The county is named in honor of brothers George and Levi Colbert, who were Chickasaw chiefs in the early 19th century in this territory.[4] Ultimately the federal government forced the removal of most of the Chickasaw and other historic tribes from the Southeast.
The Chickasaw and Cherokee peoples are the earliest known inhabitants of Colbert County, an area that was part of their territories for hundreds of years. Before they emerged, there were earlier cultures of indigenous peoples who established settlements and seasonal villages for thousands of years in the area.
In the 1810s, settlers began to settle in an area at a crossroads that developed as Leighton, Alabama. Colbert County was originally established during the Reconstruction era after the American Civil War on February 6, 1867. The state legislature split it from Franklin County over political issues. It was abolished eight months later on November 29, 1867[5] by an Alabama constitutional convention, and reestablished by the legislature on February 24, 1870.
In 1890, the eastern boundary of Colbert County was changed from County Line Road to Town Creek; this resulted in all of the town of Leighton placed within Colbert County.[4] Colbert County is the location of Ivy Green, the birthplace of noted author and activist Helen Keller.[4] Colbert County includes the cities of Sheffield and Muscle Shoals, where many popular American and British musicians, such as Aretha Franklin and the Rolling Stones, respectively, recorded music.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 622 square miles (1,610 km2), of which 593 square miles (1,540 km2) is land and 30 square miles (78 km2) (4.7%) is water.[7] The county's elevation ranges from 410 feet at the Tennessee River in northwestern Colbert County to 980 feet in southeastern Colbert County at the broadcast facility's tower of WQPR-FM/WFIQ-TV.
Colbert County, Alabama – Racial and Ethnic Composition (NH = Non-Hispanic) Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
There were 22,461 households, out of which 30.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.00% were married couples living together, 12.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.60% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.80% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 27.80% from 25 to 44, 24.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,954, and the median income for a family was $39,294. Males had a median income of $32,112 versus $20,107 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,533. About 11.10% of families and 14.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.40% of those under age 18 and 11.90% of those age 65 or over.
As of the census[17] of 2000, there were 54,984 people, 22,461 households, and 16,037 families residing in the county. The population density was 92 people per square mile (36 people/km2). There were 24,980 housing units at an average density of 42 units per square mile (16 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 78.52% WhiteorEuropean American (non-Hispanic), 16.62% BlackorAfrican American, 0.37% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.34% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races. 1.12% of the population were HispanicorLatino of any race.
Colbert County is governed by a County Commission that is composed of six members, elected from single-member districts, numbered one through six, by the qualified voters residing within each district. The term of office is 4 years. The six districts are apportioned as provided by law. Each Commissioner resides in the same district they represent at the time of qualifying for office and during their tenure. The Chair of the Commission rotates among the six members of the commission with each Commissioner serving as chair for one-sixth of their four-year term of office. Regularly-scheduled meetings of the Colbert County Commission are held in the evenings of the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month.
United States presidential election results for Colbert County, Alabama[18]
^"Alabama Counties: Colbert County". Alabama Department of Archives and History. Montgomery, AL: Alabama Department of Archives and History. November 20, 2009. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
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