Located in north-central Alabama, the City of Jasper, which was incorporated in 1886, is the seat for Walker County and was once the home of Alabama Central Railroad, which provided transportation for lumber and coal during the years of the steam engine train. Jasper was also the residence of the Bankhead family, which included famed actress Tallulah Bankhead as well as United States Congressmen, United States Senators and a U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives during the administration of President Franklin Roosevelt.
With a population of just over 14,500, the city has seven municipal parks that include athletic fields, a gymnasium and a municipal pool complex. Also nearby are Smith Lake, which offers all forms of water recreation, and the Clear Creek Recreational Area in the Bankhead National Forest with campgrounds and lodges. Each fall the city hosts the Foothills Festival, a two-day event with music, food and vendors held in rejuvenated Downtown Jasper, a thriving area filled with shops, boutiques, restaurants and breweries.