Red Bay

History

What is now Red Bay was originally known as "Vinson's Crossroads," and was initially located further to the southwest along Gum Creek. A branch of the Illinois Central Railroad was constructed through the area in 1907, and Red Bay developed into an important lumber and shipping center. The city incorporated during this same period. One of the city's most well known and admired features are the redbay trees. The trees, planted by the Red Bay Garden Club in the 1930s, cast a canopy over Main Street. The first school in Red Bay was located where the First United Methodist Church stands today. In 1903, this school had one faculty member who was responsible for teaching, as well as most of the custodial duties. After crops were harvested, students attended school through the remainder of the fall and winter months until the spring planting season. The second school was constructed in the early 1900s. It was located on the site that is now the location of the Red Bay City Park. It was a small building with few amenities. The school continued dismissals timed with the local harvests. In 1927, a new school site was selected, and a new school built for $45,000. Since this construction, the location of the school has not changed. The building constructed in 1927 was a brick "U", one of the most popular school designs in Alabama at the time. Facing the school, the right wing of the "U" housed the elementary classes while the left wing held the high school. Once inside the school, after going under the stone entryway, the office of the principal was on your immediate left. A small room on the right served as the library. A large auditorium with double wooden seats that could be folded and stored was centrally located between the two wings. The building housing the home…

Geography

Red Bay is located in western Franklin County. The western border of the city is the Mississippi state line. It is situated on the Tennessee Valley Divide, with the northern half of the city draining north to Bear Creek, a tributary of the Tennessee River, and the southern half draining south to Gum Creek, a tributary of the Tombigbee River. Alabama State Route 24 is a four-lane highway that passes south of the city center, leading east to Russellville and west to the Mississippi line. Tremont, Mississippi, is to the southwest. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.01%, is water. Climate is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfa" (Humid Subtropical Climate).

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  1,417
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,078
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  907
• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  733
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  688
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  675
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  672
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  655

Largest nearby schools

• Red Bay Elementary
  Elementary · Red Bay · 421 students · 15:1 ratio
• Red Bay High School
  High · Red Bay · 351 students · 16.7:1 ratio
• Vina High School
  Other · Vina · 270 students · 12.9:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.52 — 2022-12-24
  5 km ENE of Booneville, Mississippi
• M 2.55 — 2020-10-15
  1 km W of Belk, Alabama
• M 2.87 — 2020-06-25
  4 km NNW of Berry, Alabama
• M 2.53 — 2020-02-08
  13 km S of Moulton, Alabama
• M 2.79 — 2018-07-06
  0 km WSW of Muscle Shoals, Alabama
• M 2.69 — 2017-03-11
  6 km SW of Trinity, Alabama