Union Springs, Alabama

Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Union Springs is a city in and the county seat of Bullock County, Alabama, United States.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The population was 3,980 at the 2010 census.<ref name="Census 2010">Template:Cite web</ref>

History

The area that became Union Springs was first settled by white men after the Creek Indian removal of the 1830s. Twenty-seven springs watered the land, giving rise to the name of Union Springs. The city was incorporated on January 13, 1844. Voters selected Union Springs as the county seat when Bullock County was formed in 1866.<ref name=alabama>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>

Geography

Union Springs is located in southeastern Alabama near the center of Bullock County at 32°8'24.407" North, 85°42'46.094" West (32.140113, -85.712804).<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref> The source of the Conecuh River is within the city limits.

File:Union Springs AL from airplane.jpg

Aerial view of Union Springs

The city is located at the intersection of U.S. Route 82 and U.S. Route 29. Route 82 leads east Template:Convert to Eufaula and northwest Template:Convert to Montgomery, the state capital. Route 29 leads north Template:Convert to Tuskegee and southwest Template:Convert to Troy.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Union Springs has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert, or 0.93%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010"/>

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Union Springs has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.<ref>Climate Summary for Union Springs, Alabama</ref>

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Demographics

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2020 census

Union Springs racial composition<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	318	9.47%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	2,548	75.88%
Asian	5	0.15%
Pacific Islander	2	0.06%
Other/Mixed	73	2.17%
Hispanic or Latino	412	12.27%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,358 people, 1,353 households, and 856 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the census<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2010, there were 3,980 people, 1,461 households, and 915 families residing in the city.The population density was Template:Convert. There were 1,664 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the city was 71.8% Black or African American, 12.9% White, 0.2% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 1.1% Pacific Islander, 12.8% from other races, and .8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.0% of the population.

There were 1,461 households, out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 24.4% were married couples living together, 32.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 29.5% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $22,476, and the median income for a family was $26,167. Males had a median income of $37,689 versus $21,372 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,485. About 39.0% of families and 44.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 73.9% of those under age 18 and 19.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

From 1845 to 1872, the leader of the town was the intendant.<ref name="mayor terms">Template:Cite news</ref> A new charter, which created a six-member council and mayor, for the town was approved on March 1, 1870. Henry Clay Tompkins was elected as the town's first mayor in January 1872. William Owen Baldwin was elected mayor in 1881, but died in 1883. James Blackmon Powell was appointed by the governor to fill the vacancy and served until 1885.<ref name="history">Template:Cite news</ref>

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Mayors of Union Springs, Alabama
#	Mayor	Term start	Term end	Note	Reference
1	William Hill Waugh	1845	1848	First intendant	<ref name="mayor terms" />
2	Micajah Norfleet Eley	1848	1850		<ref name="mayor terms" />
3	John B. Coleman	1850	1851		<ref name="mayor terms" />
4	Francis A. Rutherford	1851	1852		<ref name="mayor terms" />
5	Thomas Hill Mabson	1852	1853		<ref name="mayor terms" />
6	James W. Hunter	1853	1854		<ref name="mayor terms" />
7	William H. Todd	1854	1855		<ref name="mayor terms" />
8	Henry H. Smith	1855	1856		<ref name="mayor terms" />
9	Thomas H. Ellis	1856	1858		<ref name="mayor terms" />
10	Richard Holmes Powell	1858	1867		<ref name="mayor terms" />
11	Thomas Pullman	1867	1870		<ref name="mayor terms" />
12	Isiah A. Wilson	1848	1850	Last intendant	<ref name="mayor terms" />
13	Henry Clay Tompkins	1872	1874	First mayor	<ref name="history" /><ref name="mayor terms" />
14	Isiah A. Wilson	1874	1875		<ref name="history" /><ref name="mayor terms" />
15	Noah B. Feagin	1875	1876		<ref name="history" /><ref name="mayor terms" />
16	Robert G. Wright	1876	1877		<ref name="history" /><ref name="mayor terms" />
17	Fleming Law	1877	1879		<ref name="history" /><ref name="mayor terms" />
18	Shep W. King	1879	1881		<ref name="history" /><ref name="mayor terms" />
19	William Owen Baldwin	1881	October 1883	Died in office	<ref name="history" /><ref name="mayor terms" />
20	James Blackmon Powell	November 1883	1885	Appointed by governor	<ref name="history" /><ref name="mayor terms" />
21	James Bennett Hunter	1885	1886	Son of James Hunter	<ref name="history" /><ref name="mayor terms" />
22	James A. Paulk	1886	1887		<ref name="history" /><ref name="mayor terms" />
23	James Dean Norman	1887	1890		<ref name="mayor terms" />
24	David Shaw Bethune	1890	1894		<ref name="mayor terms" />
25	Donald Frederick Sessions	1894	1898		<ref name="mayor terms" />
26	Alonzo D. Fielder	1898	1900		<ref name="mayor terms" />
27	Alexander Edward Singleton Jr.	1900	1902		<ref name="mayor terms" />
28	Bennett Tilman Eley	1902	1904		<ref name="mayor terms" />
29	R.E.L. Cope	1904	1906		<ref name="mayor terms" />
30	L.M. Mosely	1906	1910		<ref name="mayor terms" />
31	J.D. Norman	1910	1912		<ref name="mayor terms" />
32	W.C. Thompson	1912	1916		<ref name="mayor terms" />
33	C.B. Feagin	1916	1920		<ref name="mayor terms" />
34	G.M. Edwards	1920	1926		<ref name="mayor terms" />
35	R.C. Keller	1926	1932		<ref name="mayor terms" />
36	Chester A. May	1932	1940		<ref name="mayor terms" />
37	R.W. Lawrence	1940	1944		<ref name="mayor terms" />
38	James William Chappell Jr.	1948	1951		<ref name="mayor terms" />
39	K.M. Varner	1951	1952		<ref name="mayor terms" />
40	D.G. Gwin	1952	1960		<ref name="mayor terms" />
41	Frank Hunter Anderson	1960	1976		<ref name="mayor terms" />
42	Sam Rainer	1976	1980		<ref name="mayor terms" />
43	Tony Gibson	1980	1984		<ref name="mayor terms" />
44	John G. McGowan	1984	1988		<ref name="mayor terms" />
45	Wayne Chancey	1988	1992		<ref name="mayor terms" />
46	William Durden Dean	1992	?		<ref name="mayor terms" />

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Education

Union Springs is served by the Bullock County School District. There are two high schools in the city: Bullock County High School and Bullock County Career Technical Center. There is one middle school, South Highlands Middle School, and one elementary school, Union Springs Elementary.

Conecuh Springs Christian School is a private school for grades K through 12.

Media

Newspaper

Union Springs Herald

Radio

WQSI 93.9 FM (Modern Rock)

Infrastructure

The United States Postal Service operates the Union Springs Post Office.<ref>"Post Office™ Location - UNION SPRINGS Template:Webarchive." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on July 4, 2011.</ref> The Alabama Department of Corrections operates the Bullock Correctional Facility in an Unincorporated community in Bullock County, east of Union Springs.<ref name="ADOC">"Bullock Correctional Facility Template:Webarchive." Alabama Department of Corrections. Retrieved on July 1, 2011.</ref><ref>"Union Springs city, Alabama Template:Dead link." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on July 4, 2011.</ref>

Economy

A cotton growing region, the arrival of the railroad spurred new economic growth after the Civil War. By the early 1900s, many of the old cotton plantations had become hunting preserves, attracting tourists. The city remains the economic hub of the surrounding agricultural counties.<ref name=alabama/>

A major employer in the city is Bonnie Plants, Inc., a plant wholesaler founded in 1918 with revenue exceeding over $250 million by 2020.<ref>"Bonnie Plants, Inc. Company"</ref>

Recreation and culture

Union Springs hosts annual field trials for hunting dogs. These trials take place between October and March and attract participants from around the country.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>