Nauvoo

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Town of Nauvoo
Incorporated 1906
Population 221
Mayor Dwight Byram
School district Walker County Schools
Government

Nauvoo Town Council
Nauvoo Fire Department
Walker County Sheriff's Office

Web site None
Nauvoo locator map.png
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Nauvoo is a town of 221 on 1.0 mi² in northwestern Walker County, bordering Winston County. It was incorporated in 1906. The town's ZIP code is 35578.

The settlement of Ingle Mills was granted a post office in the vicinity of the present town in 1858. Later it was also called Blackwell's Crossing for Joshua Blackwell who lived near a crossing of Blackwater Creek.

In 1879 Tom Carroll renamed that community "Nauvoo", for the Mormon-founded city in Illinois which he had admired during his visit to that state. In 1888 the Northern Alabama Railway connected the settlement to markets for its timber, cotton and coal, fueling a period of rapid growth.

By 1891 the community had a cotton gin and three stores. The Harbin Hotel opened near the Nauvoo Depot in 1923. Nauvoo's population peaked at 648 in the 1930 census. As the markets for local coal declined, so did the town, which reported 20% drops in population in each of the next four decades.

Camp McDowell, an Episcopalian church camp, was constructed nearby in 1948. A Nauvoo Depot Museum opened in a replica of the old depot 1997, featuring a mural depicting the town's story. In September 2015 the town's welcome sign on Walker County Highway 5 was stolen. In 2020 an investigative report by Animal Wellness Action identified three suppliers in the vicinity of Nauvoo as a major hub for cockfighting birds found around the world.

Nauvoo is served by Walker County Schools' Lupton Junior High School for grades K–8, and Carbon Hill High School.

Government

Nauvoo is governed by a Mayor, Dwight Byram, and a five-member Nauvoo Town Council. Nauvoo Town Hall is located on the corner of McDaniel Avenue and 4th Street.

Nauvoo does not operate it's own police force, relying on the Walker County Sheriff's Department for patrols, but does support a Nauvoo Fire Department, headed by Chief Gary Knight.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 221 people residing in the town's 91 occupied housing units, for an average household of 2.43 persons. The population density was 221/mi², with housing units at an average density of 91.0/mi². The racial makeup of the town was 99.1% White and 2.7% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

In 2000, there were 116 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.3% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.6% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the town the population was spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $22,274, and the median income for a family was $29,167. Males had a median income of $24,375 versus $16,875 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,066. About 20.7% of families and 24.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.1% of those under the age of eighteen and 22.2% of those sixty five or over.

Notable residents

References

  • Foscue, Virginia O. (1989) Place Names in Alabama. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press. ISBN 081730410X
  • Lee, Margaret Earley (1991) Memories of Nauvoo. Marietta, Georgia: Treasured Moments, Inc.
  • Walker County Heritage Book Committee (1999) The Heritage of Walker County, Alabama. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants
  • Townsend, Haley (October 22, 2015) "‘Welcome to the Town of Nauvoo’ sign stolen" CBS42.com
  • Kaetz, James P. (May 4, 2017) "Nauvoo". Encyclopedia of Alabama Online - accessed June 12, 2020
  • Alabama League of Municipalities. "Municipal Directory" - accessed June 12, 2020
  • Harress, Christopher (June 11, 2020) "Animal group: Worldwide cockfighting trade has roots in Alabama." The Birmingham News