Franklin County, Alabama
Franklin County · Russellville, Alabama · the Highland Rim seat sits here · Winchester is Tennessee
Russellville, Alabama, is the hall. Winchester is Tennessee. The Shoals are Colbert.
Franklin County, Alabama, was erected 6 February 1818 by the Territorial Legislature and named for Benjamin Franklin. Russellville is the seat. Russellville is also the large city. Red Bay is a city — it is not the hall. Phil Campbell, Vina, and Hodges are towns. Colbert County was carved from this county in 1867 (abolished, then re-erected 1870). Tuscumbia, Muscle Shoals, and Sheffield are Colbert. Florence is Lauderdale. This is not Franklin County, Tennessee — that seat is Winchester. This is not Franklin County, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, New York, Vermont, Washington, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Arkansas, Florida, or Texas. This is not Russellville, Arkansas. Montgomery is the capital of Alabama. It does not sit here.
Places include Russellville, Red Bay, Phil Campbell, Vina, Hodges, Belgreen, and Spruce Pine. 2020 census: 32,113. This page is Side One for the place. The Sheriff’s job — Highland Rim patrol and the Walnut Gate Detention Center — is taught at Office of the Sheriff — Franklin County.
Four districts at the Lucas Annex. Probate chairs. They do not sit in Red Bay as this county.
Franklin is a four-district County Commission with the Judge of Probate as chair. There is no County Executive. Work sessions and meetings sit in the Elizabeth Lucas Courthouse Annex at 405 Jackson Avenue North, Russellville. They fund roads, the jail, and the Sheriff’s budget. They do not hire the Sheriff. The people do. Russellville City Council is a city body. Red Bay is a city.
The courthouse is at 410 Jackson Avenue North, Russellville, AL 35653 (34th Judicial Circuit — franklin.alacourt.gov). The Circuit Clerk and Absentee Election Manager list that Jackson door (SOS). A Winchester rumor is not this county.
The Sheriff is four years, Article V § 138, 2026 with the Governor. Take office 18 January 2027. The Mayor of Russellville is a city clock.
Bear Creek and U.S. 43. Colbert was carved from this map. Florence is not this courthouse.
The land is Highland Rim. Bear Creek is the water. U.S. 43 and Alabama 24 are the through roads. Dismals Canyon sits at Phil Campbell — a National Natural Landmark, not this courthouse. Colbert is north. Lawrence is east. Winston is southeast. Marion is south. Itawamba County, Mississippi, is southwest. Tishomingo County, Mississippi, is northwest. Staff who paste a Winchester, Tennessee, skyline onto Jackson, or treat this as Colbert, or file “the Shoals” with no seat, are on the wrong county.
How a Russellville public finds the Franklin desk
Courthouse / Circuit Clerk / Absentee: 410 Jackson Avenue North, Russellville. Commission / Probate: 405 Jackson Avenue North (Lucas Annex). Board of Registrars: 410 Jackson Avenue North. Sheriff headquarters and Detention Center (SOS): 748 Walnut Gate Road, Russellville, AL 35654. Confirm live addresses on franklincountyal.org and franklinsheriff.org. A student who only knows a Tennessee photograph has not found Russellville, Alabama.
Walnut Gate still jails. Russellville PD does not.
Crime in unincorporated Franklin — Phil Campbell country, the Bear Creek roads, the Mississippi line toward Red Bay outside city limits — is this Sheriff. Crime in Russellville is often Russellville Police. Crime in Red Bay is often municipal. This Sheriff is not Russellville PD. The Sheriff’s own Detention Center page lists 748 Walnut Gate Road, opened 17 March 2008, capacity about 220, with a Captain as Jail Administrator. That Captain is Sheriff’s staff. That is not a Warden split and not ADOC. Do not paste Colbert’s West Fourth onto Walnut Gate. Do not send a family looking for a county booking to Russellville Police or to Winchester, Tennessee. Civil process and courthouse security at 410 Jackson are the Sheriff. Rights do not change at Bear Creek. Remedy for Russellville Police is the City. Remedy for a Sheriff’s paper is the Sheriff. Relief when Bear Creek comes up is this count first.
Care without inventing a Dismals chapel as this county
A peace order served in Phil Campbell. A transport from 748 Walnut Gate to 410 Jackson without becoming Russellville Police. Do not invent a church. Do not invent the canyon as this badge.
What Franklin actually watches
Court calendar on Jackson. A wreck on U.S. 43. High water on Bear Creek. Fog toward Phil Campbell. A night road outside Red Bay. Coordination with Russellville PD and ALEA without becoming those departments. Coordination with Colbert’s Sheriff or Marion’s Sheriff is mutual aid between two offices, not a merger. A Tennessee photograph does not steal the seat. Montgomery remains the capital.
Russellville snapshot (verify official sources)
- Seat: Russellville, Alabama · Large city (also the hall): Russellville · Capital of Alabama: Montgomery
- Government: four district Commissioners · Probate as chair · courthouse 410 Jackson Avenue North · annex 405 Jackson Avenue North
- Sheriff: four years · 2026 · patrol and detention this Sheriff still holds · HQ / Detention Center 748 Walnut Gate Road
- Court / Absentee: 410 Jackson Avenue North
- Neighbors: Colbert · Lawrence · Winston · Marion · Itawamba, Mississippi · Tishomingo, Mississippi
- Not Franklin County, Tennessee (Winchester) · Not Colbert / the Shoals as this hall · Not Russellville PD as this jailer
What Russellville is not, as this county
- Not Winchester, Tennessee. Not Franklin County in another state. Not Russellville, Arkansas.
- Not Colbert. Not Florence. Not Muscle Shoals as this county government.
- Not Montgomery as this county government — Montgomery is still the state capital.
- Not Russellville Police as this Sheriff. Not ADOC as this jailer.
- Not a campaign flyer.