Alabama Counties
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Alabama Counties

Alabama currently has sixty-seven counties. The oldest county, Washington, was created on June 4, 1800, when what is now Alabama was then part of the Mississippi Territory. The newest county is Houston, created on February 9, 1903.
 

Jackson County, Alabama History

Jackson County Education, Geography, and HistoryJackson County, Alabama Courthouse

Jackson County is the northeastern most county in the state of Alabama. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 53,227. Jackson County was created on December 13, 1819, from land acquired from the Cherokee Cession of 1819. The county seat is Scottsboro. Jackson county was named for Andrew Jackson, General in the United States Army and afterward President of the United States of America.

Jackson County comprises the Scottsboro, AL Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Chattanooga-Cleveland-Dalton, TN-GA-AL Combined Statistical Area.

Etymology - Origin of Jackson County Name

The county was named in honor of General  Andrew Jackson.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Jackson County History

Jackson County, Alabama

Formed by the Alabama legislature on 1819 Dec. 13, from land acquired from the Cherokee Indians. The county was named in honor of Gen. Andrew Jackson. Jackson County is located in the northeastern corner of the state. It is bounded on the north by Tennessee, on the east by Georgia and DeKalb County, on the south by DeKalb and Marshall Counties, and on the west by Madison County. It encompasses 1,069 square miles. Most of the county is drained by the Tennessee River. The act establishing Jackson County designated Sauta Cave as a temporary seat of justice. Bellefonte was the county seat from 1821 until 1859, at which time it was transferred to Scottsboro, which was named for Robert T. Scott, an early settler from North Carolina. Other towns and communities include Bridgeport and Stevenson.

Jackson County is a prohibition or dry county, however three cities within the county (Bridgeport, Scottsboro, and Stevenson) are wet.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,127 square miles (2,920 km2), of which 1,078 square miles (2,790 km2) is land and 49 square miles (130 km2) (%) is water. It is the fifth-largest county in Alabama by total area. Much of it is located in the Appalachians.

Of special interest is Russell Cave National Monument, which is located in Doran Cove, approximately 5 miles west of the town of Bridgeport. Russell Cave is an important archaeological site that was excavated in 1956 by the Smithsonian Institution and the National Geographic Society. An article in the October 1956 issue of National Geographic Magazine proudly proclaims: "Life 8,000 Years Ago Uncovered in an Alabama Cave." The article was written by Carl F. Miller, the Expedition Leader and is on pages 542-558. Russell Cave was declared a National Monument in May 1961 by President John F. Kennedy. The Monument consists of 310 acres (1.3 km2) of land donated by the National Geographic Society.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

  • North: Franklin County, Tenn.
  • Northeast: Marion County, Tenn.
  • East: Dade County, Ga.
  • Southeast: DeKalb County
  • Southwest: Marshall County
  • West: Madison County

Education



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