Guntersville, Alabama

Guntersville is the seat of Marshall County and sits on a peninsula in Lake Guntersville [1]. It is named for John Gunter, an early European settler who arrived in 1785 and married a Cherokee woman, and was first called Gunter’s Landing. It was incorporated in 1848 and renamed Guntersville in 1854, becoming a busy Tennessee River port. The 2020 estimate was 8,531 residents.

History

Gunter’s Landing fell within the large land cession in the 1835 Treaty of New Echota. Union shelling from the river in July 1862 partially burned the town, destroying all but seven buildings. Streetlights arrived in 1885, the first telephone line in 1889 and the railway in 1892 [1]. See Cherokee in Alabama.

The lake

In the 1930s the Tennessee Valley Authority built a dam just below town, bringing jobs and low-cost electricity and creating Lake Guntersville, which covers 69,000 acres with 950 miles of shoreline. The lake has hosted numerous Bassmaster tournaments, and Lake Guntersville State Park lies on the river [1]. See Rivers of Alabama.

Landmarks

The Guntersville Museum and Cultural Center is in a 1930s WPA armory, the Gilbreath House (1858) is home to the Guntersville Historical Association, and Cathedral Caverns State Park is just north of town [1].

Name and early history

Guntersville is the seat of Marshall County, on a peninsula in Lake Guntersville, a 69,000-acre reservoir created by a TVA dam in the 1930s. It is named for John Gunter, an early settler who arrived in 1785 and married a Cherokee woman, and was first called Gunter’s Landing. It was incorporated in 1848 and renamed Guntersville in 1854, winning the county seat in an election partly because of votes from soldiers returning from the Mexican War. Union shelling in July 1862 destroyed all but seven buildings.[2]

Population and economy

The 2020 census estimate was 8,531, with a median household income of ,142. Educational services, health care and social assistance employ 20.2 percent of workers and manufacturing 18.4 percent.[2]

Lake and schools

The lake has about 950 miles of shoreline and hosts Bassmaster fishing tournaments, with Lake Guntersville State Park and Cathedral Caverns State Park nearby. The city school district runs two elementary schools, one middle school and one high school.[2]

FAQs

Who is Guntersville named for? John Gunter.

How big is the lake? 69,000 acres.

Sources

1. Encyclopedia of Alabama: Guntersville
2. Encyclopedia of Alabama: Guntersville

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 10, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue