SYLACAUGA

city, Talladega county, east-central Alabama, U.S. It is located at the southwestern corner of the Talladega National Forest (eastern section) in the Coosa River valley. The city is built upon an extensive bed of translucent cream-white marble. Quarrying and processing of this marble began in 1840, and part of it was used in the U.S. Supreme Court Building. The marble is crushed and ground in many products, including paint, resin, and asphalt tile. The city's marble industry is supplemented by textiles and light industrial development. The name Sylacauga is an Indian word meaning buzzard roost. Inc. 1839. Pop. (1993 est.) 13,240.