Hale County was created by the Alabama legislature on 1867 Jan. 30. It was named for Lt. Col. Stephen Fowler Hale, a Confederate officer killed at Gaines' Mill, Virginia. Hale County is located in the west-central section of the state, and is drained by the Black Warrior River. Hale County is bordered by Tuscaloosa, Bibb, Perry, Marengo, and Greene counties. It encompasses 661 square miles. Greensboro is the county seat. Other towns and communities include Moundville, Havana, Wedgeworth, Cedarville, and Sledge.