Hartselle, named after early pioneer George Hartsell, rose from modest beginnings to an important place in Morgan County's economy. Founded in 1870, it owed its existence to construction of the North and South Alabama Railroad, later the L&N, which began through the area in 1869 to connect the mineral-rich southern part of the state with major shipping areas in north Alabama. Originally a mile north of the depot's current location, Hartselle consisted of a general store and saloon for workers. The town was moved to its present site in 1873 and grew quickly around the first depot building, a converted boxcar. Railroad construction opened the area to agriculture and timber production, and Hartselle became an important shipping point. For more than 60 years, the town's growth followed the fortunes of the railroad and farmers, while the Great Depression took a heavy toll on the local economy. Railroad and farming are no longer the mainstays of the economy. Hartselle was incorporated in 1875 with J. Fletcher Turney as first mayor. Cotton was the primary cash crop of area farmers from 1870 through 1960, and the town was an important center for fruit, berry, and timber production in north Alabama. Hartselle Pond north of town was the center of social activities until it mysteriously disappeared in the early 1900s. The first county high school was located there in 1909. The hymn "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" was written at the Oden House in 1887. The Bank of Hartselle was robbed by 15 men in 1926, and the crime was never solved. The population was 670 in 1900, and the Census Bureau estimated it at 13,649 in 2007.