Editing Russellville, Alabama (section)

==History==
After the [[War of 1812]], the U.S. government appropriated money to improve a route from [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]] to [[New Orleans]]. It was named [[Jackson's Military Road]] after [[Andrew Jackson]], and it passed through what became Russellville. (Present-day Jackson Avenue and Jackson Highway, [[U.S. Route 43]], follow portions of the original road.)<ref>''RussellvilleGov.com'' (2004). [https://web.archive.org/web/20021010051908/http://www.russellvillegov.com/his.htm "History of Russellville"]. Archived page of March 22, 2004.</ref>

Russellville is named after Major William Russell,<ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZA4sAAAAIBAJ&sjid=J7oEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2041%2C3431698 | title=Announcements | work=Times Daily | date=October 20, 1932 | access-date=May 28, 2015 | pages=3}}</ref> an early settler in the area who helped in the construction of Jackson's Military Road. The town grew at this road's intersection with the [[Gaines Trace]].

Russellville was [[municipal corporation|incorporated]] on November 27, 1819.<ref name="alabama-law-1823">'A Digest of the Laws of the State of Alabama: Containing the Statutes and Resolutions in Force at the End of the General Assembly in January 1823''.  Published by Ginn & Curtis, J. & J. Harper, Printers, New-York, 1828. Title 62. Chapter XXIV. Pages 812-813. [https://books.google.com/books?id=JvtKAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA812 "An Act to Establish and Incorporate the Town of Russelville, in County of Franklin.—Passed November 27, 1819." (Google Books)]</ref>

Russellville served as the first county seat from 1818-1849 before it was removed to [[Frankfort, Alabama|Frankfort]] (which served from 1849-1879). After the fire at the courthouse in the third county seat of [[Belgreen, Alabama|Belgreen]] in 1890, the seat was returned to Russellville in 1891.<ref>[http://www.franklincountyal.org/our-history.html Our History], Franklin County official website. Accessed September 27, 2018.</ref>