History

Cherokee County was created in the year 1836 by an act of the Alabama Legislature.  The county seat was moved to Cedar Bluff the following year in 1837 and remained the county seat until April of 1844.  An election was held then to decide if the county seat should remain in Cedar Bluff or be moved to Centre.  Around 1837, the residents of Cedar Bluff decided to rename the community Jefferson.  The Jefferson name remained until 1842 and was then changed back to Cedar Bluff after the Postal Service informed the community leaders that there was already another Jefferson in Alabama. In 1838, Cedar Bluff was a bustling place to be.  The town had eight mercantile stores, four saloons, a wagon and buggy shop, a saddle and harness shop, a shoe shop, a tailor shop, a cabinet shop, a tannery, six lawyers, four doctors and three hotels.  A man by the name of Joel Throp built a planing, saw and flour mill that was four stories high and was the tallest building in the county's history.  Today, Cedar Bluff is nestled perfectly around Weiss Lake and is considered home for many young families and retirees. 

 

Cornwall Furnace

While not inside the Town Limits of Cedar Bluff, Cornwall Furnace is a popular historic location.  While today it is a beautiful county park enjoyed by families and history buffs, during the Civil War and the Reconstruction Period that followed it was the scene of a lot of the county's dramatic activitiy.  Cornwall Furnance was the first of thirteen furnances built in Alabama.  Its main function was to produce iron for the Confederacy.  It was built in 1862 by the Noble Brothers Company and it was the only furnance in the country to use water power for its blast.  The furnance produced six to eight tons a day and the iron was used to make the first cannons for the Confederacy.  The destruction of Cornwall Furnance was a goal of the Union Army, because of its importance and location.  The first attempt to destroy the furnance was made by Union Col. Abel Streight.  His troops destoryed the furnance at Round Mountain, but were stopped in April 1863 before reaching Cornwall.  In June 1864, Union Gen. Frank Blair burned the wooden structures and blew up the tunnel that the water flowed through to turn the water wheel.  Later in October of 1864, the notorious Gen. Sherman damaged the massive stone stack, but was unable to completely knock it down.  After the Civil War ended in 1865, Cornwall Furnace was the second furnance in the state to go back into production and played an integral role in helping Cherokee County recover economically during the Reconstruction Period.  At the request of the Noble brothers, Union Col. Charles Rattray brought investors from Illionois to help finance the restoration for Cornwall.  Rattray was made superintendent of the furnance's operation 1869 and was associated with the furnance until it stopped production in 1875.