Samson, Alabama

Samson
City
Location of Samson in Geneva County, Alabama.
Coordinates: 31°6′45″N 86°2′52″W / 31.11250°N 86.04778°W / 31.11250; -86.04778
Country	United States
State	Alabama
County	Geneva
Government
• Mayor	Clay King
Area [1]
• Total	3.63 sq mi (9.40 km2)
• Land	3.62 sq mi (9.37 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation	200 ft (61 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,874
• Density	517.97/sq mi (199.98/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	36477
Area code	334
FIPS code	01-67800
GNIS feature ID	0153310
Website	www.cityofsamson.com

Samson is a city in Geneva County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Dothan, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2020 census, the population was 1,874, a decline from the figure of 1,940 tabulated in 2010. Samson incorporated in 1905 (according to the 1910 U.S. Census), although other sources cited 1906.^[2]

During the Great Depression, the T.S. Faulk and Company Store in downtown Samson purchased a large shipment of snuff, which remained stationary at the town's depot for an extended period of time. This led to Samson being nicknamed "Snuff City, U.S.A." The nickname is commemorated today with a New Year's drop of a Rooster snuff can.

In an attempt to shed this moniker, several community groups decided to plant extensive beds of red roses along all the roads leading into Samson. With this planting, they hoped the new slogan "City of a Million Roses" would take root. However, as the roses gradually disappeared, the old slogan resurfaced.

The town's current motto is "Samson...We Grow Friendly People." A Samson High School student devised the slogan during a high school contest. This contest received more than 50 entries, and the student emerged as the winner, earning $100. The contest committee deemed his slogan, "Samson-we grow friendly people," as a representation of the agricultural aspect and the amicability of the town. ^[3]