Winfield Alabama

Winfield Alabama is one of the Best Small Towns in Alabama

Winfield is a small city situated in Northwest Alabama 26 miles east of the Mississippi state line. It lies in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountain range in Marion and Fayette counties. The population was 4,717 at the 2010 census, the second largest city in Marion County. The town was originally called “Needmore”, but when it was incorporated in either 1887 or 1891, the name was changed to Winfield in honor of General Winfield Scott.

Winfield is located in southern Marion County at 33°55′42″N 87°48′29″W (33.928258, -87.807990), with a portion extending south into Fayette County. U.S. Route 43 passes through the city, leading northwest 6.5 miles  to Guin and south 18 miles  to Fayette. Hamilton, the Marion County seat, is 20 miles  northwest via US 43.

Source: Wikipedia contributors, “Winfield, Alabama,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, (accessed June 21, 2019).

Winfield Alabama Demographics

At the 2000 census there were 4,540 people. The population density was 279.9 people per square mile. There were 2,126 housing units at an average density of 131.1 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 94.56% White, 4.21% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.20% from other races, and 0.62% from two or more races. 1.19% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
 

Winfield Alabama History

Originally called Luxapallila, the Winfield area has been inhabited by settlers of European descent since the 1830s. The Kansas City, Memphis, and Birmingham railroad came through the town in 1887; in that same year, the first post office was established.

Early businesses in the area included several stores, a saloon, a boarding house, a tanning yard, and a shoe factory. The R. W. Harris Store, established in 1895, still operates in the town. The first bank, Winfield State Bank, was opened in 1907. Electrical service in the town was established in 1924 by Alabama Power Company, and the first water works was established in 1928; the facility was purchased by the city in 1946. Alabama Mills, a cotton mill, opened in 1929 and remained a mainstay of the local economy for several decades. The town had a local airfield by 1933 and a phone system by 1941.

Source: Encyclopedia of Alabama 

Winfield Alabama Events

Mule Day is hosted on the fourth Saturday in September each year, and has been termed “One of the top 20 events in the Southeast” by Travel and Tourism magazine. The keynote event is a horse parade through the downtown of the city, but there is also live entertainment, car shows and a diverse venue of homemade baked goods sold in a farmers market setting. One of the most popular events amongst most elementary and middle schoolers is the Mule Day carnival. The small carnival area is usually located along Kirkwood St. between U.S. Route 43 and Midway Dr., a distance of about 460 ft.). Others are small shops and games where food is sold (Vendor booths and food stands are set up throughout the town and are not part of the “carnival”). Celebrated since 1975, Mule Day has grown into a major event not only for the City of Winfield but also for the State of Alabama.

The Pastime Theatre, located in downtown Winfield, is a restored art-deco building built in 1937 that now is run by the city and hosts a variety of concerts, movies, and other shows.

Winfield Alabama Places of Interest

Winfield has a 60-acre municipal park, which has baseball, softball, and soccer venues, a swimming pool, basketball and tennis courts, picnic areas and pavilions, a driving range, a Frisbee golf course, a community center, and a nature trail. Bankhead National Forest, the Sipsey Wilderness, and Smith Lake are within short driving distance of Winfield. The Thunder Valley Speedway also is located just south of Winfield; it is a quarter-mile clay oval.

Cedar Landing

American Restaurant

Winfield Alabama Weblinks

City of Winfield

Mule Day – Winfield Alabama

Winfield’s Mule Day began on September 11,1975 by Curt Estes, Winfield Chamber of Commerce, and Max Brasher, Sr. , to honor the hard working mules of the day. Mule Day occurs on the fourth weekend of September each year.

Marion County Sheriff’s Office