Location

Hayden is a small town in the south western part of Blount County. The early name of the town was Rockland, due to the amount of small rocks on the ground in the area. The Name Hayden was taken from Major Hayden, who moved from south Alabama to the area before the Civil War. He is buried on Hayden Mountain. Rockland became Hayden in 1914 with the building of the L&N Railroad through the town. For the first years, school was held only in the summer because of the crude, rough building with a dirt floor. Hayden was incorporated on May 17, 1949. The first mayor was N. C. Russell. The first church, established prior to 1828 is still in service today as the Hayden Methodist Church. Today the largest school complex in Blount County is located in the town. Hayden has no industry and is a "bedroom" community for persons who work in Birmingham.

• Nearest city with pop. 50,000+: Birmingham, AL (25.8 miles, pop. 242,820).

• Nearest cities: Smoke Rise, AL (4.9 miles), Trafford, AL (5.2 miles), County Line, AL (5.4 miles), Warrior, AL (6.7 miles), Garden City, AL (8.0 miles), Locust Fork, AL (8.7 miles), Kimberly, AL (8.9 miles), Nectar, AL (9.8 miles).

• Industries providing employment: Educational, health and social services (22.7%), Manufacturing (16.0%), Retail trade (10.5%).

• Population (year 2000): 470

• Elevation: 570 feet

• Ancestries: United States (16.2%), Irish (11.3%), German (10.2%), English (7.4%), Scotch-Irish (2.3%), Dutch (1.7%).

• Current weather and forecast

• Acoustic Cafe -- Live Music on the Mountain -- Hayden, Alabama

• The Great Pumpkin Patch, one of the state's greatest corn field mazes, is located in Hayden, Alabama

• In Hayden, the Native American traditions of the Cherokee Tribe of Northeast Alabama are being kept alive through the songs, paintings, sculptures and stories of Vickie King.

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