How much do you really know about the place you live? Located in Alabama’s Black Belt Region, Sumter County is home to The University of West Alabama campus in Livingston and is rich in the history, culture and tradition of those who have established themselves here—even if just for the four years they spend in school. Whether you are a native to Sumter County, or you are simply reading about it from afar, here are a few fast facts about Sumter County that you can use to grasp a better understanding of its place in history and current role in the state as a whole.

• The land that is now Sumter County was part of the Choctaw Nation from 1797 to 1832.
• Its first settlers were French explorers who came from Mobile. They built and settled at Fort Tombecbee near the modern-day town of Epes.
• The Choctaw Indians ceded the land that is now Sumter County to the government with the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek in 1830.
• Sumter County was officially established on December 10, 1832.
• Sumter County comprises a land area of 913.3 square miles.
• As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population in Sumter County was 13,763.
• Sumter County is home to 13 listings on the National Register of Historic Places and 12 listings on the Alabama register of Landmarks and Heritage.
• The county’s largest employers are The University of West Alabama, Sumter County School System and McElroy Truck Lines.
• State and local employees make up the majority of employed persons in Sumter County, followed by employees of the manufacturing and retail trade industries.
• The estimated median age for 2016 in Sumter County was 37.

What other interesting facts do you know about Sumter County? Let us know in the comments below!

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