Enterprise in Coffee County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Boll Weevil Monument
December 11, 1919
Photographed by AGS Media, July 12, 2009
1. Boll Weevil Monument Marker
with Monument to the right in the distance
Erected 1974 by Alabama Historical Association.
Topics and series. This historical marker and monument is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Animals • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Alabama Historical Association, and the Believe It or Not series lists.
Location. 31° 18.865′ N, 85° 51.231′ W. Marker is in Enterprise, Alabama, in Coffee County. It is at the intersection of Main Street (U.S. 84) and College Street, on the right when traveling north on Main Street. Located at the center of downtown Enterprise. Marker stands east by south from the Boll Weevil Monument, which sits in the center of the intersection. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Enterprise AL 36330, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker and monument is in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and in the Wiregrass. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Rawls Hotel (within shouting distance of this marker); Enterprise Depot (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); First United Methodist Church (about 700 feet away); Enterprise Academy
this page online
Regarding Boll Weevil Monument. The Boll Weevil Monument is a statue depicting a female figure holding aloft a large trophy topped with a boll weevil. This stands on a base which also supports two streetlamps, which is surrounded by a fountain and concrete/iron railing. Caution should be used in approaching it due to its location at the center of the intersection.
Said to be the world's only monument to an agricultural pest, the monument celebrates how the people of Enterprise adjusted in the face of adversity after boll weevils decimated the area's cotton crops. The infestation forced farmers to diversify by planting peanuts and other crops, a practice which ultimately was more lucrative than relying on cotton alone.
Also see . . . Wikipedia: Boll Weevil Monument. (Submitted on February 23, 2013, by Cleo Robertson of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.)
Photographed by Alabama Department of Tourism, circa 2009
2. Boll Weevil Monument
Additional commentary.
1. Original Boll Weevil Monument
This is not the original Boll Weevil Monument. If you go to the old Enterprise Depot, you can take the museum tour ($2.00) and read the story about the original monument containing a flowing fountain atop the figure rather than the huge insect likeness that sits there now. You can learn the historic controversy the monument has endured over the years, including vandalism, malicious practical jokes and even theft, and can view the remnants of the original fountain on top of the statue before it was replaced with the strange Boll Weevil you now see.
— Submitted February 23, 2013, by Cleo Robertson of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Additional keywords. Cotton insect pest infestation agriculture farming peanuts diversify crop
Photographed by Alabama Department of Tourism, circa 2009
3. The Boll Weevil
Photographed by Robert Cole, February 14, 2013
4. Wall Mural Near the Boll Weevil Marker
Painted mural close to the marker and monument representing the history of Enterprise, Alabama.
Photographed by Unknown, circa late 1930s
5. Original Boll Weevil Monument
Postcard entitled, "Monument to the boll weevil, Enterprise, Alabama." Digital reproduction of original photo in the Alabama Writers' Project photograph collection, file #Q2066, accessed at http://digital.archives.alabama.gov/cdm/singleitem/collection/photo/id/2505. Date of photograph is estimated based on original structure and vehicular traffic in the vicinity.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 7, 2022. It was originally submitted on May 2, 2010, by Glenn Sheffield of Tampa, Florida. This page has been viewed 6,029 times since then and 69 times this year. It was the Marker of the Week December 12, 2010. Photos: 1. submitted on May 2, 2010, by Glenn Sheffield of Tampa, Florida. 2, 3. submitted on July 22, 2010. 4, 5. submitted on February 23, 2013, by Cleo Robertson of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.
