The county’s name is in honor of brothers George and Levi Colbert, both of whom were Chickasaw Indian chiefs. The county was established on Feb. 6, 1867, but was abolished eight months later because of the state’s radical constitution. Colbert County was re-established on Feb. 24, 1870.
The county was actually a spinoff from Franklin County. After the Civil War, politics and travel inconvenience led to a group breaking off and forming Colbert County.
French traders and the Cherokee and Chickasaw Indians were the first settlers in the area, dating back to 1715. George Colbert was considered the first industrialist of the area when he operated a ferry across the Tennessee River in 1790. The first recognized settlement in the area was called Jeffrey’s Crossroad and it was located at what is now Leighton.
Colbert County’s most famous residents include Helen Keller, who overcame deafness and blindness; NFL Hall of Fame receiver Ozzie Newsome; and Heinie Manush, a member of the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame.
In addition to the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Ivy Green, home of Helen Keller, and the historic FAME and Muscle Shoals Sound recording studio, the county has numerous other attractions.
Coon Dog Cemetery, in southwest Colbert, is a popular spot for coon dog owners throughout the country. More than 185 coon dogs have been buried there. The Belle Mont Mansion, just south of Tuscumbia, is a jewel. LaGrange College site, near Leighton, is the place of the first chartered college in Alabama.
For the sports enthusiasts, the Ford City area of eastern Colbert County, is the home of one of the 10 Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail complexes in the state. The two 18-hole courses there have already attracted players from all 50 states and several other countries.
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