Russellville

Since 1890, Russellville has served as the county seat for Franklin County, the second town to do so in the county’s two-hundred year history. Over the last twenty five years, a large number of Hispanic immigrants have made their home in Russellville, where they have found work in the area’s agricultural economy. Today, 41% of Russellville’s population is Hispanic, giving this town the largest concentration of Hispanic residents in the state of Alabama. When immigrants arrived in Russellville, they brought with them their customs and culinary traditions. Restaurants, stores and bakeries scattered across the historic downtown area help to preserve this culture. Local store and restaurant owner Juan Ramon has been in business for over eighteen years. Over time, his business has grown from a small storefront to a large, dynamic space with a restaurant inside. Ramon hand makes corn tortillas to sell in his shop. On the weekend, he can sell over a thousand tortillas to people both from Russellville and others who come from neighboring communities. The Hispanic community has brought life to downtown Russellville, helping to stimulate the once-stagnant downtown historic district.