Cullman County, Alabama: History
This area was inhabited for thousands of years by varying cultures of indigenous peoples. The historic Cherokee and Choctaw lived here at the time of European encounter, with the Cherokee moving in after the American Revolutionary War and in response to pressures from northern areas. Their settlements in Alabama were known as the Lower Towns.
People claiming descent from Cherokee who remained in the county after Indian Removal in the 1830s, organized as the "Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama" in the 1980s. The tribe was recognized by the state in 1984 but is not federally recognized. It claims 22,000 members in the state, mostly in northern Alabama.
Cullman County was organized on January 24, 1877 from Blount, Morgan, and Winston counties. The act of establishment named March 6, 1877, as the day that residents would select the location of their county seat. The election pitted two towns, Cullman and Milner against each other. In the March 1877 election, Cullman defeated its rival and became the county seat, 760 votes to 55.
On April 27, 2011, Cullman was hit by the 2011 Cullman tornado, which took place during the 2011 Super Outbreak.