Business View Magazine | April 2020

190 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE APRIL 2020 O pelika is a city in, and the county seat of, Lee County in the east central part of Alabama, and the principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area. Its history dates back to the late 1830s when its earliest settlers established a community called Lebanon. After the removal of the native Creek (Muscogee) peoples by federal troops in 1836-37, the area became known as “Opelika,” which in the Muskogee language means “large swamp.” Incorporated in 1854, the town, which sat at the junction of several railroad lines, became a regional hub for commerce, especially for the shipment of raw cotton from Southern plantations to the North. During the Civil War, Opelika was the target of many Union raids on its warehouses and transportation infrastructure. After the war, the town’s population grew rapidly, but it gained a reputation for lawlessness and corrupt governance, sometimes requiring the imposition of martial law to quell rioting and civil unrest. In the early 20th century, Opelika saw the establishment of a growing textile industry, once again making the city an economic powerhouse in the region. Industrialization continued apace over the ensuing years, and by 1970, its manufacturing firms employed nearly 10,000 people. Today, Opelika has a population of approximately 30,000, and over the last few decades, the city has experienced revitalization in many segments of its economy, AT A GLANCE OPELIKA, ALABAMA WHAT: A city of 30,000 WHERE: Lee County, in the east central part of the state WEBSITE: www.opelika-al.gov OPEL I KA ALABAMA A CITY ON THE RISE