Baldwin County, Alabama

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Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. county

Baldwin County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Alabama, on the Gulf coast. It is one of only two counties in Alabama that border the Gulf of Mexico, along with Mobile County. As of the 2020 census, the population was 231,767, making it the fourth-most populous county in Alabama.<ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref> The county seat is Bay Minette. The county is named after the founder of the University of Georgia, Senator Abraham Baldwin.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Baldwin was Alabama's fastest-growing county from 2010 to 2020, with 4 of the top 10 fastest-growing cities in the state in recent years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The U.S. federal government designates Baldwin County as the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley metropolitan area.

It is the largest county in Alabama by area and is located on the eastern side of Mobile Bay. Part of its western border with Mobile County is formed by the Spanish River, a brackish distributary river.

History

Baldwin County was established on December 21, 1809,<ref name="alabama-laws-1823-ch-iii">A Digest of the Laws of the State of Alabama: Containing the Statutes and Resolutions in Force at the end of the General Assembly in January, 1823. Published by Ginn & Curtis, J. & J. Harper, Printers, New-York, 1828. Title 10. Chapter III. Pages 81-82. An Act to divide Washington County, and for other purposes therein mentioned.--Passed December 21, 1809.</ref> ten years before Alabama became a state. Previously, the county had been a part of the Mississippi Territory until 1817, when the area was included in the separate Alabama Territory. Statehood was gained by Alabama in 1819.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

There have been numerous border changes to the county as population grew and other counties were formed. Numerous armies have invaded during the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War.<ref name="ALmark">Template:Cite web</ref>

In the first days of Baldwin County, the town of McIntosh Bluff on the Tombigbee River was the county seat. (It is now included in Washington County, northwest of Baldwin County.) The county seat was transferred to the town of Blakeley in 1820, and then to the city of Daphne in 1868. In 1900, by an act of the legislature of Alabama, the county seat was authorized for relocation to the city of Bay Minette; however, the city of Daphne resisted this relocation.

To achieve the relocation, the men of Bay Minette devised a scheme. They fabricated a murder to lure the sheriff and his deputy out of the city of Daphne. While the law was chasing down the fictitious killer during the late hours, the group of Bay Minette men stealthily traveled the Template:Convert to Daphne, stole the Baldwin County Courthouse records, and delivered them to the city of Bay Minette, where Baldwin County's county seat remains. A New Deal mural, completed by WPA artists during the Great Depression, depicts these events. It hangs in the Bay Minette United States Post Office.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

During the American Civil War, 32 men hailing from Baldwin County enlisted with a Union unit mustered in Pensacola, Florida, called the 1st Florida Cavalry Regiment. In 1860, Baldwin County was the least populous of Alabama's 52 counties. Half of the population were enslaved. There was also a large population of Muscogee (Creek) in the northern portion of the county.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

During the Cold War, the vice president of Foley-based Gulf Telephone Company, John Mcclure Snook, formed a private militia to resist a potential Communist invasion from the Gulf of Mexico.<ref>Sheriff and Vice President of Gulf Telephone, inspecting the company's home guard which is filled by women. Arthur Schatz. The Chronicle Collection.</ref> Due to this militia being armed with automatic weapons from Snook's personal collection, the federal government seized the weapons as part of an order during a 1964 libel proceeding. Although Snook paid the taxes imposed on the manufacture of automatic firearms, he sued for a refund on the basis that his militia served as auxiliary deputies for the Baldwin County Sheriff. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit rejected this argument in a 1971 decision as his militia never performed services where use of those weapons were deemed necessary.<ref> John Mcclure Snook, Plaintiff-appellee, v. United States of America, Defendant-appellant 451 F.2d 329 (5th Cir. 1971). Justia.</ref>

Due to its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, Baldwin County frequently endures tropical weather systems, including hurricanes. Since the late 20th century, the county has been declared a disaster area multiple times. This was due to heavy damages in September 1979 from Hurricane Frederic,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> July 1997 from Hurricane Danny,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> September 1998 from Hurricane Georges,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> September 2004 from Hurricane Ivan,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> August 2005 from Hurricane Katrina<ref>Template:Cite web,</ref> and September 2020 from Hurricane Sally.<ref name="SallyTCR">Template:Cite report</ref>

2016 flag controversy

Baldwin County attracted national attention after the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting as the only county in the United States to refuse to lower its flags to half-staff. Both President Obama and Alabama governor Robert Bentley had ordered all flags to be lowered immediately following the attack, which was believed to have specifically targeted the LGBTQ community. Citing the U.S. Flag Code, Baldwin County commissioner Tucker Dorsey stated that while his "heart certainly goes out to the victims and their families," the incident "doesn't meet the test of the reason for the flag to be lowered."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

Baldwin County's beaches

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (21.6%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="USCB Gazetteer Counties 2023" /> It is the largest county by area in Alabama and the 12th-largest county east of the Mississippi River. It is larger than the US state of Rhode Island.

Central Baldwin

Central Baldwin is a colloquial term referring to an area of Baldwin County along Alabama State Highway 59. The area begins at the Interstate 10 exit in Loxley, Alabama including Robertsdale, Alabama and ending with Summerdale, Alabama. The unofficial boundary is generally considered to be the public school district served by Robertsdale High School. The term began to be used by most people in the area with the creation of Central Baldwin Middle School in the late 1990s. Although students in Summerdale attend Elberta High School rather than Robertsdale High School it is generally considered a part of the Central Baldwin region.

Central Baldwin is composed of four municipalities, Robertsdale, Loxley, Summerdale, and Silverhill (the only town that does not contain a section of Highway 59). Three smaller communities: Rosinton, Elsanor, and Seminole are also often included in the region. Robertsdale serves as the "hub" of this region because it is the largest city and consists of many public works buildings. There is also a livestock auction, a large "feed and seed" store, and a rodeo venue to serve the large farmlands of the region. Loxley is becoming a popular location for the expansion of the suburbs from Daphne and Spanish Fort because it is served by an Interstate 10 exit and is almost directly in between the large cities of Mobile, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida. Loxley also has a large privately owned farmers' market that is popular among the locals and tourists traveling to the beach.

Adjacent counties

Regions

Environmental recognition

Two separate areas in Baldwin County have been designated as "Outstanding Alabama Water" by the Alabama Environmental Management Commission, which oversees the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. As of April 2007, only two other areas in Alabama have received what is the "highest environmental status" in the state. A portion of Wolf Bay and Template:Convert of the Tensaw River in northern Baldwin County have received the designation. Officials believe the "pristine water" will become an important eco-tourism destination.<ref>Gary Busby, "Wolf Bay Listed as Outstanding Alabama Water", The Mobile Register, Baldwin Register, April 24, 2007, page 1</ref>

National protected area

Transportation

Major highways

Airports

There are numerous private airports and heliports in Baldwin County. Considerable military airspace overlies much of the county and adjacent bay and coastal waters.

Commercial, scheduled service is from Mobile Regional Airport, Mobile Downtown Airport, or Pensacola International Airport.

Demographics

Template:US Census population

2020 census

Baldwin County, Alabama – Racial and ethnic composition
Template:Nobold
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref> Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> % 2000 % 2010 Template:Partial
White alone (NH) 120,868 152,200 186,495 86.08% 83.50% 80.47%
Black or African American alone (NH) 14,357 16,966 18,001 10.22% 9.31% 7.77%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 753 1,146 1,291 0.54% 0.63% 0.56%
Asian alone (NH) 531 1,340 2,029 0.38% 0.74% 0.88%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 37 79 122 0.03% 0.04% 0.05%
Other race alone (NH) 104 245 775 0.07% 0.13% 0.33%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 1,299 2,297 10,368 0.93% 1.26% 4.47%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2,466 7,992 12,686 1.76% 4.38% 5.47%
Total 140,415 182,265 231,767 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

As of the 2020 census, there were 231,767 people, 93,116 households, and 64,222 families residing in the county.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert There were 124,148 housing units.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 182,265 people, 73,180 households, and 51,151 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 104,061 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 85.7% White, 9.4% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.0% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. 4.4% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 73,180 households, out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.46 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $40,250, and the median income for a family was $47,028. Males had a median income of $34,507 versus $23,069 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,826. 10.10% of the population and 7.60% of families were below the poverty line. 13.10% of those under the age of 18 and 8.90% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, 21.4% were of American, 12.5% English, 11.4% German and 9.9% Irish ancestry.

In 2000, the largest denominational groups were Evangelical Protestants (with 38,670 adherents) and Mainline Protestants (with 16,399 adherents).<ref name="thearda">Template:Cite web</ref> The largest religious bodies were the Southern Baptist Convention (with 27,789 members) and the Catholic Church (with 10,482 members).<ref name="thearda"/>

Education

Baldwin County contains three public school districts. There are approximately 32,500 students in public K-12 schools in Baldwin County.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Prior to the 2019–2020 school year, there was only one school district, overseen by the Baldwin County Board of Education. The city of Gulf Shores has since set up its own school system, following a city council vote in 2017. In the spring of 2022, the city council of Orange Beach also voted to breakaway from the county school system.<ref name=Sharpjohn>Template:Cite news</ref>

There are Catholic elementary schools in the county, including Christ the King (Daphne), St. Patrick (Robertsdale) and St. Benedict (Elberta). Beginning in 2016, there is also a Catholic high school, St. Michael Catholic High School, located just east of Fairhope.

Coastal Alabama Community College has several campuses in the county. The United States Sports Academy is a private university focused on sports and located in Daphne.

School districts

School districts include:<ref>Template:Cite map Text list. The map reflects the state before the establishment of the Orange Beach school district.</ref>

Government

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Baldwin County was one of the earliest counties in Alabama in which the old-line Southern Democrats began splitting their tickets, even going so far as to vote for Dwight D. Eisenhower's 1956 re-election bid. Today, it is one of the most solidly Republican counties in Alabama. No Republican has failed to win a majority in the county since 1968, when it was easily carried by George Wallace running on a segregationist third-party ticket. The county has not voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1960.

The county is governed by a four-member county commission, elected from single-member districts. A sheriff, coroner, and revenue commissioner are elected in at-large positions countywide. The sheriff of Baldwin County is Hoss Mack (R).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The commissioners are as follows:

District 1: James E. Ball (R)

District 2: Joseph Davis III (R)

District 3: Billie Jo Underwood (R)

District 4: Charles F. Gruber (R)

The coroner is Brian Pierce (R) and the district attorney is Robert Wilters (R).

Emergency Services

The Baldwin County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated areas of Baldwin County. The current sheriff is Huey H. Mack, who joined the Sheriff's Office in 1989 as a criminal investigator. The first sheriff, Benjamin Baldwin, was appointed on December 21, 1809.<ref>Baldwin County Sheriff's page</ref>

Several local police departments are the primary law enforcement agencies in their respective jurisdictions, as well as fire protection in Baldwin County is provided by various local fire departments.

Emergency medical services are provided by MedStar, with the exception of some cities, where the local fire department staffs ambulances.

Media

Print

Robertsdale's The Independent is the primary newspaper read by the locals. The paper focuses on the Central Baldwin region.

Commerce

Most of the businesses in Central Baldwin make a profit from tourists traveling to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach via Highway 59. This region is also where the Baldwin County Fair takes place.

Communities

Cities

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Towns

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Census-designated place

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Unincorporated areas

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Ghost town

County subdivisions

Template:Multiple image The United States Census Bureau divides counties into county subdivisions. In Baldwin County, these are currently in to form of census county divisions. The county's historical subdivisions and their populations in the decennial censuses are as follows:

1870

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Subdivision 1870
<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Township 1 south 160
Township 2 south 278
Township 3 south 480
Township 4 south 480
Township 5 south 640
Township 6 south 1,120
Township 7 south 640
Township 8 south 320
Township 9 south 320
Township 1 north 320
Township 2 north 480
Township 3 north 320
Township 4 north 446
County total 6,004

1880

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Subdivision 1880
<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Beat 1 1,489
Beat 2 5,976
Beat 3 1,138
County total 8,603

1890–1900

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Subdivision 1890
<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 		1900
<ref name=TwelfthCensus>Template:Cite book</ref>
Precinct 1, Montgomery Hill 2,035 2,268
Precinct 2, Stockton 943 1,387
Precinct 3, Perdido Station 470 1,075
Precinct 4, Bay Minette 1,022 1,593
Precinct 5, Template:Sic 492 632
Precinct 6, Sibleys Mill 294 939
Precinct 7, Courthouse
(including Daphne)		 641 1,099
Precinct 8, Battles Wharf 1,314 1,837
Precinct 9, Lowell 506 696
Precinct 10, Helton 346 490
Precinct 11, Shell Banks 310 769
Precinct 12, Camp Powell 568 409
County total 8,941 13,194

1910–1950

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Subdivision 1910
<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 		1920
<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 		1930
<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 		1940
<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 		1950
<ref name=SeventeenthCensus>Template:Cite book</ref>
Precinct 1, Template:Sic 1,293 1,076 945 1,042 643
Precinct 2, Montgomery Hill and Latham 764 864 704 692 638
Precinct 3, Stockton and Deans 1,432 1,880 1,870 1,782 2,140
Precinct 4, Bay Minette 2,336 2,693 4,271 4,723 6,264
Precinct 5, Perdido and Lottie 1,012 1,710 1,834 2,024 1,832
Precinct 6, Stapleton and Ducks (1910–1920)
Precinct 6, Stapleton (1930–1950)		 900 1,021 1,045 1,330 1,437
Precinct 7, Holmans and Gateswood 757 1,011 519 585 489
Precinct 8, Daphne 1,507 1,608 2,131 2,723 3,814
Precinct 9, Loxley and Robertsdale
(including Silverhill)		 1,785 2,301 4,380 4,981 6,655
Precinct 10, Fairhope and Zundels 2,025 1,963 3,681 3,917 6,505
Precinct 11, Summerdale and Marlow 856 993 1,766 1,808 1,879
Precinct 12, Seminole and Lillian 437 356 605 1,049 964
Precinct 13, Elberta and Josephine 715 1,025 1,272 1,239 1,384
Precinct 14, Foley and Magnolia Springs 1,019 1,214 2,370 3,081 4,715
Precinct 15, Bon Secour and Palmetto Beach (1910–1940)
Precinct 15, Bon Secour and Canal (1950)		 1,340 1,015 896 1,348 1,638
County total 18,178 20,730 28,289 32,324 40,997

1960–present

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Subdivision 1960
<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 		1970
<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 		1980
<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 		1990
<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 		2000
<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 		2010
<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 		2020
<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Bay Minette CCD 10,788 13,347 17,040 18,058 21,877 23,604 25,186
Daphne CCD
(including Spanish Fort)		 5,402 8,461 13,563 19,135 28,904 41,295 55,767
Elberta CCD
(including Perdido Beach)		 2,385 3,076 4,230 6,341 10,473 10,957 13,668
Fairhope CCD 8,745 10,562 13,782 16,331 20,780 25,894 33,920
Foley CCD (including Gulf Shores,
Magnolia Springs, and most of Orange Beach)		 7,788 10,416 14,133 20,687 31,271 48,089 64,862
Perdido CCD 1,675 — — — — — —
Robertsdale CCD
(including Loxley and Silverhill)		 7,847 8,257 9,993 11,849 18,854 24,317 29,160
Stockton CCD 2,899 3,470 3,704 3,565 4,161 3,804 3,745
Summerdale CCD 1,559 1,793 2,111 2,314 4,095 4,305 5,459
County total 49,088 59,382 78,556 98,280 140,415 182,265 231,767

See also

References

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