Editing West Blocton, Alabama

{{Use American English|date=September 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = West Blocton, Alabama
|settlement_type          = [[Town]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    = 
<!-- Images --------------->
|image_skyline            = 
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = 
|image_flag               = Flag of West Blocton, Alabama.png
|image_seal               = 
<!-- Maps ----------------->
|image_map                = Bibb County Alabama Incorporated and Unincorporated areas West Blocton Highlighted 0180928.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of West Blocton in [[Bibb County, Alabama|Bibb County]], [[Alabama]]
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             = 
<!-- Location ------------->
|subdivision_type         = Country
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Alabama]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Alabama|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Bibb County, Alabama|Bibb]]
<!-- Government ----------->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name              = Daniel Sims
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = Founded
|established_date         = August 28, 1883<ref>{{cite web|title=Municipalities of Alabama Incorporation Dates |publisher=Alabama League of Municipalities |url=https://almonline.org/Assets/Files/AboutUs/Alabama_Municipalities_Incorporation_Dates.pdf |access-date=July 23, 2024}}</ref>
|established_title1       = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
|established_date1        = 1901
<!-- Area ----------------->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2023">{{cite web|title=2023 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2023_Gazetteer/2023_gaz_place_01.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=July 23, 2024}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 12.489
|area_land_km2            = 12.427
|area_water_km2           = 0.063
|area_total_sq_mi         = 4.822
|area_land_sq_mi          = 4.798
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.024
<!-- Population ----------->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_est           = 1189
|pop_est_as_of            = 2023
|pop_est_footnotes        = <ref name="USCensusEst2023"/>
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="2020 Census (City)"/>
|population_total         = 1217
|population_density_km2   = 95.68
|population_density_sq_mi = 247.8
<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = −6
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = −5
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_m              = 151
|elevation_ft             = 495
|coordinates              = {{coord|33|07|05|N|87|07|30|W|region:US-AL_type:town|display=inline}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]
|postal_code              = 35184
|area_code                = [[Area codes 205 and 659|205 and 659]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 01-80928
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0153935<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|0153935}}</ref>
|blank2_name              = [[Sales tax]]
|blank2_info              = 10.0%<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avalara.com/taxrates/en/state-rates/alabama/cities/west-blocton.html|title=West Blocton (AL) sales tax rate|access-date=July 23, 2024}}</ref>
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
}}

'''West Blocton''' is a town in [[Bibb County, Alabama|Bibb County]], [[Alabama]], United States. The population was 1,217 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="2020 Census (City)">{{cite web|title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/West_Blocton_town,_Alabama?g=160XX00US0180928 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=July 23, 2024}}</ref>

==History==
It was built on land once owned by Uriah Smith, near the [[company town]] [[Blocton, Alabama|Blocton]]. Many of its non-native residents were immigrants from various European countries, with Italians being the largest, as they came to do mining in the area. West Blocton has a neighborhood previously named "[[List of ethnic slurs#D|Dago]] Hollow" and now called [[Little Italy]].<ref name=Dewitt>{{cite web|author=Dewitt, Robert|url=https://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/DA/20020310/News/606107136/TL|title=West Blocton may not be thriving, but residents' ties are strong|work=[[Tuscaloosa News]]|date=March 10, 2002|access-date=January 2, 2020}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:West Blocton Historical Marker.jpg|thumb|Since 1883, West Blocton has been an essential part of Alabama's history and industrial development.  It is a celebrated city with natural beauty on the Cahaba River.]]
West Blocton is located in northern Bibb County at {{coord|33|07|05|N|87|07|30|W|type:town}} (33.1181748, -87.1249954),<ref name=gnis/> at the southern terminus of the [[Appalachian Mountains]].

It is on a midway point between Birmingham and Tuscaloosa.<ref name=Dewitt/>

[[Alabama State Route 5]] passes through the town, west of the town center, leading north {{convert|7|mi|0}} to [[Woodstock, Alabama|Woodstock]] and south {{convert|12|mi}} to [[Brent, Alabama|Brent]] and [[Centreville, Alabama|Centreville]], the county seat.

The community is {{convert|7|mi|km}} south of [[Interstate 20]] and [[Interstate 59]].<ref name=Dewitt/>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|4.822|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which, {{convert|4.798|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.024|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, or 0.52%, is water.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2023"/>

[http://www.cokeovenspark.com/ West Blocton Coke Ovens Park] blends history with nature, providing a place to relax and learn about the history of the industrial era of Alabama and how the Coke Ovens supplied the steel of the South.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1910= 892
|1920= 1023
|1930= 1070
|1940= 1317
|1950= 1280
|1960= 1156
|1970= 1172
|1980= 1147
|1990= 1468
|2000= 1372
|2010= 1240
|2020= 1217
|estyear=2023
|estimate=1189
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |date=July 23, 2024|title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020–2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=July 23, 2024}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref><br>2020 Census<ref name="2020 Census (City)"/>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+'''West Blocton, Alabama – Racial Composition'''<ref>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – West Blocton town, Alabama|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=West%20Blocton%20town,%20Alabama&t=Race%20and%20Ethnicity&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2}}</ref><br>(NH = Non-Hispanic)<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race
!Number
!Percentage
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] (NH)
|967
|79.46%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] (NH)
|162
|13.31%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] (NH)
|1
|0.08%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] (NH)
|5
|0.41%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] (NH)
|1
|0.08%
|-
|[[Some Other Race]] (NH)
|3
|0.20%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed/Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|34
|2.80%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]
|44
|3.62%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''1,217'''
|'''100.00%'''
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], there were 1,217 people, 506 households, and 334 families residing in the town.<ref>{{Cite web|title=US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=West%20Blocton%20town,%20Alabama%20p16&y=2020 |access-date=July 23, 2024 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]], there were 1,240 people, 494 households, and 341 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|271|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 576 housing units at an average density of {{convert|125.2|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 85.6% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 13.2% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.4% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.1% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.6% from two or more races. 0.1% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

There were 494 households, out of which 22.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.8% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $34,844, and the median income for a family was $59,875. Males had a median income of $37,384 versus $31,167 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $22,224. About 11.3% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.

==Economy==
The community's original economy was coal. By 2002 industry left the town. Robert Dewitt of the ''[[Tuscaloosa News]]'' stated that the community remained active despite the lack of jobs, and that "While downtown West Blocton is a shell of its former self, the place isn’t a ghost town."<ref name=Dewitt/>

==Notable people==
* [[Mel Allen]], broadcaster for the [[New York Yankees]], was a frequent visitor to West Blocton, where his grandfather, Julius Israel, resided as a boy.   
* [[Sammie Lee Hill]], who was drafted in the fourth round of the [[2009 NFL draft]] by the [[Detroit Lions]], was born in West Blocton in 1986. He is a graduate of [[West Blocton High School]] and [[Stillman College]].
* [[Debra Marshall]], known from her days with the [[WCW]] and [[WWE]], was raised in West Blocton.
* [[Frank Pratt (baseball)|Frank Pratt]], former baseball player for the [[Chicago White Sox]], was born in Blocton, a town to the east of West Blocton that no longer exists.
* [[Colonel]] [[James B. Swindal]], [[U.S. Air Force]], pilot of [[Air Force One]] during the administrations of Presidents [[John F. Kennedy]] and [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]; including Texas trip during which [[Kennedy assassination|Kennedy was assassinated]]; born in West Blocton.
==Education==
[[Bibb County School District (Alabama)|Bibb County School District]] operates [[West Blocton High School]].

==Trivia==
*[[File:Blocton Coke Ovens.jpg|thumb|Coke Ovens are the foundation of this town and the celebrated heritage of Alabama's history providing steel for the South.]]West Blocton is known for its historic [[beehive oven]]s, built in the late 1880s for [[Coke (fuel)|coke production]].
* A feature-length documentary, ''West Blocton: Small Town, Big Heart'', was made in 2012 by Michael J. Logan, an independent filmmaker whose family is from the town. The film covers the history of West Blocton from its inception in 1884 as a coal mining town until present day.

==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, West Blocton has a [[humid subtropical climate]], abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.	<ref>[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=908810&cityname=West+Blocton%2C+Alabama%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for West Blocton, Alabama]</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.isjl.org/history/archive/al/westBlocton.html History of West Blocton], ''Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities''
* [http://www.wbbm.org/history-notes.htm West Blocton History Short Notes], West Blocton Bible Methodist Church
* [http://www.cokeovenspark.com West Blocton Coke Ovens Park]

{{Coord|display=title|33.118733|-87.122875}}
{{Bibb County, Alabama}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Alabama]]
[[Category:Towns in Bibb County, Alabama]]
[[Category:Birmingham metropolitan area, Alabama]]