Ohatchee, Alabama

Ohatchee, Alabama
—  Town  —
Location in Calhoun County and the state of Alabama
Coordinates: 33°48′11″N 86°2′12″W / 33.80306°N 86.03667°W / 33.80306; -86.03667
Country	United States
State	Alabama
County	Calhoun
Area
– Total	6 sq mi (15.7 km2)
– Land	6 sq mi (15.6 km2)
– Water	0 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation	509 ft (155 m)
Population (2000)
– Total	1,215
– Density	202.5/sq mi (77.4/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
– Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	36271
Area code(s)	256
FIPS code	01-56472
GNIS feature ID	0124185

Ohatchee (inc. 1956) is a town in Calhoun County in Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 1,215. It is included in the Anniston-Oxford, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Ohatchee is located at 33°48'10.944" North, 86°2'11.864" West (33.803040, -86.036629)^[1].

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.0 square miles (16 km²), of which, 6.0 square miles (16 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km²) of it (0.33%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 1,215 people, 475 households, and 357 families residing in the town. The population density was 202.3 people per square mile (78.1/km²). There were 562 housing units at an average density of 93.6 per square mile (36.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.49% White, 3.87% Black or African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.25% Asian, and 0.99% from two or more races. 0.41% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 475 households out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.2% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the town the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $38,359, and the median income for a family was $42,891. Males had a median income of $34,625 versus $24,659 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,032. About 11.7% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.1% of those under age 18 and 15.3% of those age 65 or over.

Historical Facts

In preparation for the Battle of Talladega, Andrew Jackson used the area around Ohatchee to prepare. It was at this battle that Andrew Jackson found an Indian boy next to the body of his mother. Jackson adopted the child, naming him Lyncoya Jackson. Lyncoya died of tuberculosis in 1828 at the age of sixteen.^[3][4] The site of the battle is marked with a large stone marker along Alabama Highway 144 between Alexandria and Ohatchee, Alabama near Tallaseehatchee Creek.

Between 1863 and 1864, Alfred A. Janney built a furnace, now named Janney Furnace, to produce pig iron for the Confederate States of America in the Civil War.^[5] The furnace never went into production, but locals often speak to the quality of the construction since the structure was supposedly built by slaves. The site is now a part of the Calhoun County Park System and features a Civil War memorial alongside a Civil War and Native American museum. The site hosts a town festival every year that includes vendors, child activities, music, and a Civil War reenactment.

Ohatchee is the birth place of Tom Sims who was an author of the comic strip Popeye from 1938 to 1955 alongside co-author Bela Zaboly.

References

1. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
2. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
3. ^ Rachel Donelson Robards Jackson. From: National First Ladies' Library. Retrieved October 27, 2010.
4. ^ Rachel Jackson. From: nndb.com. Retrieved October 27, 2010.
5. ^ http://www.janneyfurnace.org/about.html

Coordinates: 33°48′11″N 86°02′12″W / 33.80304°N 86.036629°W / 33.80304; -86.036629