Henry County was one of the first counties in Alabama. In 1891, the county was established the same year Alabama was made a state. It was named after Patrick Henry, a famous public speaker from Virginia. Originally the county included what is now considered Henry, Dale, and a significant amount of both Geneva and Coffee Counties. The county seat was originally marked by a church and “Wiggins Spring”, located west of Columbia, also referred to as “Old Richmond”. As parts of the county started being cut off to make more smaller counties, the courthouse later moved to Columbia before finally settling in Abbeville in 1834. At this time, Abbeville’s fertile lands made the city the most settled in the county.

     The Chattahoochee River provided the cheapest form of transportation to move products. Nine railroads total were eventually built into the river, giving citizens on both sides of the river easy access. The river eventually opens up in the gulf, giving boats access to every part of the world. This made the land surrounding the river extremely valuable as real estate for both homes and businesses thus further improving the land. The river is connected to the Choctawhatchee Rivers and the Tataabba, Emersee, Omanussee, Reedy, Big, Bryan's, and Hutchison Creeks leading to an endless water supply.