Historical Markers in
Lauderdale County, Alabama

115th Signal Battalion 16” Projectile 1st Lt. Chadwick McFall Barber 75mm Field Gun A Gathering of Eagles A More Inclusive Era Aaron Gus Green AGM-28 Hound Dog Missile Andrew Jackson's Military Road Andrew Lee Phillips Ante-Bellum Cotton Mills 1840 Anti-Tank Gun Bennett Walker Smith Bettie Anne Highway Birthplace of W.C. Handy Burrell Normal School Capture of John A. Murrell Caroline Lee Hentz Center (Centre) Star Charles Caine Anderson Charles Lee Moore Cherokee Chief Doublehead's Village Around 1800 Cherry Street Historic District Church Spring and School Church Spring Church and School City of Florence Coffee High School College Place Historic District Colonel Pickett Place Cotton and Textile Mills Courtview, Rogers Hall Covington/Second Creek / Wheeler Dam/Lake Daniel White Deibert Park Don Leslie Michael Don Leslie Michael Doublehead, Cherokee Chief Downtown Florence Historic District Dr. Amit Roy Dr. Ethelbert Brinkley Norton Dr. Hicks Boulevard Dred Scott Dred Scott Driven Up The Waters Earliest Methodist Congregation in Lauderdale County, Alabama East Florence Historic District Edith Newman Culver Edward A. O'Neal Home Edward Asbury O'Neal, III Edward Stanley Robbins Elgin/Elgin Crossroads Elk River Shoals Ellen Dorrit Hoffleit Ezra Lee Culver First Baptist Church 1888 First Muscle Shoals Canal/Second Muscle Shoals Canal First Presbyterian Church First United Methodist Church Florence Bethel Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America Florence Cemetery Florence Indian Mound Florence Little League Baseball (1951) Florence State Teachers College Florence State Teachers College Heroes of World War II Florence Synodical Female College Florence Wagon Company Florence's Early Water Tower 1890 Florence, Alabama Forks of Cypress Fort Willingham Founding of Florence Frank Perron Achorn French-Glover Farm Gabriel “Old Gabe” Butler General Arthur E. Brown, Jr. General Hood's Narrow Escape General Hugh Pate Harris General John Coffee General John Coffee General Joseph Wheeler George H. Carroll Lion Habitat Gilbert Elementary School Governor Hugh McVay Home Site and Cemetery Grassy Memorial Chapel and Cemetery Harlon Hill Henry S. "Hank" Klibanoff Heritage Park Hickory Hill Plantation Slave Cemetery Homer Givens Homer J. Givens Hugh Pate Harris Jackson's Military Road James Jackson James Thomas Rapier Jesse James Gang Canal Payroll Robbery/Trial of Frank James John Coffee: 1772-1833 John McKinley Associate Justice, U.S. Supreme Court John Thomas Bulls, Jr John Wilkinson Taylor Jonathan Quinn Pettus Justice John A. McKinley Justice John McKinley Federal Building Karsner-Kennedy House Kelton D. (Kelso) Herston Killen and the Canal System Lamb’s Ferry Road Larimore Home Lauderdale County Lauderdale County High School 1912 Lieutenant Colonel R. Edward Yeilding Lin Dunn Locust Dell Academy Locust Street Historic District Lone Cedar Church of Christ Lt. Col. R. Edward Yeilding Lynn Middleton Sibley Macedonia Church of Christ Maj. Gen. George W. Goethals Major General George Washington Goethals' Home Maud McKnight Lindsay Maurice Causey McFarland Park and Recreation Area Michael Hall Mobbs Michael "Nick" Nichols Mitchell Town Community "Mountain" Tom Clark Mud Glorious Mud Muscle Shoals Canal Natalie Chanin New Hope Church of Christ North Wood Avenue Historic District—Expansion North Wood United Methodist Church Old Confederate Fort Original Site of FAME Recording Studio Oscar Stanton DePriest Patton Elementary School Pesthouse and Cemetery / Pestilences Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church Cemetery Pope's Tavern Museum Prehistoric Mound Prehistoric Native Americans / Historic Native Americans Rear Adm. John Murray Hood Rear Admiral Fran McKee Regions Bank Return of a Native Rock Spring Rogersville Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Ronnie Gene Flippo Saint Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church Samuel Burney: 1763-1849 Revolutionary War Veteran / Burneys Creek/First Creek Wheeler Lake Samuel Cornelius Phillips Sannoner Historic District Sannoner Historic District Medical Arts Building Sculpture Relief Books and Learning Seminary - O'Neal Historic District Shoals Creek Preserve Tract Simpson House~Irvine Place~Coby Hall Soldier's Rest Southall Drugs Springfield Community 1810/Springfield Church and School St. Florian Historic District St. Joseph Catholic Church St. Mark Baptist Church St. Michael's Catholic Church Stewart Ernest Cink Sweetwater T.S. Stribling 1903 T.S. Stribling Literary Landmark Tabernacle Cemetery Tate Springs Estate Early 1800’s Temple B’nai Israel The American Legion The Cobra Helicopter The Father of Rock ’N’ Roll / Sam Phillips in Florence The Greater Mount Moriah Primitive Baptist Church The Hawk Missile The Korean War The Phantom The Rolling Stones in the Shoals in 1969 The University of North Alabama The “Honest John” Rocket Thomas Sigismund Stribling Tiny Jewels of the Air Town of Anderson Town of Killen Trail of Tears Trinity Episcopal Church 1894 Veterans Memorial Park Vietnam War Memorial W.C. Handy Birthplace W.W. II Anchor Walnut Street Historic District Waterloo Weeden Heights Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church and Cemetery Wesleyan Bell Wesleyan Hall 1855 Wheeler Dam • Wheeler Reservoir/Locks Wheeler Rifles William Burch (Billy) Reid William Christopher Handy William Christopher Handy William D. "Buddy" Killen Wilson Dam Wilson Family Cemetery 19th Century / Slave Cemetery 19th Century Wilson's Headquarters and Camp Wood Avenue Church of Christ Wood Avenue Historic District Woodrow Wilson Park World War I World War I Memorial World War I Memorial Amphitheater World War I Memorial Trees World War II Memorial “Gooney Bird” Propeller
Alabama was the first state in the United States to declare Christmas a legal holiday, in 1836.
Alabama random facts
Lauderdale County, Alabama, has a rich and diverse history that dates back thousands of years. The area was first inhabited by Native American tribes, including the Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Choctaw. These tribes thrived in the fertile Muscles Shoals region, utilizing the Tennessee River for trade and agriculture.

In the late 18th century, European settlers began to arrive in the area, drawn by the abundant natural resources and opportunities for growth. The county itself was created in 1818 and named after Colonel James Lauderdale, a soldier in the War of 1812. Throughout the 19th century, Lauderdale County experienced significant growth and development, with the establishment of towns, such as Florence, as well as the construction of mills and industries along the Tennessee River.

The Civil War had a major impact on Lauderdale County, as it did on much of the South. The county was a battleground for Union and Confederate forces, as control of the Tennessee River was strategically important. The Battle of Fort Pillow, one of the most notorious incidents of the war, took place in Lauderdale County in 1864. After the war, the region faced the challenges of reconstruction and rebuilding, with agriculture and textile industries playing a vital role in the county's recovery.

In the 20th century, Lauderdale County saw further growth and development. The construction of Wilson Dam in the 1920s brought electricity and economic opportunities to the area. The county also became known for its rich musical heritage, with Florence serving as the birthplace of the "Muscle Shoals Sound," a distinctive style of soul and R&B music. Today, Lauderdale County continues to thrive, with a strong economy, vibrant arts and culture scene, and a commitment to preserving its unique history.

This timeline provides a glimpse into the major events and milestones that have shaped the history of Lauderdale County, Alabama.

  • 1818 - Lauderdale County is established on February 6, 1818, as one of the original nine counties formed when Alabama became a state.
  • 1819 - Florence becomes the county seat in October 1819.
  • 1830 - Tuscumbia is established as a town on December 19, 1820.
  • 1842 - A large meteorite, known as the Florence meteorite, falls near the city of Florence on December 14, 1842.
  • 1861-1865 - The American Civil War impacts Lauderdale County as it is a strategic area between the North and the South.
  • 1870s - The arrival of the railroad in the 1870s leads to significant economic growth in the county.
  • 1903 - The Wilson Dam is completed on the Tennessee River, providing electricity and stimulating industrial development.
  • 1934 - The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is created, leading to further industrial development and flood control through the construction of multiple dams in the region.
  • 1962 - The Tennessee Valley Authority completes the Pickwick Landing Dam on the Tennessee River, further enhancing the county's power generation capabilities.
  • 2003 - The Helen Keller Birthplace in Tuscumbia is added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage on April 16, 2003.