Town of Cherokee
Location in Colbert County and the state of Alabama
Coordinates: 34°45′30″N 87°58′7″W / 34.75833, -87.96861
Country	United States
State	Alabama
County	Colbert
Government
- Mayor	Mignon Willis
Area
- Total	2.2 sq mi (5.8 km²)
- Land	2.2 sq mi (5.8 km²)
- Water	0 sq mi (0 km²)
Elevation	540 ft (162 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	1,237
- Density	562.3/sq mi (213.3/km²)
Time zone	Central (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	Central (UTC-5)
ZIP code	35616
Area code(s)	256
FIPS code	01-14152
GNIS feature ID	0115997

Downtown Cherokee on September 3, 2007

Cherokee Post Office, September 3, 2007

Cherokee is a town in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Florence - Muscle Shoals Metropolitan Statistical Area known as "The Shoals". As of the 2000 census, the population of the town is 1,237.

Geography

Cherokee is located at 34°45′30″N, 87°58′7″W (34.758297, -87.968549).^[1]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.8 km²), all land.

Climate^[2]

• Annual Precipitation 60.6 inches

Demographics

West Colbert Family Practice provides health care for Cherokee and Western Colbert County.

As of the census^[3] of 2000, there were 1,237 people, 510 households, and 370 families residing in the town. The population density was 552.5 people per square mile (213.2/km²). There were 557 housing units at an average density of 248.8/sq mi (96.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 78.33% White, 20.21% Black or African American, 0.32% Native American, and 1.13% from two or more races. 0.49% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 510 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.8% were married couples living together, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.3% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the town the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $24,597, and the median income for a family was $28,839. Males had a median income of $26,667 versus $20,096 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,431. About 18.6% of families and 22.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.7% of those under age 18 and 15.7% of those age 65 or over.

The current mayor of Cherokee is Mignon Willis. The Chief of Police is Steve Glover.

Local Businesses

Restaurants

Cherokee has several local restaurants featuring Southern Cuisine. Some current locations include Kuntry Kafe, JJ's and the Family Diner.

Banking

Two regional banks have branch offices in Cherokee providing banking services to western Colbert County. Prior to the Great Depression Cherokee was home to the Tennessee Valley Bank.

General Merchandise

The town has hosted many businesses over the years, but after a major fire in the 1960's the downtown business district declined. Today the town still features grocery stores, hardware stores, and a drug store.

Education

Schools in Cherokee are part of the Colbert County School System and serve rural western Colbert County. Cherokee Elementary School and Cherokee High School are located on the northern side of town along North Pike. The land for this complex, including the football field, was donated by the Harris family of Cherokee.

The population in western Colbert County has declined in recent years. Cherokee Middle School closed after the 2006 / 2007 year and was consolidated into Cherokee Elementary and Cherokee High Schools. The site was once home to one of the original Rosenwald Schools.

Transportaion

Major Highways

U.S. Highway 72

US Highway 72 is the major corridor through Cherokee. This important highway followed the railroad and was once known as The Memphis Pike and is still part of the Lee Highway.

Natchez Trace Parkway

The Natchez Trace Parkway passes through Cherokee and is part of the National Park Service. This highway provides a vital source of tourism for the area.

Rail

The Memphis and Charleston Railroad was vital to the founding of present day Cherokee. Once a vital passenger carrier for the area, the railroad is an important artery for the Norfolk Southern Railway system, connecting Chattanooga and Memphis.

River

The Tennessee River was a critical transportation corridor for the South during the American Civil War. Cherokee is located near Pickwick Landing, the location for the Battle of Shiloh and the struggle for control of the river. The river provides recreation and continues to transport goods.

Air

Northwest Alabama Regional Airport is located 23 miles east of Cherokee. It is served by Northwest Airlink, providing public transportation to Memphis, Tennessee.

Industry

Barton Riverfront Industrial Park

The Barton Riverfront Industrial Park is located east of Cherokee near the Tennessee River. The park was constructed to attract industry to western Colbert County and has become an important economical revitalization to the area. In July, 2007 National Steel Car announced a decision to locate a new manufacturing facility in the industrial park, the largest new employer in Colbert County in the prior 40 years.^[4]

Major Employers

Entrance to Cherokee Nitrogen

• Cherokee Nitrogen (owned by LSB Industries)
• SCA Tissue (located in Barton Riverfront Industrial Park)
• Vulcan Materials Company - Cherokee Facility Website
• National Steel Car - (announced in July, 2007 for the Barton Riverfront Industrial Park) ^[4]

Local Historical / Significant Attractions

• Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Graveyard
• Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter
• Barton Hall
• Buzzard Roost
• Riverton Rose Trail

References

External links

• Cherokee, Alabama is at coordinates 34°45′30″N 87°58′07″W / 34.758297, -87.968549 (Cherokee, Alabama)Coordinates: 34°45′30″N 87°58′07″W / 34.758297, -87.968549 (Cherokee, Alabama)

v â€¢ d â€¢ e Municipalities and communities of Colbert County, Alabama County seat: Tuscumbia Cities Muscle Shoals | Sheffield | Tuscumbia Towns Cherokee | Leighton | Littleville