Opelika, Alabama

Opelika (pronounced |ˌoʊ pəˈlaɪ kə|) is a city in and the county seat of Lee County in the east central part of the State of Alabama. It is a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area. According to the 2013 Census Estimate, the population of Opelika was 28,635. The Auburn-Opelika, AL MSA with a population of 150,933 which, along with the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area and Macon County, Alabama, comprises the greater Greater Columbus, Georgia, a region home to 501,649 residents.

History

The first white settlers in the area now known as Opelika arrived in the late 1830s and established a community called Lebanon. After the removal of the native peoples by force in 1836-37, the area became known as "Opelika", taken from a word in the Muskogee language meaning "large swamp". Settlement was sporadic until the late 1840s, when Opelika quickly became a commercial center with the coming of the railroad.

In 1848, the Montgomery & West Point Railroad Company extended a rail line from Montgomery, Alabama to Opelika, and in 1851 completed a connection to West Point, Georgia, thus connecting Opelika with Atlanta, Georgia. This line was the only direct rail route between New Orleans and the Eastern Seaboard, and rapidly became one of the primary trade lines for shipments of raw cotton from Southern plantations to the North. The Montgomery & West Point was soon joined by a rail connection to Columbus, Georgia in 1855, and a connection to Birmingham, Alabama in 1869. Almost overnight, Opelika became a regional hub for commerce.

Opelika (YTB-798)

Opelika (YTB–798) was a United States Navy Natick-class large harbor tug named for Opelika, Alabama.

Construction

The contract for Opelika was awarded 15 June 1967. She was laid down on 23 February 1968 at Marinette, Wisconsin, by Marinette Marine and launched 21 August 1968.

Operational history

Opelika was delivered to the Navy 30 January 1968 for service at the Naval Station Subic Bay, Philippines. She continued busy operations there until that base closed in 1992. She was transferred to Naval Station Yokosuka, Japan. She was struck from the naval register in February, 2015.

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