History at Its Source

History at Its Source. Huntsville Water Trail. (Preface) Welcome to the Huntsville Water Trail at Big Spring Park, a celebration of our city's history, spirit, and ingenuity. Follow these signs to learn how the Big Spring helped shape Huntsville's creation, and how it's still helping us thrive today., (Main text) Like all of America, the history of the Big Spring begins with the area's indigenous peoples. The Chickasaw, Cherokee, and Creek spoke of its unending supply of fresh water, attracting explorers and westbound fortune-seekers., The first non-native settlers, Isaac and Joseph Criner, arrived in 1804. But instead of staying at Big Spring, they settled near modern-day New Market. Why separate themselves from the Spring's bounty? Big Spring was entirely overrun with rattlesnakes., The first brave soul to challenge the rattlers' dominion was John Hunt. He finished the Criners' cabin, fought off legions of snakes, sent for his family, and named the area Hunt's Spring., Despite Hunt guiding many more settlers there, people renamed the area Twickenham. But a few years later, the town was renamed Huntsville in his honor. These new settlers saw potential in the spring and the town , including a man named LeRoy Pope, who would play an important role in their future.,

Big Spring was entirely overrun with rattlesnakes

Caption: “Joseph and Isaac Criner Huntsville Big Spring-1804” by James Thomas Neumann, 1986 for GW Jones and Sons. Permission to use this image was generously given by Mr. Raymond Jones, descendant of Isaac Criner.