| The original proprietors of Jackson County were the Cherokees, Chickasaws, Shawnees and the Creeks. In the Mid 1800's the Indians were "removed" from the area. | This information is an excerpt of the book "The History of Jackson County Alabama"
by John Robert Kennamer |
| In the early 1780's Georgia claimed much of the land south of what is now Tennessee, but this claim was in dispute with claims made by South Carolina. | This and Many other Books are available in the Scottsboro Library. |
In the early 1780's a company was organized and petitioned the Georgia Legislature for the rights to settle the land. They were commissioned to survey and sell the land and directed to sell no more than one thousand acres to any one person at a price of not less than twelve and one-half cents per acre. They were; - Lachlin McIntosh Jr.
- William Downes
- Stephen Heard
- John Morrell
- John Donelson
- Joseph Martin
- John Sevier
This was the earliest effort by English speaking people in the present state of Alabama to create a government. In October of 1785, several of the appointees, plus 80 other men Floated down the Tennessee River to an area near the current town of Bridgeport, and opened a land office for the sale of the land. Many of the men in this party formally organized the County and named it "Houston" and elected Valentine Sevier, Jr. as the representative in the Georgia Legislature. The first person ever to represent any part of the state.
The Indians in the area were not friendly causing the visitor to return home within two weeks killing Col. Donelson. The Georgia Legislature refused to recognize the County and the board never met again. | To read more about this, check out the books available at many Jackson County Libraries
or
Join the Jackson County Historical Assoc.. |
| Around 1789 the "Tennessee Land Company" purchased 3,500,000 acres from Georgia paying less then two cents per acre. This second attempt was soon destroyed by the Indians of the area, destroying all the buildings and work the Company had done. | |
| In 1802, Georgia gave up all claim to the lands in this part of Alabama. | |
| During the early 1800's many settlers came to the Upper Paint Rock Valley area on Wagons and pack-horses. Henry Derrick settled in Old Woodville around 1815.
Hans Kennamer and Sons were living in Kennamer Cove at the time. | |
| In the 1817-1818 cotton prices soared, causing many immigrants to come to the area settling in the Hills and Valleys of Jackson County. Corn became one of the prevalent crops due to the fertile soil. | |
| In December 13, 1819 the State Legislature created Jackson County in a session in Huntsville, naming it in honor of General Andrew Jackson. | |
| On March 2nd, 1819, Congress authorized the Alabama Territory to form a State. A constitution convention net in July in Huntsville and made the first law. Governor, William Wyatt Bibb and a Legislature were elected and net in Huntsville on October 25th of 1819 to organize the State government. December 13th, 1819, seven new counties were added to the twenty-two existing counties. One of these seven counties was Jackson County. December 14th, 1819, Alabama was admitted to the Union as a state. The area was defined as the land obtained from the Cherokees to the north side of the Tennessee River, south of the Tennessee State line, and east of the Flint River. | |
| In the Acts of 1821 the Legislature appointed sever commissioners to form a temporary seat of Justice for Jackson County. The commission selected Old Bellefonte to serve as the temporary Seat of Justice until the lands were surveyed and sold. The Legislature selected Sauta Cave, Honey-Comb Springs and Riley's on Mud Creek for the election of a Clerk of the Circuit Court and a Clerk of the County Court and Sheriff. In 1827, land was surveyed and purchased in the are just west of the town of Larkinsville, for the county seat of Justice for Jackson County, but the seat was never moved their. | |
| In December 17th 1859, the legislature voted to move the county seat from Bellefonte to the town of Scottsboro. All records were moved on November 13th, 1868. | |
| The northern part of Marshall County was part of Jackson County until 1836. | |
| On December 29th, 1835, a treaty of transfer was signing over the land from the Cherokees. December 29th 1834, Congress passed a law to remove the Indians from Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia. From 1837 through 1838 over 10,000 Indians were removed from their homes and transported to Indian Camps to the west. Tragically, most died on the long frozen journey named "The Trail of Tears" | |
| In 1853-54, the road was graded for a track from Stevenson towards the direction of Decatur and was completed on the 8th day of March, 1856 and open for business on the 21st with the average speed of 10 miles per hour. | |
| In 1860s The civil war broke out because of the state's rights issue. Southern agriculture depended, at that time, was based on slavery and with the freeing of the slaves. In the Spring of 1862 the Confederate Congress passed an act conscripting all white men for armed service from the ages of 18 to 35. On the 6th and 7th of April, the battle of Shiloh was fought and many solders from the area were killed or wounded. Four days later, General Mitchell marched into Huntsville and took the train as far east as Bridgeport. There the Union and Confederate soldiers fought at the Paint Rock River Bridge, bringing the battle into Jackson County | |
| In 1963, General W T Sherman's army marched through the southern states burning everything in his path passing through Jackson County toward Bridgeport where they stayed for a part of the winter. | |
In 1865 a small battle was fought in Scottsboro when Major Hannon and four negro companies established Scottsboro as their headquarters. The four companies took livestock and intimidated the townspeople.
General W H Lyon, on his retreat from the invasion in Kentucky led 500 cavalry into Scottsboro through the Upper Paint Rock Valley and across the Cumberland Mountain down through Maynard's Cove and with a small cannon, shot towards the invading companies causing them to flee. General Lyon was later captured by the same invading army. | |
| During the Winter of 1863-64 a regiment of Sherman's Army remained in Stevenson in the Austin Building. | |
| In the 1860's Stevenson, Larkinsville, Scottsboro and Hollywood all desired to house the a new County Courthouse. Stevenson won the election to be the home of the Courthouse, but wasn't executed due to the civil war. In 1868 fortunately, for Scottsboro, Charles O. Whitney, a resident of Scottsboro, was the state senator and had gotten an Act passed to basically allow the County Commissioners to locate the County Courthouse in Scottsboro. During 1868, Judge David Tate moved in his office near the railroad until the Courthouse was built in 1879. Subsequently the courthouse was burned and rebuilt that same year using the same walls. In 1912 the courthouse was completely rebuilt with the cost of $44,000. | |
| The brick jail was built in 1872. | |
| The "Bellefonte Democrat" was published in 1846, making it one of the first newspapers in the area changing to "The Jackson County Herald" in 1868 then was changed to "The southern Industrial Herald in November 26th of 1868. It was then again changed to "The Scottsboro Herald" until ending in 1887. In 1877 "The Scottsboro Citizen" was established and later merged with "The Progressive Age in May 1911. In 1929 "The Jackson County Sentinel was established. Stevenson's first newspaper was started in 1868, until its end in 1870, but was replaced by "The Stevenson Chronicle" in January 1887. | |
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Jackson County History
