Winston County, Alabama
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 34° 08.784 W 087° 24.138
16S E 462912 N 3778461
Known as the "Free Sate of Alabama" because the refused to join the Confederacy.
Waymark Code: WM17CNP
Location: Alabama, United States
Date Posted: 01/27/2023
Views: 0
County: Winston County
Location of courthouse: Blake St., Double Springs
Location of county: Northwestern portion state; crossroads of: US-278 & AL-5, AL-33, AL-195
Organized: Feb. 12, 1850
Named after: John A. Winston, 5th Governor of Alabama
County seat: Double Springs
Elevation (highest): 1023 ft, (312 m)
Population: 23,652 (2021)
"Winston County was created by the Alabama General Assembly on February 12, 1850, from land taken from the northern portion of Walker County. The county was originally known as Hancock County, named for John Hancock, governor of Massachusetts and famous signer of the Declaration of Independence. In 1858, the county's name was changed to Winston County in honor of John A. Winston (1812-1871), the first governor of Alabama to be born in the state. In 1877, the eastern portion of Winston County was carved out to create Cullman County. The earliest settlers came to Winston County from Tennessee, the Carolinas, Georgia, and Virginia. Some of the first towns included Houston (now known as Lynn), Addison, Double Springs, and Haleyville.
John A. Winston
Winston County gained notoriety during the Civil War because the residents of the county did not want to join the Confederacy. The county had no large plantations and virtually no enslaved labor. During the war, the county suffered a number of raids by Confederate soldiers, who considered the residents of Winston to be traitors to the Southern cause. Leaders of Winston County met at Looney's Tavern in Double Springs, where they attempted to declare the independent Republic of Winston and made plans to secede from the Confederacy. Though the secession never occurred, Winston County continues to be referred to as the "Free State of Winston."
"Houston served as the first county seat, although little is known about the courthouse(s) there. In 1883, the county seat was moved to the more centrally located Double Springs. The first wooden courthouse burned in 1891. The main section of the present stone courthouse was completed shortly thereafter in 1894. Several additions have since been made to the courthouse, which remains in service to the residents of Winston County." ~ Encyclopedia of Alabama