Washington County

The First County in Alabama

Where Alabama Began

Named after George Washington, first president of the United States, Washington County, Alabama, is rich in history. It was established as a county in the Mississippi Territory on June 4, 1800, making it the first county government to be established in what we now know as Alabama. The original boundaries of the county encompassed 25,000 square miles. Twenty-six counties in Alabama and Mississippi have been carved from that initial geographic region.

Over the last two centuries, the county has been home to people of many cultures. In the early years, before the arrival of settlers from the Carolinas and Georgia, Native Americans and European colonials lived within the boundaries of the present county. The relationships between these three groups were sometimes cooperative, though often tense.
Washington County has a tradition of firsts – in 1811, the first bank in the State, Tombeckbee Bank, was chartered. That same year, Washington Academy, Alabama’s first chartered (private) school was established in St. Stephens. Several years later, St. Stephens would also witness the building of the state’s first steamboat, the Alabama.

On March 3, 1817, Congress established the Alabama Territory, and Washington County became home to our first and only territorial capital, St. Stephens. It is the oldest of Alabama’s five capitals and continues to provide archeological and historical treasures.

Efforts are under way by the Washington County Historical Society, the Washington County Museum Board, the St. Stephens Historical Commission, Prestwick Preservation Society, and the MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians to preserve the artifacts and legends that reveal the historical significance of the county. The archeological excavations at Old Fort St. Stephens are of great interest to historians.

The History of Washington County
– Jacqueline Anderson Matte

Volume 1 (200 MB)

Volume 2 (152 MB)