Albertville, Alabama

The area which today includes Albertville was inhabited by the indigenous Cherokee, until their removal to Oklahoma in the 1830s. It was near the territory of the Creek nation, and several major trails which afforded communication (or military action) between the two nations crossed the area. It is believed to have been crossed by Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto during his expeditions in 1540.[5]

During the American Civil War, the area around Albertville was the scene of several mid-level clashes between Union and Confederate forces.[5]

The first non-indigenous settlement in what is today Albertville began in the 1850s. It was named for Thomas A. Albert, an early settler who moved from Georgia and was a town leader until his death in 1876. The city was incorporated in 1891.[1][6] A post office was established in 1910.[7]

Tornado damage from the Great Cyclone of 1908

At about 4:10 p.m. on April 24, 1908, the city was virtually wiped out by a tornado that became commonly called "The Great Cyclone", or "The Cyclone of 1908".[8] The storm is believed to have killed 35 people across northeastern Alabama, including 15 in Albertville.[9] Relief was largely delivered by railroad, particularly from the nearby city of Gadsden. Trains from Gadsden transported doctors, nurses, and the Queen City Guards, the Alabama militia company based in Gadsden. The commander of the latter, future Gadsden mayor and Col. R.A. Mitchell, reported in a dispatch to Governor B.B. Comer:

... The destruction of property here is, I think, unprecedented in the history of the state. I have never seen anything like it, so complete and absolute as to leave little of worth in the path of the storm through town. On viewing the wreckage, covering easily forty acres or more in the heart of town, it appears incredible that any living being could have escaped the fury of the storm and death ...[10]

In 1893, the Alabama Legislature passed an act for the erection of an agricultural college in each of the state's congressional districts. After some competition, Albertville was awarded the school for the Seventh District. This is the school that evolved into today's Albertville High School, whose sports teams are still known as the "Aggies".[8]

In 1910, Albertville had a population of 1,544,[11] becoming the largest community in Marshall County.

Before the New Deal, when the Tennessee Valley Authority built Guntersville Dam, flooding on the Tennessee River would frequently leave the county courthouse in Guntersville inaccessible for residents of Albertville and other areas atop Sand Mountain. In 1919, the Alabama Legislature responded by requiring the erection of a courthouse at Albertville, in which cases arising in that part of the county would be heard.[12]

In 1950, Albertville had a population of 5,397,[13] and reclaimed the title (from Guntersville) of the largest city in the county, and has held the distinction ever since.

On June 1, 2009, the city council voted to establish English as the town's official language.[14]

On April 24, 2010, an EF-3 tornado ripped through downtown Albertville. The storm resulted in no deaths. The high school was severely damaged, nearly every home had some type of damage, and many were destroyed beyond repair.[15]

Albertville is located in southeastern Marshall County, and is bordered to the southeast by the city of Boaz and to the northwest by the city of Guntersville.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Albertville has a total area of 27.0 square miles (69.9 km²), of which 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²), or 0.37%, are water.[2] The city sits at an elevation of 1,060 feet (320 m) atop Sand Mountain, a plateau that in this area is about 15 miles (24 km) wide. The Tennessee Valley Divide passes through the southern part of the city. The majority of the city drains north to Short Creek, a tributary of the Tennessee River, while the southern part drains to Slab Creek, a west-flowing tributary of the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River. The current slogan of Albertville is "The Heart of Sand Mountain",[16] which can be seen on the welcome sign coming into the city.[17]

Albertville is home to the Mueller Company, which produces fire hydrants, thus Albertville holds the title of "Fire Hydrant Capital of the World." To commemorate the one millionth fire hydrant, a chrome fire hydrant was placed outside the Albertville Chamber of Commerce.[28]

Albertville is also home to poultry plants operated by Wayne Farms,[29] Pilgrim's Pride, and Tyson Foods.

Mitchell Grocery Corporation, located in Albertville, is a wholesale grocery distribution center serving more than 200 independent supermarkets in the Southeast.[30]

In April 2012, Newman Technology, broke ground on an auto parts manufacturing facility in Albertville. This plant will build component parts for Honda, Acura and Toyota and was expected to begin operating in early 2013. Newman was established in 1987 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sankei Giken Kogyo Co. of Japan. It is a supplier of fabricated and value-added assemblies to the automotive and recreational vehicle markets with facilities current in Mansfield, Ohio, and Aiken, S.C.

City hall

Marshall County Satellite Courthouse

Members of the city council (2023) include:[31]

Public schools are overseen by Albertville City Schools. There are six schools in the city:

• Albertville Kindergarten and Pre-K - Kindergarten
• Albertville Primary School- 1st and 2nd grades
• Albertville Elementary School- 3rd and 4th grades
• Albertville Intermediate School - 5th and 6th grades
• Albertville Middle School- 7th and 8th grades
• Albertville High School - 9th through 12th grades

• Edward Earl Carnes, judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
• Rusty Greer, professional baseball player with the Texas Rangers
• Charley Hannah, former professional football offensive guard and defensive end
• John Hannah, professional football offensive lineman; elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Glenn Hearn, former mayor of Huntsville, Alabama, FBI Special Agent, Alabama State Legislator
• Angela Little, model, actress, and Playboy Playmate of the Month
• Ola L. Mize, United States Army officer and recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Korean War
• Charley Pell, former head football coach at Clemson University and the University of Florida
• Susan Story, utility executive
• Bobby Thomason, first professional football quarterback to throw for over 400 yards in a single game

When the 1992 Winter Olympics were held in Albertville, France, the citizens of its heteronymic counterpart in Alabama took full advantage of the opportunity to put their town on display. Mock winter games were held in this subtropical city, and one New Orleans radio station offered listeners a chance to win a trip to "the Albertville games" in Alabama.[32]

In 2008, Albertville was featured in an episode in the fifth season of the A&E television documentary series Intervention titled "Meth Mountain". Among the featured Albertville residents was Dr. Mary Holley, an obstetrician whose methamphetamine-addicted brother committed suicide, and who founded the anti-methamphetamine group "Mothers Against Methamphetamine".[33]

Albertville was featured in two episodes of the radio show and podcast This American Life. The episodes focused on the influx of Latino immigrants in the town's chicken plants and the impact this had on the community.[34][35]

• Official website
• Albertville Chamber of Commerce