Ruthven, Alabama

Ruthven, Alabama
Ghost town
Ruthven, Alabama is located in Alabama
Ruthven, Alabama
Ruthven, Alabama
Location within the state of Alabama
Ruthven, Alabama is located in the United States
Ruthven, Alabama
Ruthven, Alabama
Ruthven, Alabama (the United States)
Coordinates: 31°51′13″N 87°01′47″W / 31.85361°N 87.02972°W / 31.85361; -87.02972
CountryUnited States
StateAlabama
CountyWilcox
Elevation
230 ft (70 m)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code334

Ruthven is a ghost town in Wilcox County, Alabama. Ruthven is named in honor of Ruthven, a division of Lincolnshire.[1] It was formerly a lumber town in the early 20th century, and was incorporated in 1924. It was located about 3 1/2 miles southwest of Pine Apple on Bear Creek along the Selma to Flomaton branch of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, what is now County Road 2. In 1930, it had 523 residents, making it the second largest town in Wilcox County after the county seat of Camden. Shortly afterwards, the town either disincorporated or lost its charter and rapidly declined. Very little exists of the town today as most of its buildings were dismantled. A post office was also located at Ruthven for a time.

Nearby to Ruthven was the community of Schuster, which was once the location of the Wilcox Mineral Springs Resort.[2]

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1930523
U.S. Decennial Census[3]

Ruthven appeared on the U.S. Census of 1930 as an incorporated community. It disincorporated or lost its charter at some point later in the decade.

Geography

[edit]

Ruthven is located at 31°51′13″N 87°01′47″W / 31.8534850°N 87.0297059°W / 31.8534850; -87.0297059 and has an elevation of 230 feet (70 m).[4]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Foscue, Virginia O. (1989). Place Names in Alabama. University of Alabama Press. p. 121. ISBN 978-0-8173-0410-2.
  2. ^ Sulzby, James Frederick (January 1, 1960). Historic Alabama Hotels and Resorts. University of Alabama Press. ISBN 9780817353094.
  3. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". Census.gov. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
  4. ^ "GNIS Detail - Rutthven". geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved April 11, 2016.