Babbie

Babbie is located in central Covington County, in the extreme south-central part of the state. It has a mayor-city council form of government.

History

The Babbie area was settled first in the 1830s and by 1851 had its first church. Farming was the main driver of the local economy, and early businesses included a grist mill, a cotton gin, a feed mill, and a sawmill. The Alabama and Florida Railroad (later part of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad) built a line through the town in 1901, and Babbie served as a flag stop. Local sources allege that the town’s name is a variation of “baby” because it was so small at the time. The Babbie school was built in the early 1900s, and a post office opened in 1902, closing nine years later. Babbie today remains largely a farming community.

Demographics

According to 2020 Census estimates, Babbie recorded a population of 514. Of that number, 93.4 percent of respondents identified themselves as white, 6.2 percent as two or more races, 2.7 percent as Hispanic, and 0.4 percent as African American. The town’s median household income was $38,421, and the per capita income was $18,741.

Employment

According to 2020 Census estimates, the workforce in Babbie was divided among the following industrial categories:

  • Construction (24.7 percent)
  • Educational services and health care and social assistance (17.2 percent)
  • Manufacturing (15.4 percent)
  • Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services (15.4 percent)
  • Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services (7.5 percent)
  • Retail trade (4.0 percent)
  • Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and extraction (3.5 percent)
  • Transportation and warehousing, and utilities (3.5 percent)
  • Wholesale trade (3.1 percent)
  • Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing (2.6 percent)
  • Other services, except public administration (1.8 percent)
  • Public administration (1.3 percent)

Education

Students in Babbie attend Covington County Schools; no public schools are located within the town limits.

Transportation

Interstate 84 runs east-west along the southern border of the town, County Road 77 bisects Babbie going north-south, and County Road 42 runs east through the northern part of town and then turns southeast to exit the town. South Alabama Regional Airport is located approximately 5 miles to the northeast.

Events and Places of Interest

The Bethel Primitive Baptist Church and Cemetery (ca. 1850) are listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

Additional Resources

Bryan, Gus J. and Ruby R. Bryan. Covington County History, 1821-1976. Opp, Ala.: Opp Historical Society, Inc., 1983.

Covington County Heritage Book Committee. Heritage of Covington County, Alabama. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, Inc., 2003.

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