Downtown Huntsville Library
From Watercress Capital to Rocket City: A Survey of Huntsville History
Tuesday, October 3, 2023 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
To celebrate History Month, we're looking at how Huntsville and Madison County have changed over time. In this series, we'll talk about different aspects over the past 200 years that contributed to the substantial growth of this area.
October 3 - Industry Development
John Hunt settled in Huntsville in 1805, and the rockets came to town in 1949. How did we spend 144 years as an agriculture economy before seemingly flipping a switch to space and defense industries?
October 10 - Land & Housing
The majority of Madison County used to be farmland. Now we have the arsenal, Huntsville and Madison are constantly expanding, rural towns now have fast food and housing complexes, and we have business districts and research parks. It all amounts to land development.
October 17 - Recreational Spaces
Land for housing and business is just one aspect of how Madison County's landscape has changed. Land used for parks, greenways, and conservation has been developed, as well.
October 24 - Diversity
Huntsville is an incredibly diverse area. Even before the space and defense industries brought an international labor force, the demographics of the area split very early on.
October 31 - Education
Availability of and access to education has dramatically over time. We'll look at how shifts in education effected local communities.