Tuscumbia
Map it!
Print
Located in the northwestern part of Alabama, Tuscumbia is the county seat of Colbert County. Incorporated in 1820 as Occocopoosa, its name was changed to Big Spring in 1821 and in 1822, to Tuscumbia. 
Downtown TuscumbiaIt is one of Alabama's oldest towns. As of 2007, the population of Tuscumbia was estimated at 8,241. It has a mayor-council
form of government, with a five-member elected council. Tuscumbia is the birthplace of Helen Keller (1880-1968) and home of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.
U.S. senator and notable jurist Howell Heflin (1921-2005) grew up in Tuscumbia, and Robert Burns Lindsay (1824-1902), who served as governor from 1870 to 1872, spent much of his professional life in the city. Baseball star Henry Emmett "Heinie" Manush (1901-1972)
was born in Tuscumbia. Tuscumbia's most famous native, however, is Helen Keller, born in the city in 1880.
Early History
Tuscumbia lies in the area of Alabama originally traversed by French traders. Between 1815 and 1817, permanent non-Indian
settlers arrived. They found rich farmland and abundant game. In 1820, Gen. Andrew Jackson oversaw completion of a military
road connecting Tennessee with Louisiana, passing through Tuscumbia along the way. It became the area's major overland transportation
route. The Tennessee River provided the area with another potential transportation route, but a 43-mile stretch of shoals
made the river nearly impassable. Despite this, Tuscumbia's accessible location and fertile soil allowed it to become north
Alabama's farming, agriculture, and commercial center.
The 1820s and 1830s saw an increase in the number of businesses that opened in Tuscumbia. Town business leaders established a steamboat landing and lobbied for creation of a railroad line to bypass the shoals. The line, on the Tuscumbia, Courtland and Decatur (TC&D) Railroad, was completed in 1832; the TC&D Railroad experimented with the use of dry sand as a way to provide traction between the track and the engine's wheels, and this practice remains in use around the world today. Tuscumbia was also an important postal routing center between Nashville and New Orleans. By the 1840s, the town had six stores, three hotels, three cabinetmakers, two doctors, a wagon maker, a blacksmith, a horse-powered mill, and a public school.
By 1850, Tuscumbia was a major railroad hub for train traffic throughout the South. During the Civil War, this made the town a major target of the Union Army, which destroyed 
Tuscumbia Depot/MuseumTuscumbia Landing and other parts of the town. After the war, Tuscumbia experienced renewed growth. In 1872, the city voted
to open Spring Commons, an area that surrounded the city and included the big spring and Spring Creek to industry. A cotton gin, an ice company, and mills were built on the land. Although it was not until the early twentieth century that Tuscumbia
began to recover from the devastation of the war, the city has many historic buildings dating from the late nineteenth century;
they remain as a testament to the post-Civil War recovery and growth. Tuscumbia is believed to contain the largest collection
of middle-income historic homes in Alabama. Preservation and restoration of these homes and the historic commercial buildings
has made Tuscumbia a popular destination for history-oriented visitors. Tuscumbia and the Shoals benefited during the automotive
boom of the 1920s and from the establishment of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1933 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Demographics
In 2007, Tuscumbia's estimated population was 8,241. Of that number, 75.3 percent were White, 22.5 percent were African American,
1 percent were Hispanic, 0.1 percent were Asian, and 0.1 percent were Native American. The city's median household income
was $32,029 whereas the median household income for Alabama was $40,052.
Education
The Tuscumbia Public School System serves approximately 1,500 students and employs approximately 90 teachers. It consists
of two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. Tuscumbia also has one private school serving 290 students
in a K-12 setting. The Northwest-Shoals Community College and the University of North Alabama provide the area's post-secondary
educational opportunities.
Employment
The majority of Tuscumbia's work force is largely divided among three main industry sectors: manufacturing (20.5 percent);
education, health and social services (17.4 percent); and retail trade (12.8 percent). The major employers in the Tuscumbia
area are Sara Lee Corporation, American Wholesale Books, and Wise Alloys, LLC.
Transportation
Tuscumbia lies along two major highways: U.S. 43 runs north-south and passes through the city, and U.S. 72 runs east-west
and passes just south Tuscumbia. The Tennessee River lies two miles outside the city.
Events and Places of Interest 
Alabama Music Hall of FameThe Alabama Music Hall of Fame, located on Highway 72 in Tuscumbia, highlights the musical accomplishments of Alabamians.
It is open to the public throughout the year. Ivy Green, the birthplace of Helen Keller, is open to visitors throughout the
year. The Helen Keller Festival takes place each June and commemorates Helen Keller's accomplishments. Activities include
a parade, an art auction, a tour of historic sites, stage entertainment, puppet shows, a variety of sports tournaments and
other athletics events. Spring Park provides a beautiful setting for picnics, arts and crafts shows, and recreation.
Additional Resources
McWilliams, John L., ed. Tuscumbia: America's First Frontier Railroad Town. Tuscumbia, Ala.: Tuscumbia Main Street Project and Preservation Incentive Project, 1989.
The Heritage of Colbert County, Alabama. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 2000.
Linda Thornton
Auburn University
Published May 22, 2009
Last updated December 10, 2009
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 |