St. Clair County
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St. Clair County Courthouse in Pell CityLocated in the north-central part of the state, St. Clair County is among Alabama's fastest growing counties and is the only county in Alabama to have two county seats, located in Ashville and Pell City. St. Clair County is poised to become an automotive industry center in the state, with the announcement of several planned
factories. In 2007, the county was found to have the nation's most extensive natural gas deposits. The county is governed
by an elected five-member commission and includes the incorporated cities of Pell City and Moody.
· Founding Date: November 20, 1818
· Area: 646 square miles
· Population: 75,232 (2006 Census Bureau estimate)
· Major Waterways: Coosa River, Cahaba River
· Major Highways: Interstate 20, Interstate 59, U.S. 231, U.S. 11
· County Seats: Ashville, Pell City
· Largest City: Pell City
History 
Arthur St. Clair St. Clair County was created from portions of Shelby County by the Alabama Territorial General Assembly on November 20, 1818. Two years later, part of St. Clair County was used to create
Jefferson County. Then, in 1836, a portion of St. Clair was divided to establish Cherokee and DeKalb counties. After the Civil War, a northeast section of the county was used to create Etowah County, resulting in St. Clair's present boundaries. The county was named in honor of General Arthur St. Clair who traveled to America
from Scotland as an ensign in the British Navy. St. Clair settled in Pennsylvania and became a general in the Continental
Army during the American Revolution and president of the Continental Congress. Most of St. Clair County's early settlers came
from Tennessee, Virginia, and the Carolinas. Some of the county's earliest settlements and towns were Ashville, Odenville,
Riverside, and Springville.
Ashville, originally called St. Clairsville, served as the first county seat. Ashville was named for John Ash, a senator in the state's first General Assembly. Located in the northern part of St. Clair County, Ashville served as the county's sole county seat from 1821 to 1907. Because Backbone Mountain bisects St. Clair County, many of the county's southern residents had difficulty traveling to Ashville. Therefore, the Alabama Constitution of 1901 provided for Pell City in the southern part of the county to serve as the county seat for the Southern Judicial District. A constitutional amendment in 1907 established Pell City, named for early settler George H. Pell, as the second county seat. Although both Ashville and Pell City handle county business, the county commission meets in Ashville. St. Clair County is the only county in Alabama to have two county seats.
Major Cities and Demographics
St. Clair County is one of Alabama's fastest growing counties. In 1990, the population was 50,009, whereas in 2000, the population
had grown to 64,742. According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the 2006 population was 75,232. At the time of the 2000 Census,
the population was 90 percent White, 8.1 percent African American, and 1.1 percent Hispanic. The county ranked 20th in population
among Alabama's 67 counties in 2000. The largest city in St. Clair County is Pell City, with an estimated population of 9,565
in 2000. Other significant population centers include Moody (8,053), Springville (2,521), and Ashville (2,260). In 1999, St.
Clair County ranked 12th in per capita income among Alabama's 67 counties. The per capita income was $17,960, compared to
$18,189 for the rest of the state. The median household income was $38,640 in 2003, compared to $36,131 for the state.
Economy 
Natural Gas FieldLike most of Alabama's counties, farming was the prevailing occupation of St. Clair County until well into the twentieth century. Corn and cattle were the county's
original major agricultural products. By the mid-twentieth century, however, farmers diversified into a variety of other products.
Today, beef cattle, hay, tomatoes, poultry, and sod are St. Clair's main agricultural products. As a series of locks and dams made the Coosa River navigable in the
mid-twentieth century, the resulting hydroelectric power made possible a number of industries, including lumber and paper
mills. By the 1990s, the automotive and aerospace industries had come to St. Clair County. Recently, two new German automotive companies—EST-Kelly, Inc. and
WKW—announced plans to build facilities in Pell City. In addition, Honda parts supplier Yachiyo, which is located in northern
St. Clair County, announced plans for a $28 million expansion. Longtime employer Avondale Mills, however, closed down in July 2006, shutting down a plant in Pell City and laying off scores of workers. Major natural gas
deposits were discovered in 2007 and may indicate a change in the county's economy.
Chandler Mountain Tomato FarmMost of the workforce in St. Clair in 2000 was divided between sales and office (27.7 percent) and management and professional
occupations (25 percent). Production and transportation made up 19.3 percent of the employment, whereas construction and extraction constituted 16 percent. Service accounted for 11.3 percent of the jobs and farming made up less than one percent. Many of
the county's largest industries are located along the Interstate 20/59 Industrial Corridor, which connects Birmingham to Atlanta, Georgia, and Chattanooga, Tennessee. Some of the largest employers in St. Clair County are Chandler Mountain
Tomato Fields, St. Clair County Board of Education, and Yachiyo Automotive Facility. Avondale Mills, which had operated a
textile mille in Pell City since 1919, and many others in the region, shut down in July 2006.
The St. Clair County school system employs nearly 900 teachers and administrators who serve approximately 7,200 students in
18 primary and secondary schools. The Pell City school system employs more than 430 teachers and administrators in seven primary
and secondary schools, serving nearly 4,000 students. Jefferson State Community College offers interactive video conferencing
courses at the St. Clair instructional site in Pell City where students may take courses in education administration or business.
Also, the St. Clair County Extension Office of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System offers educational programs in agriculture,
forestry, consumer science, and community resource development.
Geography 
St. Clair County MapEncompassing 646 square miles, St. Clair County lies at the southern tip of the Appalachian Mountain Range and is divided
by Backbone Mountain. The county is part of the Valley and Ridge physiographic section. The valleys consist of fertile, limestone soils, whereas the ridges consist of acidic, sandstone soils that support wooded
areas made up of oak and shortleaf pine trees. St. Clair County is bordered by Etowah and Blount counties to the north, Jefferson County to the west, Shelby and Talladega counties to the south, and Calhoun County to the east.
The Coosa River runs along the eastern border of the county. Because the Coosa River is one of the most heavily used rivers in the state, much of its biological diversity is restricted to its tributaries, which fan out throughout the eastern half of St. Clair County. A series of locks and dams along the Coosa River provide business and recreational opportunities for the county. In addition, a number of tributaries of the Cahaba River flow throughout the western half of St. Clair County, creating scenic views and recreational opportunities.
Interstates 20 and 59 are the county's major transportation routes. Both interstates run southwest-northeast. U.S. Highway
11 and U.S. Highway 231 are also major transportation routes for St. Clair County. U.S. Highway 11 runs southwest-northeast,
whereas U.S. Highway 231 runs north-south through the middle of the county. There are no public airports in St. Clair County.
Events and Places of Interest
There are numerous recreational options for visitors to St. Clair County. Neely Henry Dam and the Logan Martin Dam create
a series of lakes, the largest of which is Logan Martin Lake, at 15,263 acres and 273 miles of shoreline. The lakes provide
a range of water sports, including fishing, boating, water skiing, sailing, and swimming. Privately owned Horse Pens 40 is an outdoor nature
park that sits atop Chandler Mountain in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The 120-acre site contains ancient Indian
burial grounds and hosts various cultural events throughout the year, including music festivals, Civil War reenactments, and
Native American arts festivals. The Christian-oriented Sumatanga Camp and Conference Center near Ashville and Gallant provides
camping and hiking and a 55-acre lake for boating and swimming.
John Looney Pioneer House MuseumThere are a variety of museums located in St. Clair County. The historic St. Clair courthouse is home to the Ashville Museum
and Archives, which serves as a repository for county records and newspapers as well as a museum exhibiting St. Clair memorabilia.
Built in 1820, the John Looney Pioneer House Museum may be the oldest dogtrot log house in the state. Known for its pioneer
architecture, the museum hosts an annual fall festival with food, games, arts and crafts, and music. In addition, the recently
restored Ragland Depot Museum houses railroad history artifacts as well as artifacts from the town of Ragland.
Springville hosts the Homestead Hollow Country Fair and Arts Festival, once each season, showcasing the work of local artists
in addition to offering a variety of food and music. White's Mountain Bluegrass Festival is a popular two-day festival featuring
local and national bluegrass musicians held each summer and fall in St. Clair Springs.
Additional Resources
Crow, Mattie Lou Teague. History of St. Clair County, Alabama. Huntsville, Ala.: Strode Publishers, 1973.
The Heritage of St. Clair County, Alabama. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 1998.
Donna J. Siebenthaler
Auburn University
Published August 22, 2007
Last updated April 8, 2010
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