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Madison County was created by Mississippi Territory Governor Robert Williams on 13 December 1808. Additional land was added until the county achieved its current form in 1824. The county was named for President James Madison. It is located in the north central part of the state, bounded to the north by the state of Tennessee and to the south by the Tennessee River. The first white settlers entered the area in 1804 and was previously inhabited by Cherokee and Chickasaw Indians. The county seat was established at Huntsville. Huntsville also served as the temporary state capital in 1819. Today, Huntsville is the home of the Marshall Space Center. Other towns located in Madison County include New Market, Normal, Madison, Owens Cross Roads, and New Hope.
Source: Owen, Thomas McAdory. History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography |
Click on the links below for book titles specific to that Alabama county.
The date each county was formed is noted.
| County Name |
Established |
Origin of Name |
County Seat |
| Autauga |
Nov 21, 1818 |
American Indian Village of Atagi |
Prattville |
| Baine, see Etowah | Dec 7, 1866 | Gen. David W. Baine, CSA | Gadsden |
| Baldwin | Dec 21, 1809 | Sen. Abraham Baldwin/GA | Bay Minette |
| Baker, see Chilton | Dec 30, 1868 | Alfred Baker | Grantville |
| Barbour |
Dec 18, 1832 |
Gov. James Barbour/VA |
Clayton |
| Benton, see Calhoun | Dec 18, 1832 | U.S. Sen. Thomas Hart Benton/MO | Jacksonville |
| Bibb |
Feb 7, 1818 |
Gov. William W. Bibb |
Centreville |
| Blount | Feb 6, 1818 | Gov. Willie G. Blount/TN | Oneonta |
| Bullock | Dec 5, 1866 | Col. Edward C. Bullock | Union Springs |
| Butler | Dec 13, 1819 | Capt. William Butler/Creek Wars | Greenville |
| Cahawba, see Bibb | Feb 7, 1818 | Cahawba River, from Choctaw "water above" | Cahawba |
| Calhoun | Dec 18, 1832 | Sen. John C. Calhoun/SC | Anniston |
| Chambers | Dec 18, 1832 | Sen. Henry C. Chambers/AL | Lafayette |
| Cherokee | Jan 9, 1836 | American Indian Tribe | Centre |
| Chilton | Dec 30, 1868 | Confederate Cong. Wm. P. Chilton | Clanton |
| Choctaw | Dec 29, 1847 | American Indian Tribe | Butler |
| Clarke | Dec 10, 1812 | Gen. John Clarke/GA | Grove Hill |
| Clay | Dec 7, 1866 | Sen. Henry Clay/KY | Ashland |
| Cleburne | Dec 6, 1866 | Major Gen. Patrick Cleburne/AR | Heflin |
| Coffee | Dec 29, 1841 | Gen. John Coffee | Elba |
| Colbert | Feb 6, 1867 | Chiefs George & Levi Colbert | Tuscumbia |
| Conecuh | Feb 13, 1818 | American Indian word | Evergreen |
| Coosa | Dec 18, 1832 | Town of Alabama Indians | Rockford |
| Cotaco; see Morgan | Feb 8, 1818 | Cotaco Creek | Somerville |
| Covington | Dec 17, 1821 | Brig. Gen. Leonard Covington/MD | Andalusia |
| Crenshaw | Nov 30, 1866 | Judge Anderson Crenshaw | Luverne |
| Cullman | Jan 24, 1877 | Johann G. Cullmann | Cullman |
| Dale | Dec 22, 1824 | Gen. Samuel Dale | Ozark |
| Dallas | Feb 9, 1818 | A.J. Dallas, US Sec. of Treasury/PA | Selma |
| Decatur | Dec. 7, 1821 | Commodore Stephen Decatur | Woodville |
| DeKalb | Jan 9, 1836 | Major Gen. Baron DeKalb/Am. Rev. | Fort Payne |
| Elmore | Feb 15, 1866 | Gen. John A. Elmore | Wetumpka |
| Escambia | Dec 10, 1868 | American Indian name/river | Brewton |
| Etowah | Dec 7, 1866 | Cherokee Indian name | Gadsden |
| Fayette | Dec 20, 1824 | Marquis de LaFayette | Fayette |
| Franklin | Feb 6, 1818 | Benjamin Franklin | Russellville |
| Geneva | Dec 26, 1868 | Geneva, Switzerland | Geneva |
| Greene | Dec 13, 1819 | Gen. Nathaniel Greene/GA | Eutaw |
| Hale | Jan 30, 1867 | Col. Stephen F. Hale | Greensboro |
| Hancock, seeWinston | Feb 12, 1850 | Gov. John Hancock/MA | Double Springs |
| Henry | Dec 13, 1819 | Gov. Patrick Henry/VA | Abbeville |
| Houston | Feb 9, 1903 | Gov. George S. Houston | Dothan |
| Jackson | Dec 13, 1819 | Gen. Andrew Jackson | Scottsboro |
| Jefferson | Dec 13, 1819 | Pres. Thomas Jefferson | Birmingham |
| Jones, see Lamar | Feb 4, 1867 | E. P. Jones/Fayette County | Vernon |
| Lamar | Feb 4, 1867 | Sen. L.Q.C. Lamar/MS | Vernon |
| Lauderdale | Feb 6, 1818 | Col. James Lauderdale/TN | Florence |
| Lawrence | Feb 6, 1818 | Capt. J. Lawrence, USN/VT | Moulton |
| Lee | Dec 5, 1866 | Gen. Robert E. Lee | Opelika |
| Limestone | Feb 6, 1818 | Limestone Creek | Athens |
| Lowndes | Jan 20, 1830 | Cong. William Lowndes/SC | Hayneville |
| Macon | Dec 18, 1832 | Sen. Nathaniel Macon/NC | Tuskegee |
| Madison | Dec 13, 1808 | Pres. James Madison | Huntsville |
| Marengo | Feb 6, 1818 | French battlefield | Linden |
| Marion | Feb 13, 1818 | Gen. Francis Marion/SC | Hamilton |
| Marshall | Jan 9, 1836 | Chief Justice John Marshall | Guntersville |
| Mobile | Dec 18, 1812 | Named for Maubila Indians | Mobile |
| Monroe | Jun 29, 1815 | Pres. James Monroe | Monroeville |
| Montgomery | Dec 6, 1816 | Major L.P. Montgomery/TN | Montgomery |
| Morgan | Feb 6, 1818 | Gen. Daniel Morgan/VA | Decatur |
| Perry | Dec 13, 1819 | Commodore O.H. Perry/RI | Marion |
| Pickens | Dec 20, 1820 | Gen. Andrew Pickens/SC | Carrollton |
| Pike | Dec 17, 1821 | Gen. Zebulon M. Pike/NJ | Troy |
| Randolph | Dec 18, 1832 | Sen. John Randolph/VA | Wedowee |
| Russell | Dec 18, 1832 | Col. Gilbert C. Russell/Creek Wars | Phenix City |
| Sanford, see Lamar | Feb 4, 1867 | H. C. Sanford/Cherokee County | Vernon |
| St. Clair | Nov 20, 1818 | Gen. Arthur St. Clair/PA | Ashville |
| Shelby | Feb 7, 1818 | Gov. Isaac Shelby/KY | Columbiana |
| Sumter | Dec 18, 1832 | Gen. Thomas Sumter/SC | Livingston |
| Talladega | Dec 18, 1832 | Town of Creek Indians | Talladega |
| Tallapoosa | Dec 18, 1832 | American Indian name | Dadeville |
| Tuscaloosa | Feb 6, 1818 | Chief Tuscaloosa | Tuscaloosa |
| Walker | Dec 26, 1823 | Sen. John W. Walker | Jasper |
| Washington | Jun 4, 1800 | Pres. George Washington | Chatom |
| Wilcox | Dec 13, 1819 | Lt. J.M. Wilcox/Creek Wars | Camden |
| Winston | Feb 12, 1850 | Gov. John A. Winston | Double Springs |
. Chicago: S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1921.