Locust Fork

Locust Fork is located in Blount County in the northeastern portion of the state. It has a mayor/city council form of government.

History

Paul C. Marsh General Store Local lore states that Gen. Andrew Jackson camped with his forces in the area and carved his name in a locust tree by a fork in the Warrior River, giving the area its name. The first settlers came to the area around 1819. A school building was constructed in 1921 and expanded in 1928. The federal Works Progress Administration built a new high school in 1937; it burned in 1961 and was replaced on the same site. Locust Fork incorporated in January 1977.

Demographics

According to the 2020 Census, Locust Fork had a population of 1,645. Of that number, 99.8 percent of respondents identified themselves as white, 0.8 percent as Hispanic, and 0.2 percent as two or more races. The town’s median household income was $37,292 and the per capita income was $20,977.

Employment

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

• Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services (12.7 percent)
• Construction (12.4 percent)
• Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing (11.6 percent)
• Educational services and health care and social assistance (11.4 percent)
• Retail trade (10.4 percent)
• Manufacturing (10.2 percent)
• Other services, except public administration (9.8 percent)
• Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services (7.5 percent)
• Transportation and warehousing, and utilities (6.0 percent)
• Wholesale trade (3.9 percent)
• Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and extraction (2.3 percent)
• Information (1.5 percent)
• Public administration (0.2 percent)

Education

Public education in Locust Fork is overseen by the Blount County Public Schools; the town has one elementary school and one high school.

Transportation

Locust Fork lies on State Highway 79, which runs northeast-southwest through the town, and County Highway 13, which runs west.

Events and Places of Interest

Locust Fork Community Park is located downtown and offers a walking trail, playground, picnic facilities, and several ball fields.

Additional Resources

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