Pickens County is located in the western part of the state. It was created by an act of the Alabama legislature on 1820 Dec. 20, as Picken's County. The boundaries were changed several times between 1820 and 1866 when its present boundaries were fixed. It currently encompasses 890 square miles. The county was named for Revolutionary War General Andrew Pickens (South Carolina). The first county seat was established at Picken's Courthouse (later called Pickens and Pickensville