Clay County was established on Dec. 7, 1866, when the boundaries of eastern Talladega County and western Randolph County were redrawn to create the 58th county of Alabama, and it was named for U. S. Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky. Historical place names in the county include Almond, Anititchapko, Ashland, Barfield, Berwick, Bluff Springs, Bowden Grove, Brownsville, Bull Gap Crossroads, Campbell Springs, Carbon, Carr Mill, Chambers Springs, Clairmont Springs, Cleveland Crossroads, Coleta, Cooley, Copper Mine, County Line, Cragford, Delta, Dempsy, East Mill, Elias, Erin, Fishhead, Flat Rock, Fox Creek, Gibsonville, Gilberts Mill, Glades, Guntertown, Harlan, Hatchet Creek, Haynes Crossroads, High Pine, Highland, Hillabee, Hillabi Town, Hollins, Idaho, Jenkins Springs, Laundshi, Lineville, Lundies Crossroads, McConathy, Mellow Valley, Midway, Millerville, Motley, Mountain, Needmore, Pinckneyville, Potus-Hatchi, Puckna, Pyriton, Rays Crossroads, Roma, Roselle, Ross Ford, Shady Grove, Shinbone, Sikesville, Skegg Crossroads, Springhill, Talladega Mountains, Union, Wako-Kayi, Watts Crossroads, Watts Mill, Weathers, Wesobulga, Wheelerville, Wicker, and Winn. The county’s first courthouse burned in 1875, and the present courthouse, designed by Anniston architect Charles W. Carleton with Italian Renaissance elements, was completed in August, 1906, by contractor Harper and Barnes of Cleveland, Tenn., at a cost of $37,986. A Seth Thomas clock in the dome is dated 1907, and the courthouse has the highest elevation of any courthouse in Alabama. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black began his legal career here in 1906, and Congressman Bob Riley launched a campaign for governor on the west side of the courthouse before becoming in 2003 the first county native to serve as governor.