Clanton, Alabama

The town was founded by Alfred Baker in 1868, when Chilton County was formed. Clanton was named in honor of General James H. Clanton, a brigadier in the Confederate States Army. It was incorporated on April 23, 1873. Baker was also elected first mayor of the town.[1]

Early Civil Rights activist Ida B. Wells made a photographic postcard showing an 1891 lynching in Clanton. This was to educate the white public of the atrocities committed against blacks.[4]

During World War II, a small German Prisoner of War camp was located in Clanton.[5]

Clanton is located at 32°50'23.316" North, 86°37'41.477" West (32.839810, -86.628188)[6].

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 20.4 square miles (53 km²). 20.3 square miles (53 km²) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km²) (0.15%) is water.[7]

Clanton is governed by the mayor-council system. The mayor is elected in a citywide vote. The city council has five members elected from one of five wards.

Over 80% of Alabama's peach crop comes from Chilton County.[8]

The Chilton County School System provides public education for Clanton. Students in Clanton may attend any public school in Chilton County.[9]

Clanton has hosted the annual Chilton County Peach Festival since 1952.[8]

• Randall Atcheson, Concert Pianist[10]
• Clay Carroll, Major League baseball player[11]
• Jackie Hayes, major league baseball player[11]
• Jackson W. Moore, former CEO of Union Planters Bank and Regions Financial Corporation
• Jarrod Patterson, major league baseball player[12]
• Drew Roy, actor [13]
• Grayson Russell, Child actor [14]

1. Owen, Thomas McAdory; Owen, Marie Bankhead (1921). History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography. Harvard University: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company. p. 716.
2. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
3. "Clanton city, Alabama". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
4. Wood, Amy Louise (2009). Lynching and spectacle: witnessing racial violence in America, 1890-1940. University of North Carolina Press. p. 186. ISBN 978-0-8078-3254-7. Retrieved 2010-06-22. LCCN 2008-5194
5. Hutchinson, Daniel (October 6, 2009). "World War II POW Camps in Alabama". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Archived from the original on 13 June 2010. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
6. "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
7. "Geographic Comparison Table- Alabama". American Fact Finder. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 12 February 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
8. Hoskins Morton, Patricia (December 10, 2009). "Chilton County". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Archived from the original on 21 June 2010. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
9. "Education Opportunities". City of Clanton. Archived from the original on 4 April 2008. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
10. Staff Reports, Atcheson plays 10th Carnegie Hall concert, November 17, 2010, "The Clanton Advertiser", Retrieved November 18, 2010
11. Reichler, Joseph L., ed. (1979) [1969]. The Baseball Encyclopedia (4th ed.). New York: Macmillan Publishing. ISBN 978-0-02-578970-8.
12. Jarrod Patterson, retrieved 23 May 2011
13. Scott Mims, Local stars in Spielberg series, returns to ‘Hannah Montana’, August 20, 2010, "The Clanton Advertiser", October 27, 2010
14. Carlton, Bob (March 21, 2010). "Clanton's Grayson Russell fits in feature films amid regular kid activities". The Birmingham News. Birmingham, Alabama: Alabama Live LLC. Retrieved 25 March 2010.