A Sylacauga Census Story

In July of 1933, the City of Sylacauga was notified that the city might be able
to get help from the Administration of Public Works for a new water supply.
Taking a census of how many people lived here was one of the things which had
to be done. In 1930, the population of Sylacauga and Mignon was about 9,000. In order
to get a loan, the city needed to have 6,000 people in Sylacauga only, because Mignon was incorporated separately. By the end of December, the census was almost finished. There were about 3900 people in wards one and four which was just two hundred less than the entire census of 1930. The count was continuing in wards two and three. The city fathers had no doubt that the new census would far surpass that of four years ago. They were right. The count showed that there were 6,214 people in Sylacauga.

"Here and There

Two local policeman had been assigned to this task. It must have been an interesting job according to their reports. This is one of the stories which they reported. We called at one home and knocked. All was quiet, no reply. We knew the people were at home, so we knocked again. The sound of hasty feet rushed all about the house, a spell of quiet, then the door opened. The smell of liquor that greeted us told its own story. The family had poured out all of its Christmas liquor, fearful of a raid, when we only wanted to take the census."

The Sylacauga News December 29, 1933.