Fort Payne
| Fort Payne | |
|---|---|
 Fort Payne, Alabama |
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| Location of Fort Payne in Alabama | |
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| Basic data | |
| Foundation : | 1889 |
| State : | United States |
| State : | Alabama |
| County : | DeKalb County |
| Coordinates : | 34 ° 27 ′ N , 85 ° 43 ′ W |
| Time zone : | Central ( UTC − 6 / −5 ) |
| Residents : | 12,938 (as of: 2000) |
| Population density : | 89.4 inhabitants per km 2 |
| Area : | 144.9 km 2 (approx. 56 mi 2 ) of which 144.7 km 2 (approx. 56 mi 2 ) is land |
| Height : | 276 m |
| Postcodes : | 35967-35968 |
| Area code : | +1 256 |
| FIPS : | 01-27616 |
| GNIS ID : | 0150235 |
| Website : | www.fortpayne.org |
| Mayor : | William H. Jordan |
Fort Payne is a city in DeKalb County and the county seat in the US state of Alabama .
history
Fort Payne began in the Cherokee village of Willstown, which was the home of the famous Cherokee Sequoyah who invented the Cherokee alphabet. During the time of the Indian Resettlement (or the Path of Tears ) in the 1830s, the fort in the city was built by Major John Payne's troops and used as a concentration camp. Cherokee were interned here until they could be "deported" to Oklahoma.
Fort Payne experienced explosive growth in the late 1880s, when investors and workers from New England and the northern United States overran the region to cultivate the coal and iron deposits discovered a few years earlier. Many of Fort Payne's notable and historic buildings were constructed during this period - including Alabama's oldest surviving theater.
Today the city is known for sock production. Over half the socks made in the United States come from Fort Payne. The city also produces trucks, steel products, and other goods.
Fort Payne is home to the former Alabama country band .
In Fort Payne is the "Little River Canyon National Preserve" (national park).
Seven Fort Payne structures and sites are on the National Register of Historic Places as of November 13, 2019, including the Fort Payne Main Street Historic District and the Fort Payne Boom Town Historic District .
traffic
- Interstate 59
- US Highway 11
- Alabama State Route 35
- Norfolk Southern Railway
- Isbell Field (municipal airport)
Little River Canyon, near Fort Payne
DeKalb County Courthouse
Sawyer Building in Fort Payne Boom Town Historic District (2017)
sons and daughters of the town
- Fonty Flock (1920–1972), NASCAR racing driver
- Tim Flock (1924–1998), NASCAR racing driver and two-time champion in the Winston Cup
- Philip Ober (1902–1982), actor and diplomat
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b DeKalb County Tourist Association: History of DeKalb County (in English)
- ^ Fort Payne Opera House
- ^ "Government Acts to Help Textile Mills," The Gadsden Times , Nov. 9, 2005, p. B1 (in English)
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↑ Search mask database in the National Register Information System. National Park Service , accessed November 13, 2019.
Weekly List on the National Register Information System. National Park Service , accessed November 13, 2019.
