Alba

History

A gunsmith named Joseph Simpkins was likely the first to settle the area, arriving here with his family from Missouri around 1843. The area was previously alternately known as Albia and Simpkins' Prairie. Theories on how the community got its name differ; one claims it was because the town had been intended for white settlers only while another claims it was named for the son of a railroad official. The Alba Oilfield was discovered just south of Alba in 1848 by F.R. Jackson. By 1990, the boundaries of Alba had expanded in to nearby Rains County, and the city had a population of 489, which dropped to 430 in 2000.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.9 km), all land. It is approximately northeast of Dallas.

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  773
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  616
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  524
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  499
• Great Blue/Cocoi Heron

  Ardea herodias Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  490
• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  478
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  455
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  427