From its foundation, Fredonia was the educational and trade center for the northeast section of Chambers County. The Southern Military Academy was established in the village by the state legislature and was forced to close by the civil strife. Sixteen businesses existed, including a jug factory, hotels, taverns, a blacksmith shop, a tan yard, the Temperance House, and the incorporated Fredonia Trade House. The first established Methodist church in the county was the Fredonia Methodist Church. The town was incorporated September 29, 1853. Many direct descendants of early settlers still live in this area.