Lauderdale County was created by the Alabama Territorial legislature on 1818 Feb. 6, and was named for Col. James Lauderdale, a Tennessean killed at the Battle of New Orleans. Lauderdale County is located in the northwestern corner of the state. It is bounded on the north by Hardin, Wayne, and Lawrence Counties in Tennessee, and on the west by the State of Mississippi. The Tennessee River forms the southern boundary between Lauderdale County and Colbert and Lawrence Counties. The county currently encompasses 661 square miles. The county seat was established at Florence, named by the city's architect, Ferdinand Sannoner, for his home, Florence, Italy. Other towns and communities include St. Florian, Lexington, and Cloverdale.