Info / Facts
By Jean Brandau, About.com Guide to Huntsville, AL
Whether you've live in Huntsville for a long time or are a new resident, you'll find information here about job hunting, how to get an Alabama driver's license or Huntsville library card, books about Huntsville, animal adoptions, Alabama history and genealogy, plus photos of Huntsville.
Newcomer Info
If you're settling down in Huntsville, you need to know the basics for life in the Tennessee Valley. Geologically speaking, we are located on the Cumberland Plateau of the Appalachian Mountains. The largest mountain is Monte Sano. Burritt on the Mountain is on Roundtop Mountain, sometimes confused with Monte Sano, which is an adjoining mountain. Almost due north is Wade Mountain. Northeast is Berry Mountain. Rainbow Mountain is west of Huntsville and is the highest point in Madison. Keel Mountain is Southeast and is behind Hampton Cove & runs next to the Flint River.
Alabama History
The Alabama Constitution was drawn up in Huntsville in 1819. Alabama was admitted as the 22nd state in the United States. Huntsville was, in 1819, the oldest and biggest town in the Tennessee Valley. It became the first capital of Alabama, with three others following: Cahawba, Tuscaloosa, and Montgomery. Alabama's first governor was William Wyatt Bibb, a Georgia physician with powerful friends in Washington. While Huntsville was the capital, the House met in the courthouse, and the Senate is believed to have met in the house of John K. Dunn.
