Guntersville, Alabama encyclopedia topics

Geography

Guntersville is located at (34.348197, -86.294523).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 40.6 square miles (105.2 km²), of which, 23.6 square miles (61.3 km²) of it is land and 17.0 square miles (43.9 km²) of it (41.77%) is water.

Guntersville is located at the southernmost point of the Tennessee River on Lake Guntersville, formed by the Guntersville Dam. Geologically, the lake occupies a southern extension of Sequatchie Valley, which continues south as Browns Valley.

History

Guntersville was founded by German immigrant John Gunter, the wealthy owner of a salt mine in the early 1800s. In order to gain more mining areas, Gunter had to strike a deal with the Cherokee tribe that inhabited the area. They did but he had to marry the chiefs daughter and give salt to the local tribe. They did and a town sprung up next to the mine and named it after Gunter.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 7,395 people, 3,061 households, and 1,971 families residing in the city. The population density was 312.7 people per square mile (120.7/km²). There were 3,518 housing units at an average density of 148.8/sq mi (57.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.17% White, 8.53% Black or African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.95% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. 2.87% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,061 households out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 88.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,882, and the median income for a family was $39,464. Males had a median income of $36,175 versus $20,480 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,503. About 11.2% of families and 14.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.2% of those under age 18 and 16.3% of those age 65 or over.

Facts

One of two wet cities in a dry county.

City School System independent of county system.

Guntersville Dam was built by the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Current mayor is Bob Hembree, the son of a previous but not the preceding mayor and is currently serving his first term in office.

The Guntersville High School mascot is Wiley the Wildcat. The school colors are cardinal and white.

Carlisle Park Middle School was demolished in 2007; its successor Guntersville Middle School was built to take its place.

The Guntersville Wildcats football team was named 4A State Champions for 2006 following the defeat of the Thomasville Tigers 28-27 on December 7, 2006 at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. This is currently the first time the football team has been awarded a state championship.

Ricky Nelson's final three performances were in Guntersville. Former bandmate Pat Upton ran a small nightclub there where Ricky Nelson performed. His flight out of Guntersville Airport later crashed in Texas, killing everyone on board.

English travel writer Jonathan Raban devotes a one hundred page chapter entitled "In Our Valley" in his 1991 book Hunting Mister Heartbreak: A Discovery of America to his stay in Guntersville. In it, he deftly portrays much of the local color and history of the town.