Vincent

James P. Kaetz, Auburn University
Vincent is located in north-central Alabama largely in Shelby County, with small portions of the city located in St. Clair and Talladega Counties. It has a mayor/council form of government.
History
Forey Gin
Vincent, originally known as Propel, developed along a Central of Georgia Railway line. The town's first school was built in 1854. The railroad came through in 1887 and that same year the first post office was established. The name was changed to Vincent in 1888 in recognition of an early family that settled there. The town was granted a charter by the state in 1897. In 1914, construction on Highway 25 from Vincent to Leeds, Jefferson County, began. Completed in 1921, the road connected the Coosa Valley and the Cahaba Valley.
Demographics
According to 2020 Census estimates, Vincent recorded a population of 1,956. Of that number, 85.8 percent of respondents identified themselves as white, 12.3 percent as African American, 1.3 percent as American Indian, 0.7 percent as two or more races, and 0.6 percent as Hispanic or Latino. The town's median household income was $34,844, and the per capita income was $22,766.
Employment
According to 2020 Census estimates, the workforce in Vincent was divided among the following industrial categories:
  • Retail trade (19.3 percent)
  • Educational services and health care and social assistance (16.6 percent)
  • Manufacturing (12.3 percent)
  • Construction (11.9 percent)
  • Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services (8.8 percent)
  • Transportation and warehousing, and utilities (5.6 percent)
  • Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing (5.1 percent)
  • Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services (4.9 percent)
  • Other services, except public administration (4.5 percent)
  • Public administration (3.6 percent)
  • Wholesale trade (3.8 percent)
  • Information (2.9 percent)
  • Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and extraction (0.9 percent)
Education
Schools in Vincent are part of the Shelby County School System; the town has one elementary school and one middle school.
Transportation
Vincent is bisected by U.S. Highway 231 running roughly north-south, and also is served by County Road 83 running west and County Road 85 running south.
Events and Places of Interest
Vincent has two municipal parks, one with baseball fields, a walking track, playground area, and a picnic pavilion and the other, located on the Coosa River, featuring a paved boat ramp, fishing piers, pavilion, and picnic area. The town holds an annual Settlers Day celebration to honor the area's pioneer past.
The Arkwright Baptist Church, Florey Gin, and the Railey House are listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

Additional Resources

Shelby County Heritage Book Committee. The Heritage of Shelby County, Alabama. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 1999.
Published:  September 5, 2012   |   Last updated:  February 28, 2023