| ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
*********************************************************************************************
About Autauga CountyAutauga County was settled in 1816, with the first town, Washington, located near the junction of Autauga Creek and the Alabama River. Autauga County was created in 1818 by the legislature of the territory of Alabama, with the name taken from the Atagi Indian Village, which means "Land of Plenty."
Major agricultural crops in Autauga County are forages, livestock, cotton, small grains, vegetables and forestry. Other crops include soybeans and peaches. Nursery and greenhouse products are also grown. Major industries include International Paper, Person Industries, Crystal Lakes, Plastic Companies (Wright, Plaxicon and Arkay) and Tenaska-Power Plant. The county has three major tourist attractions--the newest being the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Other attractions include the Autauga County Heritage Center and Buenavista, a plantation house built in 1822 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Autauga County Extension Office has eight full-time in-house employees, and 60 volunteers. Master Gardener, Master Cattlemen, County Leadership and County Rural Development are just some of the current Extension programs in the county. About 375 Autauga County youth are involved in 4-H. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
Prattville, the county seat, is one of the top five fastest growing cities Alabama. The current population is 55 percent urban, 45 percent rural, 80 percent white and 20 percent black. There are 21 educational outlets in Autauga County. It is estimated that 70 percent of the adult residents are high school graduates. Prattville is named for Daniel Pratt, an entrepreneur who established the Pratt Manufacturing Company/Cotton Engine, which later was called the cotton gin. Ginning has been in Prattville since the 1830s. 