Phenix City, Alabama

Phenix City
—  City  —
View of Phenix City from a plane
Location in Russell County and the state of Alabama
Coordinates: 32°28′22″N 85°1′12″W
Country	United States
State	Alabama
Counties	Russell, Lee
Government
• Mayor	Eddie N. Lowe
Area
• Total	24.8 sq mi (64.1 km2)
• Land	24.6 sq mi (63.7 km2)
• Water	0.2 sq mi (0.4 km2)
Elevation	243 ft (74 m)
Population (2012)
• Total	36,185
• Density	1,139.7/sq mi (469.06/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	36867-36869
Area code(s)	334
FIPS code	01-59472
GNIS feature ID	0155193
Website	http://www.phenixcityal.us

Phenix City is a city in Lee and Russell counties in the State of Alabama, and the county seat of Russell County. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 32,822.

Phenix City is sometimes called a Hub City, as it lies immediately west of Columbus, Georgia, which is a much larger city. It is included in the Columbus, Georgia-Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, but a section is located in Lee County, and is, therefore, in the Auburn, Alabama metropolitan area in Alabama.

In 2007, BusinessWeek named Phenix City the nation's #1 Best Affordable Suburb to raise a family.

Currently, the mayor is Eddie N. Lowe, the first black mayor elected by the public. The city manager, who holds the task of organizational matters, is Wallace Hunter.

Geography

Phenix City is located at 32°28′22″N 85°1′12″W (32.472822, -85.020121).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 24.8 square miles (64 km²), of which, 24.6 square miles (64 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km²) of it (0.61%) is water.

History

Russell County Courthouse in Phenix City

The last true battle of the Civil War took place in Phenix City, then known as Girard.

In the late 19th century, Girard made up most of current downtown Phenix City, while Phenix City was mostly in Lee County. In the early 20th century, the two towns consolidated into the present Phenix City as county lines were redrawn to account for population shifts involved in the Auburn University opening and expansion.

Phenix City was notorious during the 1940s and 1950s as being a haven for organized crime, prostitution, and gambling. Many of its customers came from the United States Army training center at Fort Benning, Georgia. The leaders of the crime syndicate in Phenix City were Jimmie Matthews and Hoyt Sheppard. Albert Patterson, from Phenix City, was elected to become attorney general of Alabama on a platform of reforming the city, but was brutally shot down outside his office on 14th Street. As a result, the city had a negative reputation, and many people still associate this legacy with Phenix City. The Tragedy and the Triumph of Phenix City, Alabama by Margaret Ann Barnes chronicles these events, which led to the small town to be known as "Sin City, USA". The bordertown was the subject of an acclaimed film, The Phenix City Story, made in 1955.

In 1955, it won the All-America City Award from the National Municipal League.

Religion

Christianity

Phenix City is home to many Christian churches. The denominations are as follows:

• Protestantism
  • Baptist
    • Southern Baptist Convention
  • Methodist
  • Seventh-day Adventist
• Roman Catholicism

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1880	2,224		—
1890	3,700		66.4%
1900	4,153		12.2%
1910	4,555		9.7%
1920	5,432		19.3%
1930	13,852		155.0%
1940	15,351		10.8%
1950	23,305		51.8%
1960	27,630		18.6%
1970	25,281		−8.5%
1980	26,928		6.5%
1990	25,312		−6.0%
2000	28,265		11.7%
2010	32,822		16.1%
Est. 2012	36,185		10.2%
U.S. Decennial Census 2012 Estimate

Phenix City Municipal building

As of the census of 2000, there were 28,265 people, 11,517 households, and 7,566 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,149.1 people per square mile (443.6/km²). There were 13,250 housing units at an average density of 538.7 per square mile (208.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 52.94% White, 44.97% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.56% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. 1.49% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 11,517 households out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.4% were married couples living together, 22.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 30.4% 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 2.40 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 86.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,720, and the median income for a family was $33,740. Males had a median income of $28,906 versus $21,348 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,619. About 18.8% of families and 21.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.5% of those under age 18 and 20.6% of those age 65 or over.

Time zone

Although Alabama is legally in the Central Time Zone, Phenix City's proximity to the larger city of Columbus, Georgia causes Phenix City (including its municipal government) and areas within a 10-15 mile radius (such as Smiths Station) to observe Eastern Time on a de facto basis.

Media

See also: Media in Columbus, Georgia

Phenix City also receives all major television networks and radio stations from nearby Columbus, Georgia. There are, however, three radio stations licensed in Phenix City: WURY-LP (97.1 FM), WGSY (100.1 FM), and WHAL (1460 AM).

Sister cities

• Colomiers, France
• Kamenice, Czech Republic
• Västerås, Sweden

In popular culture

• Ralph J. Bryant, The first black graduate of Columbus College & C.E.O of Decatur Capital Management was born and raised in Phenix City.
• The character "Maggot" from E.M. Nathanson's novel The Dirty Dozen was from Phenix City.
• The 1955 film The Phenix City Story (directed by Phil Karlson) is a biopic film noir focusing on the rampant crime and corruption in the city (then called "the wickedest city in the United States") and the 1954 murder of newly-nominated Alabama Attorney General candidate Albert Patterson.
• Ska saxophonist Rolando Alphonso of the Skatalites had a 1960s hit titled "Phenix City"
• The late recording artist Jimmie Spheeris was born in Phenix City in 1949.
• Freddie Hart, a country singer who wrote and recorded "Phenix City", is from there. A section of 13th Street was named Freddie Hart Parkway in his honor early in the 21st century.
• Governor John Malcolm Patterson (Governor of Alabama 1959-63) was from Phenix City.
• The town gained attention in 1999 when Phenix City National Little League advanced to the final of the Little League World Series.
• The city is mentioned in the film Driving Miss Daisy.
• The city is mentioned in the book The Silence of the Lambs in Chapter 12.
• The city is mentioned as a former bootlegging city by the character played by Robert Mitchum in the film Thunder Road.
• The 2008 novel Wicked City by Ace Atkins is set in Phenix City.
• Colby Rasmus, center fielder for the Toronto Blue Jays, is from Phenix City.
• Atlanta Braves pitcher and Auburn University standout Tim Hudson is from Phenix City.
• The Rapper Lil Cory was born and raised in Phenix City in 1991

Gallery

• 

  Phenix City Post Office (ZIP Code: 36867)

• 

  Phenix City/Russell County Library

• 

  The Brooks-Hughes House was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 3, 1983.

• 

  The Floyd-Newsome House was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 3, 1983.

• 

  The Morgan-Curtis House was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 3, 1983.

• 

  The Shapre-Monte House was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 3, 1983.

External links

• The Fall and Rise of Phenix City from The Malefactor's Register
• Up from the Ashes: The Rebirth of Phenix City, a public TV documentary