Informally called Sparkstown for a period, the city of Boaz was officially named after the husband of Ruth, a Biblical character in the Old Testament. Incorporated in March 1897, Boaz quickly gained a reputation for energetic growth. In southern Marshall County atop the Sand Mountain plateau, named for its sandy soil, Boaz, Alabama developed an economy rooted in the land because the mountain offered ideal farmland and a mild climate. Early on, nearly every industry in Boaz depended on cotton, and other businesses chiefly served farmers, since Boaz was the nearest shopping center for many mountain communities. The city drew farmers seeking supplies and necessities not produced on the farm, and it also provided a place for them to sell the products of their labor. Prior to the end of World War Two, most businesses were locally owned, and the community reinvested profits into expansion and additional local enterprises, keeping wealth within Boaz.