Editing Demopolis, Alabama

{{short description|City in Alabama, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Demopolis, Alabama
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|nickname                 = City of the People, Jewel of the Black Belt, The River City, The Canebrake, Demop
|motto                    = 
<!-- Images --------------->
|image_skyline            = Demopolis Alabama with river confluence.jpg
|imagesize                = 275px
|image_caption            = Aerial view of Demopolis. The confluence of the [[Tombigbee River|Tombigbee]] and [[Black Warrior River|Black Warrior]] rivers is visible in the center of the picture. View is looking to the northwest.
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               = 
|image_blank_emblem       = Logo of Demopolis, Alabama.png
|blank_emblem_type        = Logo
<!-- Maps ----------------->
|image_map                = Marengo County Alabama Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Demopolis Highlighted 0120296.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location in Marengo County, Alabama
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             = 
<!-- Location ------------->
|subdivision_type         = Country
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Alabama]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Alabama|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Marengo County, Alabama|Marengo]]
<!-- Government ----------->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name              = Woody Collins
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
|established_date         = December 11, 1821<ref>{{cite web|title=Municipalities of Alabama Incorporation Dates |publisher=Alabama League of Municipalities |url=https://almonline.org/Assets/Files/AboutUs/Alabama_Municipalities_Incorporation_Dates.pdf |access-date=March 12, 2024}}</ref>
<!-- Area ----------------->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2023">{{cite web|title=2023 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2023_Gazetteer/2023_gaz_place_01.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=March 12, 2024}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 46.791
|area_land_km2            = 45.956
|area_water_km2           = 0.835
|area_total_sq_mi         = 18.066
|area_land_sq_mi          = 17.744
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.322
<!-- Population ----------->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_est           = 6882
|pop_est_as_of            = 2022
|pop_est_footnotes        = <ref name="USCensusEst2022"/>
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="2020 Census (City)"/>
|population_total         = 7162
|population_density_km2   = 149.8
|population_density_sq_mi = 388
<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = −6
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = −5
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_m              = 37
|elevation_ft             = 121
|coordinates              = {{coord|32|31|03|N|87|50|11|W|region:US-AL|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]
|postal_code              = 36732
|area_code                = [[Area code 334|334]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 01-20296
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0117222<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|0117222}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|https://demopolisal.gov/|demopolisal.gov}}
|footnotes                = 
}}

'''Demopolis''' is the largest city in [[Marengo County, Alabama|Marengo County]], in west-central [[Alabama]]. The population was 7,162 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="2020 Census (City)">{{cite web|title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Demopolis_city,_Alabama?g=160XX00US0120296 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=March 12, 2024}}</ref>

The city lies at the [[confluence]] of the [[Black Warrior River]] and [[Tombigbee River]]. It is situated atop a cliff composed of the [[Demopolis Chalk Formation]], known locally as [[White Bluff (Demopolis, Alabama)|White Bluff]], on the east bank of the Tombigbee.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2008a}}</ref><ref name="ADAH">{{cite web|title=ADAH: Marengo Historical Markers |publisher=Alabama Department of Archives and History |url=http://www.archives.state.al.us/markers/imarengo.html |access-date=May 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070821021549/http://www.archives.state.al.us/markers/imarengo.html |archive-date=August 21, 2007}}</ref> It is at the center of Alabama's [[Canebrake (region of Alabama)|Canebrake]] region and is also within the [[Black Belt (region of Alabama)|Black Belt]] region.<ref name="eoacanebrake">{{Cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1279 |title=Canebrakes |first=John C. |last=Hall |encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of Alabama |date=August 17, 2007 |access-date=June 1, 2011 |archive-date=December 14, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101214034644/http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1279 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="alacane">{{Cite web|url=http://www.alabamacanebrake.org/default.htm |title=Alabama's Canebrake |publisher=West Alabama Regional Alliance |access-date=June 1, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623091458/http://www.alabamacanebrake.org/Default.htm |archive-date=June 23, 2011 |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="eoablackbelt">{{Cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-2458 |title=Black Belt Region in Alabama |first=Terance L. |last=Winemiller |encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of Alabama |date=September 17, 2009 |access-date=June 1, 2011}}</ref>

Demopolis was founded in the early 1800s after the fall of [[First French Empire|Napoleon's empire]]. It was named by a group of French expatriates, a mix of exiled [[Bonapartism|Bonapartists]] and other French refugees who had settled in the United States after the overthrow of the colonial government in [[Saint-Domingue]] by enslaved workers. Napoleon had sent troops there in a last attempt to regain control of the island, but they were defeated, largely by high mortality due to [[yellow fever]].

The name, meaning in Greek "the People's City" or "City of the People" (from [[Ancient Greek]] ''δῆμος'' + ''πόλις''), was chosen to honor the democratic ideals behind the endeavor. First settled in 1817, it is one of the oldest continuous settlements in the interior of Alabama. French colonists had founded [[Mobile, Alabama|Mobile]] on the coast in the early 18th century.<ref name="bonpartists1">{{cite book|last=Blaufarb |first=Rafe |title=Bonapartists in the Borderlands: French Exiles and Refugees on the Gulf Coast, 1815–1835 |location=Tuscaloosa |publisher=University of Alabama Press |year=2006}}</ref><ref name="peoplescity">{{cite book|title=The Peoples City: The Glory and the Grief of an Alabama Town 1850–1874 |last=Smith |first=Winston |year=2003 |publisher=The Marengo County Historical Society |location=Demopolis, Alabama |oclc=54453654 |pages=32–56}}</ref> Demopolis was incorporated on December 11, 1821.<ref>{{cite book|title=History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography |volume=((Volume 1)) |last1=Owen |first1=Thomas McAdory |first2=Marie Bankhead |last2=Owen |year=1921 |publisher=S. J. Clarke Publishing Company |page=266 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZEkUAAAAYAAJ}}</ref>

==History==
===Colonization===
Organizing first in [[Philadelphia]], French expatriates petitioned the U.S. Congress to sell them property for land to colonize. Congress granted approval by an act on March 3, 1817, that allowed them to buy four townships in the [[Alabama Territory]] at $2 per acre, with the provision that they cultivate grape vines and olive trees. Following advice obtained from experienced pioneers, they determined that Alabama would provide a good climate for cultivating these crops. By July 14, 1817, a small party of pioneers had settled at [[White Bluff (Demopolis, Alabama)|White Bluff]] on the Tombigbee River, at the present site of Demopolis, founding the [[Vine and Olive Colony]].<ref name="vine1">{{cite book|last=Smith |first=Winston |title=Days of Exile: The Story of the Vine and Olive Colony in Alabama |pages=31–43 |location=Tuscaloosa, Alabama |publisher=W. B. Drake and Son |year=1967}}</ref>

Among the wealthiest and most prominent of the group was [[Charles Lefebvre-Desnouettes|Count Lefebvre Desnouettes]], who had been a cavalry officer under Napoleon, with the rank of [[lieutenant-general]]. He had ridden in Napoleon's carriage during his [[French invasion of Russia|failed invasion of Russia]]. Other prominent figures among the immigrants included Lieutenant-General Baron [[François Antoine Lallemand|Henri-Dominique Lallemand]], Count [[Bertrand Clauzel]], [[Joseph Lakanal]], Simon Chaudron, Pasqual Luciani, Colonel Jean-Jerome Cluis, Jean-Marie Chapron, Colonel Nicholas Raoul, and Frederic Ravesies. Most of these expatriates had little interest in pioneer life and sold their shares in the colony, remaining in Philadelphia.<ref name="vine2">{{harvp|Smith|1967|pp=96–115}}.</ref> By 1818, the colony consisted of only 69 settlers.<ref name="eoa1">{{Cite encyclopedia|last=Blaufarb |first=Rafe |url=http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1539 |title=Vine and Olive Colony |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Alabama |publisher=Auburn University |date=May 19, 2008 |access-date=October 5, 2010 |archive-date=November 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104194710/http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1539 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The party encountered a variety of adversities. Following a survey in August 1818, they learned that their new properties did not fall under the territories encompassed by the congressional approval, and the Vine and Olive Colony was soon forced to move. Their actual land grants began less than a mile to the east of their newly cleared land. After abandoning the settlement of Demopolis, they soon established two other towns, [[Aigleville, Alabama|Aigleville]] and [[Arcola, Alabama|Arcola]].<ref name="vine3">{{harvp|Smith|1967|pp= 47–53}}.</ref>

===American settlement===
[[File:Bluff Hall 01.jpg|thumb|[[Bluff Hall]] in 2008]]
[[File:Rooster Hall.JPG|thumb|Rooster Hall in 2010. Built in 1843 as the Presbyterian church, it served as the county courthouse from 1868 to 1871.]]
[[File:Gaineswood by Highsmith 007.jpg|thumb|Nathan B. Whitfield's [[Gaineswood]] in 2010, built from 1843 to 1861 on what was then the outskirts of town.]]
[[File:Glover Mausoleum in Riverside Cemetery 01.JPG|thumb|The [[Glover Mausoleum]] and a portion of Riverside Cemetery overlooking the Tombigbee River.]]

Upon learning of the survey and that the French grants lay elsewhere, American settlers began to quickly purchase the property of the former French settlement, intending to develop it as a major river port on the Tombigbee. A land company, the White Bluff Association (later renamed as the Company of the Town of Demopolis), was formed in 1819 with the express purpose to purchase the land and lay off a town. [[George Strother Gaines]] was named as the company spokesman, and he bought the town site atop White Bluff as soon as it was offered for sale. Commissioners for the company were George Strother Gaines, James Childress, Walter Crenshaw, Count Charles Lefebvre Desnouettes, and Dr. Joseph B. Earle.<ref name="peoplescity"/>

The commissioners were responsible for overseeing the site survey, lot sales, and the early operations of the town. The commissioners laid off the site into streets, blocks, and lots, with a block of roughly two acres divided into eight lots. [[Demopolis Town Square]], encompassing one city block, was established in 1819. The first lots were sold beginning on April 22, 1819. When Count Desnouettes died in 1822, Allen Glover was appointed to replace him. As other commissioners retired, they were succeeded by David E. Moore, William H. Lyon, Thomas McGee, and George N. Stewart.<ref name="peoplescity"/>

The streets were laid off using a [[grid plan]], with the city of Philadelphia as a model. The original streets running north–south were named for trees, such as Ash, Cedar, Cherry, and Chestnut. Exceptions were made for Commissioners, Strawberry, and Market (now Main) streets. Several short north–south streets were also named for commissioners, such as Desnouettes, Earle, Glover, Griffin, and McGee. The east–west streets were named for national and local heroes, as well as commissioners, such as Childress, Fulton, Gaines, Lyon, Monroe, Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, and Jackson. Most streets were designed to be {{convert|66|ft|m}} wide. A strip of land that remained public property, for the use of all, was the land adjoining the Tombigbee River. This extended from where Riverside Cemetery is today, to the southwest of the city proper, to the Upper Landing in the north, with Arch Street following the route along the top of the cliff. Only the portion of Arch Street adjacent to the cemetery remains intact.<ref name="peoplescity"/>

Some flaws and limitations of the original town plan became apparent by the late 1820s and 1830s. The typical town lots, at {{convert|75|ft|m}} wide and {{convert|150|ft|m}} deep, were not conducive to construction of the stately homes desired by the more prosperous residents. Some grand mansions were completed by the late 1820s. One of the first was the brick {{frac|2|1|2}}-story [[Federal architecture|Federal]]-style Allen Glover house at the foot of Capitol Street. It was one of the, if not the first, neoclassical structures to be built in Marengo County. Glover built [[Bluff Hall]] (1832) for his daughter, Sarah Serena, and son-in-law, [[Francis Strother Lyon]].<ref name="peoplescity"/>

The town plan was also lacking a clearly defined business district, resulting in commercial and residential buildings mixed together all over town. As development shifted, some areas became blighted because of less desirable uses. Some stores opened around the town square, however, and warehouses started to appear adjacent to the town's three major river landings, Upper Landing, above the modern Demopolis Yacht Basin and Marina; Webb's Landing at the western terminus of Washington Street; and Lower Landing to the west of Riverside Cemetery and the Whitfield Canal.<ref name="peoplescity"/><ref name="gnis1">{{Gnis|137596|Demopolis Upper Landing}}</ref><ref name="gnis2">{{Gnis|157225|Webb's Landing}}</ref><ref name="gnis3">{{Gnis|137595|Demopolis Lower Landing (historical)}}</ref>

By the 1830s Demopolis had developed into a regional commercial river hub, attracting American and European-born craftsmen and merchants, including the Beysiegle, Breitling, Breton, Dupertuis, Foster, Hummell, Kirker, Knapp, Marx, Michael, Mulligan, Oberling, Rhodes, Rudisill, Rosenbaum, Schmidt, Shahan, Stallings, and Zaiser families. Numerous [[List of plantations in Alabama|plantation]] owners also established townhouses in the community or on its outskirts, including the Allen, Ashe, Curtis, DuBose, Foscue, Glover, Griffin, Lane, Lyon, McAllister, Prout, Reese, Strudwick, [[Tayloe (disambiguation)|Tayloe]], Whitfield, and Vaughan families.<ref name="peoplescity"/>

But Demopolis was not dominated by a homogeneous elite planter class, as happened in other towns of the region. During these years and in the future, the river trade also brought numerous people with a desire for raucous entertainment. This created a profitable and brisk trade for those operating taverns and did much to earn early Demopolis a reputation for decadence.<ref name="peoplescity"/>

During the 1840s many of the streets laid out by the town fathers had yet to be opened to traffic. The town council focused attention on clearing the intended streets and opening them to traffic, making other street improvements, and building wooden sidewalks along major thoroughfares to lift pedestrians above the mud. The council also approved measures to protect trees in the common areas and streets.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}

Several town ordinances were enacted in 1842 to restrain the [[History of slavery in Alabama|enslaved]] African-American population. They were prohibited from selling or purchasing any article or commodity from or to a slave without written permission from their master or overseer. No slave was allowed to purchase alcohol without written consent; if any slave were convicted of assault upon "any white man, [[negro]], or [[mulatto]]", the owner would be fined $50; any slave caught running "any horse, [[gelding]], or [[mule]]" through town would be subject to fifteen [[flagellation|lashes]] unless the owner paid a fine of $1; any slave caught driving any wagon or cart or driving a horse or mule on or across the sidewalks of the town would be subject to 10 lashes, unless the owner paid a fine of 50 cents.<ref name="peoplescity"/>

The robust, frontier river town did not support the orderly organization of churches. A group of [[United Methodist Church|Methodist]] ministers who convened nearby in 1843 said that Demopolis was "wholly irreligious".  [[Mainline Protestant]] churches were slow to take root; no churches were built in Demopolis until 1840. Prior to that time, various denominations met in a log assembly house on the town square. It was torn down in 1844. A [[Baptist]] group was established in the 1820s but disbanded due to a lack of support. The [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopalians]] established a congregation in 1834, but did not build Trinity Episcopal Church until 1850. A [[Presbyterian Church (USA)|Presbyterian]] congregation was established in 1839 and completed its first church in 1843, a brick structure on the town square. The Methodist congregation was established in 1840 and completed its first building in 1843.<ref name="peoplescity2">{{harvp|Smith|2003}}</ref>{{rp|6–8}}

Present in Demopolis from the beginning, with the French Catholic immigrants, the Catholic congregation in town was listed in 1851 as a mission of Saint John the Baptist in [[Tuscaloosa, Alabama|Tuscaloosa]]. It was switched to being supported by a church in [[Selma, Alabama|Selma]] in 1880. They met in a small frame church and private homes until 1905, when the current Saint Leo the Great was built.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}

The Jewish congregation, [[Temple B'nai Jeshurun (Demopolis, Alabama)|B'nai Jeshurun]], was established in 1858, although the community had been present since the 1840s. B'nai Jeshurun was the fourth Jewish congregation established in Alabama.<ref name="MSJEOVER">{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.isjl.org/history/archive/main_al.htm |title=Alabama |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities |publisher=Goldring / Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life |access-date=October 5, 2010}}</ref> They initially met in homes and businesses until eventually building a [[Moorish Revival architecture|Moorish Revival]]-style temple in 1893.<ref name="peoplescity2"/>{{rp|6–8}}<ref>{{cite book|author=Marengo County Heritage Book Committee |title=The heritage of Marengo County, Alabama |pages=34–46 |location=Clanton, Alabama |publisher=Heritage Publishing Consultants |year=2000 |isbn=1-891647-58-X}}</ref>

By the 1850s several palatial [[steamboat]]s were visiting the town as a regular stop on the [[Mobile, Alabama|Mobile]] to [[Columbus, Mississippi]], route along the Tombigbee. These included the ''Forest Monarch'', ''Alice Vivian'', and the ill-fated ''[[Eliza Battle]]''. Several others were dedicated almost exclusively to Demopolis and the cotton trade, including the ''Allen Glover'', ''Canebrake'', ''Cherokee'', ''Demopolis'', ''Frank Lyon'', ''Marengo'', and the ''Mollie Glover''. Major hotels during this same period included the Planter's Hotel, later known as Madison House Hotel, and the River Hotel.<ref name="peoplescity5">{{harvp|Smith|2003|pp= 16–19}}.</ref>

In 1853 a [[yellow fever]] epidemic struck the city. Some people were buried in an ill-defined two-acre cemetery to the north of town in the river bend. The Jewish Cemetery was established in 1878 to the east of town on Jefferson Street. The [[Glover Mausoleum]] had been completed on the banks of the Tombigbee in 1845, with the burial of many family members in and around it. Finally the city established its main burial ground, Riverside Cemetery, selling plots to the public in 1882.<ref name="peoplescity"/>

A circular [[Gothic Revival architecture|Gothic Revival]]-style [[amphitheater]], complete with a [[battlement|crenelated]] roof-line, was completed in 1859 north of town in Webb's Bend at the fairgrounds. The fairgrounds and its buildings covered approximately {{convert|20|acre}} and hosted a variety of events until the outbreak of the [[American Civil War|Civil War]].<ref name="peoplescity6">{{harvp|Smith|2003|pp= 73–74}}.</ref>

By 1860, the population within the town limits had grown to approximately 1,200 people.<ref name="peoplescity2"/>{{rp|339}} The town began to attract new entertainments, such as musical and dramatic performances, concert artists, lecturers, circuses, and carnivals.<ref name="peoplescity4">{{harvp|Smith|2003|pp= 105–156}}.</ref>

===Civil War and aftermath===
[[File:Trinity Episcopal Demopolis 02.JPG|thumb|Trinity Episcopal Church was built in 1870 after the previous building burned in 1865 during the occupation of the city by [[Union Army|Federal]] troops.]]
[[File:Demopolis Historic Business District 05.JPG|thumb|Demopolis City Hall in 2010. It was built as a courthouse annex in 1869–70.]]

Marengo County, with its large number of slaveholders, favored secession from the [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] and the formation of the [[Confederate States of America]]. White residents of Demopolis shared these sentiments. Prominent secessionists included Nathan B. Whitfield, Francis S. Lyon, Goodman G. Griffin, Kimbrough C. DuBose, George B. Lyon, Dr. James D. Browder, and George E. Markham. But many other powerful men in town opposed secession, including Benjamin Glover Shields, William H. Lyon, Jr., William B. Jones, Pearson J. Glover, Gaius Whitfield, Alfred Hatch, Joel C. DuBose, Robert V. Montague, and [[Henry Augustine Tayloe]]. In the end, most men on both sides of the argument joined in the Confederate cause once secession was inevitable.<ref name="peoplescity7">{{harvp|Smith|2003|pp= 129–218}}.</ref> It is not known whether the Jewish community supported or not the Union or opposed slavery.

With the start of the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], several [[Confederate States Army|Confederate]] companies recruited from the population of Demopolis and Marengo County. The 4th, [[11th Alabama Infantry Regiment|11th]], 21st, 23rd, and 43rd Alabama Infantry Regiments, in addition to the 8th Alabama Cavalry, Company E of the [[Jeff. Davis Legion]], and Selden's Battery, were all established by local men. During the course of the war, more of these men would be lost to disease, exhaustion, and malnutrition than to battle casualties, as happened in both armies.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}

The city, based on two navigable rivers and a railroad, was used as the base for a number of Confederate installations and offices. These included [[commissary]] and [[quartermaster]] offices and warehouses, engineers' offices and workshops, a large [[Military logistics|ordnance]] depot, two large hospitals, and offices of the medical purveyor of the Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana. A huge military encampment was established at the fairgrounds in Webb's Bend. After the [[Siege of Vicksburg|fall of Vicksburg]] and [[Siege of Port Hudson|Port Hudson]] in July, 1863, several regiments of paroled Confederate troops were sent to a camp at Demopolis to await [[Dix-Hill Cartel|exchange]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Cozzens |first=Peter. |author-link= |date=1994 |title=The Battles for Chattanooga: The Shipwreck of their Hopes |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JH5m7yVua5AC|location= |publisher=University of Illinois Press |pages=27 |isbn=978-0-252-06595-8}}</ref>  Thousands of soldiers entered the town at a time, which had only one thousand inhabitants prior to the war. Residents struggled to provide and secure sufficient food and accommodations.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}

Many hundreds of the soldiers who died in the hospitals during the war were buried in a Confederate cemetery on the south end of Webb's Bend. Today the site is underwater, following the damming of the river below Demopolis in the 20th century.<ref name="peoplescity7"/>

After the loss of its primary east–west railroad during the war, in 1862 the Confederate government completed the [[Alabama and Mississippi Rivers Railroad]] from [[Selma, Alabama|Selma]] through Demopolis and to [[Meridian, Mississippi]]. The project had been in the works since the 1850s, but several miles between Demopolis and [[Uniontown, Alabama|Uniontown]] had not been finished when war erupted. As the war raged in all directions around Demopolis in 1864, the city was subjected to a huge influx of war refugees. Nathan B. Whitfield noted in his journal that those from Mobile had taken every available vacant house, and others were crowded with local people, along with their descendants and relatives.<ref name="peoplescity7"/>

In March 1865 the people of Demopolis prepared to defend the town against [[Union Army|Union]] threats, and fortified key positions. Three circular [[artillery battery|batteries]], surrounded by earthworks, were constructed and other fortifications built across the southern reaches of town. With the impending fall of Selma in early April, during [[Wilson's Raid]], all of the railroad's rolling stock was sent full of supplies westward through Demopolis and on to Meridian. A flotilla of eighteen Confederate [[gunboat]]s and [[packet ship]]s were relocated to the Tombigbee River at Demopolis around this same time. These included the [[CSS Nashville (1864)|CSS ''Nashville'']], [[CSS Morgan|CSS ''Morgan'']], [[CSS Baltic|CSS ''Baltic'']], the ''Southern Republic'', ''Black Diamond'', ''Admiral'', ''Clipper'', ''Farrand'', ''Marengo'' and ''St. Nicholas''.<ref name="peoplescity7"/>

With the surrender of the last of the Confederates, Demopolis found itself a much different city from what it had been prior to the war. At the end of May 1865, the townspeople learned that an occupying force of Federal soldiers, the 5th Minnesota Infantry, were en route to occupy the town. Once there, they occupied the former fairgrounds. Despite the usual unpleasantness associated with the occupation of many defeated Southern towns, two of the Minnesota commanders, Colonel William B. Gere and General [[Lucius Frederick Hubbard]], apparently came to be well-liked by the townspeople. Despite some bright spots in relations, the Episcopal Church in the South was slow to give up on the notion of the Confederacy, resulting in the military governor of Alabama closing all Episcopal churches in the state, effective on September 20, 1865. Trinity Episcopal Church in Demopolis was put under Federal guard, and during this time the church mysteriously burned down. Blame was placed on the soldiers for intentionally burning it, but this has never been borne out by the facts. Aside from all of this, the more pressing matter was the devastated economy of the community and surrounding countryside, a problem that would continue through the [[Reconstruction era]].<ref name="peoplescity8">{{harvp|Smith|2003|pp= 219–332}}.</ref>

During Reconstruction, the new authorities in charge of the government decided to move the [[county seat]] of Marengo from its central location in [[Linden, Alabama|Linden]] to Demopolis by an act approved on December 4, 1868. The county appointed Richard Jones Jr., Lewis B. McCarty, and Dr. Bryan W. Whitfield to build or buy a new courthouse in Demopolis. They negotiated the purchase of the Presbyterian church on the town square, now known as Rooster Hall, for the sum of $3,000. It was conveyed to the county on April 8, 1869. The county built a fireproof brick building next door to the former church in 1869–70 to house the probate and circuit clerk offices. This building serves as Demopolis City Hall today. The move of the county seat was highly controversial, and the [[Alabama Legislature]] set April 18, 1870, as the date for a county-wide referendum to decide if [[Dayton, Alabama|Dayton]], Demopolis, or Linden would become the county seat. Due to the closeness of the vote and voting irregularities, a run-off between Linden and Demopolis was set for May 14, 1870. Irregularities appeared again and votes from Dayton, mostly in favor of Linden, were rejected by the board of supervisors. Linden continued an attempt to persuade the state legislature to move the county seat back to their town, with success in February 1871. The former courthouse buildings reverted from county ownership to Demopolis and remain city property today.<ref name="peoplescity9">{{harvp|Smith|2003|pp= 268–274}}.</ref>

===20th century===
[[File:White Bluff at Demopolis in 1903.jpg|thumb|[[White Bluff (Demopolis, Alabama)|White Bluff]] at Demopolis in 1903]]
[[File:John Quill at Webb's Landing in Demopolis in 1912.jpg|thumb|The ''John Quill'' at Webb's Landing in Demopolis in 1912]]
The struggle to rebuild the economy of Demopolis and the surrounding region continued into the 20th century. The growing, trading, and [[cotton mill|milling]] of cotton continued to be a major basis of the economy up until the [[World War I]]-era. The [[boll weevil]] infestations of the 1920s and the [[Great Depression in the United States|Great Depression]] of the 1930s finally ended the one-crop farming system.<ref name="demhist">{{cite web|url=http://www.demopolisal.gov/our_history.html |title=History of Demopolis |publisher=City of Demopolis |access-date=May 31, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721035339/http://www.demopolisal.gov/our_history.html |archive-date=July 21, 2011 |df=mdy}}</ref>

Demopolis had [[electric light]]s, [[water supply|water works]] and a [[sewerage]] system, [[chert]]-covered streets, paved sidewalks, and a [[fire department]] by the second decade of the 20th century. It was increasingly serving as a major banking and retail hub in the region during this time. Major financial institutions included the Commercial National Bank, City Bank and Trust Company, and [[Robertson Banking Company]]. One of the first large [[department store]]s of note in the area, Mayer Brothers, built its three-story brick building across from the public square in 1897 and operated for most of the 20th century. That building is now utilized by Robertson Banking Company. The Rosenbush Furniture Company was established in 1895 and operated until 2002.<ref name="rosenbush">{{cite web|url=http://dhs.demopolis.ws/A%20town%27s%20last%20Jew.htm |title=A Town's Last Jew Provides a Legacy of Generosity |first=Andrew |last=Muchin |publisher=Yesterdays of Demopolis |access-date=June 1, 2011 |archive-date=August 8, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808052154/http://dhs.demopolis.ws/A%20town%27s%20last%20Jew.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref> The J. H. Spight Grocery was established in 1901 as one of the earliest and most successful [[grocery store]]s for more than 50 years, prior to the era of corporate chain stores. Although the community had many newspapers throughout its first 100 years, the only one to survive into the 21st century, ''The Demopolis Times'', was established in 1904.<ref name="demhist"/><ref>{{harvp|Owen|Owen|1921|pp=482–483}}.</ref>

[[File:Braswell Opera House in Demopolis in 1907.jpg|thumb|left|Interior of the Braswell Opera House in 1907]]
Theaters sprang up in the city, beginning in the late 19th century. Rooster Hall, following its incarnations as a church, courthouse, and then a city property, was leased for use as the Demopolis Opera House from 1876 to 1902. It hosted live dramatic performances, civic lectures, and [[minstrel show]]s. The [[Braswell Opera House]], with its ornate interior and private [[box (theatre)|box galleries]], opened on October 23, 1902, with a performance of Louisiana playwright [[Epsy William]]'s ''Unorna'', from [[Francis Marion Crawford]]'s ''The Witch of Prague''.  It continued as an entertainment venue into the 1920s and was eventually demolished in 1972–73. The first theater built for the presentation of motion pictures, the Elks Theater, opened on October 1, 1915. It was renamed the Si-Non in 1916. The building was restored during the 1990s.<ref name="histmarkersmarengo">{{cite web|url=http://www.archives.alabama.gov/aha/markers/marengo.html |title=Historic Markers: Marengo County |work=The Alabama Historical Association |publisher=Alabama Department of Archives and History |access-date=June 1, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100620074811/http://www.archives.alabama.gov/aha/markers/marengo.html |archive-date=June 20, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Following the demise of cotton production, beef cattle farming and, more recently, [[aquaculture of catfish|catfish aquaculture]] became new major agricultural pursuits. Industrial activities became the major sources of employment by mid-century, with the cement, [[lumber]], and paper industries playing a prominent role in the city's economy into the 21st century.<ref name="demhist"/>

==Geography==
This city is located at {{Coord|32|31|03|N|87|50|11|W|type:city}} (32.5176361, -87.8364020).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|18.066|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|17.744|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.322|sqmi|km2}}, is water.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2023"/>

Demopolis is on the northern edge of Marengo County, bordered to the north, across the [[Black Warrior River]], by [[Greene County, Alabama|Greene County]] and to the northwest, across the [[Tombigbee River]], by [[Sumter County, Alabama|Sumter County]].

[[U.S. Route 43]] passes through the city center as North Walnut Avenue, East Capitol Street, and South Cedar Avenue, while [[U.S. Route 80]] runs along the southern edge of the downtown. US 43 leads north {{convert|24|mi}} to [[Eutaw, Alabama|Eutaw]] and south {{convert|17|mi}} to [[Linden, Alabama|Linden]], while US 80 leads east {{convert|20|mi}} to [[Uniontown, Alabama|Uniontown]] and west {{convert|34|mi}} to [[Cuba, Alabama|Cuba]].

===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, Demopolis has a [[humid subtropical climate]], abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=65257&cityname=Demopolis%2C+Alabama%2C+United+States+of+America&units= |title=Climate Summary for Demopolis, Alabama |work=Weatherbase}}</ref>

{{Weather box   <!-- Infobox begins -->
| single line = Y
| location    = Demopolis, Alabama, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1951&ndash;present
|Jan record high F = 81
|Feb record high F = 85
|Mar record high F = 89
|Apr record high F = 96
|May record high F = 99
|Jun record high F = 104
|Jul record high F = 105
|Aug record high F = 105
|Sep record high F = 103
|Oct record high F = 100
|Nov record high F = 88
|Dec record high F = 82
|Jan avg record high F = 74.2
|Feb avg record high F = 77.2
|Mar avg record high F = 83.1
|Apr avg record high F = 87.1
|May avg record high F = 92.4
|Jun avg record high F = 95.3
|Jul avg record high F = 97.2
|Aug avg record high F = 97.3
|Sep avg record high F = 94.3
|Oct avg record high F = 88.3
|Nov avg record high F = 80.7
|Dec avg record high F = 75.0
|year avg record high F = 98.5
<!-- Average high temperatures -->
| Jan high F  =56.7
| Feb high F  =61.0
| Mar high F  =69.2
| Apr high F  =76.6
| May high F  =84.3
| Jun high F  =89.5
| Jul high F  =92.0
| Aug high F  =91.4
| Sep high F  =87.0
| Oct high F  =77.5
| Nov high F  =66.7
| Dec high F  =58.9
<!-- Mean daily temperature -->
| Jan mean F  =45.3
| Feb mean F  =48.9
| Mar mean F  =56.4
| Apr mean F  =63.7
| May mean F  =72.1
| Jun mean F  =78.6
| Jul mean F  =81.4
| Aug mean F  =80.9
| Sep mean F  =76.1
| Oct mean F  =65.2
| Nov mean F  =54.2
| Dec mean F  =47.6
<!-- Average low temperatures -->
| Jan low F  =33.9
| Feb low F  =36.8
| Mar low F  =43.7
| Apr low F  =50.8
| May low F  =60.0
| Jun low F  =67.6
| Jul low F  =70.8
| Aug low F  =70.4
| Sep low F  =65.2
| Oct low F  =53.0
| Nov low F  =41.6
| Dec low F  =36.2
|Jan avg record low F = 18.6
|Feb avg record low F = 22.5
|Mar avg record low F = 27.0
|Apr avg record low F = 36.8
|May avg record low F = 45.9
|Jun avg record low F = 58.2
|Jul avg record low F = 64.7
|Aug avg record low F = 62.0
|Sep avg record low F = 53.1
|Oct avg record low F = 38.4
|Nov avg record low F = 27.2
|Dec avg record low F = 21.8
|year avg record low F = 16.1
|Jan record low F = -2
|Feb record low F = 6
|Mar record low F = 15
|Apr record low F = 25
|May record low F = 40
|Jun record low F = 42
|Jul record low F = 54
|Aug record low F = 50
|Sep record low F = 36
|Oct record low F = 16
|Nov record low F = 14
|Dec record low F = 4
<!-- Total precipitation, this should include rain and snow. -->
| precipitation colour    =  green
| Jan precipitation inch  =5.66
| Feb precipitation inch  =5.45
| Mar precipitation inch  =5.75
| Apr precipitation inch  =4.85
| May precipitation inch  =3.65
| Jun precipitation inch  =4.65
| Jul precipitation inch  =5.03
| Aug precipitation inch  =4.85
| Sep precipitation inch  =3.38
| Oct precipitation inch  =3.25
| Nov precipitation inch  =4.30
| Dec precipitation inch  =5.39
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 9.4
|Feb precipitation days = 8.6
|Mar precipitation days = 8.6
|Apr precipitation days = 7.5
|May precipitation days = 7.5
|Jun precipitation days = 8.9
|Jul precipitation days = 9.5
|Aug precipitation days = 8.2
|Sep precipitation days = 6.3
|Oct precipitation days = 5.4
|Nov precipitation days = 7.0
|Dec precipitation days = 9.2
<!-- Snowfall -->
| Jan snow inch  =0.0
| Feb snow inch  =0.0
| Mar snow inch  =0.2
| Apr snow inch  =0.0
| May snow inch  =0.0
| Jun snow inch  =0.0
| Jul snow inch  =0.0
| Aug snow inch  =0.0
| Sep snow inch  =0.0
| Oct snow inch  =0.0
| Nov snow inch  =0.0
| Dec snow inch  =0.0
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 0.0
|Feb snow days = 0.0
|Mar snow days = 0.0
|Apr snow days = 0.0
|May snow days = 0.0
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.0
|Nov snow days = 0.0
|Dec snow days = 0.0
|year snow days = 0.0
|source 1 = NOAA<ref name = NOAA>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00012245&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Demopolis L&D, AL
|access-date = March 4, 2023
}}
</ref>
|source 2 = National Weather Service<ref name = NOWData>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=bmx
|publisher = National Weather Service
|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Birmingham
|access-date = March 4, 2023
}}
</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1850= 812
|1860= 473
|1870= 1539
|1880= 1389
|1890= 1398
|1900= 2606
|1910= 2417
|1920= 2779
|1930= 4037
|1940= 4137
|1950= 5004
|1960= 7377
|1970= 7651
|1980= 7678
|1990= 7512
|2000= 7540
|2010= 7483
|2020= 7162
|estyear=2022
|estimate=6882
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2022">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |date=March 12, 2024|title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020–2022|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=March 12, 2024}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref><br>2020 Census<ref name="2020 Census (City)"/>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Demopolis Racial Composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US0120296&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 8, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Race
!Number
!Percent
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]]
|2,900
|40.49%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]]
|3,869
|54.02%
|-
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
|1
|0.01%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
|46
|0.64%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]]
|1
|0.01%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
|140
|1.95%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
|205
|2.86%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], there were 7,162 people, 2,973 households, and 1,883 families residing in the city.<ref>{{Cite web|title=US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Demopolis%20city,%20Alabama%20p16&y=2020 |access-date=March 12, 2024 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> The [[population density]] was {{convert|403.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}} There were 3,400 housing units.

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]], there were 7,483 people, 3,049 households, and 1,998 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|613.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 3,417 housing units at an average density of {{convert|280.1|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 50.1% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 47.3% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 0.1% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.5% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], none [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.1% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.8% from two or more races. 2.4% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

There were 3,049 households, out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.6% were married couples living together, 23.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.0% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,583, and the median income for a family was $49,973. Males had a median income of $50,734 versus $31,520 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,116. About 19.1% of families and 26.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.4% of those under age 18 and 27.5% of those age 65 or over.

===2000 census===
As of the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]], there were 7,540 people, 3,014 households, and 2,070 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|616.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 3,311 housing units at an average density of {{convert|270.7|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 50.90% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 47.75% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 0.09% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.20% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], none [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.48% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.58% from two or more races. 0.98% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

There were 3,014 households, out of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 22.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.1% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.5 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,481, and the median income for a family was $35,752. Males had a median income of $37,206 versus $20,265 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,687.  About 26.0% of families and 30.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.3% of those under age 18 and 21.1% of those age 65 or over.

==Arts and culture==
===Historic sites===
[[File:Laird Cottage in Demopolis.JPG|thumb|Laird Cottage in 2011, built in 1870.]]
[[Gaineswood]] is an antebellum [[historic house museum]] on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] and is a listed [[List of National Historic Landmarks by state#Alabama|National Historic Landmark]].  It was built between 1843 and 1861 in an asymmetrical [[Greek Revival]] style. It features domed ceilings, ornate plasterwork, columned rooms, and most of its original furnishings.  Gaineswood is owned and operated by the [[Alabama Historical Commission]].<ref name="Gaineswood">{{cite web|title=Gaineswood |publisher=Alabama Historical Commission |url=http://www.preserveala.org/gaineswood.aspx?sm=g_i |access-date=January 23, 2008 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070827014433/http://www.preserveala.org/gaineswood.aspx?sm=g_i |archive-date=August 27, 2007 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

[[Bluff Hall]] is an antebellum [[historic house museum]] on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built in 1832 in the [[Federal style]] and modified in the 1840s to reflect the Greek Revival style. It is owned and operated by the Marengo County Historical Society.<ref>{{harvp|Marengo County Heritage Book Committee|2000|p= 15}}.</ref>

[[Laird Cottage]] is a restored 1870 residence with a mix of the Greek Revival and [[Italianate]] styles. It currently serves as the headquarters of the Marengo County Historical Society and also houses history exhibits and the works of [[Geneva Mercer]], a Marengo County native who gained fame as an artist and sculptor. She served as an intern to [[Giuseppe Moretti]], the sculptor who created [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham's]] monumental ''[[Vulcan statue|Vulcan]]''. Following her internship, she lived and worked with Moretti and his wife until his death.<ref name="Moretti">{{cite encyclopedia|title=Giuseppe Moretti |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Alabama |publisher=Auburn University |url=http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1600 |access-date=May 28, 2011}}</ref>

Other historic sites in Demopolis include [[White Bluff (Demopolis, Alabama)|White Bluff]], the [[Demopolis Historic Business District]], [[Demopolis Town Square]], [[Lyon Hall (Demopolis, Alabama)|Lyon Hall]], [[Ashe Cottage]], the [[Curtis House (Demopolis, Alabama)|Curtis House]], the [[Glover Mausoleum]], and the [[Foscue-Whitfield House]].<ref name="NRHP">{{cite web|title=Alabama: Marengo County |work=National Register of Historic Places |url=http://www.nationalhistoricalregister.com/al/marengo/state.html |access-date=January 23, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071028025319/http://www.nationalhistoricalregister.com/al/marengo/state.html |archive-date=October 28, 2007}}</ref>

==Government==
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; text-align:center;"
|+'''Current City Council Membership'''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://demopolisal.gov/government/ |title=City of Demopolis Government |publisher=City of Demopolis |access-date=June 26, 2021}}</ref>
|-
! District !! Representative !! Position
|-
| 1 || Charles Jones, Jr || Councilman
|-
| 2 || Nathan Hardy || Councilman
|-
| 3 || David McCants || Councilman
|-
| 4 || Bill Meador || Councilman
|-
| 5 || Jim Stanford || Councilman
|-
| All || Woody Collins || Mayor
|}

Demopolis is governed by a [[mayor–council government|mayor–council system]]. The mayor is elected at large to a four-year term and functions as the [[executive officer]], appointing department heads and advisory board members and signing off on all motions, resolutions and ordinances passed by the council.<ref name="demgov">{{cite web|url=http://www.demopolisal.gov/city_government.html |title=City Government |publisher=City of Demopolis |access-date=May 31, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721035218/http://www.demopolisal.gov/city_government.html |archive-date=July 21, 2011 |df=mdy}}</ref>

The city council consists of five members who are elected from single member districts.  The council controls all legislative and policy-making for the city through the use of ordinance, resolution or motion.  The council also adopts the annual budget and confirms appointments made by the mayor.<ref name="demgov"/>

==Education==
{{unreferenced section|date=June 2021}}
The city runs its own citywide public school system, the [[Demopolis City School District]].  Private schools in the city included one integrated Christian school, West Alabama Christian School, which closed in 2018. The city is also home to the Demopolis Higher Education Center. The facility, which opened in 2004, is a 15,000 square foot structure, including a library and open area student atrium, a science lab, conference room, six multimedia classrooms, and two computer labs; Community Rooms provide one of the largest and most modern meeting spaces in Marengo County.

==Infrastructure==
===Transportation===
* [[Image:US 80.svg|25px]] [[U.S. Route 80 in Alabama|U.S. Highway 80]]
* [[Image:US 43.svg|25px]] [[U.S. Highway 43]]
* [[Image:Alabama 28.svg|25px]] [[State Route 28 (Alabama)|State Route 28]]
* [[Image:Alabama 69.svg|25px]] [[State Route 69 (Alabama)|State Route 69]]

Major roads include two U.S. Highways: [[U.S. Route 80 in Alabama|U.S. Route 80]] (US 80) runs east–west through the city and [[U.S. Route 43|US 43]] runs north–south. [[List of state highways in Alabama|Alabama state highways]] include [[U.S. Route 80 in Alabama|State Route 8]] (SR 8), [[Alabama State Route 13|SR 13]], and nearby [[Alabama State Route 69|SR 69]] and [[Alabama State Route 28|SR 28]]. A proposed [[Interstate 85 in Alabama|Interstate 85]] (I-85) extension from [[Interstate 59|I-59]]/[[Interstate 20 in Alabama|I-20]] near the [[Mississippi]] state line to [[Interstate 65 in Alabama|I-65]] near [[Montgomery, Alabama|Montgomery]] is planned to pass near the city.<ref name="interstate85">{{cite web|url=http://www.i85extension.com/ |title=I-85 Extension Corridor Study Environmental Impact Statement |publisher=Alabama Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration |author=Volkert |access-date=June 2, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219165056/http://www.i85extension.com/ |archive-date=December 19, 2008 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> A bus system is operated by West Alabama Transportation.

Demopolis is served by several railway companies, including [[Norfolk Southern Railway]], [[BNSF Railway]], and the [[Alabama and Gulf Coast Railway]].

The Alabama State Port Authority has inland docks at the Port of Demopolis with direct access to inland and Intracoastal waterways serving the [[Great Lakes]], the [[Ohio River|Ohio]] and [[Tennessee River|Tennessee]] rivers and the [[Gulf of Mexico]] via the [[Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway]].<ref name="inland docks">{{cite web|url=http://www.asdd.com/facilities_inlanddocks.html |title=Inland Docks |publisher=Alabama State Port Authority |access-date=June 2, 2011 |archive-date=May 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110517071449/http://asdd.com/facilities_inlanddocks.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The [[Demopolis Municipal Airport]] is located northwest of the city, adjacent to Airport Industrial Park and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.  It has a 5,000-foot runway and a ten-unit [[hangar]].<ref name="demairport">{{cite web|url=http://www.demopolisal.gov/airport.html |title=Demopolis Airport |publisher=City of Demopolis |access-date=June 2, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721035126/http://www.demopolisal.gov/airport.html |archive-date=July 21, 2011 |df=mdy}}</ref>

Intercity bus service was provided by [[Greyhound Lines]], but the service has since been discontinued.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.greyhound.com/bus/demopolis-al |title=Demopolis, AL Greyhound Station |publisher=Intercity Bus Service}}</ref>

==Notable people==
*[[A. G. Gaston]], business man and supporter of civil rights
*[[Spencer Turnbull]], professional baseball pitcher
*[[Theo Ratliff]], professional basketball player

==In popular culture==
[[File:Lyon Hall in 2011.JPG|thumb|[[Lyon Hall (Demopolis, Alabama)|Lyon Hall]] in 2011. It was built in 1853. It, along with Bluff Hall, served as inspiration for "Lionnet" in ''The Little Foxes''.]]

The Marx and Newhouse families of Demopolis were reputedly the inspiration for ''[[The Little Foxes]]'', a Broadway play.  The melodrama was written by [[Lillian Hellman]], whose maternal ancestors were all natives of Demopolis.  It was first performed in 1939, with Alabama-born actress [[Tallulah Bankhead]] in the lead role of Regina. This production ran a year on Broadway.  The [[The Little Foxes (film)|1941 film version]] was directed by [[William Wyler]] and starred [[Bette Davis]], [[Herbert Marshall]] and [[Teresa Wright]]. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture in 1941.  In 1949 the play was adapted into an opera by [[Marc Blitzstein]], under the title ''Regina''.<ref name="demopolisfam">{{cite web|url=http://www.hellmanwyler.com/demopolis_stories.htm |title=Demopolis Stories of Hellman and Wyler |year=2009 |publisher=The Hellman Wyler Festival |access-date=May 28, 2011 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728051000/http://www.hellmanwyler.com/demopolis_stories.htm |archive-date=July 28, 2011 |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="southernlittrail">{{cite web|url=http://www.southernliterarytrail.org/demopolis.html |title=Demopolis: Lillian Hellman |publisher=Southern Literary Trail |access-date=May 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005051610/http://www.southernliterarytrail.org/demopolis.html |archive-date=October 5, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Local women's history celebrated |first=Jason |last=Cannon |url=http://www.demopolistimes.com/2011/03/23/local-women%E2%80%99s-history-celebrated/ |newspaper=The Demopolis Times |date=March 23, 2011 |access-date=May 28, 2011}}</ref>

Lillian Hellman's 1946 play, ''[[Another Part of the Forest]]'', was also loosely based on her Demopolis ancestors.<ref name="southernlittrail"/>

The 1949 film ''[[The Fighting Kentuckian]]'' is set in Demopolis and tells a story about an interaction with the original French settlers.  The basic plot features two Kentuckians returning from service with Andrew Jackson's forces in the [[War of 1812]].  Their unit passes through the port of [[Mobile, Alabama]], where John Breen, played by [[John Wayne]], meets the pretty Fleurette De Marchand, played by [[Vera Ralston]], from Demopolis.  He makes sure the unit passes through Demopolis on its way back home and he stays there as the unit leaves.  He discovers that De Marchand is about to marry a wealthy riverman and a love triangle ensues, with Breen eventually winning out.<ref name="fighting">{{cite web|url=http://www.vernonjohns.org/snuffy1186/fighting.html |title=The Fighting Kentuckian (1949) |work=Historical Movies in Chronological Order |publisher=Vernon Johns Society |access-date=May 28, 2011 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118073652/http://www.vernonjohns.org/snuffy1186/fighting.html |archive-date=January 18, 2012}}</ref>

The 2015 play ''Alabama Story'' has a subplot featuring the characters Joshua Moore and Lily Whitfield, who grew up in Demopolis as childhood friends on Lily's father's cotton plantation, now estranged.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bykennethjones.com/alabama-story-new-play-books-race-censorship-american-character/ |title='Alabama Story': A New Play About Books, Race, Censorship and the American Character |date=January 2, 2020 |website=By Kenneth Jones |language=en-US |access-date=January 29, 2020}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Alabama}}
* [[Christmas on the River]]
* [[List of people from Demopolis, Alabama]]
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Marengo County, Alabama]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book|author=Demopolis Chamber of Commerce |year=1965 |title=The Story of Demopolis a condensed history of the founding and development of Demopolis, Alabama |location=Demopolis, Alabama |publisher=Demopolis Chamber of Commerce}}
*{{cite book|last=Martin |first=Thomas |year=1937 |title=French Military Adventurers in Alabama, 1818–1828 |publisher=Princeton University Press}}
*{{cite book|last=Whitfield |first=Gaius |year=1904 |title=The French Grant in Alabama: A History of the Founding of Demopolis |publisher=Historical Papers, 1st-2d Ser}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{official website|https://demopolisal.gov/}}
* [https://www.demopolisareachamber.com/ Demopolis Area Chamber of Commerce]

{{Marengo County, Alabama}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Demopolis, Alabama| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Alabama]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1817]]
[[Category:Vine and Olive Colony]]
[[Category:Former county seats in Alabama]]
[[Category:1817 establishments in Alabama Territory]]
[[Category:Cities in Marengo County, Alabama]]
[[Category:French-American culture in Alabama]]