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Hobson City, Alabama
Town
Location of Hobson City in Calhoun County, Alabama.
Location of Hobson City in Calhoun County, Alabama.
Country United States
State Alabama
County Calhoun
Area
 • Total 1.05 sq mi (2.71 km2)
 • Land 1.05 sq mi (2.71 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
728 ft (222 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 759
 • Density 725.62/sq mi (280.25/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP
36201
FIPS code 01-35152
GNIS feature ID 0159780
Website http://www.townofhobsoncity.com/

Hobson City is a town in Calhoun County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 759. It is included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area. Hobson City was Alabama's first self-governed all-black municipality.

History

According to Town Hall records, much of the area now included in the corporate limits of Hobson City was once within the adjoining city of Oxford, Alabama. During the late 19th century, the area was known as "Mooree Quarter". The black vote from that area was a controlling factor during municipal elections. An account provided by an early settler of the community has been passed down through the years. In that account, a black person was elected as the Oxford justice of the peace. As a result, and in keeping with campaign promises, Mayor Whitehead of Oxford went to the state capitol and had the corporate boundaries of Oxford redrawn to exclude Mooree Quarter and the black vote.

The town was incorporated on August 16, 1899. Records from a contemporary Alabama newspaper, The Peoples' Journal, described the municipality as "the only municipality controlled and governed entirely by colored people anywhere in the United States." The newspaper further commented, "The whole country will doubtless be interested in the result of this experiment." Under the leadership of the first mayor, S. L. Davis, and the first police chief, James Duran, police protection was restored to the area. The town was named after Richmond P. Hobson, a white naval hero in the then-recent Spanish-American War and member of Congress. Newman O'Neal was the mayor in 1919 until he faced death threats and was assaulted by the Ku Klux Klan forcing him to flee the city.

The mayor in 1970, J. R. Striplin, was its thirteenth black mayor in succession. The town has buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

Hobson City is located in southern Calhoun County at 33°37'6.589" North, 85°50'36.330" West (33.618497, -85.843425). It is bordered by the city of Oxford to the south and the city of Anniston to the north. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.0 square mile (2.7 km2), all land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1900 292
1910 344 17.8%
1920 371 7.8%
1930 404 8.9%
1940 508 25.7%
1950 672 32.3%
1960 770 14.6%
1970 1,124 46.0%
1980 1,268 12.8%
1990 794 −37.4%
2000 878 10.6%
2010 771 −12.2%
2020 759 −1.6%
U.S. Decennial Census
2013 Estimate

2020 census

Hobson City town, Alabama – Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 96 96 12.45% 12.65%
Black or African American alone (NH) 658 612 85.34% 80.63%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 0 3 0.00% 0.40%
Asian alone (NH) 3 2 0.39% 0.26%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 0 0 0.00% 0.00%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 0 0 0.00% 0.00%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 4 34 0.52% 4.48%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 10 12 1.30% 1.58%
Total 771 759 100.00% 100.00%

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Hobson City para niños

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