Belk

Belk is located in southwestern Fayette County in the northwestern section of the state. It has a mayor/city council form of government.

History

Belk was established on a line built by the Elyton and Aberdeen Railroad Company in 1887. Belk was known initially as Mulberry Tank Junction, but when the U.S. Postal Service moved the local office closer to the train depot in 1901, the name was changed to Belk. Early businesses in town included a general store and a grist mill powered by the waters of Luxapalila Creek. In order to qualify for federal grants to build a new water system and attract more industry, Belk citizens voted to incorporate in January 1969.

Demographics

According to 2020 Census estimates, Belk recorded a population of 344. Of that number, 100.0 percent of respondents identified themselves as white. The town’s median household income was $37,067, and the per capita income was $18,603.

Employment

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

  • Manufacturing (19.0 percent)
  • Educational services and health care and social assistance (15.2 percent)
  • Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services (13.9 percent)
  • Retail trade (13.9 percent)
  • Construction (8.9 percent)
  • Transportation and warehousing, and utilities (7.6 percent)
  • Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing (6.3 percent)
  • Other services, except public administration (6.3 percent)
  • Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services (3.8 percent)
  • Public administration (3.8 percent)
  • Wholesale trade (1.3 percent)

Education

Students in Belk attend Fayette County schools; no public schools are located within the town limits.

Transportation

State Highway 96 runs the length of Belk, going northeast-southwest. The Luxapalila Railroad operates a 38-mile rail line from Belk to Columbus, Mississippi, that transports forest products and waste materials.

Events and Places of Interest

Belk holds a Bluegrass Festival during the fourth weekend in April, and the town maintains one municipal park.

Additional Resources

Newell, Herbert Moses, Jr., and Jeannie Patterson Newell. History of Fayette County, Alabama. Fayette, Ala.: Newell Offset Printing, 1960

Robertson, Evenly Walker, ed. Sesquicentennial History of Fayette County. Volume 1. Fayette, Ala.: Fayette County Historical Society, 1969.

External Links

Share this Article