a. Desoto and his Spanish explorers passed through Guntersville on what was the first major European exploration here in search of Gold.
b. Desoto passed through the area now known as Pine Island.
c. Desoto and his men battled with Indians during his trek through the area.

II. The areas first inhabitants
a. The Tallegwis were the first Indian inhabitants. The Tallegwis are ancestors of the Cherokee.
b. Shawnees arrived in the area around 1660. The Shawnee invaded Cherokee Hunting Ground. The Cherokee began an annual battle with the Shawnee which took place in January and February of each year. The battles lasted for 40 years when the Shawnee were finally forced to move north. The Cherokee were the largest tribe to ever inhabit Guntersville, with the Creeks also having many villages.
c. After the Creek War (1813-1814), Andrew Jackson was called to what is now Brown's Creek to aid in fending off the Creeks. Jackson established his base around the Street's Bluff area in Warrenton, and this was his center for receiving supplies and ammunition.
d. Jackson eventually defeated the Creeks at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. Jackson became the seventh President of the United States fifteen years later. The victory at Horseshoe Bend is said to have helped Jackson gain the Presidency.
e. Indians still remained in the area after Marshall County was formed in 1836, and it was not until three years later, in 1839, that the last of the Indians were removed.