Our History and Future—The Shoals
Florence, Muscle Shoals, Tuscumbia, Sheffield
Native Americans prospered first along the Tennessee River 2000 years ago, leaving pieces of their daily lives in a prehistoric mound of pottery, pipes, and tools in today’s metropolitan Florence—also known as The Shoals.
In the 1800’s, the northwest Alabama area began to attract others who recognized its beauty and potential for growth. The Cypress Land Company formed in 1818 to develop a thriving river town, and an Italian surveyor laid out the town, naming it after his favorite city in Italy—Florence.
Men with vision bought land in Florence in its early days, men who would eventually have great influence in America—James Madison, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, and Supreme Court Justice John McKinley.
The Shoals today is an area including Florence, Sheffield, Muscle Shoals, and Tuscumbia. Florence is the largest city in Lauderdale County and The Shoals with a population of 36,274 out of a total area population of 140,000.
The future is bright for the Shoals because it feels like the small town South but lives like a large city. Modern Florence boasts a state-of-the-art conference center, a marina and harbor, a vibrant downtown, a technologically advanced public library, the beautiful Robert Trent Jones Golf Course, a four-star hotel, and the wonderfully restored Renaissance tower.
Florence enjoys four distinct seasons with moderate climates. The yearly median temperature is 62° F with a 43° average for January and 85° in July. Rainfall averages fifty inches annually, and occasional snows last only for a short time.
Ranked as the fifth safest place to live in the nation, The Shoals is perfect for your future vacation or retirement!
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