History of Huntsville, Alabama, USA

In 1805, Huntsville, Alabama, was founded by John Hunt, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War. The area, originally known as Twickenham, was renamed in honor of Hunt, who had settled in the region a few years earlier. The fertile land and abundant water sources from the nearby Tennessee River made it an attractive spot for settlement and agriculture. Hunt's vision and determination played a pivotal role in the early development of the town, which quickly grew into a thriving community.

Huntsville, a neat, thriving town, capital of Madison county, Alabama, on the Winchester and Alabama railroad, 150 miles N. N. E. from Tuscaloosa, and 116 miles S. by E. from Nashville. It contains many handsome brick buildings. The court house cost $45,000. The bank, which is a stone edifice, with an Ionic portico, cost about $80,000. It also contains an academy, 5 or 6 churches, a United States land-office, and 3 newspaper offices. The route of the Memphis and Charleston railroad passes through this town. Population in 1853, about 4000.

Hunts'ville, a city, the capital of Madison co., Ala., on the Memphis & Charleston Railroad, 212 miles E. by S. of Memphis, 98 miles W.S.W. of Chattanooga, Tenn., and about 200 miles N. of Montgomery. It contains 13 churches, 3 banks, public schools, a male academy, the Huntsville Female College, a court-house, a foundry, a saw-mill, cotton mills, and 2 manufactories of sash and blinds. Four weekly newspapers are published here. This is the most populous and important town of Northern Alabama. Pop. in 1890, 7795.

Huntsville, Ala., December 4. - (Special.) Circuit court has on trial the case of Oscar Stone, colored, for the murder of his friend, Governor Jolly.

In the early part of last spring a crowd of negroes were returning from a church festival near Maysville, when Stone began to abuse the negro Jolly. Jolly did not want to fight and ran away, when Stone attacked him. He lost his hat in the fight and returning to recover it, was waylaid by the man from whom he sought to escape. Stone seized a fence rail and killed Jolly by fracturing his skull.

The evidence is very clearly against the defendant.

Two Men Live on Opposite Sides of a Street and Have Been Watching Each Other for Months.

Huntsville, Ala., January 1. - (Special.) - The killing of Fred Ashford by Felix Brown in Courtland yesterday afternoon may be the beginning of another one of those terrible feuds that have existed in the south from time to time. Both Ashford and Brown are highly connected and have a number of hot-blooded male relatives.

The friends of Ashford claim that he was killed in a cowardly manner an they mean to get even with the man who killed him.

The tragedy was the result of a feud which started about a year ago over a woman. At one time the trouble between the two men was submitted to arbitrators whose award was that Brown leave Courtland permanently. Brown left town, but returned when he thought the affair had quieted down. He was met in the road by Ashford, who said:

"If you are armed, defend yourself; if not, here is a pistol."

Brown pulled a pistol and began firing. The two men...