens County. Local legend claims that De Soto and his men spent a winter on the hill where Ethelsville Baptist Church stands.

Demographics

According to 2020 Census estimates, Ethelsville recorded a population of 172. Of that number, 55.2 percent of respondents identified themselves as white, and 44.8 percent as African American. The town’s median household income was $40,625, and the per capita income was $14,645.

Employment

According to 2020 Census estimates, the workforce in Ethelsville is divided among the following industrial categories:

  • Public administration (25.5 percent)
  • Manufacturing (21.3 percent)
  • Transportation and warehousing, and utilities (21.3 percent)
  • Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services (17.7 percent)
  • Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing (14.9 percent)
  • Construction (8.5 percent)
  • Educational services and health care and social assistance (4.3 percent)
  • Other services, except public administration (3.6 percent)

Education

Students in Ethelsville attend Pickens County schools; no public schools are located within the town limits.

Transportation

County Road 75 bisects Ethelsville running northeast/southwest, and State Highway 82/County Road 6 is located just to the northeast of town. The Alabama Southern Railroad operates a line through Ethelsville.

Events and Places of Interest

McShan Lake lies about three miles to the east of town. Its association with DeSoto has made the hill where Ethelsville Baptist Church stands popular with the geocaching community.

Additional Resources

Pickens County Heritage Book Committee. The Heritage of Pickens County, Alabama. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 1999.

External Links

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