Linda S. Howington (born August 3, 1950 in Alabama , United States) is an American best-selling romance / suspense author under her pseudonym Linda Howard .
52-577: She began to write at nine years old, and wrote for twenty years for her own enjoyment. She worked at a trucking company where she met her husband, Gary F. Howington, and then decided to try to get her work published in 1980. After 21 years of penning stories for her own enjoyment, she submitted a novel for publication which was very successful. She currently lives in Gadsden, Alabama with her husband, Gary F. Howington, and two golden retrievers. She has three grown stepchildren and three grandchildren. Her first work
104-487: A decade of sharp decline in industry, Gadsden was awarded the honor of All-America City by the National Civic League . The first substantial European-American settlement in the area that developed as Gadsden was a village called "Double Springs". It was founded in about 1825 by John Riley, a mixed-race American Indian and European-American settler who built his house near two springs. Riley used his house for
156-470: A female householder with no husband present, and 37.7% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.0% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
208-518: A major river port on the Coosa River , and was second to Mobile, a seaport on the Gulf Coast, in importance. It also developed as a center of heavy industry. With unionization, industrial workers could earn middle-class salaries and improve their lives, even as African Americans struggled under Jim Crow laws and political disenfranchisement. The city reached its peak of population in 1960. Affected by
260-599: A stagecoach stop on the Huntsville -to- Rome route. The original building still stands as the oldest in Gadsden. The house was purchased by brothers Gabriel and Asenath Hughes in 1840. The Hughes brothers purchased much of the land between Lookout Mountain , the Coosa River , and the mouth of Wills Creek. The brothers proposed constructing a railroad from the port of Savannah to Nashville, Tennessee through their land. The original 120 acres (49 ha) survey of Gadsden included
312-668: A time, the Popeye the Sailorman cartoons were inspired by Tom Sims, a Coosa River resident of Rome, Georgia . He was familiar with riverboat life and characters of the early 1900s. The following table describes the seven impoundments on the Coosa River from the south to north built by the Alabama Power Company as well as the tailwater section below Jordan Dam. Harvey H. Jackson III in a book Putting Loafing Streams To Work characterized
364-548: Is dedicated to volunteer citizen monitoring of water quality in Alabama Rivers. The Alabama Power Foundation is a non-profit foundation providing grants for watershed, environmental and community projects along the Coosa River and within the state of Alabama. The Coosa River Basin Initiative is a grassroots environmental organization with the mission of informing and empowering citizens so that they may become involved in
416-559: Is home to the majority of the remaining clumps of the endangered green pitcherplant . The bald eagle , once an endangered species now has nesting populations on and in the vicinity of Coosa River impoundments The largest concentration of clusters in Alabama of the red-cockaded woodpecker , an endangered species, occurs on lands adjacent to Lake Mitchell under the stewardship of Alabama Power. The Coosa River's drainage has hundreds of tributaries, which have been divided into sections based on
468-687: Is located in the Birmingham DMA ( Designated Market Area ) for television stations. Two of the market's stations are licensed to Gadsden. AM radio FM radio Coosa River The Coosa River is a tributary of the Alabama River in the U.S. states of Alabama and Georgia . The river is about 280 miles (450 km) long. The Coosa River begins at the confluence of the Oostanaula and Etowah rivers in Rome, Georgia , and ends just northeast of
520-609: Is served by a 106-member municipal police department that includes a Patrol Division and Detective Division. The Patrol Division operates patrol, a bomb squad unit, a special projects team, and a joint SWAT team with the Etowah County Sheriff Office. The Detective Division serves a homicide or persons unit, property crime unit, financial crimes unit, and juvenile unit. In May 2010, the Gadsden Police Department acquired two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) under
572-489: Is the county seat of Etowah County in the U.S. state of Alabama . It is located on the Coosa River about 56 miles (90 km) northeast of Birmingham and 90 miles (140 km) southwest of Chattanooga, Tennessee . It is the primary city of the Gadsden Metropolitan Statistical Area , which has a population of 103,931. The population 33,945 at the 2020 census . In the 19th century, Gadsden
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#1732844482919624-844: The Fort Mims massacre near Mobile, General Andrew Jackson led American troops, along with Cherokee allies, against the Lower Creek in the Creek War . This culminated in the Creek defeat at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend . Afterward, the Treaty of Fort Jackson in 1814 forced the Creek to cede a large amount of land to the United States, but left them a reserve between the Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers in northern Alabama. Even there
676-585: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 38.657 square miles (100.12 km ), of which 37.443 square miles (96.98 km ) is land and 1.214 square miles (3.14 km ), is water. The southern end of Lookout Mountain rises to the north of the city center. Typical of the Deep South , Gadsden experiences a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa ) with four distinct seasons. Winter lasts from early December to late-February;
728-654: The University of Alabama also offer college courses in Gadsden. Gadsden is home to the first statewide day-treatment program for juvenile offenders. The Community Intensive Treatment for Youth Program (C.I.T.Y.) was founded in January 1981 by Edward E. Earnest (1943-2005). With the assistance and support of the Honorable Judge Robert E. Lewis (1927-1993), the city of Gadsden, and the Gadsden City Board of Education,
780-773: The Yamasee War against the Carolinas . After a few years, the Indian trade system was resumed under somewhat reformed policies. The conflict between the French and English over the Coosa Valley, and much of the southeast in general, continued. It was not until after Britain had defeated France in the Seven Years' War (also known as the French and Indian War ) that France relinquished its holdings east of
832-994: The poverty line , including 33.9% of those under age 18 and 14.6% of those age 65 or over. According to the City's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are: Citing statistics from the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations and the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama, the Gadsden-Etowah County Industrial Development Authority reports that approximately 12,000 residents of Etowah County were underemployed and 2,179 residents were unemployed as of 2008. Gadsden houses numerous churches: Episcopalian, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Church of Christ, Pentecostal, Catholic, Church of
884-481: The 2000 City Livability Awards Program of the US Conference of Mayors. Underemployment continues to be a severe problem, as indicated by the economic data presented below. Gadsden is located in central Etowah County at 34°0′37″N 86°0′37″W / 34.01028°N 86.01028°W / 34.01028; -86.01028 (34.010147, −86.010356), and developed on both sides of the Coosa River . According to
936-557: The Alabama state capital, Montgomery , where it joins the Tallapoosa River to form the Alabama River just south of Wetumpka . Around 90% of the Coosa River's length is located in Alabama. Coosa County, Alabama , is located on the Coosa River. The Coosa is one of Alabama 's most developed rivers. Most of the river has been impounded, with Alabama Power , a unit of the Southern Company , owning seven dams and powerhouses on
988-444: The C.I.T.Y. Program began enrolling students on February 1, 1981. C.I.T.Y. is designed to be a multi-dimensional program emphasizing habilitation (i.e., equipping at-risk youth on juvenile probation with skills needed to meet the demands of modern society). Its objectives are to identify the at-risk youth's individual strengths and weaknesses, provide an individualized environment in which the at-risk youth can develop skills, and alter
1040-493: The C.I.T.Y. Program of Etowah County (Gadsden) received the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Unique and Innovative Project Award. On October 1, 2009, C.I.T.Y.’s name was changed to Special Programming for Achievement Network (S.P.A.N.) It operates under the directorship of the Alabama Department of Youth Services. There are eleven SPAN programs in the state of Alabama. Newspapers Television Gadsden
1092-515: The Coosa River, in Georgia, until the tribe's removal. The Creek and Choctaw removals were similar to the Cherokee Trail of Tears. After the removals, the Coosa River valley and the southeast in general was wide open for American settlers. The invention of the cotton gin at the turn of the 19th century had made short-staple cotton profitable to process. It could be easily grown in the upland areas of
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#17328444829191144-459: The Coosa River. The dams produce hydroelectric power , but they are costly to some species endemic to the Coosa River. Native Americans had been living on the Coosa Valley for millennia before Hernando de Soto and his men became the first Europeans to visit it in 1540. The Coosa chiefdom was one of the most powerful chiefdoms in the southeast at the time. Over a century after the Spanish left
1196-521: The Coosa Valley, the British established strong trading ties with the Muscogee Creek bands of the area around the late 17th century, much to the dismay of France, which had some early settlements on the coast, specifically Mobile . The French had traveled from there upriver and believed that the Coosa River was a key gateway to the entire South ; they wanted to control the valley. The main transportation of
1248-482: The Coosa are: A number of significant cities lie on the banks of the Coosa River. They include: The Coosa-Alabama River Improvement Association , founded in 1890 in Gadsden, Alabama to promote navigation on the Coosa River is a leading advocate of the economic, recreational and environmental benefits of the Coosa River system. The Alabama Rivers Alliance works to unite the citizens of Alabama to protect peoples right to clean, healthy, waters. Alabama Water Watch
1300-512: The Creeks were encroached on by European-American settlers who began as squatters from the United States. Finally, during the 1820s and 1830s the Creek, Cherokee, and virtually all the southeastern Indians were removed to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma ). The Cherokee removal is remembered as the Trail of Tears . The Cherokee capital city of New Echota was located on the headwater tributaries of
1352-587: The Hughes brothers' land, plus that of John S. Moragne and Lewis L. Rhea. On July 4, 1845, Captain James Lafferty piloted the steamboat Coosa to the settlement. He landed near the site where the Memorial Bridge was built. The Hughes brothers suggested renaming the town as "Lafferty's Landing", but residents adopted "Gadsden" in honor of Colonel James Gadsden of South Carolina . He later was noted for negotiating
1404-490: The July daily average temperature is 80.6 °F (27.0 °C). There are 60–61 days of 90 °F (32 °C)+ highs annually and 2.1 days of 100 °F (38 °C)+ highs. The latter part of summer tends to be drier. Autumn, which spans from mid-September to early-December, tends to be similar to spring in terms of temperature and precipitation, although it begins relatively dry. With a period of record dating only back to 1953,
1456-715: The Middle Coosa River Watershed, 281 occurrences of rare plant and animal species and natural communities have been documented, including 73 occurrences of 23 species that are federal or state protected. Ten conservation targets were chosen: the riverine system, matrix forest communities (oak hickory-pine forest), gray bat ( Myotis grisescens ), riparian vegetation, mountain longleaf pine ( Pinus palustris ) forest communities, red-cockaded woodpecker ( Picoides borealis ), critically imperiled aquatic species (fish, mussels, and snails), southern hognose snake ( Heterodon simus ), caddisflies, and imperiled plants. Maintaining
1508-694: The Mississippi River to Britain. This was part of the Treaty of Paris , signed by both nations in 1763 to mark the end of the war. By the end of the American Revolutionary War, the Coosa Valley was occupied in its lower portion by the Creek and in the upper portion by the Cherokee peoples, who had a settlement near its origin in northwest Georgia. They were beginning to feel pressure from European-American encroachment throughout their territories. After
1560-458: The Nazarene, and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The city was home to Congregation Beth Israel , a Reform synagogue founded in 1908. In a 1960 attack, the synagogue was fire-bombed, its windows smashed, and two members shot and wounded by a Nazi sympathizer. Because of declining numbers as some members moved away and others died, the congregation ceased operations in 2010. Gadsden
1612-645: The South, and demand was high for this cotton in the US and Europe. Large-scale migrations known as "Alabama Fever" filled Alabama with new settlers developing large cotton plantations worked by enslaved African Americans. The first river town to form in the Coosa Basin was at the foot of the last waterfall on the Coosa River, the "Devil's Staircase." Settlers soon adopted the native name Wetumpka (meaning "rumbling waters" or "falling stream") for this new community. The Coosa River
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1664-466: The United States' Gadsden Purchase from Mexico. In 1867, after the American Civil War, the legislature organized Baine County ; Gadsden was incorporated and made the county seat. After a constitutional convention, the new legislature dissolved Baine County in 1868 and renamed it as Etowah County. Gadsden retained its standing as county seat. By the late 19th century, Gadsden had developed as
1716-421: The age of 18 living with them, 35.9% were married couples living together, 19.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.99. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.5% under
1768-462: The age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 28,386, and the median income for a family was $ 34,643. Males had a median income of $ 33,827 versus $ 27,342 for females. The per capita income for
1820-422: The auspices of a $ 150,000 federal grant. The drones are equipped with video cameras and wireless transmitters, designed to be used for aerial surveillance. The Gadsden City Board of Education oversees fourteen schools: eight elementary schools, three middle schools, one high school, and two specialty schools (one alternative center and one technical center). A new high school, Gadsden City High School , replaced
1872-514: The biodiversity of the Coosa River system is particularly important because it has already lost a significant portion of its aquatic fauna to extinction. (S)=State Status (F)=Federal Status The Alabama sturgeon , a former resident of the Coosa River below the Fall Line , was placed on the endangered species list in September 2000. The upper Coosa watershed in northeastern Alabama and north Georgia
1924-478: The city was $ 18,610. About 20.2% of families and 24.9% of the population were below the poverty line , including 38.9% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2000 census , there were 38,978 people, 16,456 households, and 10,252 families living in the city. The population density was 1,083.6 inhabitants per square mile (418.4/km ). There were 18,797 housing units at an average density of 522.6 per square mile (201.8/km ). The racial makeup of
1976-407: The city was 62.7% White , 34.0% Black or African American , 0.3% Native American , 0.5% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 1.2% from other races , and 1.2% from two or more races. 2.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 16,456 households, out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% were married couples living together, 18.1% had
2028-516: The city. The population density was 990.8 inhabitants per square mile (382.6/km ). There were 17,672 housing units at an average density of 475.1 per square mile (183.4/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 57.3% White , 36.3% Black or African American , 0.4% Native American , 0.6% Asian , 0.4% Pacific Islander , 3.2% from other races , and 1.9% from two or more races. 5.4% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 15,171 households, out of which 24.3% had children under
2080-424: The daily average temperature in January is 41.3 °F (5.2 °C). On average, the low temperature falls to the freezing mark or below on 60 days a year, and to or below 20 °F (−7 °C) on 6.9 days. While rain is abundant (January and February are on average the wettest months), measurable snowfall is rare, with most years receiving none. Summers are hot and humid, lasting from mid-May to mid-September, and
2132-466: The day was by boat. The confluence of the Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers formed the Alabama River , which has its mouth at Mobile Bay , the port used by the French for travel around the Caribbean and to France. They wanted to retain control of both the Coosa and the Alabama rivers. In the early 18th century, almost all European and Indian trade in the southeast ceased during the tribal uprisings brought on by
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2184-612: The different areas of the watershed . The first four sections are tributary systems that converge to form the main artery of the Coosa River in Georgia. These main tributary rivers are the Conasauga and Coosawattee Rivers, which together then form the Oostanaula River . The Oostanaula then joins with the Etowah River in Rome, Georgia, forming the Coosa River. Other significant tributaries of
2236-532: The early 20th century — Lay, Mitchell and Jordan — Alabama Power began to pioneer new methods of controlling and eliminating malaria , which was a major health issue in rural Alabama in the early 1900s and in other river valley areas. So successful were their pioneering efforts, that the Medical Division of the League of Nations visited Alabama to study the new methods during the construction of Mitchell Dam. For
2288-421: The highest recorded temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on June 30, 2012, while the lowest recorded temperature was −6 °F (−21 °C) on January 20–21, 1985 . As of the 2020 census , there were 33,945 people, 14,141 households, and 8,411 families residing in the city. There were 16,730 housing units. As of the 2010 census , there were 36,856 people, 15,171 households, and 9,183 families living in
2340-585: The importance of the first Coosa River dams as follows: Prior to 1912 only seventy-two Alabama communities had electricity, but by 1928, when Jordan Dam went into operation, Alabama Power served four hundred twenty-one communities in sixty-one of Alabama's sixty-seven counties. The company also provided power for coal and iron mines, cotton mills, cement plants, quarries, steel plants and rolling mills, foundries, pipe plants and machine shops, ice plants, public utilities, and electric furnance installations, industries that put thousands of [Alabama] citizens to work. In
2392-507: The national restructuring of railroads and heavy industry, most of Gadsden's major industries closed in the 1970s and 1980s. The city lost many jobs and much population, and began to decline. The city government has struggled to manage the transition to a different economy, just as numerous other industrial cities had to do. Redevelopment efforts, such as the Cultural Arts Center and downtown revitalization, earned Gadsden first place in
2444-482: The natural environment of the at-risk youth so that newly acquired skills are nurtured and encouraged. To achieve these objectives, C.I.T.Y. offers academic remediation in reading, math, language; intensive counseling that involves behavior modification, consumer education , and job readiness training. After all objectives have been met, C.I.T.Y. provides GED preparation, return to public school, and placement into technical school, college, job, or military service. In 1983,
2496-487: The three former city high schools ( Emma Sansom High School, Gadsden High School, and Litchfield High School ) via merger for the 2006–2007 school year. Gadsden is home to Gadsden State Community College , the second largest of the 27 two-year institutions in the Alabama Community College System . This was founded by former Governor George Wallace. Small satellites of Jacksonville State University and
2548-408: Was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 24,823, and the median income for a family was $ 31,740. Males had a median income of $ 29,400 versus $ 19,840 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 15,610. About 18.1% of families and 22.9% of the population were below
2600-460: Was Alabama's second-most important center of commerce and industry, trailing only the seaport of Mobile . The two cities were important shipping centers: Gadsden for riverboats and Mobile for international trade. From the late 19th century through the 1980s, Gadsden was a center of heavy industry , including the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and Republic Steel . In 1991, following more than
2652-560: Was an important transportation route into the early 20th century as a commercial waterway for riverboats along the upper section of the river for 200 miles south of Rome. However, shoals and waterfalls, such the Devil's Staircase along the river's lowest 65 miles, blocked the upper Coosa's riverboats from access to the Alabama River and the Gulf of Mexico . Through its building of dams on the Coosa in
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#17328444829192704-584: Was published by Silhouette in 1982. She is a charter member of Romance Writers of America , joining in 1981 shortly after it was formed. She served as Region 3 Director (until 31 October 2008). Her husband is a professional bass tournament fisherman, and she travels with him to some very unglamorous locations where she works on her laptop. Linda and her husband live in a big house on a farm in Alabama, where they raise cattle and have two dogs. 2005 - Romance Writers of America . Career Achievement Award After Sundown (2020) Gadsden, Alabama Gadsden
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