Autauga County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the state. The county seat, Prattville, is home to what was once the world’s largest cotton gin manufacturer. The factory complex is part of the historic district in this unique town, along with more than 150 other buildings. The Autauga County Heritage Association and the Heritage Center Museum are housed in a Greek Revival home that was built around 1830. The county’s gently rolling landscape, which includes the Alabama River, is host to several outdoor parks and recreational areas. Music legend Wilson Pickett was born in the county.

Baldwin County, located on the Gulf of Mexico, is one of the premier tourism spots in Alabama. It is also the site of some of the earliest European explorations and settlements in the South. The county is home to many historic sites and districts that attract thousands of visitors. Noted Civil War sites in the county include Fort Morgan and Fort Blakeley. The Baldwin County Heritage Museum, in Elberta, features exhibits on Baldwin County history from 1900 to 1950.

Barbour County was created in 1832 from lands acquired from the Creeks in the Treaty of Fort Jackson. Clayton, the county seat, boasts one of the few octagon houses in the state. The town of Eufaula is home to the second largest historic district in the state and a park that honors six Barbour County citizens who have served as Alabama governors. The county is located on the Chattahoochee River and the Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge, one of the largest preserved natural areas in the state.

Bibb County was founded in February 1818 and was originally called Cahaba County, for the river that runs through it. Th e county is known for its recreational opportunities on the river and in the Talladega National Forest. It is also famous for the endangered Cahaba Lily that grows on the Fall Line. Bibb County was a noted iron, coal, and lumber center and those industries attracted a number of immigrant families from Belgium, Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Bulgaria. It is also home to one of the few remaining traditional potteries in the United States, Miller’s Pottery.

Blount County’s proximity to Birmingham makes it one of the fastest growing counties in Alabama. Th e county, which was founded in February 1818, is filled with natural beauty and an abundance of outdoor attractions. It is also home to several covered bridges that were constructed in the 1920s. The Blount County Memorial Museum in Oneonta is dedicated to the history of county residents who have served in the military. Rickwood Caverns State Park near Warrior provides an opportunity to tour caves with intriguing geological formations and fossilized marine animals.

Bullock County is renowned as one of the best hunting areas in the state. Many of the fertile fields in this part of the famed Black Belt region have become deer and turkey hunting preserves. The Bird Dog Monument and Field Trial mural in Union Springs highlight the county’s reputation for hosting field trials. Th e Bullock County Courthouse Historic District includes the Red Door Theater, a venue for plays set in the South. Additionally, Union Springs has one of the oldest surviving jails in the state and remarkable homes reflecting a variety of architectual styles.

Butler County, created by the first session Alabama legislature in December 1819, is the the birthplace of the legendary country music star Hank Williams Sr. His boyhood home in Georgiana is now a museum and the site of an annual festival in his honor. The county seat, Greenville, is known as Camellia City and boasts several historic structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Greenville Railroad Depot has displays on the rail and economic history of the town.

Calhoun County (originally named Benton County) was created on land ceded by the Creeks in the 1832 Treaty of Cusseta. By 1893 its county seat, Anniston, had two iron production furnaces, a cotton textile mill, paved streets, and the first electric lighting system in the state. Th e county is home to Jacksonville State University and Anniston Army Depot. From 1917 to 1999, it was also home to the U.S. Army training base Fort McClellan. Area attractions include the Anniston Museum of Natural History, the Berman Museum of World History, and Janney Furnace. Th e area’s role in significant 1960s civil rights events is honored with murals in downtown Anniston.

Chambers County is named for a member of the 1819 Alabama constitutional convention, which created the state’s first constitution. During the Civil War, Fort Tyler was constructed in the county, by Confederate forces, to protect the railroad bridge across the Chattahoochee River. The fort is the site of one of the last battles of the war. After the war, the county became a center for textile manufacturing and numerous mill towns were established. The county courthouse in LaFayette features a statue honoring world boxing champion Joe Lewis, who was born nearby.

Cherokee County, which was established in 1836, is named in honor of the Indians who controlled the area until the 1835 Treaty of New Echota. During the Civil War, the county was a center of iron manufacturing and the Cornwall Furnace in Cedar Bluff is a relic of that industry. A museum with exhibits and interactive displays about the county’s history is in Centre, the county seat. The area is also home to Little River Canyon, one of the most extensive canyon and gorge systems in the country.

Chilton County produces more than 80 percent of Alabama's peach crop. To honor the famous product, its county seat, Clanton, boasts a peach-shaped water tower. The town also holds an annual peach festival on the last weekend in June. From 1902 to 1939 the county was home to Alabama's only home for Confederate veterans; today the historic site operates as Confederate Memorial Park. The importance of railroads to the area is reflected in the crossroads community Maplesville. Several buildings in its Railroad Historic District are listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

Choctaw County was created from land formerly within the Choctaw Nation, and the town of Pushmataha is named for a noted Choctaw chief. Buildings from the county’s early years are featured at Broadhead Memorial Park in Needham. The Choctaw County Courthouse, in Butler, is on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage. The Choctaw National Wildlife Refuge, located in the county along the Tombigbee River, was created to provide habitat for nesting wood ducks and to serve as a wintering area for migratory waterfowl.

Clarke County was created in December 1812, when the region was part of the Mississippi Territory. The county lies between the Tombigbee River, which flows along the western edge, and the Alabama River, which runs along the eastern edge. The two rivers meet and form the Mobile River at the county’s southern end. The Clarke County Historical Museum, in Grove Hill, displays many artifacts and historical items, including prehistoric whale fossils. The Kathryn Windham Tucker Museum, which honors renowned the Alabama storyteller, is located at Alabama Southern Community College in Thomasville.

Clay County, in the foothills of the Appalachia Mountains, is one of the state’s most rural counties. The Talladega National Forest, Lake Wedowee, Flat Rock State Park offer numerous recreational activities. The hilly terrain was home to Alabama’s first graphite mine; gold was also discovered here. Clay County was also home to Hugo Black, who served 34 years on the U.S. Supreme Court. The county courthouse in Ashland is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The unique water tower in Lineville is an Alabama historic landmark. Learn about the area’s history at museums in Ashland and Lineville.

Cleburne County is home to the highest point in Alabama, Cheaha Mountain. In addition to Cheaha State Park, the heavily forested county also contains a large portion of the Talledega National Forest. Heflin, the county seat, thrived as a railroad town in part because it is located halfway between Birmingham and Atlanta, Georgia. Its courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The historic and rustic Shoal Creek Church, which is located deep within the Talledega Nation Forest, serves as a reminder of how early pioneers in the area lived and worshiped.

Coffee County is famous for its tribute to the boll weevil, an insect that destroyed cotton crops across the state. The statue in downtown Enterprise is the only known monument to an insect pest. It serves as a reminder how the farmers in the county embraced crop diversity, especially peanuts, to avoid financial disaster. There are also several murals celebrating the area’s agricultural history. The county is also home to part of Fort Rucker, the state’s largest military installation. It is home to U.S. Army Aviation. The Pea River is considered one of the best canoeing areas in south Alabama, and is also is ideal for fishing.

Colbert County is where Alabama’s musical influence on the world is deeply rooted. It is home to the acclaimed FAME and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio recording studios. The Alabama Music Hall of Fame, in Tuscumbia, celebrates Alabamians who have made significant contributions to the music industry. Ivy Green, the childhood home of acclaimed human rights activist Helen Keller, is also in Tuscumbia. The state’s hunting tradition is honored at the cemetery for coon dogs, claimed to be the only one in the world, near Cherokee.

Conecuh County was established in February 1818, almost two years before Alabama became a state. Its name is derived from the Creek phrase for being located near canebrakes. The name is associated with a popular locally-made sausage, and the town of Evergreen holds an annual festival each fall to celebrate the famous product. Also in Evergreen, at the airport, is one of the nation’s few remaining original beacon towers for the old Civil Air Mail route. The Old Post Office in the community of Paul is listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

Coosa County is home to Lay Lake, Lake Martin, and Mitchell Lake. They were created as part of a hydroelectric power system developed in the early twentieth century. Recreational opportunities are found at all three lakes. Flagg Mountain, the most southern mountain of the Appalachian chain, is in Weogufk a State Forest. In addition to a loop trail for hiking and birding, there is a historic tower built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930s. Old Rock Jail, in Rockford, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the oldest jail in Alabama. The county’s largest town, Goodwater, retains many elements from its days when coal powered trains stopped to refuel there.

Covington County is home to most of the Conecuh National Forest, where some of the best examples of native longleaf pine exist. The county seat, Andalusia, has a commercial historic district that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Also in Andalusia is the Three Notch Museum, with a historic post office, log cabin, and exhibits of railroad memorabilia and other aspects of the city’s and county’s history. Florala City Park, located on the Alabama-Florida line on the shores of Lake Jackson, offers swimming, fishing, paddleboating, and picnicking.

Crenshaw County is a center of Alabama’s timber industry. It is also home to the annual “World’s Largest Peanut Boil,” which is held every fall in Luverne, the county seat. The historic district in Brantley includes a number of Victorian cottages and a commercial district, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Crenshaw County Historical Society is there too. Patsaliga Creek is a coastal waterway that originates in and runs through much of Crenshaw County. The creek is popular for fishing.

Cullman County was founded by German immigrants in the 1870s. Each fall the county seat, Cullman, honors that heritage with a week-long Oktoberfest celebration. The city also hosts the state’s oldest strawberry festival each spring. The county is home to the famous tourist attraction, Ave Maria Grotto, which features miniature replicas of world-famous sites, made from found materials by a Benedictine monk. The Clarkson Covered Bridge, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is the centerpiece of a park that features a working grist mill and other period structures. The Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament and Our Lady of Angels Monastery are in Hanceville.

Dale County bears the name of one of Alabama’s celebrated frontiersmen, Samuel Dale, who helped create the state from Mississippi Territory. The county is home to Fort Rucker, the largest military installation in the state and headquarters for U.S. Army Aviation. The aviation museum on the fort displays more than 160 aircrafts. Ed Lisenby Lake in Ozark, the county seat, offers hiking and fishing opportunities. A feature of the park at the lake is a memorial to Samuel Dale and his role in the Creek War of 1812.

Alabama’s first state capital, Cahaba, was in Dallas County. Two hundred years later, visitors can explore the ruins of the town at the archaeological park established to preserve the site. In the 1960s, the county seat, Selma, was at the heart of significant civil rights activities. The Edmund Pettus Bridge is one of several sites with commemorative displays honoring that struggle. Selma also played an important part in the Civil War as a center of the munitions industry. The city’s rich history is represented in the state’s largest historic district, which include more than 1,250 structures listed on state and national historic registers. U.S. vice president William Rufus King is one of many important Alabamians buried in Live Oak Cemetery in Selma.

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