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B−History
History · Clanton

Clanton dates to 1866, and 10% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 48% of U.S. towns · #79 of 187 in Alabama. What drives it

1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 3 buildings. Below: maps from 1891 on and the census since 1890.

1866founded
1on the National Register
10%homes built before 1940
9famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Clanton began

When was Clanton founded?

1866

Clanton dates its founding to 1866 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1890.

First census: 623 in 18902020 census: 8,768160 years

How historic is Clanton?

B−

More historic than 48% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1871.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Clanton’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Clanton is more historic than 48% of U.S. towns, #79 of 187 in Alabama. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Clanton’s overall grade.
Founding era1866, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 194010.0% of homes (±4.2) · typical AL town 3.2% · U.S. 8.4%B−National Register1 listing, 3 historic buildings, 3.3 per 10,000 residents · typical AL town 2.7 · U.S. 2.4B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 48%
NewerOlder
Alabama towns of 2,500+ (187)Ahead of 58%

Alabama towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Alabama town has 2.7 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Clanton’s 3.3 sits near the middle of its state (58% of Alabama towns have fewer) while its 3 historic buildings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.2 points). Two sources give 1866.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Clanton’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Clanton are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18913 editions of the USGS map, 1891 to 1986. Watch Clanton change.Lost villages2 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Clanton, and 3 old place names are still on the map.Old burying grounds15 cemeteries and burying grounds inside Clanton.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Clanton’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Clanton’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Clanton on the map, 1891 to 1986

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Clanton. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Clanton on the 1891 USGS mapClanton on the 1972 USGS mapClanton on the 1986 USGS map1891Clanton sheet · 1:125,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Clanton.

Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Clanton’s post office has been open since 1871. Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Clanton
1871–today
Goose Pond
1871–1871
Lomax
1873–1938
18701950today
Hamlets and corners on the map
FalaktoLomaxSamaria
Gone or out of use
Central Alabama HospitalhospitalClanton Drive-InlocaleMount Pisgah ChurchchurchPine Dale Schoolschool
15cemeteries and burying grounds inside Clanton
Aldridge FamilyBell LaneChilton Memorial GardensClantonFriendshipHopewellJacksons ChapelLomaxMartin MemorialNew BethelNew HarmonyPoplar SpringsPopwellSamariaTemple

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

The story

How Clanton came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Clanton.

Read it all →

The area that would become Clanton was known as "Goose Pond" and nearby "Ranch" when Baker County (later renamed Chilton County) was founded on December 30, 1868. Soon thereafter (May 1871) the town of Clanton took its name from the South and North Alabama Railroad station of that name. A couple of actions solidified the name of the town. First, during the Alabama Legislative actions to allow the vote to set the permanent location of the courthouse (January - March 1871), their amendments changed the nominated name from "Baker's" to "Clanton." Finalizing the name change was an official application in May 1871 by the Postmaster to the Federal Postal System to re-designate the local Post Office as "Clanton" and terminate the former designation (Goose Pond). The railroad had named "Clanton Station" in honor of James H. Clanton, an attorney, Chairman of the Alabama Democratic Executive com…

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Clanton, 1866 to 1998

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1866
    FoundingClanton is established
  3. 1871Post officeThe Clanton post office opens
  4. 1871Post officeThe Goose Pond post office opens
  5. 1871Post officeThe Goose Pond post office closes
  6. 1873Post officeThe Lomax post office opens
  7. 1891On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  8. 20th century
  9. 1938Post officeThe Lomax post office closes
  10. 1941Born hereClay Carroll is born here
  11. 1972Born hereMac Powell is born here
  12. 1986Born hereDrew Roy is born here
  13. 1998Born hereGrayson Russell is born here
By decade

Clanton, decade by decade

Today8 recent
Clanton, Alabama2023Clanton, AlabamaUS31nAL22wRoadSigns-ClantonAL2017US31nAL22wRoadSigns-ClantonALClanton peach water tower2017Clanton peach water towerPatrol Unit2014Patrol UnitAbandoned drive-in theater2014Abandoned drive-in theaterWatertower shaped like a peach2010Watertower shaped like a peachWatertower shaped like a peach2010Watertower shaped like a peachClanton City Hall2010Clanton City Hall
On the National Register

1 historic place in Clanton

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
3
each building in a district counts
first listed
2004
Gragg Field Historic District
Gragg Field Historic District
Districts
Gragg Field Historic DistrictDistrict

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Clanton, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00019001920194019601980200020208,768

Grew from 623 people in 1890 to 8,768 in 2020, more than tenfold.

14 censuses, 1890–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Clanton’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

9 famous people were born in Clanton

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Drew RoyAmerican actor · b. 1986
G
Grayson RussellAmerican actor · b. 1998
Mac PowellAmerican musician · b. 1972
C
Clay CarrollAmerican baseball player · b. 1941
C
Clarence H. MullinsUnited States federal judge · b. 1895
Jackie HayesAmerican baseball player · b. 1906

Questions about Clanton’s history

What year was Clanton founded?

In 1866, according to Wikidata. Clanton’s post office opened in 1871, and the census of 1890 counted 623 people here.

How does Clanton rank for history?

Clanton is more historic than 48% of U.S. towns, #79 of 187 in Alabama. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Clanton?

One place: the Gragg Field Historic District (listed 2004).

How old are the homes in Clanton?

10% of Clanton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.2 points), against a typical 3.2% for an Alabama town; the median home was built in 1977.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (7), the Library of Congress (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.