The following excerpts are from the book:

Chronicles of the Chattahoochee Valley  

"The village of Fredonia, located in the northeast part of Chambers County, was one of the first white settlements in the county. Land-hungry settlers rushed in to obtain lands which had long been home of Creek Indians, native to the area.¹

Just prior to the War Between the States, there were sixteen places if business in the town. They included dry goods merchants, saloons, blacksmith shops, wood working shops, a tan-yard, hotels, and a Temperance House.¹

Settlers were eager to get into the new territory, clear the land and plant their crops, and farming became the principal occupation of most residents in the Fredonia Community. Cotton was grow as the money crop but corn, oats, wheat, peas sweet potatoes and garden produce were grown in abundance to feed both humans and livestock.¹

The place named 'Fredonia' was originated by Dr. Samuel Latham Mitchil (1764-1831), who served both as United States  Senator and Representative from the State of New York. He first coined the word shortly after 1800 from the English word freedom with a Latin ending, with an idea of its meaning "place of freedom." Dr Mitchil proposed it as a name for the nation, but it was never a serious contender. In 1833, the new settlement was called Hurst's Store and only later did it come to be known as Fredonia. The tradition in the community is that the name was derived from 'free donation' based on a belief that the land was given by the Creeks.¹

The Alabama Code of 1853 made it possible for a town to be incorporated if it included at least 100 inhabitants. On September 21, 1853 thirty-six citizens petitioned the county court for permission to incorporate Fredonia. The petition was granted on September 29, 1853 an election was held with 30 votes in favor of incorporation and 2 votes opposed."¹