Jackson County is the northeasternmost

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 52,579. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

is Scottsboro. The county was named for

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...

, general in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

and afterward

President of the United States of America The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

. Jackson County is a prohibition or dry county, but three cities within the county (

Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the fifth-most populous in New England. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnoc ...

, Scottsboro, and Stevenson) are "wet", allowing alcohol sales. Jackson County comprises the Scottsboro, AL Micropolitan Statistical Area, And Jackson county is included in the Scottsboro-Fort Payne combined statistical areas. It is the site of

Russell Cave National Monument Russell Cave National Monument is a U.S. National Monument in northeastern Alabama, United States, close to the town of Bridgeport, Alabama, Bridgeport. The monument was established on May 11, 1961, when 310 acres (1.3 km2) of land were ...

, an archeological site with evidence of 8,000 years of human occupation in the Southeast.

History

Jackson County was established on December 13, 1819, after the federal government arranged a treaty to remove the

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

from the area and extinguish their land claims. The hilly and mountainous terrain of the

Appalachians The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...

made the area unsuitable for the plantation-style agriculture of the lowlands and coastal area. It was settled largely by families from Tennessee, South Carolina, and Georgia. This area was developed largely for subsistence farming, and few families held any slaves. For instance, in 1860, Bellefonte, Alabama, then the county seat and largest community in the county, had a population of 181, of whom eight were free blacks and the remainder were white. No slaves were recorded in that community. The county is crossed by a number of rivers and waterways; the most important is the

Tennessee River The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other name ...

, which drains most of the county. The current county seat of Scottsboro developed along the river, and was also the site of a railroad station when railroads reached the area. Hydroelectric power was developed in the first quarter of the 20th century to generate energy for industry. By the mid-20th century, industry had replaced agriculture as the most important element of the economy.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (%) is water. It is the fifth-largest county in Alabama by total area. Much of it is located in the

. Of special interest is

, which is located in Doran Cove, approximately 5 miles west of the town of

. It is believed to offer "one of the most complete records of prehistoric culture in the southeast United States."Donna J. Siebenthaler, "Jackson County"
''Encyclopedia of Alabama'', 2018; accessed September 21, 2018 Russell Cave was declared a National Monument in May 1961 by President

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

. The Monument consists of of land donated by the

National Geographic Society The National Geographic Society (NGS), headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational organizations in the world. Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, an ...

. The cave is an important archaeological site that was excavated in 1956 by the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

and the

. The October 1956 issue of ''

National Geographic Magazine ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...

'' featured an article reporting, "Life 8,000 Years Ago Uncovered in an Alabama Cave." Evidence was found of human occupation of the cave from 6200 B.C. to A.D. 1650. The article was written by Carl F. Miller, the expedition leader. There have been follow-up studies about this site.

Adjacent counties

* Marion County, Tennessee – northeast *

Dade County, Georgia Dade County is a county in the U.S. state of Georgia. It occupies the northwest corner of Georgia, and the county's own northwest corner is the westernmost point in the state. As of the 2020 census, the population is 16,251. The county seat an ...

– east (EST) *

DeKalb County DeKalb County may refer to one of several counties in the United States, all of which were named for Baron Johan DeKalb: * DeKalb County, Alabama * DeKalb County, Georgia * DeKalb County, Illinois * DeKalb County, Indiana * DeKalb County, Missour ...

– southeast * Marshall County – southwest * Madison County – west *

Franklin County, Tennessee Franklin County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is located on the eastern boundary of Middle Tennessee in the southern part of the state. As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,052. Its county seat is Winchester. Franklin ...

– northwest

National protected areas

* Fern Cave National Wildlife Refuge *

Sauta Cave National Wildlife Refuge Sauta Cave National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge located in northeastern Alabama, near the Sauty Creek embayment of Guntersville Lake. More than 5,000 visitors per year visit the refuge. The facility is unstaffed, but is admini ...

Demographics

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, there were 53,926 people, 21,615 households, and 15,822 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 50 people per square mile (19/km²). There were 24,168 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile (9/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 91.89%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

(non-Hispanic), 3.74%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 1.75% Native American, 0.23%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.36% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2.00% from two or more races. 1.61% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. In 2000, the largest ancestry groups in Jackson County were

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

69.1%, Scots-Irish 5.21%, Scottish 4.67%, and African 3.74%.

2010

According to the

2010 United States census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servi ...

: *92.6%

(non-Hispanic) *2.1%

*1.4% Native American *0.61%

*0.0%

Native Hawaiian Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, First Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians) ( haw, kānaka, , , and ), are the indigenous ethnic group of Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawa ...

*1.5%

Two or more races 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...

*1.4%

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, for example, by the United States ...

(of any race) There were 21,615 households, out of which 31.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.00% were married couples living together, 10.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.80% were non-families. Nearly 24.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47, and the average family size was 2.92. In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.20% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 13.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.00 males. The median income for a household in the county was $32,020, and the median income for a family was $38,082. Males had a median income of $29,777 versus $20,990 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $16,000. About 10.30% of families and 13.70% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 17.20% of those under age 18 and 21.00% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 52,579 people, 20,695 households, and 14,456 families residing in the county.

Politics

While most of North Alabama became solidly

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

during the 1970s, Jackson County remained a stronghold of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

for elections to local office up through the 2000s (residents are not usually liberal, however; see Dixiecrat and Southern Democrat). Until November 2012, Democrats were elected to Jackson County government. In that year's general election, two Republicans were elected to the Jackson County Commission—the first Republicans to serve on the Commission since

Reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *'' Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...

. There is now an all-Republican political delegation in Jackson County. Tommy Hanes and Ritchie Whorton represent the county in the Alabama House of Representatives. Steve Livingston serves Jackson County in the Alabama State Senate. In 2004, Jackson County voted for Republican

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

over Democrat

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he ...

. It was the first time Jackson County voters had chosen a Republican presidential candidate over a Democrat since

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using mean solar tim ...

. In

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

, Republican presidential nominee John McCain won the county with 67.7 percent of the vote. In 2010, Republican gubernatorial candidate Robert J. Bentley received 56% of the vote, Republican House candidate

Mo Brooks Morris Jackson "Mo" Brooks Jr. (born April 29, 1954) is an American attorney and politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 2011 to 2023. His district was based in Huntsville and stretches across the northern fifth of the sta ...

received 55% of the vote, and incumbent Senator Richard Shelby received 70% in the county. However, Democratic politicians continued to be elected to local positions such as County Sheriff and the school board. The current Jackson County Commission is headed by Chairman General Willie Nance Jr.

Transportation

Major highways

* U.S. Highway 72 * State Route 35 * State Route 40 * State Route 65 * State Route 71 * State Route 73 * State Route 79 * State Route 117 * State Route 146 * State Route 277 * State Route 279

Rail

* CSX Transportation * Norfolk Southern Railway *

Sequatchie Valley Railroad The Sequatchie Valley Railroad was originally part of the Jasper Branch Railroad that was founded in 1860. The SQVR took over in the mid 1990s and now runs from Bridgeport, Alabama, to near Jasper, Tennessee Jasper is a town in and the county ...

Communities

Cities

* Scottsboro (county seat) * Stevenson

Towns

* Dutton * Hollywood * Hytop * Langston * Paint Rock * Pisgah * Pleasant Groves *

Section Section, Sectioning or Sectioned may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea * Section (typography), a subdivision, especially of a chapter, in books and documents ** Section sig ...

Skyline A skyline is the outline or shape viewed near the horizon. It can be created by a city’s overall structure, or by human intervention in a rural setting, or in nature that is formed where the sky meets buildings or the land. City skyline ...

* Woodville

Unincorporated communities

* Baileytown * Bass * Bolivar * Bryant * Card Switch * Estillfork * Fackler * Flat Rock *

Francisco Francisco is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the masculine given name '' Franciscus''. Nicknames In Spanish, people with the name Francisco are sometimes nicknamed " Paco". San Francisco de Asís was known as ''Pater Comunitatis'' (father o ...

* Gorham's Bluff * Higdon * Hollytree * Larkin * Larkinsville * Liberty Hill * Lim Rock * Long Island * Pikeville *

Princeton Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ni ...

Rash A rash is a change of the human skin which affects its color, appearance, or texture. A rash may be localized in one part of the body, or affect all the skin. Rashes may cause the skin to change color, itch, become warm, bumpy, chapped, dry, c ...

* Rosalie * Swaim * Trenton

Ghost towns

* Bellefonte * Little Nashville

References

External links

Jackson County Economic Development Authority

Jackson County Historical Society

Jackson County Chamber of Commerce
* Jackson Count
map of roads/towns

Jackson County Sheriff's Office
{{coord, 34, 47, N, 86, 0, W, region:US-AL_type:adm2nd_source:dewiki, display=title 1819 establishments in Alabama Populated places established in 1819 Huntsville-Decatur, AL Combined Statistical Area Counties of Appalachia