The place we call home
Founder John Henry Carmichael settled in Enterprise during 1881.
After the introduction of a general store, post office, and a starting population of 250 people, the town experienced steady amounts of growth.
The Alabama Midland company installed a network of railroad tracks, as there was a need for a railroad to export forest products and cotton to market.
When the railroad was completed in 1898, it brought with it more business and culture, Along with more direct communication to the outside world.
Enterprise’s economy boosted due to cotton production and exportation,
The installment of the Cotton Mill brought even more jobs and allowed people to live further in town.
The arrival of the Boll Weevil, which made its way from Texas; devastated this cotton cash crop, which created a great financial loss for local farmers.
Although the cotton crop was devastated by the boll weevil, it led H.M Sessions to introduce peanuts.
Peanuts grew well in the area’s climate, and Enterprise was able to start anew and become the top peanut producing county in the nation.
The destruction of the Boll Weevil actually proved beneficial by allowing the town to diversify and adopt more modern techniques of farming.
Due to the significance of the boll weevil’s impact on local farming, Roscoe O. ( Bon) Fleming introduced the idea of a monument being constructed to represent the success of agriculture in the area.
The Boll Weevil Monument cost an estimated $1795 during the time of its construction and erection in December of 1919. In today’s economy, this cost equates to more than $27,000.
Most citizens found the idea of a boll weevil monument odd at first, yet half of the cost was paid by the community, although they were never asked to donate..
Today, it’s the city’s most prideful possession.
Enterprise High School sophomore Hillary Hudson said,” The boll weevil is an important part of our town’s history. It helped shape Enterprise’s future”.
Citizens wrote songs, plays, and poems about the boll weevil, and how it helped shape the town.
The Boll Weevil Monument showed the town’s ability to persevere despite devastation. .
Enterprise local Abby Layton said, “When I see the boll weevil, I feel proud. We overcame adversity in the face of failure. When the farmers could no longer plant cotton because of the boll weevil, Enterprise didn’t just give up. We persevered. We fought through it.”
The City of Progress has helped shape the lives of citizens for many generations and continues to hold a special place in people’s hearts.