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Official Website
Madison County was established on December 13, 1808 by the governor of the Mississippi Territory. The county is named in honor of James Madison, fourth President of the United States and the first President to visit the state of Alabama. It is recognized as the "birthplace" of Alabama, which was founded there on December 14, 1819. For much of the county's history, the economy revolved mainly around agriculture. Madison County was one of the largest cotton-producing counties in the state, and textile mills operated around the county.
In 1950, a group of German rocket scientists, led by Wernher von Braun, came to Redstone Arsenal from Fort Bliss, Texas. They developed, among others, the Redstone rocket, which was modified to launch the first two Americans into space. Tens of thousands of jobs came to the area as a result of the Space Race, and the population of Madison County rose from 72,903 in 1950 to an estimated 379,453 in 2020.
Adjacent Counties
- Lincoln County, Tenn.
- Limestone County
- Morgan County
- Franklin County, Tenn.
- Jackson County
- Marshall County
Cities, Towns & Communities
Big Cove | Brownsboro | Chase | Gurley | Harvest | Hazel Green | Hobbs Island | Huntsville (part, County Seat) | Madison | Maysville | Meridianville | Monrovia | Moontown | Moore's Mill | New Hope | New Market | Owens Cross Roads | Plevna | Rainbow | Redstone Arsenal | Ryland | Toney | Triana
Links
Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Slaveholders & Surname Matches for Former Slaves (1860 & 1870)
True Tales of old Madison County - Virgil Carrington (PAT) Jones