Leeds

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Leeds (incorporated April 27, 1887) is a city of 11,053 located on 22.5 square miles in eastern Jefferson County. Parts of the city extend into Shelby County and St Clair County. Most of the city uses ZIP code 35094.

History

Former communities in the Leeds area included Cedar Grove and Oak Ridge. In 1881 the Georgia Pacific Railroad was constructed through the area and two of its engineers, Edward M. Tutwiler and James A. Montgomery founded the newer settlement, naming it for Yorkshire's iron center in England.

Named for an industrial city near Birmingham, England, Leeds got its own post office in 1884 and became an incorporated city in April 1887. Amateur historian and folklorist John Garst has proposed that either the Coosa Tunnel or the Oak Mountain Tunnel of the Columbus and Western Railway near Leeds was the site of John Henry's legendary competition with a steam-powered hammer in September of that year. The legend has been incorporated into a display at the city's Bass House historical museum and the annual Leeds Downtown Folkart Festival and John Henry Days event.

Leeds' success as a young city came about through three major factors: The incorporation of nearby Birmingham and the beginning of iron ore production there; the building of the Georgia Pacific Railroad from Birmingham to Atlanta; and the construction of a Standard Portland Cement manufacturing plant in 1906.

In recent years the city has benefitted from the development of the Barber Motorsports Park and the 3,100-acre Grand River mixed use development, including a retail center anchored by a Bass Pro Shop.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 10,455 people, 4,301 households, and 2,989 families residing in the city. The population density was 467.9/mi². There were 4,585 housing units at an average density of 205.2/mi². The racial makeup of the city was 82% White and 16% Black. 1.34% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,301 households out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,420, and the median income for a family was $46,127. Males had a median income of $32,090 versus $23,448 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,573. 13.2% of the population and 10.5% of families were below the poverty line. 22.6% of those under the age of 18 and 10.8% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

The Jefferson County Board of Equalization evaluated 2,853 homes in Bessemer and determined that their average market value for 2007 was $114,702, a 3.5% increase since 2006.

Famous natives

• Charles Barkley, basketball player
• Kenneth Farmer, Jr, Deputy Surgeon General, U. S. Army
• Caitlín R. Kiernan, novelist
• Mark Martin, cartoonist
• Leroy Miller, Jr, baseball player
• Bobby Thomason, football player
• Ewart "Dixie" Walker, baseball player
• Fred "Dixie" Walker, baseball player
• Harry Walker, baseball player and manager

References

• Foscue, Virginia (1989) Place Names in Alabama. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press. She cites Thomas N. Hagood's thesis "Place Name Patterns in Jefferson County, Alabama," completed for his Master's degree at Birmingham-Southern College in 1960.
• "Leeds, Alabama." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 15 Jan 2008, 17:16 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 29 Jan 2008 [1].

External links

• Leeds community website by DTH Enterprises
• The Leeds News
• Leeds Magazine archives