Garden City

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Town of Garden City
Incorporated 1911
Population 564
Mayor Tim Eskew
School district Cullman County Schools
Government

Garden City Town Council
Garden City Fire Department
Garden City Police Department

Web site gardencityalabama.com
Garden City locator map.png
Locate with Google Maps

Garden City is a Class 8 town of 528 people on 2.3 square miles along U.S. Highway 31, on the banks of the Mulberry Fork of the Warrior River in southeastern Cullman County. Part of the city limits extend into Blount County, but no residences are located in that portion.

The settlement was founded between 1876 and 1878 by Johann Cullmann, who had previously established his namesake town of Cullman in 1872. The project was supported by the L & N Railroad, which donated 60,000 acres, and the Chicago-based Colonization Aid Society, which helped recruit immigrant families to resettle in the area. The "Chicago Colonization and Agricultural Industry Company of North Alabama" was incorporated in 1878 to promote the venture. Cullmann chose the name as a reflection of Chicago's motto, "urbs in horto" ("city in the garden").

The initial 44 families, arriving in two waves, were virtually refugees from the devastation wrought by the great Chicago fire of October 1871. The project failed to keep pace with nearby Hanceville, but because of loopholes in its charter, it became known for housing a licensed distillery and a lively brothel.

A post office was established for the settlement in 1898 and the Town of Garden City was incorporated in 1911. A lapse in the city's official status made it necessary to re-incorporate in 1950.

In 2021 the Cullman County District Attorney announced felony charges against two former town employees who were accused of embezzling more than $200,000 from Garden City.

Demographics

In the 2010 census the population density was 247.1 people per square mile. There were 255 housing units at an average density of 111.7/sq mi. The racial makeup of the town was 99% White.

There were 238 households out of which 26% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56% were married couples living together, 11% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32% were non-families. 29% of all households were made up of individuals and 11% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the town the population was spread out with 22% under the age of 18, 10% from 18 to 24, 27% from 25 to 44, 25% from 45 to 64, and 17% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $28,000, and the median income for a family was $37,031. Males had a median income of $25,583 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,793. About 7.4% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 16.7% of those age 65 or over.

Mayors

References

  • Jones, Margaret Jean (1972) Combing Cullman County. Cullman, Alabama: Modernistic Printers
  • Price, Melba, ed. (1982) The History of Garden City, 1850-1982.
  • Foscue, Virginia O. (1989) Place Names in Alabama. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press. ISBN 081730410X
  • Davis, Robert S. (c. 2005) "Different Children of the New South: the Communities Created in Cullman County, 1872-1895". Wallace State Community College, reprinted as Robert S. Davis (Fall 2005) "The Old World in the New South: Entrepreneurial Ventures in the Agricultural History of Cullman, Alabama." Agricultural History. No. 79, pp. 439–461
  • "Garden City, Alabama" (February 19, 2008) Wikipedia - accessed November 18, 2021
  • Kaetz, James P. (February 11, 2020) "Garden City". Encyclopedia of Alabama - accessed November 18, 2021
  • Robinson, Carol (November 16, 2021) "2 former employees charged in $200,000 theft from small Cullman County town." The Birmingham News

External links

Cullman County seal.png Cullman County
Topics

Communities | County Commission | Schools | Sheriff

Cities

Berlin | Baileyton | Colony | Cullman (seat) | Dodge City | Fairview | Garden City | Good Hope | Hanceville | Holly Pond | South Vinemont | West Point