Anderson

Anderson is located in eastern Lauderdale County in the extreme northwestern corner of Alabama. It has a mayor/city council form of government.

History

The first homesteads were established in the Anderson area in the very early nineteenth century. Historical records indicates that at least some of them were done so illegally on Cherokee land, and the settlers were soon evicted by federal troops. The community itself was founded around 1825. The town expanded in 1835 with the construction of a grist mill powered by a local stream then known as Corn Creek, later renamed Anderson Creek. One source says that the creek and town were named after the mill owner, James Anderson, but another states that the person who built the mill was named Booker Foster. In 1860, a post office was established and given the name Anderson Creek, which became the name of the town for more than three decades. In 1896, the town dropped “Creek” from its name and became known simply as Anderson. The town officially incorporated in June 1973.

Demographics

According to 2020 Census estimates, Anderson recorded a population of 252. Of that number, 94.8 percent of respondents identified themselves as white, 4.8 percent as Asian, 2.8 percent as Hispanic, and 0.4 percent as two or more races. The town’s median household income was $69,678, and the per capita income was $31,177.

Employment

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

  • Educational services and health care and social assistance (30.0 percent)
  • Construction (16.7 percent)
  • Manufacturing (14.4 percent)
  • Retail trade (14.4 percent)
  • Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services (11.1 percent)
  • Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services (5.6 percent)
  • Transportation and warehousing, and utilities (4.4 percent)
  • Wholesale trade (3.3 percent)

Education

Schools in Anderson are part of the Lauderdale County school system; the town has one elementary school.

Transportation

State Highway 207 runs the length of the town, going north-south.

Events and Places of Interest

The Dr. L. E. Bayles House (ca. 1915) is listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

Further Reading

  • Garrett, Jill Knight. A History of Lauderdale County, Alabama. n.p.: n.p., 1964.
  • McDonald, William Lindsey. A Walk Through the Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. Killen, Ala.: Heart of Dixie Publishers, 2003.

External Links

Share this Article