Ken JonesWinston County, ALFri Oct 13 16:32:00 2000 Winston County (renamed in 1858 or 1859 from its original Hancock County) was a relatively poor county in north central Alabama. Many of the residents there were not in sympathy with the secession movement, and when it came, they met in a tavern to discuss seceding from Alabama and creating what was called the Free State of Winston. That "free state" never officially existed, but it did make the county famous. Residents served on both sides, in the Confederate and Union armies, and that fact undoubtedly caused some "hard" feelings between neighbors.Winston Co. — Judy Wills, Sun Oct 15 15:26 Bloody Winston — Paul McLaughlin, Mon Oct 16 17:57 Winston — Niles, Wed Nov 1 16:16 Re: Winston — Anonymous, Sun Nov 5 19:05