Silas is located in southern Choctaw County, in the southwest part of the state on the Alabama-Mississippi border. It has a mayor-city council form of government.
History
As the town expanded, residents began to organize and build churches as well as a one-room schoolhouse around 1888. In 1920, a second school was built to accommodate the growing population. Roads within and leading to and from town were paved between 1935 and 1942. Silas incorporated in May 1946. A garment factory opened in 1950 and at one time employed 200 people. The city hall was built in 1959, a fire station was built in the early 1970s, and the town's first policeman hired in 1972.
Demographics
According to 2016 Census estimates, Silas recorded a population of 419. Of that number, 61.8 percent of respondents identified themselves as white, and 38.2 percent as African American. The town's median household income was $30,341, and the per capita income was $17,769.
Employment
According to 2016 Census estimates, the workforce in Silas was divided among the following industrial categories:
- Retail trade (23.7 percent)
- Educational services and health care and social assistance (23.0 percent)
- Manufacturing (22.3 percent)
- Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services (6.5 percent)
- Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing (5.8 percent)
- Construction (5.0 percent)
- Transportation and warehousing, and utilities (5.0 percent)
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and extraction (3.6 percent)
- Public administration (2.9 percent)
- Wholesale trade (2.2 percent)
Education
Students in Silas attend Choctaw County schools; no public schools are located within the town limits.
Transportation
U.S. Highway 84 runs east-west through Silas, and State Highway 17 runs north-south through town.
Events and Places of Interest
The Tombigbee River Jam is held annually in Silas in October; it features live music, food and crafts vendors, and a Catfish Rodeo and Cook-off. Bladon Springs State Park contains four minerals springs and offers camping, picnicking, and playground areas across 357 acres.
Additional Resources
Alokoli: The Choctaw County Bicentennial Book. n.p.: Choctaw County Bicentennial Commission, 1976.
Additional Resources
Alokoli: The Choctaw County Bicentennial Book. n.p.: Choctaw County Bicentennial Commission, 1976.
Choctaw County Heritage Book Committee. Heritage of Choctaw County, Alabama. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, Inc., 2001.
