Chickasaw is located in east-central Mobile County, in the extreme southwest corner of the state. Well-known musician Ray Sawyer ("Dr. Hook" of Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show) was born in Chickasaw. The town is named for the Native American tribe that lived in southwestern Alabama until the early nineteenth century.
History

As World War II loomed, in April 1939 the shipyard and town were bought by a local businessman and in turn sold to the Gulf Shipbuilding Company, a subsidiary of the Waterman Steamship Company, which restarted the facility. The company evicted a number of long-time residents to make room for incoming shipyard workers. A notable court case, Marsh v. Alabama, originated in Chickasaw in 1943, during the time that Gulf Shipbuilding owned the town. Grace Marsh and several other Jehovah's Witnesses began distributing literature in the Chickasaw business district and were arrested numerous time for trespassing on private property because the company owned the land. Marsh and others were found guilty in local courts, and several lower courts upheld the convictions. The case was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, and in 1946, the Court overturned the convictions, ruling that Chickasaw was in essence a town like any other and that fundamental rights of free speech therefore applied.

Demographics
According to 2016 Census estimates, Chickasaw recorded a population of 5,955. Of that number, 55.8 percent of respondents identified themselves as white, 42.2 percent as African American, 1.7 percent as Hispanic, 1.5 percent as two or more races, and 0.2 percent as American Indian and Alaska Native. The city's median household income was $28,893, and per capita income was $14,511.
Employment
According to 2016 Census estimates, the workforce in Chickasaw was divided among the following industrial categories:
- Educational services, and health care and social assistance (23.4 percent)
- Retail trade (13.3 percent)
- Arts, entertainment, recreation, and accommodation and food services (12.4 percent)
- Manufacturing (11.4 percent)
- Construction (8.9 percent)
- Professional, scientific, management, and administrative and waste management services (8.6 percent)
- Other services, except public administration (7.3 percent)
- Transportation and warehousing and utilities (5.1 percent)
- Finance, insurance, and real estate, rental, and leasing (3.6 percent)
- Public administration (2.8 percent)
- Wholesale trade (1.8 percent)
- Information (1.3 percent)
Education
Schools in Chickasaw are part of the Mobile County School system and has two elementary schools and one middle school as well as two private schools. The University of South Alabama is located approximately eight miles from Chickasaw.
Transportation
Interstate 65, running north-south, is located about one mile west of Chickasaw; U.S. Highway 43/State Road 13 runs north-south through the city. The Mobile Regional Airport is located approximately 10 miles south of Chickasaw.
Events and Places of Interest
Recreational facilities in Chickasaw include two municipal parks with baseball fields, basketball courts, and tennis courts, and a marina with a boat launch. The city also has a municipal pool and an 18-hole flying disc golf course. Established in 1963, the Chickasaw Civic Theatre stages a number of plays each year.
The Chickasaw Shipyard Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Additional Resources
Mobile County Heritage Book Committee. Heritage of Mobile County. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 2002.
Additional Resources
Mobile County Heritage Book Committee. Heritage of Mobile County. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 2002.