A Great New City Springs Forth
In 1700s, Native Americans occupied the Springs property. Robert Reed's family arrived in the area from North Carolina in 1816. They obtained a land grant; soon others moved to the area. In 1871, Dave Franklin built a log cabin in the area which was named Center Point.In the 1900s, Center Point boasted a one-room school, blacksmith, shop, grocery store, post office, a Baptist and Methodist church.
Andy Beard invented the coupling mechanism for railroad cars and sold it for $10,000. In 1924, Center Point Elementary rock school was constructed. In 1947, Cullen Scott discovered water to supply Center Point. Recognizing the potential for community growth, Paul Snow initiated development of Sun Valley subdivision and Erwin Elementary and High School. In 1967, Center Point became the largest unincorporated area in the U.S., boasting a population of 64,000, thriving businesses, recreational facilities, beautiful homes and churches.
Reverse Side
In 1999, Jefferson County Commissioner Bettye Fine Collins called a meeting to discuss the Center Point Community. Center Point Action Committee formed to clean up the community. Betty Cannon was the first chairperson. The next chairperson, Wink Chapman, formed a committee to study the possibility of incorporation. Petitions were gathered for 1 1/2 years. Legislative efforts were spearheaded by Arthur Payne. Citizens (84%) voted for incorporation March 12, 2002.
April 23, 2002 marked the election of the first mayor and council, which included: Mayor Tom Henderson, Council President Billie Davis and council members George Franklin, Roger Barlow, Jesse Miller, and Ken McIntyre.
The First City Hall was renovated at 19 20th Ct. NW; space was donated by Ronnie Roddam. Historic Center Point Elementary School was leased for a City Hall and renovated by volunteers under George Franklin. Significant accomplishments in Center Point include the acquisition of 17-acre Reed-Harvey Park, Center Point ballpark, and the Scott home for a library; the completion of Center Point Senior Center and membership in Five Mile Creek Greenway Partnership.
| HM Number | HMOVX |
|---|---|
| Tags | |
| Year Placed | 2010 |
| Placed By | The Alabama Tourism Department, The City of Center Point |
| Marker Condition | No reports yet |
| Date Added | Wednesday, September 10th, 2014 at 3:54am PDT -07:00 |
| UTM (WGS84 Datum) | 16S E 529322 N 3722570 |
|---|---|
| Decimal Degrees | 33.64256667, -86.68380000 |
| Degrees and Decimal Minutes | N 33° 38.554', W 86° 41.028' |
| Degrees, Minutes and Seconds | 33° 38' 33.24" N, 86° 41' 1.68" W |
| Driving Directions | Google Maps |
| Area Code(s) | 205 |
| Closest Postal Address | At or near 2204-2206 Center Point Pkwy, Center Point AL 35215, US |
| Alternative Maps | Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap |
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