St. Clair County was created in 1818 in the first session of the Alabama Territorial Legislature from lands ceded by the Creek Indian Nation in the Treaty of Ft. Jackson in 1814. It was named for Gen. Arthur St. Clair, a hero of the Revolution and governor of the Northwest Territory. The first settlers came from Tennessee and Georgia and were veterans of the Creek Indian War of 1813-14. Since 1822 the county seat has been at Ashville, named for prominent settler John Ash. A growing population south of Backbone Mt. led to the establishment of a branch county seat at Pell City in 1902.