Lexington

Lexington is located in northeastern Lauderdale County in the far northwest part of the state, on the Alabama/Tennessee line. It has a mayor/council form of government.

The town of Lexington was originally established on the site of four 40-acre parcels of land purchased by early settler Lewis Marshall, who arrived in 1818. The origin of the town's name is uncertain; it might have been named after Lexington, Massachusetts, or it might have been named after the Lexington District in South Carolina, as Marshall may have been from that district.

The first town center was established around 1853. Lexington suffered badly during the Civil War, with a number of homes, churches, and businesses burned by Union forces. The town recovered economically after Reconstruction. Its first public school was built in 1907 on land donated by local businessman Andrew Lee. The school was superseded by a new building in 1923.

Lexington incorporated in 1959.

Lexington's population according to the 2010 Census was 735. Of that number, 98.4 percent of respondents identified themselves as white, 1.0 percent as two or more races, 0.8 percent as Hispanic or Latino, 0.5 percent as Native American, and 0.1 percent as Asian. The town's median household income, according to 2010 estimates, was $45,987, and the per capita income was $22,254.

According to 2010 Census estimates, the work force in Lexington was divided among the following industrial categories:

· Educational services, and health care and social assistance (21.6   percent)
· Retail trade (19.4 percent)
· Manufacturing (13.2 percent)
· Transportation and warehousing and utilities (7.9 percent)
· Construction (6.2 percent)
· Professional, scientific, management, and administrative and waste   management services (6.2 percent)
· Arts, entertainment, recreation, and accommodation and food services   (5.7 percent)
· Public administration (4.8 percent)
· Other services, except public administration (4.4 percent)
· Finance, insurance, and real estate, rental, and leasing (3.5 percent)

· Information (3.1 percent)
· Wholesale trade (2.2 percent)
· Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting,   and extractive (1.8 percent)

Schools in Lexington are part of the Lauderdale County school system; the town has approximately 912 students and 53 teachers in one K-12 school.

State Highway 64 bisects Lexington going east-west and State Highway 101 runs through town roughly north-south. County Road 71 runs southwest from town.

Wilson Lake and Wheeler Lake are both located about 10 miles south of town. The town maintains two city parks with playground equipment, a city pool, tennis courts, and a walking trail. Lexington holds a Founder's Day Celebration every September. It also holds an annual horse show.

Additional Resources

Johnson, Fred. I'm from Lexington: Alabama Reunion, '89. Lexington, Ala.: Town of Lexington, 1989.

Lauderdale County Heritage Book Committee. The Heritage of Lauderdale County. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 1999.