History of Huntsville, Alabama

First settlers

Revolutionary War veteran John Hunt first settled in the land around the Big Spring in 1805. The area was subsequently purchased by LeRoy Pope, who named the area Twickenham after the home village of his distant kinsman Alexander Pope.

Twickenham was carefully planned, with streets laid out on the northeast to southwest direction based on the Big Spring. However, due to anti-English sentiment during this period, the name was changed to "Huntsville" to honor John Hunt, who had been forced to move to other land south of the new city.

Both John Hunt and LeRoy Pope were Freemasons and charter members of Helion Lodge #1.