Butler County


Located in south Alabama, Butler County was a railroad hub during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Famous as the birthplace of Hank Williams Sr., the county is also a stop on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. It is governed by an elected four-member commission.

· Founding Date: December 13, 1819
· Area: 779 square miles
· Population: 20,520 (2006 Census Bureau estimate)
· Major Waterways: Pigeon Creek
· Major Highways: I-65, U.S. 31
· County Seat: Greenville
· Largest City: Greenville

History 

Hiram "Hank" King Williams (1923-53) lived 29 years Hank Williams Sr. Butler County was created by an act of the Alabama Legislature on December 3, 1819. Carved from portions of Conecuh and Monroe counties, it was named for Captain William Butler, an early settler who died in a battle with Creek Indians in 1818. The first settlers came to the county via the Federal Road from Georgia and the Carolinas. Threatened by white settlement, Creek warriors attacked and killed two families in March 1818 in what became know as the Ogly Massacre. Several days later Butler was attacked and killed by Creek leader Savannah Jack and his band of warriors. In response local settler Thomas Gary built Fort Gary and charged settlers for protection within the stockade. Indignant over the fees, locals petitioned Gov. William Wyatt Bibb for protection. He sent Colonel Samuel Dale, who along with settlers and militia constructed Fort Dale. After the Treaty of Fort Jackson, the Creeks were moved west of the Coosa River and additional settlers poured into the county. During the antebellum years, Butler County was known as the "Saratoga of South Alabama" for its mineral waters, and it also was the site of a Confederate military hospital and cemetery.

Major Cities and Demographics 

Butler County was created in 1819 from portions Butler County CourthouseAt the time of the 2000 census, Butler County recorded a population of 21,399. According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the 2006 population was 20,520, with 57.5 percent White, 41.9 percent African American, and less than 1 percent Hispanic. The county seat, Greenville, had an estimated population of 7,104 in 2005. Other significant population centers are Georgiana (1,609) and McKenzie (615). In 2004 the median household income was $27,244, compared with $37,062 for the remainder of the state. The per capita income was $15,715 in 1999, compared with $18,189 for the remainder of the state.

Economy 

A Georgiana-area farm worker moves tobacco from the Tobacco FarmPrior to the Civil War, cotton farming was the main occupation in Butler County. During the 1850s lines along the Ohio and Mobile Railroad were constructed, making the county a major trading center. Greenville, the current county seat, was a railroad town and became the center of commerce between Montgomery and south Alabama. During the late nineteenth century, the construction of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad through Greenville contributed further to the town's success. At the turn of the century, Gulf Red Cedar Company and Factory in Greenville became a noted bucket manufacturing enterprise. Current industries in Butler County include WestPoint Stevens, Structural Wood Systems, International Paper, Hysco America Corporation, CorStone Industry, Connector Manufacturing, and Hwashin American Corporation.

The workforce in present-day Butler County is made up of the following occupations: 25.9 percent production, transportation, and material moving; 24.7 percent sales and office, 22.9 percent in manufacturing; 20.9 percent management and professional; 14.8 percent government; 14.4 percent service industry; 11.9 percent construction, extraction, and maintenance; and 7.1 percent fishing, forestry, and agriculture. The Butler County School System currently employs approximately 240 teachers and administrators who serve more than 3,664 students in eight schools.

Geography 

Butler County is 23rd in size among Alabama Butler County MapComprising approximately 779 square miles, Butler County lies in the south-central portion of the state. It is bounded by Monroe and Wilcox counties to the west, Lowndes County to the north, Crenshaw County to the east, and Covington and Conecuh counties to the south.

Although no major waterways run through the county, several tributaries intersect the area. Wolf Creek, a tributary of the Alabama River, runs through the northwestern corner of the county, while Panther, Persimmon, and Pigeon Creeks, all tributaries of the Conecuh River, run through the southern section of the county. Interstate 65 is Butler County's major transportation route, running north-south through the center of the county. U.S. 31 and State Route 10 are the county's other major transportation arteries.

Events and Places of Interest 

Cambrian Ridge, part of the Robert Trent Jones Cambrian RidgeKnown as the Camellia City for its beautiful flowers, Greenville contains many historic structures. The Ridge, an antebellum plantation community, was constructed by wealthy residents to escape the diseases of the lowland areas. In addition to its historic homes, The Ridge is today home to a premier golf course, Cambrian Ridge, which is on the famed Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Greenville and Georgiana were once home to legendary country singer Hank Williams Sr.; his boyhood home in Georgiana is operated as a museum. Each summer, Greenville hosts an annual Watermelon Festival.

Additional Resources  

The Heritage of Butler County, Alabama. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 2003.

Barefield, Marilyn Davis. Butler County in the Nineteenth Century. Birmingham, Ala.: Hahn Publishing,1978.

Little, John Buckner. History of Butler County, Alabama, 1815-1885. Cincinnati: Elm Street Print Company, 1885.


Published August 23, 2007
Last updated December 10, 2009