TUSCALOOSA

city, seat of Tuscaloosa county, western Alabama, U.S., on the Black Warrior River. Founded in 1816 by Thomas York on land opened to settlement after the Creek War, it was named for the Choctaw Indian chief Tuscaloosa (Black Warrior), who fought the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in southern Alabama in 1540. The city served as the state capital (182646) and was partially burned during the American Civil War. It lies at the edge of coal and mineral deposits in a farming region. Its diversified agricultural and industrial economy is augmented by several institutions, including the University of Alabama (established 1818) and Stillman College (1876). The few antebellum houses in the city include Gorgas House and President's Mansion. Inc. 1819. Pop. (1990) city, 77,759; Tuscaloosa MSA, 150,522; (1994 est.) city, 79,797; Tuscaloosa MSA, 157,090.