Luverne was one of numerous towns developed in the state as a result of railroad construction.

The company completed around 30 miles (48 km) of narrow gauge track by September 18, 1882.

In November 1888, the railroad reached the site of Luverne in the central part of Crenshaw County, near the Patsaliga River.

Now totaling 51 miles (82 km) the line was converted to standard gauge by July 1889 and it was decided to proceed no further.

[4] The new railroad terminus attracted related development, and the town grew.

It was incorporated in 1891, and became a center of timbering in the Piney Woods of southern Alabama, as the land was not fertile enough to be suitable for large-scale cotton plantation agriculture.

[5] By the late 1930s, lynchings of African Americans were increasingly conducted in small groups or in secret, rather than in the former mass public displays.

[7] The Equal Justice Initiative documented that the white man Thornton had apparently offended by his Jim Crow infraction was a police officer.

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,765 people, 1,005 households, and 634 families residing in the city.

Public education for the city of Luverne is provided by the Crenshaw County School District.

Lurleen B. Wallace Community College offers certificate and two-year associate degrees at its Luverne location.