Decatur, AL Summary

photo by gusto

Decatur is a town of some 50,000 people located 76 miles due north of Birmingham along I-65. Its situation, on the south bank of the Tennessee River, is central to its history and its attractions. The town site was chosen for its water access in the early 1820s and named after heroic naval commodore Stephen Decatur.

The settlement prospered with the establishment of the Old State Bank in 1833 (still standing) and the arrival of the railroad.

During the Civil War the town was considered of strategic importance and was thus virtually destroyed, though it was soon reconstructed. An iron and steel works was established in the 1880s. However, it was the creation of Wheeler Dam and Reservoir that drew the chemical and textile companies that, along with agribusinesses, still anchor the local economy.

The creation of the dam also led to the emergence of wetlands on the lakeshore. A portion of the wetlands, between Huntsville and the Eck River, is now the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge where, from mid-December to mid-February, more than 100,000 ducks, geese, and other migratory birds join the permanent inhabitants to make their winter home. The information center has a wetlands observation tower.

The Decatur Visitor Center has a brochure detailing walking tours of the town’s two historic districts, New Albany and Old Decatur, which feature buildings dating back to 1829. Cook’s Natural Science Museum contains fossils, stones, and corals; birds, insects, and other animals; interactive exhibits; and thematic displays.