Dora

Dora is a city in Walker County which was incorporated as Horse Creek in 1897.

The settlement was called Sharon in the early 1880s. Its post office was established in 1886. The name was changed to Horse Creek, after a nearby stream in 1890. In 1905 the city was renamed in honor of Dora Freil, wife of Hugh Freil, the owner of the Victory Mines in the area.

At the 2000 census the population was 2,413, edging up slightly to 2,422 in the 2008 census estimate.

The Mayor of Dora is Christopher Edwards.

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.5 square miles, all land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,413 people, 984 households, and 711 families residing in the city. The population density was 319.9 people per square mile. There were 1,080 housing units at an average density of 143.2/sq mi. The racial makeup of the city was 81% White and 17% Black.

There were 984 households out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples living together, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.7% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% 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 city the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 81.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $21,458, and the median income for a family was $29,000. Males had a median income of $28,942 versus $19,886 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,560. About 23.1% of families and 27.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.0% of those under age 18 and 23.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

• T.S. Boyd Elementary/Junior High School
• Dora High School

The mascot for both schools is the Bulldogs, and both are members of the Walker County Board of Education.

References

• Foscue, Virginia O. (1989) Place Names in Alabama. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press. ISBN 081730410X
• Dora, Alabama. (August 8, 2008). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 20, 2008 [1]