Geneva County


Constitution Oak is located at Fowler Park in Constitution Oak in Geneva CountyLocated in southeastern Alabama, Geneva County is home to Constitution Oak, believed to the largest and one of the oldest oak trees in the state. The county's waterways offer excellent fishing and water sports opportunities. The county is governed by an elected five-member commission and includes eight incorporated communities.

· Founding Date: December 26, 1868
· Area: 578 square miles
· Population: 25,868 (2006 Census Bureau estimate)
· Major Waterways: Choctawhatchee River, Pea River
· Major Highways: State Route 52
· County Seat: Geneva
· Largest City: Geneva

History 

Geneva County was created in 1868 from a Geneva County CourthouseGeneva County was created by an act of the Alabama State Legislature on December 26, 1868, and was once part of present-day Dale County. The county was named after Geneva, Switzerland, the hometown of the county's first postmaster Walter H. Youge. In 1861, Geneva was wiped out by a flood, and the town was relocated to higher ground. The pattern of flooding continued, and Geneva has flooded four times since the turn of the twentieth century. In 1901, the Alabama & Florida Railroad built a line through Geneva, connecting Georgiana, Alabama, to Graceville, Florida. The line operated until 1987, when the 23-mile Geneva spur was abandoned. In 1904, the Central of Georgia Railroad ran a line to Florala through Geneva County.

Major Cities and Demographics 

At the time of the 2000 census, Geneva County recorded a population of 25,764, an 8.9 increase from the 1990 census. According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the 2006 population was 25,868, with 87.8 percent White, 10.8 percent African-American, and 2 percent Hispanic. In 2004 the median household income was $28,787, compared with $37,062 for the remainder of the state. The per capita income was $14,620 in 1999, compared with $18,189 for the rest of the state. The county seat, Geneva, had an estimated population of 4,415 in 2006. Other population centers in the county include Hartford (2,397), Malvern (1,214), Black (207), Slocomb (2,042), and Samson (2,032).

Economy 

A cotton field in Slocomb, eastern Geneva County, Cotton FarmDuring the antebellum era, goods were floated down the Pea River to its junction with the Choctawhatchee River at Geneva, where it was eventually floated to the Gulf of Mexico. In 1923 the Geneva Cotton Mill was established. It later was purchased by Clinton Mills of South Carolina and by the late 1980s the mill employed almost 600 people. The plant was closed in the late 1990s. Farming remains an important component of the Geneva County economy, and present-day agricultural products include corn, hay, peanuts, soybeans, cotton, truck crops, and forestry products.

The workforce in present-day Geneva County is made up of the following occupations: 23.2 percent sales and office; 22.8 percent production, transportation, and material moving; 22.2 percent management and professional, 14.5 percent service industry, 14.4 percent construction, extraction, and maintenance, and 2.9 percent fishing and agriculture. The Geneva County School System currently employs 166 teachers who serve more than 2,700 students in nine schools. In addition, the Geneva City School System currently employs 88 teachers who serve more than 1,300 students in three schools.

Geography 

Geneva County is 58th in size among Alabama Geneva County MapComprising approximately 578 square miles, Geneva County lies in the southeastern corner of the state, wholly within the Coastal Plain physiographic region. It is bounded to the north by Coffee and Dale counties, to the east by Houston County, to the south by Holmes and Walton counties, Florida, and to the west by Covington and Crenshaw counties. The Geneva State Forest covers a small portion of the northwest corner of the county.

The Choctawhatchee River flows north to south through the center of the county, and its Hurricane Creek tributary crosses the eastern half of the county. The largest tributary of the Choctawhatchee, the Pea River, and its Flat Creek tributary intersect the western half of the county. State Route 52, running northeast-northwest through the center of the county, is the area's major transportation route. Geneva Municipal Airport is the county's only public airport.

Events and Places of Interest 

The Choctawhatchee River offers many fishing opportunities, including channel catfish, spotted bass, sunfish, redhorse suckers, and carp suckers. The river is also ideal for canoeing and boating and offers scenic cypress swamps and trees draped in Spanish moss. Fowler Park, located at the junction of the Pea and Choctawhatchee rivers in Geneva, offers scenic views of The Choctawhatchee River forms the southern border of Choctawhatchee RiverConstitution Oak, believed to be the largest and oldest live oak in the state. When the water levels are low, it is possible to view the wreck of a Civil War-era steamboat. In April, the town of Geneva hosts Festival on the Rivers, which features canoe racing, food, live music, and arts and crafts. In addition, the town of Slocumb hosts the annual Tomato Festival.

Additional Resources  

Heritage of Geneva County, Alabama. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, Inc., 2002.

Patricia Hoskins Morton
Auburn University


Published August 31, 2007
Last updated December 10, 2009