The LOC.GOV Wise Guide : King Cotton Vs. the Boll Weevil

No, it's not the name of the latest horror movie. Both cotton and its nemesis, the boll weevil, have been memorialized in monuments. On. Dec. 11, 1919, the people of Enterprise, Ala., dedicated a monument to the boll weevil, a tiny insect that devastated their cotton fields and forced farmers to pursue mixed farming and manufacturing. The monument is now on the National Register and is situated at the intersection of Main and College streets. It depicts a woman in a flowing gown with outstretched arms that hold a larger-than-life boll weevil. They stand 13.5 feet above street level and are surrounded by an illuminated fountain.

H. C. White Co., creator. 'King Cotton,' Mississippi exhibit, Agricultural Building, Louisiana Purchase Exposition, St. Louis, U.S.A.,

The Boll Weevil Monument, Enterprise, Alabama. 'After the boll weevil destroyed (1910-15) the area's cotton, diversified farming was begun

The phrase "King Cotton" attests to the enormous importance the crop has to the economic vitality of the South. It's also the name of this monument, erected for the Mississippi Exhibit in the Louisiana Purchase Exposition at the St. Louis World's Fair of 1904.

You can read more about these idiosyncratic monuments in America's Library, a Web site for kids and families. The particular entry is in the "Jump Back in Time" section for Dec. 11.

America's Library is as educational and fun for children as it is for adults. This interactive site features activities such as "Scavenger Hunt," "Super Sleuth," "Fact or Myth" and "You're the Animator," which lets you create your own cartoon.

A. H. C. White Co., creator. 'King Cotton,' Mississippi exhibit, Agricultural Building, Louisiana Purchase Exposition, St. Louis, U.S.A.," ca. 1904. Prints and Photographs Division. Reproduction information: Reproduction No.: LC-USZ62-97467 (b&w film copy neg.); Call No.: LOT 11043-9 [P&P].

B. "The Boll Weevil Monument, Enterprise, Alabama. 'After the boll weevil destroyed (1910-15) the area's cotton, diversified farming was begun. In gratitude for the resulting prosperity, the city erected a monument to the boll weevil in 1919.'" Reproduction information: This image is not in the Library of Congress collections. Contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture Library at speccoll@nal.usda.gov.