Owens Cross Roads

History

The area has a history that can be dated back to the early 1800's. Pioneers had drifted into the area from Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia with names such as Wood, Parker, Craig, Craft, Maples, Carpenter and Brannum, but a gentleman named Thomas J. Owens had migrated from Virginia and was the first to build his family home near an intersection of two roads. The name Owens Cross Roads was very appropriately chosen since the Owens home was at "the cross roads". The community grew in size at a steady pace over the years as a large frame business house was erected near the intersection, containing a post office (established 1861), general store and blacksmith shop. Owens Cross Roads first appeared on maps in 1850. Following the Civil War, the population grew as businesses sprang up and a new school was erected to replace the original log schoolhouse. With the turn of the 20th century came new growth to the neighboring towns of Huntsville and Guntersville, making Owens Cross Roads a welcome stop for travelers between the two larger towns. The town relied heavily on cotton cultivation throughout much of its early history, with some crop diversification coming in the 1920s and 1930s. Incorporated in 1967, Owens Cross Roads City Hall faces U.S. Route 431. The municipality includes a Blue Ribbon-designated public school, a Volunteer Fire Department, and a municipal Police Department.

Geography

Owens Cross Roads is situated in a broad valley carved by the Flint River. Rugged hills and mountains surround the town, including Green Mountain to the west, and Keel Mountain to the east. Huntsville lies across Green Mountain to the northwest, New Hope lies just to the southeast, and Paint Rock lies across Keel Mountain to the northeast. U.S. Route 431 passes through Owens Cross Roads, connecting the town with Huntsville and Guntersville. Owens Cross Roads met the threshold to become a city in 2020 with the population exceeding 2,000 persons under Alabama law According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of , of which is land and (1.49%) is water.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Virgil Grissom High School
  High · Huntsville · 1,974 students · 21:1 ratio
• GoldsmithSchiffman Elementary
  Elementary · Big Cove · 964 students · 18.5:1 ratio
• Hampton Cove Middle School
  Middle · Hampton Cove · 735 students · 21:1 ratio
• Hampton Cove Elementary
  Elementary · Hampton Cove · 684 students · 18.5:1 ratio
• New Hope High School
  High · New Hope · 586 students · 16.3:1 ratio
• New Hope Elementary School
  Elementary · New Hope · 582 students · 16.2:1 ratio
• Whitesburg Middle School
  Middle · Huntsville · 539 students · 19.3:1 ratio
• Challenger Elementary School
  Elementary · Huntsville · 503 students · 18:1 ratio