Rogersville, Alabama | |
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Town | |
Location in Lauderdale County and the state of Alabama |
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Coordinates: 34°49′24″N 87°17′8″W / 34.82333°N 87.28556°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Alabama |
County | Lauderdale |
Area | |
• Total | 3.1 sq mi (8 km2) |
• Land | 3.1 sq mi (8 km2) |
• Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
Elevation | 640 ft (195 m) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 1,257 |
• Density | 386.8/sq mi (149.9/km2) |
Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
• Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
ZIP code | 35652 |
Area code(s) | 256 |
FIPS code | 01-66216 |
GNIS feature ID | 0153210 |
Website | City Website |
Rogersville is a town in Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town is 1,257, up from 1,199 in 2000.
The town became an incorporated municipality on February 2, 1858. Originally known as "Rodgersville", it took its name from Andrew and Patience Rodgers of South Carolina who moved into the area and purchased 79.8 acres (323,000 m2) at a public land sale in Huntsville on May 3, 1818. Their land eventually became what is now the downtown business district. When the Rogersville Post Office was established on October 4, 1825 with Thomas Cunningham as the postmaster, the 'd' was dropped from the town's name and it has been known as Rogersville ever since.
The town became a popular trading center due in part to its location near the intersection of three early thoroughfares, U.S. 72, Snake Road and Lamb's Ferry Road. U.S. 72, which now connects Chattanooga and Memphis, Tennessee, was once part of an Indian trail from Ditto's Landing on the Tennessee River south of Huntsville and was used to bypass the Muscle Shoals river barrier. Snake Road leads out of Rogersville into neighboring Limestone County and provided passage from Florence to Athens by way of a shallow ford across Elk River. Lamb's Ferry Road was named for John Lamb who moved from Indian Creek in Giles County, Tennessee in 1816 to establish a ferry across the Tennessee River south of what would later become Rogersville. Lamb's Ferry became an important river port where boats from Knoxville and other points on the upper Tennessee River would unload supplies that were taken over land to areas around Pulaski, TN.
Rogersville is located at 34°49′24″N 87°17′8″W / 34.82333°N 87.28556°W (34.823444, -87.285693). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8.0 km2), all land.