Tuscaloosa County


Dinah Washington (1924-1963), known as the "Queen of Dinah WashingtonLocated in the west-central part of the state and home to the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa County was the birthplace of "Queen of the Blues" Dinah Washington (1924-1963), one of the most influential vocalists of the twentieth century, and National Football League star John Stallworth of the Pittsburgh Steelers. It is home to the state's largest university (2007), the University of Alabama, which produced arguably the most celebrated college football coach of the twentieth century, Paul "Bear" Bryant. The county also was the home of Alabama's only female governor, Lurleen Wallace. The city of Tuscaloosa served as the state capital from 1826 to 1845. Tuscaloosa County is governed by an elected five-member commission and includes the incorporated cities of Coaling, Northport, and Tuscaloosa.

· Founding Date: February 6, 1818
· Area: 1,336 square miles
· Population: 171,159 (2006 Census Bureau estimate)
· Major Waterways: Black Warrior River, Tombigbee River
· Major Highways: Interstate 20/59, U.S. 43, U.S. 82, U.S. 11
· County Seat: Tuscaloosa
· Largest City: Tuscaloosa

History 

Tuscaloosa, in central Tuscaloosa County, was named the Tuscaloosa County CourthouseTuscaloosa County is one of the oldest counties in Alabama. The Alabama General Assembly created Tuscaloosa County on February 6, 1818, from former Creek and Choctaw Indian lands. It is believed that the county received its name from Tascaluza, a Native American tribal leader in the area at the time of Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto's march through Alabama. The county's earliest settlers came from Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia. Some of the earliest towns included Newton, Northport, Holt, Coaling, and Tuscaloosa. The city of Tuscaloosa was designated the state capitol from 1826 until 1845, when the government was moved to the more centrally located Montgomery. While Tuscaloosa served as the state capitol, a charter for the establishment of the first public university was issued in 1827. In 1831, the University of Alabama officially opened its doors with an enrollment of 52 students.

From 1876 to 1881, Tutwiler taught languages and Tuscaloosa Female CollegeTuscaloosa was designated as the county seat of Tuscaloosa County in 1819, and in 1822, the county seat was moved to Newton, just a few miles from Tuscaloosa. Within a few short years, Newton was incorporated into Tuscaloosa, and Tuscaloosa again became the county seat in 1826. Many of the original structures, including the courthouse, were destroyed in a tornado that swept through in the 1840s. The present courthouse, a modern brick structure, was built in 1964 and has undergone several renovations and additions.

Major Cities and Demographics 

The population of Tuscaloosa County has increased significantly over the past decade and a half. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population was 150,522 in 1990, and it had increased to 164,875 by 2000. By 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population to be 171,159, making Tuscaloosa County the sixth most populated county in Alabama. At the time of the 2005 census, the population consisted of 67.7 percent White, 30.1 percent African American, 1.7 percent Hispanic, and 1.1 percent Asian. The largest city in Tuscaloosa County is the city of Tuscaloosa, with an estimated population of 81,358 in 2005. Other significant population centers in the county include Northport (21,216), Holt (4,103), Lake View (1,647), Brookwood (1,466), and Coaling (1,103). In 1999, Tuscaloosa County ranked seventh in per capita income among Alabama's 67 counties. The per capita income was $18,998 in 1999, compared with 18,189 for the rest of the state. The median household income was $35,192 in 2003, compared with $36,131 for the state.

Economy 

A roadside stand in Tuscaloosa County, ca. 1936. Roadside Stand 1936Farming was the prevailing occupation in Tuscaloosa County throughout the nineteenth century, and the most significant agricultural crops were wheat, corn, and oats. Tuscaloosa County also sits atop the Warrior Coal Field, and coal mining was important to the county's economy as well. Extensive forests in the northern part of the county brought timber industries to the county during the early to mid-nineteenth century as well. With the introduction of hydroelectric power in the early twentieth century, industrial growth boomed. Today, the county's economy is diverse and expanding, especially along the Interstate 20/59 Industrial Corridor, where automotive parts, electronics, plastics, wood products, food products, and chemicals are manufactured and produced. Healthcare and education account for roughly 30 percent of the non-agricultural workforce, and Tuscaloosa County has drawn major investments from companies in Germany and Japan.

The Mercedes plant in Vance, southeastern Tuscaloosa County, Mercedes-Benz Plant in Tuscaloosa CountyMost of the workforce in Tuscaloosa County in 2000 was divided between management and professional occupations (32 percent) and service occupations (27.1 percent). Production and transportation made up 16.7 percent of employment, 14.1 percent were in sales and office occupations, and construction and extraction made up 9.7 percent of the workforce. Farming constituted less than 1 percent of employment in Tuscaloosa County. The largest employers are Mercedes-Benz, the University of Alabama, DCH Regional Medical Center, the Tuscaloosa County Board of Education, the City of Tuscaloosa, and Jim Walter Resources.

The Tuscaloosa County school system employs more than 2,000 teachers and administrators who serve nearly 16,000 students in 30 primary and secondary schools. Tuscaloosa city schools employ more than 1,300 teachers and administrators in 20 primary and secondary schools, serving more than 9,700 students. There are three institutions of higher education in Gorgas Library at the University of Alabama, the University of AlabamaTuscaloosa city. The University of Alabama is the state's major research university and Alabama's first public college. The county is also home to Stillman College, a historically black, four-year liberal-arts instutution, and Shelton State Community College, a two-year institution offering academic and technical degree programs.

Geography 

Tuscaloosa County is 2nd in size among Alabama Tuscaloosa County MapComprising 1,336 square miles in west-central Alabama, Tuscaloosa County is the second largest county in area in the state. The county straddles the Cumberland Plateau and East Gulf Coastal Plain physiographic sections of the Atlantic Plain region, resulting in a diverse geography that is forested and hilly in the northeast and low-lying and occasionally swampy in the southwest. The county is bordered by Fayette and Walker counties to the north, Jefferson and Bibb counties to the east, Hale County to the south, Greene County to the southwest, and Pickens County to the west.

The Black Warrior River system is the largest watershed wholly within Alabama's boundaries and emanates from three sources: Locust Fork, Mulberry Fork, and the Sipsey Fork. The Mulberry Fork River and its tributaries flow throughout Tuscaloosa County. Near the city of Tuscaloosa, the Black Warrior River flows across the "Fall Line," a site at the juncture of two geologically distinct continental landforms that in Alabama separate the elevated and hilly Cumberland Plateau from the flat East Gulf Coastal Plain. The Upper Tombigbee Watershed drains portions of the western half of Tuscaloosa County, and the Tombigbee River is considered vitally important in terms of ecological diversity. Although the river has a high level of aquatic biodiversity because it remained relatively free from major changes for a long period of time, many of the fish and mussel species are currently at-risk.

Interstate 20/59 is one of Tuscaloosa County's main transportation routes, running southwest-northeast. U.S. Highway 11 runs along Interstate 20/59. U.S. Highway 43 runs north-south through the middle of the county, and U.S. Highway 82 runs east–west, bisecting Tuscaloosa County. The Van de Graaff Field Municipal Airport is the only airport in Tuscaloosa County and is used mostly for air freight and private air traffic.

Events and Places of Interest  

Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park includes the preserved Historic Furnaces at TannehillThere are many recreational opportunities for visitors to Tuscaloosa County. Lake Lurleen State Park, named for Governor Lurleen Wallace, is located about 10 minutes from downtown Tuscaloosa and offers 1,600 acres for camping and hiking and a 250-acre lake for swimming and fishing. Located 15 miles south of Tuscaloosa is Moundville Archaeological Park, part of the Alabama Museum of Natural History, and is the site of a Mississippian period settlement. The 320-acre park includes nature trails, Native American village reconstructions, and a museum that houses artifacts and documents relating to Native American cultures in the area. A portion of Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park, built around the pre-Civil War Tannehill Iron Works, spreads across the wooded hills of eastern Tuscaloosa County, although most of the park is located in neighboring Jefferson County. The park contains a monument to the Confederacy and offers camping, hiking, golfing, hiking, and swimming. Special events at the park include an annual re-eanactment of a Civil War battle and monthly trade days. Other outdoor recreational areas in Tuscaloosa County include Lake Tuscaloosa, Holt Lake, and Lake Nichol. In addition, the Tuscaloosa County Park and Recreation Authority operates 31 small public parks totaling 1,700 acres.

Tuscaloosa County is home to a number of museums and cultural centers. The Alabama Museum of Natural History, located in Smith Hall on the University of Alabama campus, displays fossils, rocks, and minerals. The Murphy African-American Museum at the Murphy-Collins House in Tuscaloosa was home to William J. Murphy, the first licensed African-American mortician in Alabama, and features Murphy family memorabilia as well as other artifacts representative of the lifestyle of affluent African Americans at the turn of the century. Celebrating more than 100 years of Crimson Tide football and 12 national championships, the Paul W. Bryant Museum on the University of Alabama campus houses a re-creation of the legendary Coach "Bear" Bryant's office along with other football memorabilia. The Westervelt-Warner Museum of American Art contains one of the finest collections of early American art found anywhere in the world. The Children's Hands-On Museum provides educational experience for children of all ages through hands-on exhibits, programs, and special events.

The Kentuck Art Center in Northport, central Tuscaloosa Kentuck Arts FestivalOther places and events of interest in Tuscaloosa County include the Kentuck Art Center in Northport. The gallery features rotating monthly exhibits of regional artists and hosts the annual Kentuck Arts Festival. At the Mercedes-Benz Visitor's Center in Vance, visitors can tour the plant and trace the history of Mercedes-Benz from 1886 to the present. Tuscaloosa County is home to many historic buildings as well, including the Jemison-Van de Graaff Mansion in Tuscaloosa, the Denny Chimes Tower and Gorgas House on the campus of the University of Alabama, and the Mildred Warner House.

Additional Resources  

The Heritage of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 1999.

Donna J. Siebenthaler
Auburn University


Published August 22, 2007
Last updated June 9, 2010