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Huntsville History: Selected Resources: General History

Explore selected reading and archival materials that showcase Huntsville history.

General History

Huntsville was founded in 1805, fourteen years before Alabama became a state. Settled by John Hunt and economically developed by LeRoy Pope, Huntsville quickly became a thriving hub for cotton production and a center for early state politics.

Selected Books

Early History of Huntsville, Alabama, 1804 to 1870
by Edward Chambers Betts
Find it at the library: H 976.197 BET

A Dream Come True: The Story of Madison County and Incidentally of Alabama and the United States, Vol. 1 & 2
by James Record
Find it at the library: H 976.197 REC

A History of Madison County and Incidentally of North Alabama, 1732-1840
by Thomas Jones Taylor
Find it at the library: H 976.197 TAY

Eden of the South, A Chronology of Huntsville, Alabama, 1805-2005
by, Ranee' G. Pruitt
Find it at the library: H 976.197 EDE
*Copies available for purchase in the Special Collections Dept. (Downtown Huntsville Library) for $10.00*

Selected Archival Collections

The Clay Collection comes from one of the earliest families in Huntsville's history.
The collection is available for resarch in the Archive at the Downtown Huntsville Library. Online finding aid here.

The Fearn Collection contains records from one of the first Huntsville physicians and businessmen, Dr. Thomas Fearn.
The collection is available for research in the Archives at the Downtown Huntsville Library.

The Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society Collection are business records and publications generated by a group of local history enthusiasts.
The collection is available for research in the Archive at the Downtown Huntsville Library.

The James Record Scrapbooks are some of the most inclusive records we have from the 1970s and 1980s. Collected by James Record, a Madison County Commissioner.
The scrapbooks are available for research in the Archive at the Downtown Huntsville Library.