were many variant names, pronunciations, and spellings of the Alapaha River operant in the late 19th century. Some ethnologists believe that "Alapaha" was the Creek word for "other side;" others believe it was the Timucua language word for "bear." At least one ethnolinguist believed that "Alapaha" is a Creek adaptation of the Timucuan word "arapaha" which meant "bear lodge." A Timucua town named Arapaha apparently gave its name to the river it was located on. Speakers of one or another of the Muscogean languages, which do not have the sound "r", may have changed the pronunciation of the name from "Arapaha" to "Alapaha." Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land. Climate The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Alapaha has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 682 people, 270 households, and 194 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 318 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 62.76% African American, 36.36% White, 0.15% Native American, and 0.73% from two or more races. There were 270 households, out of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.7% were married couples living together, 24.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.1% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.05. In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.7% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $22,422, and the median income for a family was $27,679. Males had a median income of $26,250 versus $18,800 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,925. About 21.5% of families and