Athens is located in the state of Alabama and has a lot of culture to offer as well as great sights and interesting destinations. So if you’re planning a trip to Athens (Alabama), you’ve come to the right place!
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Vacation in Athens (Alabama)
Athens is a city located in Limestone County, in the state of Alabama, United States. With a population of over 21,000 people, it is the county seat of Limestone County. The city is the principal city of the Athens Micropolitan Statistical Area. Athens is located about 65 miles (105 km) west of Huntsville and about 60 miles (97 km) southwest of Decatur.
The city was founded in 1818 as a planter’s village. It was incorporated as a town in 1822 and as a city in 1866. The city is named after the ancient Greek city of Athens.
The city has a councilmanager form of government. The mayor is elected every four years by the city’s voters. The council is composed of seven members, each elected from one of the city’s seven wards. The council elects a president from its membership to serve as the city’s chief executive officer.
The city is located in the Appalachian foothills and has a moderate climate. The average temperature in January is 33.5 degrees Fahrenheit (0.8 degrees Celsius) and the average temperature in July is 86.5 degrees Fahrenheit (30.3 degrees Celsius).
Athens is home to a number of businesses and industries. The city’s largest employer is the Limestone County School District, which employs over 1,000 people. Other major employers include limestone quarries, paper mills, manufacturers of automotive parts and textiles, and a chicken processing plant.
Tourism is also an important part of Athens’ economy. The city is home to several historical landmarks, including the Confederate Memorial Museum, the Landmarks of Limestone County Museum, and the Athens Little Theater. The city also has a number of parks, including Big Spring International Park, Athens Sportsplex, and Athens State University’s HoweMcClellan Field.
Annual events held in Athens include the Athens Grease Festival, the Mule Day Celebration, and the Limestone County Fair.
Sights in Athens (Alabama)
Athens is a city located in the northernlimits of Alabama in Limestone County. The city is the county seat of Limestone County. The city limits extend west into Madison County. Athens has a population of 21,897as of the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the AthensMicropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 119,294.
Athens is one of two principal cities of the Decatur, Huntsville metropolitan area, which is also included in the HuntsvilleDecatur Combined Statistical Area.
The city was founded in 1818 by John McKinley, who also served as the first mayor. The name “Athens” was chosen because it was one of the few classical names that had not yet been used by another town in the United States at the time. It was incorporated as a town the next year on December 3, 1819.
Athens grew rapidly in the years after its incorporation and soon became the largest city in Limestone County. It developed as a regional center for trade and farming. It also became known for its role in the railroad industry. In 1853, construction of the Memphis & Charleston Railroad began linking Athens with other markets in the Midwest and northeast. By 1861, the railroad had been completed to Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The Civil War put a halt to rail transport for a time, but by 1869 the railroad had been repaired and service resumed. The Athens & Tennessee River Railroad was completed in 1871, further spurring economic growth in Athens.
The city continued to grow in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A number of manufacturing plants were established in the area, and Athens became home to a number of social and cultural institutions.
The first hospital in Athens was established in 1873, and the first newspaper, The Athens Times, began publication in 1884. The Athens Female College (now the University of North Alabama) was founded in 1856, and the Athens Male Academy (now Athens State University) was founded in 1858.
In 1890, the city of Athens annexed the neighboring town of Albany, nearly doubling its size.
The city continued to grow in the early 20th century, and by the time of the Second World War, it had a population of over 10,000.
Following the war, Athens entered a period of decline. Economic conditions in the area deteriorated, and many residents left Athens for other parts of the country. The population of the city declined from a peak of nearly 13,000 in 1950 to just over 8,000 by 1980.
In recent years, however, Athens has begun to experience a renaissance. The downtown area has been revitalized, and new businesses are moving into the city. The population has begun to increase, and Athens is once again becoming a thriving community.
History of Athens (Alabama)
Athens is a city in Limestone County, in the State of Alabama. Athens is the county seat of Limestone County and is included in the HuntsvilleDecatur Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population of Athens was 21,897, up from 20,866 in 2000.
Athens is one of the oldest cities in the Tennessee Valley, having been settled circa 1818 by John Coffee and his family. The city was incorporated in 1822, and named after the ancient Greek city of Athens.
Many of the streets in Athens are named after prominent families who settled in the early 19th century, such as Green, Pryor, McMurry, and Whiteside.
The first college in Athens was Limestone College, which was founded in 1845 as the first female college in Alabama. The University of North Alabama was founded in 1830 as LaGrange College, and moved to Florence in 1856. Athens Bible School was established in 1892.
During the Civil War, Athens was home to many Confederate military hospitals, and at one point was the thirdlargest hospital center in the South behind Richmond and Charleston. Several thousand wounded or sick soldiers were treated in Athens, and the Ladies Memorial Association organized a cemetery for the soldiers who died while in the hospitals.
After the Civil War, Athens became an important industrial center in north Alabama, with the establishment of a foundry, a woolen mill, and a cotton mill. The Tennessee Valley Railroad also ran through Athens, making it an important junction point. Athens was officially designated a “Second Class City” in 1891.
In the early 20th century, Athens experienced a boom with the construction of a power plant, a paper mill, and a pipe factory. The population of Athens nearly doubled between 1900 and 1930, from 3,741 to 7,486.
However, the Great Depression hit Athens hard, and by 1940 the population had dropped back down to 5, economic growth stagnated for several decades.
In the late 20th century, Athens began to grow again, with the establishment of a branch of the University of Alabama, and industry moving into the city, attracted by the cheap labor. The city’s population has been increasing since the 1990s.
In recent years, Athens has been ranked highly in a number of livability surveys, including being named one of the “100 Best Places to Live” by Livability.com in 2010.
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