Ethelsville is a town in Pickens County, Alabama, United States. Originally it name named Yorkville. It took its current name from Ethel Burgin Hancock, the daughter of local physician J. T. Hancock. His son Thomas was the town's first postmaster. The town was incorporated in 1952 or 1956, depending on the source, and at the time was still an active rail…
Ethelsville is a town in Pickens County, Alabama, United States. Originally it name named Yorkville. It took its current name from Ethel Burgin Hancock, the daughter of local physician J. T. Hancock. His son Thomas was the town's first postmaster. The town was incorporated in 1952 or 1956, depending on the source, and at the time was still an active railroad stop, with four freight trains and six passenger trains stopping there daily. When the railroad discontinued stops in Ethelsville, the population began to decline. In 1843, local resident John H. Alexander discovered a shield and pair of copper scales while plowing his fields. The shield was engraved with the word "Hispana," which most historians have recognized as evidence that Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto likely passed through Pickens County. Local legend claims that De Soto and his men spent a winter on the hill where Ethelsville Baptist Church stands.
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