# Union Springs, Alabama

Union Springs is a city in and the county seat of Bullock County, Alabama, United States. The population was 3,980 at the 2010 census.

## History

The area that became Union Springs was first settled by white men after the Creek Indian removal of the 1830s. Twenty-seven springs watered the land, giving rise to the name of Union Springs. The city was incorporated on January 13, 1844. Voters selected Union Springs as the county seat when Bullock County was formed in 1866.

## Geography

Union Springs is located in southeastern Alabama near the center of Bullock County at 32°8'24.407" North, 85°42'46.094" West (32.140113, -85.712804). The source of the Conecuh River is within the city limits.
The city is located at the intersection of U.S. Route 82 and U.S. Route 29. Route 82 leads east 40 miles (64 km) to Eufaula and northwest 46 miles (74 km) to Montgomery, the state capital. Route 29 leads north 23 miles (37 km) to Tuskegee and southwest 40 miles (64 km) to Troy.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Union Springs has a total area of 6.7 square miles (17.3 km$^2$), of which 6.6 square miles (17.2 km$^2$) is land and 0.077 square miles (0.2 km$^2$), or 0.93%, is water.

## Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Union Springs has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
Climate data for Union Springs, Alabama, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1892–2016 :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 82 (28) | 84 (29) | 92 (33) | 96 (36) | 102 (39) | 106 (41) | 107 (42) | 104 (40) | 106 (41) | 98 (37) | 89 (32) | 83 (28) | 107 (42) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 74.1 (23.4) | 77.2 (25.1) | 83.1 (28.4) | 86.3 (30.2) | 90.3 (32.4) | 94.7 (34.8) | 96.0 (35.6) | 96.0 (35.6) | 92.6 (33.7) | 87.6 (30.9) | 81.3 (27.4) | 76.4 (24.7) | 97.6 (36.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 58.0 (14.4) | 61.9 (16.6) | 69.2 (20.7) | 75.3 (24.1) | 81.9 (27.7) | 87.1 (30.6) | 89.4 (31.9) | 88.5 (31.4) | 85.1 (29.5) | 76.7 (24.8) | 67.2 (19.6) | 59.7 (15.4) | 75.0 (23.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 46.3 (7.9) | 49.7 (9.8) | 56.1 (13.4) | 62.0 (16.7) | 69.9 (21.1) | 76.7 (24.8) | 79.7 (26.5) | 78.9 (26.1) | 74.6 (23.7) | 64.2 (17.9) | 53.8 (12.1) | 48.4 (9.1) | 63.4 (17.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 34.5 (1.4) | 37.5 (3.1) | 43.0 (6.1) | 48.8 (9.3) | 57.9 (14.4) | 66.3 (19.1) | 70.0 (21.1) | 69.3 (20.7) | 64.1 (17.8) | 51.8 (11.0) | 40.5 (4.7) | 37.0 (2.8) | 51.7 (11.0) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 17.3 (−8.2) | 20.9 (−6.2) | 26.6 (−3.0) | 33.3 (0.7) | 44.9 (7.2) | 56.3 (13.5) | 63.6 (17.6) | 62.0 (16.7) | 49.6 (9.8) | 34.7 (1.5) | 26.5 (−3.1) | 19.4 (−7.0) | 13.5 (−10.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −2 (−19) | −7 (−22) | 14 (−10) | 28 (−2) | 36 (2) | 44 (7) | 55 (13) | 51 (11) | 39 (4) | 26 (−3) | 15 (−9) | 3 (−16) | −7 (−22) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 5.02 (128) | 4.72 (120) | 5.47 (139) | 4.57 (116) | 4.34 (110) | 4.91 (125) | 5.90 (150) | 5.00 (127) | 3.79 (96) | 3.41 (87) | 4.83 (123) | 5.23 (133) | 57.19 (1,454) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.2 (0.51) | 0.2 (0.51) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.2 (0.51) | 0.6 (1.53) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 8.5 | 7.8 | 7.5 | 6.7 | 5.9 | 8.7 | 9.9 | 8.9 | 5.8 | 4.6 | 6.0 | 7.6 | 87.9 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Source 1: NOAA ||||||||||||||
| Source 2: XMACIS2 (mean maxima/minima 1981–2010) ||||||||||||||

## Demographics
### 2020 census

Union Springs racial composition :
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 318 | 9.47% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 2,548 | 75.88% |
| Asian | 5 | 0.15% |
| Pacific Islander | 2 | 0.06% |
| Other/Mixed | 73 | 2.17% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 412 | 12.27% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,358 people, 1,353 households, and 856 families residing in the city.

### 2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 3,980 people, 1,461 households, and 915 families residing in the city.The population density was 601 inhabitants per square mile (232/km$^2$). There were 1,664 housing units at an average density of 248.4 per square mile (95.9/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the city was 71.8% Black or African American, 12.9% White, 0.2% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 1.1% Pacific Islander, 12.8% from other races, and .8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.0% of the population.
There were 1,461 households, out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 24.4% were married couples living together, 32.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 29.5% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $22,476, and the median income for a family was $26,167. Males had a median income of $37,689 versus $21,372 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,485. About 39.0% of families and 44.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 73.9% of those under age 18 and 19.4% of those age 65 or over.

## Government and politics

From 1845 to 1872, the leader of the town was the intendant. A new charter, which created a six-member council and mayor, for the town was approved on March 1, 1870. Henry Clay Tompkins was elected as the town's first mayor in January 1872. William Owen Baldwin was elected mayor in 1881, but died in 1883. James Blackmon Powell was appointed by the governor to fill the vacancy and served until 1885.
Mayors of Union Springs, Alabama :
| # | Mayor | Term start | Term end | Note |
| 1 | William Hill Waugh | 1845 | 1848 | First intendant |
| 2 | Micajah Norfleet Eley | 1848 | 1850 | |
| 3 | John B. Coleman | 1850 | 1851 | |
| 4 | Francis A. Rutherford | 1851 | 1852 | |
| 5 | Thomas Hill Mabson | 1852 | 1853 | |
| 6 | James W. Hunter | 1853 | 1854 | |
| 7 | William H. Todd | 1854 | 1855 | |
| 8 | Henry H. Smith | 1855 | 1856 | |
| 9 | Thomas H. Ellis | 1856 | 1858 | |
| 10 | Richard Holmes Powell | 1858 | 1867 | |
| 11 | Thomas Pullman | 1867 | 1870 | |
| 12 | Isiah A. Wilson | 1848 | 1850 | Last intendant |
| 13 | Henry Clay Tompkins | 1872 | 1874 | First mayor |
| 14 | Isiah A. Wilson | 1874 | 1875 | |
| 15 | Noah B. Feagin | 1875 | 1876 | |
| 16 | Robert G. Wright | 1876 | 1877 | |
| 17 | Fleming Law | 1877 | 1879 | |
| 18 | Shep W. King | 1879 | 1881 | |
| 19 | William Owen Baldwin | 1881 | October 1883 | Died in office |
| 20 | James Blackmon Powell | November 1883 | 1885 | Appointed by governor |
| 21 | James Bennett Hunter | 1885 | 1886 | Son of James Hunter |
| 22 | James A. Paulk | 1886 | 1887 | |
| 23 | James Dean Norman | 1887 | 1890 | |
| 24 | David Shaw Bethune | 1890 | 1894 | |
| 25 | Donald Frederick Sessions | 1894 | 1898 | |
| 26 | Alonzo D. Fielder | 1898 | 1900 | |
| 27 | Alexander Edward Singleton Jr. | 1900 | 1902 | |
| 28 | Bennett Tilman Eley | 1902 | 1904 | |
| 29 | R.E.L. Cope | 1904 | 1906 | |
| 30 | L.M. Mosely | 1906 | 1910 | |
| 31 | J.D. Norman | 1910 | 1912 | |
| 32 | W.C. Thompson | 1912 | 1916 | |
| 33 | C.B. Feagin | 1916 | 1920 | |
| 34 | G.M. Edwards | 1920 | 1926 | |
| 35 | R.C. Keller | 1926 | 1932 | |
| 36 | Chester A. May | 1932 | 1940 | |
| 37 | R.W. Lawrence | 1940 | 1944 | |
| 38 | James William Chappell Jr. | 1948 | 1951 | |
| 39 | K.M. Varner | 1951 | 1952 | |
| 40 | D.G. Gwin | 1952 | 1960 | |
| 41 | Frank Hunter Anderson | 1960 | 1976 | |
| 42 | Sam Rainer | 1976 | 1980 | |
| 43 | Tony Gibson | 1980 | 1984 | |
| 44 | John G. McGowan | 1984 | 1988 | |
| 45 | Wayne Chancey | 1988 | 1992 | |
| 46 | William Durden Dean | 1992 | ? | |

## Education

Union Springs is served by the Bullock County School District. There are two high schools in the city: Bullock County High School and Bullock County Career Technical Center. There is one middle school, South Highlands Middle School, and one elementary school, Union Springs Elementary.
Conecuh Springs Christian School is a private school for grades K through 12.

## Media
### Newspaper

* Union Springs Herald

### Radio

* WQSI 93.9 FM (Modern Rock)

## Infrastructure

The United States Postal Service operates the Union Springs Post Office. The Alabama Department of Corrections operates the Bullock Correctional Facility in an Unincorporated community in Bullock County, east of Union Springs.

## Economy

A cotton growing region, the arrival of the railroad spurred new economic growth after the Civil War. By the early 1900s, many of the old cotton plantations had become hunting preserves, attracting tourists. The city remains the economic hub of the surrounding agricultural counties.
A major employer in the city is Bonnie Plants, Inc., a plant wholesaler founded in 1918 with revenue exceeding over $250 million by 2020.

## Recreation and culture

Union Springs hosts annual field trials for hunting dogs. These trials take place between October and March and attract participants from around the country.

## Notable people

* Henry Babers, Christian evangelist, Bible teacher, and scholar
* Winton M. Blount, United States Postmaster General (1969–1972)
* John Warren Branscomb, bishop of the United Methodist Church
* Edith Burroughs, first African American to win a professional bowling tournament in the United States
* Helen Claire, Broadway actress
* John Henrik Clarke, Pan-Africanist
* Fate Echols, NFL player
* Lucy Feagin, first woman to operate a drama school in New York City
* Seal Harris, former heavyweight boxer
* Jimmy Hitchcock, first All-American football player at Auburn University
* Eddie Kendricks, co-founder of The Temptations
* Thom S. Rainer, President and CEO, LifeWay Christian Resources
* Tim Stowers, college football coach
* Mary Hardway Walker, one of the last surviving enslaved people

## Gallery

* The Bullock County Courthouse in Union Springs is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
* Union Springs at sundown
* Sardis Baptist Church, located just outside Union Springs, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 29, 2001.
* A historical marker near Union Springs shows the Indian Territory boundary line created by the Treaty of Fort Jackson.
* Foster House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
* Bird dog monument, Life-size bronze statue of an English pointer