Franklin County AlArchives History .....Franklin County 1888
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 September 8, 2011, 8:57 pm

VIII.
FRANKLIN COUNTY.

    Population: White, 10,456; colored, 1,699. Area, 610 square miles. Woodland,
all. Red Valley and other calcareous lands, 220 square miles. Sandy soil and
gravelly hills, 240 square miles. Coal measures, 150 square miles.

    Acres—In cotton, approximately. 10,368: in corn, 21,038: in oats, 320: in
wheat, 1,660; in tobacco, 17; in sugar cane, 96; in sweet potatoes, 137.
Approximate number of bales of cotton, 3,000.

    County Seat—Bel Green; Population, 500; located 23 miles from Tuscumbia.

    Newspapers published at County Seat—Franklin News, Democratic.

    Postoffices in the County—Alanthus, Bel Green, Burleson, Ezzell, Fordton,
Frankfort, Isbell, Mountain Springs, Nelsonville, Newburgh, Pleasant Site,
Russellville, Spruce Pine, Waco.

    Franklin is one of the northwestern counties of the State, and adjoins the
State of Mississippi. Its history as a county antedates the history of the
State, it having been organized in 1818, by the first Territorial Legislature.
The county perpetuates the memory of Benjamin Franklin, the great American
philosopher. It is one of the oldest counties in the State, and has long been
noted for its richness in minerals as well as the fertility of its soils. At
Russellville, which was once the county-seat, there was established the first
iron furnace erected in the State; but, owing to superior facilities of
transportation in other quarters, its operation has long since been
discontinued, and now its existence is only a memory of the past.

    The principal mineral resources of the county consist of coal and iron ore,
both of which are found in apparently inexhaustible quantities. The presence of
these minerals bids fair to bring Franklin County into prominence and materially
increase the value of its lands. The want of facilities of transportation, in
the past, has been the cause which retarded the development of the resources of
this county; but this condition is somewhat changed now, as the county is
penetrated by the Sheffield & Birmingham Railroad, which will soon be completed
through to the latter city. In addition to this road, others highly important to
the interests of Franklin are projected, and no doubt the work of constructing
some of them will be commenced at an early date. This is what Franklin has long
awaited, and when the time arrives the county will enjoy an era of prosperity
greater than is now dreamed of.

    The surface of the county is marked by a series of ridges, and taken as a
whole is more or less broken, but has frequent valleys notable for their
fertility, which furnish excellent lands sufficient to support a large
population of small farmers. The soil on the ridges is chin and cultivation of
it yields poor return; but in the valleys the results will compare favorably
with sections which are strictly classed as good agricultural regions. The
principal products of the county are corn, cotton, wheat, oats, rye, tobacco,
sorghum, potatoes and the usual field crops. Probably the leading crop of the
county is corn, although it produces nearly 4,000 bales of cotton per year. This
crop was placed at '2,072 bales by the Census of 1870, while the Census of 1880
shows a yield of 3,603 bales.

     The conditions of the county especially adapt it to the cultivation of
grain, in which it will compare favorably with leading counties of the cereal belt.

    The matter of stock raising is receiving much attention, and Franklin
County's wool product bids fair to be a most important feature at an early day.

    The county is fairly well wooded, the principal of its timbers being red,
white, post and blackjack oaks, dogwood, chestnut and hickory. Considerable
quantities of the more valuable timbers—black locust, cedar, walnut and
cherry—are found in many portions.

    Bear River, Little Bear, and other smaller and unimportant streams give the
county an ample supply of water. Until changed at the last session of the
Legislature, Pear River was known as Big Bear Creek.

    The County Seat is Bel Green, a pleasant little town, located about the
center of the county. The other principal towns are Russelville, Frankfort,
Nelsonville and Center Line. The educational and religious facilities of the
county are up to the standard. Fine private schools are kept up in almost every
town, while every township has its public school. Meeting-houses are found in
all portions of the county.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Northern Alabama: Historical and Biographical
Birmingham, Ala.: Smith and De Land
1888

PART III.
HISTORICAL RESUME OF THE VARIOUS COUNTIES IN THE STATE.
CEREAL BELT.


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