Welcome to Clarke County
Welcome to the official website of Clarke County. We really appreciate your interest in Clarke County and hope this website satisfies your interest for information about our county government.
Clarke County has a history as rich as the soil along the banks of the Tombigbee and Alabama Rivers which form its boundaries. The county's history began long before Alabama's statehood. Hundreds of years before white settlers came here, Indians in the area of what is now Tallahatta Springs near Thomasville fashioned arrowheads and spear points from the tallahatta stone and traded them for other foods with other tribes from across the area. Some scholars believe that the Battle of Mauvilla, fought between explorer Hernando Desoto's men and Native Americans in 1540, took place right here in Clarke County.
The Mississippi territorial legislature created Clarke County on December 10, 1812. It was named for General John Clarke of Georgia. A county seat was not established until 1820, when it was located in the now-defunct town of Clarksville. In 1831 the county seat was moved to its present site, Grove Hill. That town had earlier gone by names such as Magoffin Store, Smithville, and Macon.
Native Americans played a pivotal role in the county's early history. Claimed by both the Creek and Choctaw Indians, the area was a hotbed of activity during the Creek War. It was home to more fortifications than any other county in Alabama and was the site of many famous skirmishes before the war ended in 1814 following General Andrew Jackson's victory at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.
The county was also known for its role during the Civil War. The salt produced from the county's three natural salt springs was shipped all over the south. Gunboats were also constructed here.
Markers west of Jackson show the sites of these salt works today.
The five municipalities in the county are Coffeeville, Fulton, Grove Hill, Jackson and Thomasville. Each has its own unique history and role in the development of Clarke County.
Where Business Works
We invite you to learn more about Clarke County... Where Business Works!
|