The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-12

hence out of the territorial limits of the county of Montgomery the legislative council and house of representatives of Alabama, on February 2, in the year ISIS, established the county of Blount.
 The act Is as follows: That hereafter, all that tract of country lying west of the Cherokee boundary, south of the bound- ary line of township No. 8, from the southern boundary of the state of Ten nessee, bounded on the west by Sipsey Fork to its junction with the Mulberry Fork of the Black Warrior; from thence by the united stream to it's junction with the Locust Fork of said river; thence by said river to point opposite the southern extremity of Jones' valley; thence by a line drawn from said valley to the main ridge dividing the waters of said river from those of Cahaba river, and bounded on the south and southeast by said ridge to its eastern extremity, and from thence by a line running due east to said Cher okee boundary shall form one county to be known by the name of Blount."
 It was named in honor of Gov. William G. Blount of Tennessee.
 MT John Wood resident of the vicin- ity of Jonesboro, was elected as agent to organize the county Under the primitive customs of those days this work was performed by dividing the county into battalons and beats, the latter word being now replaced by precinct. The mill itary officers were elected and duly com missioned by the governor, but justices of the quorum and of the peace were merely selected by Mir. Wood It must be remembered that in those days the militia were considered as of the first im- portance in the protection of the people and the execution of the laws The names sent to the governor by Mir. Wood were duly accepted and commissioned law books were obtained and justice admin istered. The county courts were composed of the justices of quorum, and they dls- patched a great amount of county busi- ness. The county court house was first at the residence of William Kelly, five miles east of Elyton. As was the cus- tom in those days the sheriff wore a semi-military costume bearing the in- signia of his rank. and carried a sword and was held in great awe and respect by the people. The circuit courts were conducted nearly as at present.
 on December 13. 1S19, the southern DOT ton of Blount was cut of by an act of the legislature and called Jefferson coun- ty Thus Blount lost Jones' valley, near ly half It's territory and over half of its population. As the court house of Blount county before this division was located in the present limits of Jefferson county the latter county kept all the records of Blount previous to the year 1920. Since that date the records of Blount county are kept at the court house in the town of Oneonta.
 few years later the northeast bound ary line of Bount was extended to the Tennessee river in order to extend tho state laws over some Cherokee and Creek Indians then residing in Browns and Gunter's valleys. The court house was located in beautiful valley at the village of Blountsville; here it remained for 30 years and was then removed to Oneonta. on the Louisville and Nashville railroad
 In the year 1915 several small parties of prospectors came down from Tennes- see and viewed the land as far as Roupe's valley. the only ones proceeding as far as Tuskaloosa, then Black Warrior falls being led by Col. David Crockett: but as already stated, no white man was all lowed to take possession of foot of land until the year 1816 and then the two pioneers first to come were John Jones and his brother-in-law, Mir. Freyiey of Madison county, Alabama. From 1916 tho immigration was very great. some from Madison, but the majority from Tennes- see. These travelled along the military road made upon the old Indian trace from Dittos Landing (Whitesburg). on the Tennessee river. to Mud Town. on the Cahaba river. In 1877, every fertile spot of land near this road was settled. A great many immigrants me down the Tennessee river from east Tennessee in nat boats and keAl boats. bringing their household furniture. provisions, wagons,