Jackson County, Alabama

Jackson County was established on December 13, 1819, after the federal government arranged a treaty to remove the Cherokee from the area and extinguish their land claims. The hilly and mountainous terrain of the Appalachians 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. The county is crossed by a number of rivers and waterways; the most important is the Tennessee River, 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 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 Appalachians. Of special interest is Russell Cave National Monument, which is located in Doran Cove, approximately 5 miles west of the town of Bridgeport. It is believed to offer "one of the most complete records of prehistoric culture in the southeast United States." Russell Cave was declared a National Monument in May 1961 by President John F. Kennedy. The Monument consists of of land donated by the National Geographic Society. The cave is an important archaeological site that was excavated in 1956 by the Smithsonian Institution and the National Geographic Society. The October 1956 issue of National Geographic Magazine 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 – east (EST) • DeKalb County – southeast • Marshall County – southwest • Madison County – west • Franklin County, Tennessee – northwest National protected areas • Fern Cave National Wildlife Refuge • Russell Cave National Monument • Sauta Cave National Wildlife Refuge ==Demographics==

2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 52,579. The median age was 44.5 years. 20.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.3 males age 18 and over. The racial makeup of the county was 86.5% White, 3.1% Black or African American, 1.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.8% from some other race, and 6.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.2% of the population. There were 21,733 households in the county, of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 26.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. of 2000, there were 53,926 people, 21,615 households, and 15,822 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 24,168 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 91.89% White (non-Hispanic), 3.74% Black or African American, 1.75% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 2.00% from two or more races. 1.61% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. In 2000, the largest ancestry groups in Jackson County were English 69.1%, Scots-Irish 5.21%, Scottish 4.67%, and African 3.74%. ==Politics==

While most of North Alabama became solidly Republican during the 1970s, Jackson County remained a stronghold of the Democratic Party for elections to local office up through the 2000s (however, like many Southern Democrats, the county's voters are not liberal). 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. 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 over Democrat John Kerry. It was the first time Jackson County voters had chosen a Republican presidential candidate over a Democrat since 1972. In 2008, 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 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 ==Communities==

Cities • Bridgeport • Scottsboro (county seat) • Stevenson Towns • Dutton • Hollywood • Hytop • Langston • Paint Rock • Pisgah • Pleasant Groves • Section • Skyline • Woodville Unincorporated communities • Baileytown • Bass • Bolivar • Bryant • Card Switch • Estillfork • Fackler • Flat Rock • Francisco • Gorham's Bluff • Higdon • Hollytree • Larkin • Larkinsville • Liberty Hill • Lim Rock • Long Island • Pikeville • Princeton • Rash • Rosalie • Swaim • Trenton Ghost towns • Bellefonte • Little Nashville ==Education==

The county has two school districts: Jackson County School District and Scottsboro City School District. ==See also==