Town of Emelle, Alabama

Town of Emelle, Alabama. A One of a Kind Community. This community honors Emelle Dial, whose father Joseph Dial gave land to the Alabama, Tennessee and Northern Railroad with the provision that the station be named for his daughter. The daughter is said to have been named for her two aunts, Emma and Ella, but having none with these names, seems instead to have been named for Emelie Spencer, an acquaintance of her family who attended the same church as Emma and Ella. In the 1980s, Emelie was ground zero in the controversy over the sprawling Chemical Waste Management landfill just outside of the city limits. Outraged that the company had chosen to operate in this community, local citizens and environmental groups, including Alabamians for a Clean Environment banded together. Emelle did not succeed in closing the land field entirely, however, the towns efforts spearheaded the imposition of higher state taxes and stronger federal regulations which severely hampered the company's operations. Emelle boasts several historic churches and continuously works toward rebuilding the strong retail base that once existed in the area. Emelle takes pride in its people and believes its place in West Alabama to be a one-of-kind community.