The
History of Lauderdale County
by Oscar Lewis; Associate
Editor of The Florence Herald
2000
Population of Lauderdale County: 80,000 (approx.)
Lauderdale County was named in
honor of Col. James Lauderdale who was born in Virginia about
1780. In the early 1800's, Lauderdale, who moved to West
Tennessee, became a major in General John Coffee's cavalry of
volunteers. Later promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, he
commanded a brigade of mounted riflemen, serving under Andrew
Jackson in many battles against the Indians. According to
reliable historians, Col. Lauderdale did not die in the Battle
of New Orleans, but was wounded in the Battle of Talladega and
dies on December 23, 1814, seventeen days before Jackson's
crushing defeat of the British at New Orleans. Several
towns and counties in the southern states were named in his
honor, though it is said that he never set foot in Lauderdale
County.
Lauderdale County was established
in 1818, a year before Alabama became a state, by an act of the
General Assembly of Alabama Territory. A Superior Court
and County Court were set up in this act and Section 7 of the
act reads as follows:
"And be it further enacted,
that for the time being, the said courts in and for said county
of Lauderdale, shall be holden at the house commonly called
"Col. Puler's place," east of Cypress and near the
creek, and may at the discretion of said Courts, for want of
necessary buildings, be adjourned to some convenient place
contiguous thereto."
Florence, the county seat of
Lauderdale County, was also established in 1818. At this
time a group of investors, under the name of Cypress Land
Company purchased from the government 5,515 acres of land
comprising of the original town site, for $85,235.24
Following a survey of the site by
the Italian Engineer Ferdiannad Sonnoner, who was in the employ
of Gen. John Coffee, then Surveyor General of Alabama Territory
with offices in Huntsville, lot sales were held and the Cypress
Land Company realized $319,513 on its investment.
Lauderdale County's first
newspaper was the Gazette, established in 1819, the same year
Alabama became a state. W.S. Fulton, the county's first
judge was also editor and publisher of this early weekly that
survived until the 1890's. It's motto was "Do Right
and Fear Not."
The first courthouse was built in
1822 and was used by the county until 1899 when it was remodeled
and enlarged. The remodeling was completed in 1902 and the
dedication of the Confederate Monument, (since moved to the
front of the new courthouse) was held shortly thereafter.
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