Elba began circa 1840 after a ferry was started across Pea River, and the town was first called Bridgeville. In 1850, its name was changed to Bentonville in honor of a Missourian who had distinguished himself in service to Alabama in the Creek Indian War of 1814. At a town meeting in December 1851, those present placed name ideas in a large top hat, and Mr. Simmons, having been reading a biography of Napoleon Bonaparte, entered Elba, the name of the island to which Napoleon had been exiled; that name was drawn. The name was officially recognized early in 1852 when the State Legislature established a voting precinct including Elba. That same year, Elba was chosen as the county seat of Coffee County in a countywide election. In May 1853, with a population of over 20 persons, Elba elected to become incorporated. The city is governed by a mayor and five-member council, and elected officials in 2010 were Mayor James E. Grimes and councilmen Tom Hooks, Tommy Skinner, H.H. Culver, Harold Spicer, and Ronnie Hammond.