Washington County has been part of Alabama’s story since before Alabama existed. Now, a Smithsonian Museum on Main Street exhibit in St. Stephens is giving visitors a chance to explore that history through the people and events that shaped the state’s first county.
The exhibit is one of many projects taking place across the country as communities prepare to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The exhibit, “Many Voices, One Nation: Alabama’s 1st County,” is on display at the St. Stephens Museum inside the historic 1854 Washington County Courthouse. It is part of the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street program and was developed and curated by the Washington County Museum in partnership with the Alabama Humanities Alliance and the Smithsonian Institution.
Washington County holds a unique place in Alabama history. Created in 1800 by proclamation of Mississippi Territorial Gov. Winthrop Sargent, it became the first U.S. civil government established in what would later become Alabama. Nearly two decades later, Alabama entered the Union as the nation’s 22nd state in 1819.
The county’s original boundaries stretched from the Chattahoochee River to the Pearl River and from the Florida line north beyond present-day Montgomery, covering roughly 25,000 square miles. According to the historical marker at the site, portions of that original territory were eventually used to create 26 counties in present-day Alabama and Mississippi.
St. Stephens, where the exhibit is located, also served as Alabama’s first territorial capital.
Displays examine Native American history, early European settlement and the people and events that shaped Washington County, including Choctaw leader Pushmataha. Visitors also will find interpretive panels, historical artwork and exhibits exploring themes of expansion, freedom, inclusion, equality, migration, negotiation and transformation.
The exhibit is open daily from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. through July 5. Beginning July 7, the museum will be open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the remainder of July. Tours outside normal hours may be arranged by contacting the Washington County Museum. Additional information is available at washcoalhistory.com.
The exhibit gives visitors a chance to see how the state’s earliest history helped shape the Alabama that exists today.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
