Facts About Gadsden
- The original farming settlement was known as Double Springs, and the town was founded there as a steamboat station.
- The Hughes brothers offered to name the town “Lafferty’s Landing” in his honour, but Lafferty declined.
- Gadsden was named after Colonel James Gadsden, who was instrumental in negotiating the Gadsden Purchase, which added land to the southwestern United States.
- Gadsden was founded in 1825.
- Gadsden has a total area of 38.657 square miles, according to the United States Census Bureau.
- Gadsden is a city in and the county seat of Etowah County in the U.S. state of Alabama.
- During the 19th century, Gadsden ranked as Alabama’s second-most significant hub for commerce and industry, second only to Mobile’s seaport. Both cities held crucial roles in shipping: Gadsden served as a hub for riverboats, while Mobile facilitated international trade.
- In 1991, after experiencing over a decade of significant industrial decline, Gadsden received the prestigious recognition of being named an All-America City by the National Civic League.
- According to the City’s 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are Gadsden Regional Medical Center, Etowah County Board of Education, Koch Foods, Riverview Regional Medical Center and Walmart.
- Gadsden became a stagecoach stop on the Huntsville-to-Rome route. The original house still stands today as the oldest house in Gadsden.
