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Alabama Counties
Alabama currently has sixty-seven counties. The oldest county, Washington, was created on June 4, 1800, when what is now Alabama was then part of the Mississippi Territory. The newest county is Houston, created on February 9, 1903.Lawrence County, Alabama History
Lawrence County Education, Geography, and History
Lawrence County is a county of the state of Alabama. Based on the 2010 census, the
population was 34,339, with the most Native American
residents of any county in the state. Lawrence County was
created on Feburary 6, 1818 from lands ceded from the Cherokee
and Chickasaw Cession of 1816. The county seat is Moulton. The county was
named after James Lawrence, a captain in the United States
Navy from New Jersey.Lawrence County is included in the Decatur, AL Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Huntsville-Decatur-Albertville, AL Combined Statistical Area
Etymology - Origin of Lawrence County Name
Lawrence county is named for Captain James Lawrence (Vermont), a naval hero of the War of 1812.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts
Lawrence County History
Lawrence County, Alabama
Lawrence county was formed by an act of the Alabama Territorial General Assembly, on February 6, 1818. It was formed from former Cherokee Indian land. It currently encompasses 693 square miles. The county is located in the northwestern part of the state and is bounded on the north by the Tennessee River.
Under the Indian Removal Act of 1830, the US government forced most tribes to go west to Indian Territory to the west of the Mississippi River, to make way for American settlers and development.
Numerous Cherokee and mixed-race European-Cherokee descendants, sometimes called "Black Dutch", have stayed in the Lawrence County area. The county has the highest number of self-identified Native Americans in the state, including 4,000 members of the Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama, which is state recognized.
The county is named for Captain James Lawrence (Vermont), a naval hero of the War of 1812. The county seat was established in Moulton in 1820. Other towns of note include Courtland and Town Creek
Geography: Land and Water
As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 717 square miles (1,860 km2), of which 691 square miles (1,790 km2) is land and 27 square miles (70 km2) (3.7%) is water.
The Tennessee River and Wheeler Lake run along the northern border of Lawrence County, and the river's tributaries fan out throughout the county. The Tennessee River is considered to be among the most biologically diverse rivers in the entire United States, with many fish and mussel species at risk. The river offers a range of economic and recreational opportunities for Lawrence County. Several minor tributaries of the Black Warrior River dip into the southern part of the county.
Neighboring Counties
Bordering counties are as follows:
- Northeast: Limestone County
- East: Morgan County
- Southeast: Cullman County
- South: Winston County
- West: Franklin County
- Northwest: Colbert County; Lauderdale County
Education
Lawrence County is home to four high schools: East Lawrence High School (4A), Hatton High School (2A), Lawrence County High School (5A),
and R.A. Hubbard High School (1A). Lawrence County also has six elementary schools and two middle schools. Other educational facilities
include the Lawrence County Center of Technology and the Judy Jester Learning Center.
Former high schools, Hazlewood High School, Speake High School, and Mt. Hope High School were closed in 2009.
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