Choctaw County


Once an area of extensive paper and petroleum industries, Choctaw County is located in southwestern Alabama. The Choctaw National Wildlife Refuge, located near Coffeeville, is an important resting place for migrating birds and provides habitat for a number of Alabama animals. The county is governed by an elected four-member commission and includes seven incorporated communities.

· Founding Date: December 29, 1847
· Area: 909 square miles
· Population: 14,656 (2006 Census Bureau estimate)
· Major Waterways: Tombigbee River
· Major Highways: U.S. 84
· County seat: Butler
· Largest City: Butler

History 

Robert "Bob" Sims was a Confederate War veteran, Robert SimsChoctaw County was created by an act of the Alabama State Legislature on December 29, 1848, from land formerly within the Choctaw Nation. Located in the southwestern part of the state, the county was named for the Choctaw Indians, some of whom had settlements near the present-day town of Pushmataha, named for the noted Choctaw chief. In the 1890s, Choctaw County received national media attention for what became known as the Sims War, which erupted after Robert Sims, a Confederate war veteran turned preacher, amassed a following of 100 parishioners and declared he and his followers owed no allegiance to an earthly government, should not pay taxes, and had the freedom to make and distribute whiskey. In 1891 U.S. marshals charged Sims and his followers with moonshining and put out a warrant for his arrest. In the ensuing months, skirmishes involving the marshals, a local posse, and Sims followers resulted in several deaths. Sims and a number of his men were eventually captured and hanged by a mob.

Major Cities and Demographics 

The Choctaw County Courthouse is located in the Choctaw County CourthouseAt the time of the 2000 Census, Choctaw County recorded a population of 15,922. According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the 2006 population was 14,656, with 55.7 percent White, 43.9 African American, and less than 1 percent Hispanic. In 2003 the median household income was $27,690, compared with $37,062 for the remainder of the state. The per capita income was $14,635 in 1999, compared with $18,189 for the state. The county seat, Butler, had a population of 1,952 in 2005. Other population centers in the county include Lisman (595), Silas (492), Pennington (330), and Gilbertown (173).

Economy 

Early settlers in Choctaw County produced cotton and other agricultural goods that they floated down the Tombigbee River to Mobile. The forestry industry has been the economic backbone of the county since its creation in 1847. In 1912, the railroad came to the county, reducing the reliance on water traffic and remained an important commercial transport method until the 1980s.

Oil was discovered on the Choctaw Ridge Field Choctaw Ridge Oil FieldOn January 2, 1944, the state of Alabama granted Hunt Oil Company a permit to drill the A.R. Jackson Well No. 1 near Gilbertown in Choctaw County. Drilling commenced on January 10, 1944, and was completed approximately one month later. The discovery of this well led to the creation of the State Oil and Gas Board of Alabama in 1945, and to the development and growth of the petroleum industry in the state. In the mid-twentieth century, clothing factories were constructed in Silas, Toxey, and Butler, and Marathon Paper Company constructed a paper mill in the town of Naheola. These industries produced clothing and paper products sold all over the world. By the 1990s the railroad had closed and the clothing factories had moved their operations to other countries.

As of the 2000 Census, the Choctaw County workforce consisted of 21.9 percent in management and professional occupations, 12.9 percent in services, 20 percent in sales and office work, 16.6 percent in construction and extraction, 25.9 percent in production and transportation, and 2.4 percent engaged in fishing and agriculture. The Choctaw County School System currently employs nearly 140 teachers who serve more than 2,200 students in eight schools. In addition, there are two private schools in Choctaw County which enroll about 715 students.

Geography 

Choctaw County is 13th in size among Alabama Choctaw County MapComprising approximately 909 square miles, Choctaw County lies in the southwestern area of the state wholly within the Coastal Plain physiographic section. It is bounded to the north by Sumter County, to the east by Marengo and Clarke counties, to the south by Washington County, and to the west by the state of Mississippi.

The Tombigbee River flows along the eastern edge of the county, and several of its tributaries, including Kinterbush, Yantley, Tuckabum, Wahalak, Big Tallawampa, Surveyors, Okatuppa, and Turkey creeks, cross the area. U.S. 84, running east-west in the southern part of the county, and State Highway 17, running north-south, are the county's major transportation routes. Butler-Choctaw County Airport is the county's only public airport.

Events and Places of Interest 

The Choctaw National Wildlife Refuge occupies approximately 4.200 Choctaw National Wildlife RefugeChoctaw County is home to the Choctaw County Heritage Festival, an annual event held every Memorial Day weekend. The county is also home to Choctaw National Wildlife Refuge, located along the Tombigbee River. The refuge, which includes nearly 4,500 acres, is home to alligators, herons, raptors, beavers, deer, turkey, raccoon, wood ducks, migrating waterfowl, and several endangered or threatened species including bald eagles and wood storks.

Additional Resources  

Heritage of Choctaw County, Alabama. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, Inc., 2001.

Doggette, Edith. The Sims War. Huntsville, Ala.: Strode Publishers, 1982.

Patricia Hoskins Morton
Auburn University


Published August 27, 2007
Last updated December 10, 2009