Editing Winston County, Alabama (section)

==History==
Winston County was established under the name Hancock County on February 12, 1850, from territory that was formerly part of Walker County (a county directly to the south of Winston County).<ref name=aces/> It was originally named for [[John Hancock]], [[Governor of Massachusetts]] and famous signer of the [[American Declaration of Independence]], with its county seat at Houston. On January 22, 1858, the county was renamed Winston County to honor Alabama Gov. [[John A. Winston]].

During the [[American Civil War]], Winston County gained attention for its opposition to [[secession]], a sentiment so strong that the county is sometimes referred to as the [[Free State of Winston]].<ref>Andrews, Evan; [http://www.history.com/news/history-lists/6-unionist-strongholds-in-the-south-during-the-civil-war ‘6 Unionist Strongholds in the South during the Civil War’]</ref> This area had few slaves and saw little benefit to secession.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Coates|first=Ta-Nehisi|date=December 23, 2010|title=The Republic of Winston|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2010/12/the-republic-of-winston/68457/|access-date=February 17, 2022|website=The Atlantic|language=en}}</ref> The county today plays on its reputation as the "Free State of Winston" to attract tourists. The county's opposition to the Confederacy is briefly mentioned in the novels ''[[To Kill a Mockingbird]]'' and ''[[Addie Pray]].''

In 1883, the county seat was moved from Houston to Double Springs to be near the center of the county, since [[Cullman County, Alabama|Cullman County]] was created from the eastern part of Winston County.<ref>Owen, Thomas McAdory. History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1921</ref>

The [[civil rights|civil-rights]] judge [[Frank Minis Johnson]] of the [[U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit]] was born in [[Delmar, Alabama|Delmar]], in Winston County.

===National Register of Historic Places===
Winston County has four sites listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]: [[Archeological Site No. 1WI50]], [[Feldman's Department Store]], the [[Houston Jail]], and the [[Winston County Courthouse]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>