The Miss Talladega County Pageant was born in 1971. The pageant was held in Talladega, Childersburg, or Sylacauga on a rotating basis from 1971 until 1975. The winners were Frankie Foshee (1971) of Talladega; Kris Adair (1972) of Sylacauga; Jane McKinnon (1973) of Sylacauga; Cathy Hayes (1974) of Childersburg; and Cathy Edmunds (1975) of Sylacauga. Kris Adair was named top ten at Miss Alabama and Jane McKinnon was named first runner-up Miss Alabama.
The pageant was not held from 1976 until 2001, when the pageant began again in Childersburg as Miss Childersburg Area under the direction of Anita Mahaffey. Miss Childersburg Area 2001 was Vanessa Zedaker of Sylacauga; and Miss Childersburg Area 2002 was Peggy Pursell of Sylacauga. In 2003, Ken Brewer came on board and the pageant changed its name to Miss Talladega County Pageant . Miss Talladega County 2003 was Grace Davis. Grace was non-finalist interview winner at the Miss Alabama Pageant. Chrissy Pursell of Sylacauga was crowned Miss Teen Talladega County and was named top fifteen at the Miss Alabama's Outstanding Teen Pageant. The Miss Talladega County Pageant was named "Best New Pageant" by the Miss Alabama Pageant that year.
The following year, the pageants became dual and found a new home at B.B. Comer Memorial High School in Sylacauga. Miss Talladega County 2004 was Ginger Nocua and Miss Childersburg Area 2004 was Emily Mathis. Jordan Hardy of Sylacauga was crowned Miss Teen Talladega County and was named in the top fifteen at the Miss Alabama's Outstanding Teen Pageant. The following year, Miss Talladega County 2005 was Cierra Johnson and Miss Childersburg Area 2005 was Lindsey Collins. Victoria Bailey of Sylacauga was crowned Miss Teen Talladega County. The following year, the Miss Childersburg Area Pageant was closed due to lack of interest in the Childersburg area. The following year, Emily Mathis was crowned Miss Talladega County 2006. Julianna Giddens of Sylacauga was crowned Miss Teen Talladega County.
In 2007, due to lack of interest within the county, the Miss Talladega County Pageant expanded the boundaries for entry requirements to include 18 counties. Courtney Porter of Clay was crowned Miss Talladega County 2007. Katherine Zylstra of Sylacauga was crowned Miss Teen Talladega County. The Miss Talladega County Pageant was the recipient of the Largest Increase In Combined Scholarships Award ($97,000.00) at the Miss Alabama Pageant Academy Awards
in May 2007.
Previous Miss Talladega Counties . . .
1971
FRANKIE FOSHEE
1972
KRIS
KRIS
ADAIR
1973
JANE
McKINNON
1974
CATHY
HAYES
1975
CATHY
EDMUNDS
2003
GRACE
DAVIS
2004
GINGER
NOCUA
2005
CIERRA
JOHNSON
2006
EMILY
MATHIS
2007
COURTNEY
PORTER
Pageant History
2008
WHITNEY
DYKES
2009
SUSANNAH
HIGGINS
Whitney Dykes of Louisville was crowned Miss Talladega County 2008. Caroline Clark of Sylacauga was crowned Miss Teen Talladega County. She was fourth runner-up at the Miss Alabama's Outstanding Teen Pageant. The pageant was named "Outstanding Closed Preliminary" at the Miss Alabama Pageant that year.
In July 2008, the Miss Talladega County Pageant became an "open preliminary" in the Miss Alabama Pageant system. Susannah Higgins of Calera was crowned Miss Talladega County 2009 and received more than $29,000 in scholarships, gifts and services. Alison Griffitt of Sylacauga was crowned Miss Teen Talladega County and she received a $23,000 inkind scholarship to Troy University at the Miss Alabama's Outstanding Teen Pageant. That year at the Miss Alabama Pageant, Susannah was preliminary swimsuit winner, was Quality of Life winner, and second runner-up to Miss Alabama.
Erica Leonardi of Argo, Alabama, was crowned Miss Talladega County 2010. Madge Ellis of Sylacauga was crowned Miss Teen Talladega County.
