Gadsden is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Etowah County in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

. It is located on the

Coosa River The Coosa River is a tributary of the Alabama River in the U.S. states of Alabama and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The river is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, ac ...

about northeast of

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

and southwest of

Chattanooga, Tennessee Chattanooga ( ) is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Tennessee River and borders Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the south. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is Tennessee ...

. It is the primary city of the Gadsden Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 103,931. The population was 33,945 at the 2020 census. In the 19th century, Gadsden was Alabama's second-most important center of commerce and industry, trailing only the seaport of Mobile. The two cities were important shipping centers: Gadsden for riverboats and Mobile for international trade. From the late 19th century through the 1980s, Gadsden was a center of

heavy industry Heavy industry is an industry that involves one or more characteristics such as large and heavy products; large and heavy equipment and facilities (such as heavy equipment, large machine tools, huge buildings and large-scale infrastructure); o ...

, including the

Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is an American multinational tire manufacturer headquartered in Akron, Ohio. Goodyear manufactures tires for passenger vehicles, aviation, commercial trucks, military and police vehicles, motorcycles, recreati ...

and

Republic Steel Republic Steel is a Mexican steel manufacturer that was once America’s third largest steel producer. It was founded as the Republic Iron and Steel Company in Youngstown, Ohio in 1899. After rising to prominence during the early 20th Century, ...

. In 1991, following more than a decade of sharp decline in industry, Gadsden was awarded the honor of

All-America City The All-America City Award is a community recognition program in the United States given by the National Civic League. The award recognizes the work of communities in using inclusive civic engagement to address critical issues and create stron ...

by the

National Civic League The National Civic League is an American nonpartisan, non-profit organization founded in 1894 as the "National Municipal League”; it adopted its new name in 1986. Its mission is to advance civic engagement to create equitable, thriving communit ...

History

The first substantial European-American settlement in the area that developed as Gadsden was a village called "Double Springs". It was founded in about 1825 by John Riley, a

mixed-race The term multiracial people refers to people who are mixed with two or more races and the term multi-ethnic people refers to people who are of more than one ethnicities. A variety of terms have been used both historically and presently for mul ...

American Indian and

European-American European Americans are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes both people who descend from the first European settlers in the area of the present-day United States and people who descend from more recent European arrivals. Since th ...

settler who built his house near two springs. Riley used his house for a stagecoach stop on the

Huntsville Huntsville is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population of the city is estimated to be 241,114 in 2024, making it the 100th-most populous city in the U.S. The Huntsville metropolitan area had an estimated 525,465 ...

-to-

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

route. The original building still stands as the oldest in Gadsden. The house was purchased by brothers Gabriel and Asenath Hughes in 1840. The Hughes brothers purchased much of the land between

Lookout Mountain Lookout Mountain is a mountain ridge at the northwest corner of the U.S. state of Georgia, the northeast corner of Alabama, and along the southeastern Tennessee state line in Chattanooga. Lookout Mountain was the scene of the 18th-century "La ...

, the

, and the mouth of Wills Creek. The brothers proposed constructing a railroad from the port of

Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

through their land. The original survey of Gadsden included the Hughes brothers' land, plus that of John S. Moragne and Lewis L. Rhea. On July 4, 1845, Captain James Lafferty piloted the steamboat ''Coosa'' to the settlement. He landed near the site where the Memorial Bridge was built. The Hughes brothers suggested renaming the town as "Lafferty's Landing", but residents adopted "Gadsden" in honor of Colonel James Gadsden of

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

. He later was noted for negotiating the United States'

Gadsden Purchase The Gadsden Purchase ( "La Mesilla sale") is a region of present-day southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico that the United States acquired from Mexico by the Treaty of Mesilla, which took effect on June 8, 1854. The purchase included lan ...

from Mexico. In 1867, after the American Civil War, the legislature organized Baine County; Gadsden was incorporated and made the county seat. After a constitutional convention, the new legislature dissolved Baine County in 1868 and renamed it as Etowah County. Gadsden retained its standing as county seat. By the late 19th century, Gadsden had developed as a major river port on the

, and was second to Mobile, a seaport on the Gulf Coast, in importance. It also developed as a center of heavy industry.

20th century to present

With unionization, industrial workers could earn middle-class salaries and improve their lives, even as African Americans struggled under

Jim Crow The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws introduced in the Southern United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that enforced racial segregation, " Jim Crow" being a pejorative term for an African American. The last of the ...

laws and political disenfranchisement. The city reached its peak of population in 1960. Affected by the national restructuring of railroads and heavy industry, most of Gadsden's major industries closed in the 1970s and 1980s. The city lost many jobs and much population, and began to decline. The city government has struggled to manage the transition to a different economy, just as numerous other industrial cities had to do. Redevelopment efforts, such as the Cultural Arts Center and downtown revitalization, earned Gadsden first place in the 2000 City Livability Awards Program of the US Conference of Mayors. Underemployment continues to be a severe problem, as indicated by the economic data presented below.

Geography and climate

Gadsden is located in central Etowah County at (34.010147, −86.010356), and developed on both sides of the

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , is water. The southern end of

rises to the north of the city center. Typical of the

Deep South The Deep South or the Lower South is a cultural and geographic subregion of the Southern United States. The term is used to describe the states which were most economically dependent on Plantation complexes in the Southern United States, plant ...

, Gadsden experiences a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Cfa'') with four distinct seasons. Winter lasts from early December to late-February; the daily average temperature in January is . On average, the low temperature falls to the freezing mark or below on 60 days a year, and to or below on 6.9 days. While rain is abundant (January and February are on average the wettest months), measurable snowfall is rare, with most years receiving none. Summers are hot and humid, lasting from mid-May to mid-September, and the July daily average temperature is . There are 60–61 days of + highs annually and 2.1 days of + highs. The latter part of summer tends to be drier. Autumn, which spans from mid-September to early December, tends to be similar to spring in terms of temperature and precipitation, although it begins relatively dry. With a period of record dating only back to 1953, the highest recorded temperature was on June 30, 2012, while the lowest recorded temperature was on January 20–21, 1985.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 33,945 people, 14,141 households, and 8,411 families residing in the city. There were 16,730 housing units.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 36,856 people, 15,171 households, and 9,183 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 17,672 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 57.3%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 36.3%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.4% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.4%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 3.2% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. 5.4% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. There were 15,171 households, out of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 19.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.99. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.5% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,386, and the median income for a family was $34,643. Males had a median income of $33,827 versus $27,342 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $18,610. About 20.2% of families and 24.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 38.9% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 38,978 people, 16,456 households, and 10,252 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 18,797 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 62.7%

, 34.0%

, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1%

, 1.2% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. 2.6% of the population were

or Latino of any race. There were 16,456 households, out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% were

living together, 18.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.7% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.0% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $24,823, and the median income for a family was $31,740. Males had a median income of $29,400 versus $19,840 for females. The

for the city was $15,610. About 18.1% of families and 22.9% of the population were below the

, including 33.9% of those under age 18 and 14.6% of those age 65 or over.

Employment

Top employers

According to the City's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are: Citing statistics from the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations and the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama, the Gadsden-Etowah County Industrial Development Authority reports that approximately 12,000 residents of Etowah County were underemployed and 2,179 residents were unemployed as of 2008.

Religion

Gadsden houses numerous churches: Episcopalian, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Church of Christ, Pentecostal, Catholic, Church of the Nazarene, and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The city was home to Congregation Beth Israel, a

Reform Reform refers to the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The modern usage of the word emerged in the late 18th century and is believed to have originated from Christopher Wyvill's Association movement, which ...

synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

founded in 1908. In a 1960 attack, the synagogue was fire-bombed, its windows smashed, and two members shot and wounded by a Nazi sympathizer.Webb, Clive. ''Fight Against Fear: Southern Jews and Black Civil Rights'',

University of Georgia Press The University of Georgia Press or UGA Press is the university press of the University of Georgia, a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia. It is the oldest and largest publishing house in Georgia and a me ...

, 2001, pp. 142-143. Because of declining numbers as some members moved away and others died, the congregation ceased operations in 2010.

Law enforcement

Gadsden is served by a 106-member municipal police department that includes a Patrol Division and Detective Division. The Patrol Division operates patrol, a bomb squad unit, a special projects team, and a joint

SWAT A SWAT (''Special Weapons and Tactics'') team is a generic term for a police tactical unit within the United States, though the term has also been used by other nations. SWAT units are generally trained, equipped, and deployed to res ...

team with the Etowah County Sheriff Office. The Detective Division serves a homicide or persons unit, property crime unit, financial crimes unit, and juvenile unit. In May 2010, the Gadsden Police Department acquired two

unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or unmanned aircraft system (UAS), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft with no human pilot, crew, or passengers onboard, but rather is controlled remotely or is autonomous.De Gruyter Handbook of Dron ...

s (UAVs) under the auspices of a $150,000 federal grant. The drones are equipped with video cameras and wireless transmitters, designed to be used for aerial surveillance.

Education

The Gadsden City Board of Education oversees fourteen schools: eight elementary schools, three middle schools, one high school, and two specialty schools (one alternative center and one technical center). A new high school, Gadsden City High School, replaced the three former city high schools ( Emma Sansom High School, Gadsden High School, and Litchfield High School) via merger for the 2006–2007 school year. Gadsden is home to

Gadsden State Community College Gadsden State Community College (Gadsden State, Gadsden, or GSCC) is a Public college, public Community college#United States, community college with campuses in Gadsden, Alabama, Gadsden, Centre, Alabama, Centre and Anniston, Alabama. The coll ...

, the second largest of the 27 two-year institutions in the Alabama Community College System. This was founded by former Governor George Wallace. Small satellites of

Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State University (JSU or Jax State) is a public university in Jacksonville, Alabama, United States. Founded in 1883, Jacksonville State offers programs of study in six academic schools leading to bachelor's degree, bachelor's, mas ...

and the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, the Capstone, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of ...

also offer college courses in Gadsden. Gadsden is home to the first statewide day-treatment program for juvenile offenders. The Community Intensive Treatment for Youth Program (C.I.T.Y.) was founded in January 1981 by

Edward E. Earnest Edward is an English male name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortunate; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-S ...

(1943-2005). With the assistance and support of the Honorable Judge Robert E. Lewis (1927-1993), the city of Gadsden, and the Gadsden City Board of Education, the C.I.T.Y. Program began enrolling students on February 1, 1981. C.I.T.Y. is designed to be a multi-dimensional program emphasizing habilitation (i.e., equipping at-risk youth on juvenile probation with skills needed to meet the demands of modern society). Its objectives are to identify the at-risk youth's individual strengths and weaknesses, provide an individualized environment in which the at-risk youth can develop skills, and alter the natural environment of the at-risk youth so that newly acquired skills are nurtured and encouraged. To achieve these objectives, C.I.T.Y. offers academic remediation in reading, math, language; intensive counseling that involves behavior modification,

consumer education Consumer education is the preparation of an individual to be capable of making informed decisions when it comes to purchasing products in a consumer culture. It generally covers various consumer goods and services, prices, what the consumer can ...

, and job readiness training. After all objectives have been met, C.I.T.Y. provides GED preparation, return to public school, and placement into technical school, college, job, or military service. In 1983, the C.I.T.Y. Program of Etowah County (Gadsden) received the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Unique and Innovative Project Award. On October 1, 2009, C.I.T.Y.’s name was changed to Special Programming for Achievement Network (S.P.A.N.) It operates under the directorship of the Alabama Department of Youth Services. There are eleven SPAN programs in the state of Alabama.

Media

Newspapers * ''

The Gadsden Times '' The Gadsden Times '' is a daily newspaper serving Gadsden, Alabama, and the surrounding area in northeastern Alabama. The ''Times'' was owned by Halifax Media Group. Before that, the newspaper was a member of the New York Times Regional Med ...

'': Daily morning paper. Previously owned by the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', now owned by

Halifax Media Group Halifax Media Group was an American newspaper company owning more than 30 newspapers in five Southeastern U.S. States. It was founded on March 31, 2010, when a group of investors purchased '' The Daytona Beach News-Journal'' from the Davidson fam ...

. * ''Gadsden Messenger'': Weekly, locally owned newspaper * ''The Reporter'': Monthly, locally owned newspaper Television Gadsden is located in the Birmingham DMA (

Designated Market Area A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area (DMA), television market area, or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same (or similar) television and radio station offerings, and may also incl ...

) for television stations. Two of the market's stations are licensed to Gadsden. * WTJP Channel 60 -

Trinity Broadcasting Network The Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN; legally Trinity Broadcasting of Texas, Inc.) is an international Christian-based broadcast television network and the world's largest religious television network. TBN solicits donations on its Web site, a ...

* WPXH Channel 44 -

ION Television Ion Television (referred to on-air as simply Ion) is an American broadcast television network and FAST television channel owned by the Scripps Networks subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company. The network first began broadcasting on August ...

affiliate * W15AP Channel 15 - repeater for

WBRC WBRC (channel 6) is a television station in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. It is owned by Gray Media alongside low-power, Class A Telemundo affiliate WTBM-CD (channel 24). The two stations studios atop R ...

Fox 6 in Birmingham AM radio * WAAX 570 - News/talk * WGAD 930 - Light pop * WMGJ 1240 - Urban/contemporary music * WTDR 1350 - Re-broadcast of 92.7 FM Thunder Country FM radio * WKLS 105.9 – Mainstream rock * WKXX 102.9 - Sports * WSGN 91.5 - NPR/PBS (Gadsden State Community College, simulcast of

WBHM WBHM (90.3 MHz) is a non-commercial public FM radio station in Birmingham, Alabama. The station is licensed to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where it maintains its radio studios on 11th Street South. WBHM features programming from ...

Birmingham) * WGMZ 93.1 - Classic rock * W257CT 99.3 FM - News/talk/classic 80s weekends * WTBB 89.9 - Religious

Infrastructure

Transportation

* Gadsden Trolley System *

Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc. is an American operator of Intercity bus service, intercity bus services. Greyhound operates the largest intercity bus network in the United States, and also operates charter and Amtrak Thruway services, as well as interci ...

Interstate 59 Interstate 59 (I-59) is an Interstate Highway located in the southeastern United States. It is a north–south route that spans from a junction with I-10 and I-12 at Slidell, Louisiana, to a junction with I-24 near Wildwood, Georgia ...

* Interstate 759 * U.S. Highway 411 * U.S. Highway 431 * U.S. Highway 278 *

Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...

* Alabama and Tennessee River Railway *

Northeast Alabama Regional Airport Northeast Alabama Regional Airport is five miles southwest of Gadsden, in Etowah County, Alabama. It is owned by Gadsden Airport Authority and it used to be Gadsden Municipal Airport. The FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for ...

(municipal airport)

Health care

* Gadsden Regional Medical Center: 346-bed facility * Riverview Regional Medical Center: 281-bed facility * Mountain View Hospital: Psychiatric and chemical dependency facility

Notable people

Clever Clever may refer to: People * Clever (musician), stage name of Joshua Tyler Huie (born 1985) Given name * Clever Ikisikpo, Nigerian politician * Clever Lara (born 1952), Uruguayan artist Surname * Charles P. Clever (1830–1874), American poli ...

(born 1985), singer, songwriter, musician * Jean Cox (1922–2012), operatic tenor, noted for his Heldentenor roles at the

Bayreuth Festival The Bayreuth Festival () is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of stage works by the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner are presented. Wagner himself conceived and promoted the idea of a special ...

* W. T. Ewing (1823–1891), politician, physician, postmaster * DeWitt Sanford Dykes Sr. (1903–1991), architect, Methodist minister *

Beth Grant Beth Grant (born September 18, 1949) is an American character actor, character actress. Between 2012 and 2017, she was a series regular on the television comedy ''The Mindy Project'' in the role of Beverly Janoszewski. She is also known for her ...

(born 1949), actress * Bill Green (1940–1994), basketball player, first-round pick in

1963 NBA draft The 1963 NBA draft was the 17th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on April 30 and May 7, 1963, before the 1963–64 season. In this draft, nine NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college baske ...

Steve Grissom Steven Paul Grissom (born June 26, 1963) is an American former stock car racing driver. He was the 1993 Busch Series champion and has eleven Busch wins in 185 starts. Grissom turned down a scholarship to play quarterback at the University of Alab ...

, former

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...

driver *

James Hood James Alexander Hood (November 10, 1942 – January 17, 2013) was one of the first African Americans to enroll at the University of Alabama in 1963. Hood became famous when Alabama Governor George Wallace attempted to block him and fellow s ...

(1942–2013), one of the first African Americans to enroll at the University of Alabama in 1963 * Dre Kirkpatrick (born 1989), first-round draft pick of the NFL's

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...

* Freddie Kitchens (born 1974), football coach *

Mathew Knowles Mathew Knowles (born January 9, 1952)Knowles in is an American record executive, businessman and university lecturer. He is best known for being the manager of Destiny's Child. He also once managed the solo careers of his daughters Beyoncé a ...

(born 1952), music executive, businessman, record producer, and manager; father of

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...

and

Solange Knowles Solange Piaget Knowles (; born June 24, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She expressed an interest in music from an early age and had temporary stints as a backup dancer for Destiny's Child, which featured her older sister ...

* Annie Lee (1935–2014), artist *

Sunny Mabrey Sunny Mabrey (born November 28, 1975) is an American actress. Prior to debuting in films, Mabrey appeared in music videos, such as " Nookie" from Limp Bizkit. Her breakthrough came after she played the lead role, man-eating alien Sara, in ''Specie ...

, actress * Jerry McCain, blues musician noted for his harmonica playing and songwriting *

Darnell Mooney Darnell Mooney (born October 29, 1997) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tulane Green Wave and was selected by the Chicago Bears ...

(born 1997), wide receiver for the Chicago Bears *

Roy Moore Roy Stewart Moore (born February 11, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer, and jurist who served as chief justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama from 2001 to 2003 and again from 2013 to 2017, each time being removed from office for judic ...

(born 1947), former Chief Justice of the

Supreme Court of Alabama The Supreme Court of Alabama is the highest court in the U.S. state, state of Alabama. The court consists of a Chief Justice, chief justice and eight Associate Justice, associate justices. Each justice is elected in partisan elections for stagge ...

* Aaron Pearson, former football

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...

who played three seasons with the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...

* William L. Sibert, US Army major general who commanded the U.S. 1st Infantry Division during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

* Hazel Brannon Smith, notable newspaper publisher in Lexington, Mississippi, and first woman to receive a

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...

for editorial writing. *

Cadillac Williams Carnell Lamar "Cadillac" Williams (born April 21, 1982) is an American professional football coach and former running back who most recently served as the running backs coach for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He ...

(born 1982), former NFL first-round draft pick *

Yelawolf Michael Wayne Atha (born December 30, 1979), better known by his stage name Yelawolf, is an American rapper. Born in Gadsden, Alabama, and raised in Antioch, Tennessee, he embarked on his recording career in 2005, releasing four mixtapes to pos ...

(born 1979), rapper signed to Interscope and Shady Records *

Jake Adam York Jake Adam York (August 10, 1972December 16, 2012) was an American poet. He published three books of poetry before his death: ''Murder Ballads'', which won the 2005 Elixir Prize in Poetry; ''A Murmuration of Starlings'', which won the 2008 Colora ...

, award-winning poet * Lynyrd Skynyrd Jones, son of Curtis Loew

Points of interest

Noccalula Falls Park Noccalula Falls Park is a 250-acre (101-ha) public park located in Gadsden, Alabama, United States. The main feature of the park is a 90-foot (27-m) waterfall. Trails wind through Black Creek Gorge past caves, an aboriginal fort, an abandoned da ...

* Gilliland-Reese Covered Bridge *

* Saigon Village behind Little Bridge Marina * Downtown Gadsden * James D. Martin Wildlife Park *

Gadsden Mall The Gadsden Mall is a regional shopping mall on U.S. Route 411 (Rainbow Drive) in Gadsden, Alabama. Located at the interchange of Interstate 759 and U.S. Route 411, it is in the southern section of the city. It is anchored by Belk, Martin's ...

* Gadsden Museum of Art * Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts * Gadsden Symphony Orchestra * Etowah County Jail, the largest building in downtown Gadsden

Representation in other media

* Joshua Kristal, a professional photographer, completed a project in 2012 of taking photographs in three southern states at sites of lynchings that were documented in historic photographs. One of his photographs was taken in Gadsden, at the site of Bunk Richardson's 1906 lynching. * Poet

grew up in Etowah County and wrote the poem "Bunk Richardson", inspired by his having read stories about the lynching in the ''Gadsden Times''. * Each county in the US where a lynching took place is represented in the new Memorial for Peace and Justice in

Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama. Named for Continental Army major general Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River on the Gulf Coastal Plain. The population was 2 ...

, opened in April 2018.Oprah Winfrey, "Inside the memorial to victims of lynching"
CBS News, ''

60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who distinguished it from other news programs by using a unique style o ...

'', April 8, 2018; accessed April 10, 2018

References

Bibliography

* Goodson, Mike. ''Gadsden: City of Champions''. Illustrated by Brock Cole. Arcadia, 2002; . Part of the "Making of America" series.

External links

City of Gadsden – Official Website
{{Authority control Cities in Alabama Cities in Etowah County, Alabama County seats in Alabama Populated places established in 1845 1845 establishments in Alabama