Fort Payne, County seat in DeKalb County, Alabama, United States
Fort Payne is a town in DeKalb County, Alabama, situated in Wills Valley at the base of Lookout Mountain with a grid street layout. Downtown centers on a courthouse that serves as the administrative hub for the surrounding county.
The area was originally a Cherokee settlement called Willstown before serving as a stockade during the forced relocation of Cherokee people in 1838. The location later developed into an administrative center for the valley and surrounding region.
The town's identity is deeply tied to Cherokee heritage, particularly through Sequoyah's development of a written syllabary for the Cherokee language. Visitors can explore locations connected to this linguistic achievement and its role in Cherokee communication.
The town sits in Wills Valley, offering visitors relatively flat terrain, though nearby Lookout Mountain is accessible for short trips. The downtown grid layout makes navigation straightforward for those exploring the administrative and commercial center.
The town became known as the Sock Capital of the World due to its major hosiery manufacturing industry that developed over generations. This industrial heritage shaped the town's economy and identity throughout much of the 20th century.
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