Jackson County, Alabama - Geography

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 1,126.77 square miles (2,918.3 km2), of which 1,078.74 square miles (2,793.9 km2) (or 95.74%) is land and 48.02 square miles (124.4 km2) (or 4.26%) is water. Much of it is located in the Appalachians.

Of special interest is Russell Cave National Monument, which is located in Doran Cove, approximately 5 miles west of the town of Bridgeport. Russell Cave is an important archaeological site that was excavated in 1956 by the Smithsonian Institution and the National Geographic Society. An article in the October 1956 issue of National Geographic Magazine proudly proclaims: "Life 8,000 Years Ago Uncovered in an Alabama Cave." The article was written by Carl F. Miller, the Expedition Leader and is on pages 542-558. Russell Cave was declared a National Monument in May 1961 by President John F. Kennedy. The Monument consists of 310 acres (1.3 km2) of land donated by the National Geographic Society.

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