Huntsville.
1 City (2020 pop. 215,006), seat of Madison co., N Ala.; inc.
1811. A major center for U.S. space research, Huntsville is the site of the
Redstone Arsenal, the U.S. army's control and procurement center for guided
missiles and rockets. NASA's George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (est.
1960) and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, the world's largest space
museum, are also in the city. Although Huntsville's economy centers around
the aerospace and high-technology industries, motor vehicle engines, tires,
glass, machinery, electrical equipment, and copper tubing are also produced.
The constitutional convention of the Alabama Territory was held in 1819 in
Huntsville, where the first state legislature also met. Numerous antebellum
buildings remain. Huntsville is the seat of Oakwood College, Alabama
A&M Univ., and the Univ. of Alabama at Huntsville. 2
City (2020 pop. 45,941), seat of Walker co., E central Tex.; inc. 1845.
Located in a pine area, it has many sawmills. Farming and livestock trading
add to the city's economic base. Manufactures include mirrors, signs, oil-
and gas-field equipment, and lumber. Huntsville, the home of Samuel
Houston, contains his grave (with an impressive monument), his
restored home, and other memorials. Also in the city are Sam Houston State
Univ. and the headquarters of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice,
Institutional Division (including a prison). An annual rodeo held by the
prisoners draws many spectators.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. Political Geography
