Tuscumbia, Alabama, is the county seat of Colbert County and is part of the Shoals area. It is located just to the south of the Tennessee River and is home to Helen Keller and the Muscle Shoals Sound recording studio. This city has a charming little downtown area with great dining, walking and shopping.

Brief History of Tuscumbia

The first settlers of European descent that were known to have lived here were the Dixons, who built a cabin in 1816 where a large freshwater spring was located. Other settlers soon followed, and a community known as the Big Spring Community was born. The community was subsequently incorporated as a town in 1820, and it was renamed Ococoposa. In 1822, the town was named Tuscumbia to pay homage to a Chickasaw Indian chief. The fertile land in this part of Alabama was very conducive to agricultural enterprise, and many products going to market passed through a thriving Tuscumbia. By the middle of the century, Tuscumbia had emerged as a major southern railroad hub. It was later named Colbert County's center of government in 1867.