Acton, Alabama
| Acton, Alabama | |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated community | |
  Acton, Alabama  Acton, Alabama | |
| Coordinates: 33°21′22″N 86°48′25″W / 33.35611°N 86.80694°WCoordinates: 33°21′22″N 86°48′25″W / 33.35611°N 86.80694°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alabama |
| County | Shelby |
| Elevation | 505 ft (154 m) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Area code(s) | 205 |
| GNIS feature ID | 112906[1] |
Acton is an unincorporated community in Shelby County, in the U.S. state of Alabama.
History
Alabama Fuel & Iron Company established coal mines at Acton and the company town of Acton grew up around them. The mines were served by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. On November 18, 1913, 21 miners were killed by an explosion in Mine Number 2.[2] After the mines closed, the area was converted into the Riverchase real estate development.[3]
A post office was established at Acton in 1908, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1926.[4] The community was likely named for William Acton, a local businessperson in the mining industry.[5]
In the 1970s, the land was developed into the Riverchase residential planned community, which was annexed into Hoover, Alabama in 1980.
References
- ↑ "Acton". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
- ↑ "Explosion Kills Miners", New York Times, November 19, 1913
- ↑ James Sanders Day (24 June 2013). Diamonds in the Rough: A History of Alabama's Cahaba Coal Field. University of Alabama Press. pp. 83–206. ISBN 978-0-8173-1794-2.
- ↑ "Shelby County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
- ↑ Foscue, Virginia O. (1989). Place Names in Alabama. University of Alabama Press. p. 6. ISBN 978-0-8173-0410-2.
External links
Municipalities and communities of Shelby County, Alabama, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |