Huntsville AL

Huntsville is a city in the northern part of Alabama in the Southeastern region of the United States. It is the fourth-largest city in Alabama with a population of more than 150,000.http://www.togetherweteach.com/TWTIC/uscityinfo/01al/alpopr/01alpr.htm The vast majority of its residents live in Madison County, with less than 500 people residing in Limestone County.http://www.togetherweteach.com/TWTIC/uscityinfo/01al/alpopr/01alpr.htm It was founded in 1805 by John Hunt, a militia captain during the American Revolution.http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,862900,00.html In 1811, it became the first city in Alabama to be incorporated.http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,862900,00.html

The defense industry is a major component of Huntsville’s economy.http://www.huntsvillealabamausa.com/new_exp/community_data/leading_emp/top_overall.html The Redstone Arsenal was opened in 1950, producing Army missiles at a former World War II shell-loading installation.http://www.huntsvillealabamausa.com/new_exp/new_indsec_toc.html The Redstone Arsenal and other U.S. Army-related organizations are the leading employers in Huntsville, creating 30,000 jobs each year.http://www.huntsvillealabamausa.com/new_exp/community_data/leading_emp/top_overall.html Huntsville is also home to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, which creates items necessary for the country’s space program.http://www.huntsvillealabamausa.com/new_exp/industry_sectors/aerospace_overview.html

Huntsville was originally named Twickenham by Leroy Pope, who purchased the land that would become modern-day Huntsville in 1811.http://www.hsvcity.com/kids/state_timeline.php The city became the seat of Madison County and would be renamed Huntsville to honor original settler John Hunt.http://www.hsvcity.com/kids/state_timeline.php The state’s first Constitutional Convention convened in Huntsville in 1819, led by Pope’s son-in-law John Williams Walker.http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,862900,00.htmlhttp://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1181 Walker’s son Leroy Pope Walker would become the first Secretary of War for the Confederate States of America, issuing the order to fire on Fort Sumter that started the American Civil War. http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1854http://www.csawardept.com/history/Cabinet/LPWalker/index.html

Huntsville is located at latitude 34° 42'N and longitude 86° 37'W, taking up a total area of 174 square miles.http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=837http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/01/0137000.html It is part of the Tennessee River Valley, roughly 90 miles north of Birmingham, Alabama.http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,862900,00.html There are large hills to the east and west of the city.http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,862900,00.html Temperatures are warm and humid in the summer, with average highs in the high-80Fs and humidity above 70 percent.http://www.huntsvillealabamausa.com/new_exp/community_data/climate.html

• Constitution Village: A living history museum, Constitution Village takes visitors back to the early 19th century when Huntsville was the location of Alabama’s Constitutional Convention. http://www.earlyworks.com/the-museums/constitution-village
• EarlyWorks Children’s Museum: Kids are encouraged to explore science and history at this interactive museum. Exhibits let children play oversized instruments or try on 19th-cenutry clothing.http://www.earlyworks.com/the-museums/childrens-museum
• Huntsville Depot & Museum: Located on the site of the passenger house and corporate offices of the Memphis & Charleston Railroad’s eastern division, the museum is devoted to Alabama’s railroad history.
• U.S. Space & Rocket Center: Visitors to the NASA complex can learn about the history of the American space program, including the Apollo missions and the Space Shuttle program.http://www.spacecamp.com/museum/overview
• Huntsville Museum of Art: The museum has a permanent collection of more than 2,500 pieces of art, and also showcases traveling exhibitions from local and national artists.http://www.hsvmuseum.org/Pages/museum_information.html

• Tallulah Bankhead: Actresshttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000845/
• Bo Bice: Singer and American Idol finalisthttp://music.aol.com/artist/bo-bice/biography
• Stewart Cink: PGA Tour golferhttp://www.pgatour.com/players/02/02/29/
• Jimmy Key: Former Major League Baseball pitcherhttp://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/keyji01.shtml
• Paula Poundstone: Comediennehttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005323/bio