T he Wiregrass area holds much to make it special, not only in its people but in many other elements that make it uniquely memorable. One of the most unusual offerings of the Wiregrass is the Boll Weevil Monument, the world's only monument honoring a pest. The monument resides in Enterprise, Alabama, where for nearly 79 years it has made its home among the shops of the old Downtown business area, a focal point at the intersection of College and Main streets.
Many locals find the monument beautiful, while some find it funny.
But whatever their views, everyone takes notice. The monument consists of a sculpture of a lady wearing a flowing white gown, holding high above her head a black boll weevil. Both the lady and her bug have gone through a few trials and tribulations over the years which have included theft and vandalism, but they were always restored and today remain as a source of recognition and pride for the city of Enterprise. The history of this unique monument dates back to the early 1900s when a bit of bad luck led to some resourceful thinking that brought on a new era of prosperity. The trouble actually had the seeds of its birth in 1891 when the Mexican boll weevil crossed over from Mexico and entered Texas, heading for the South and leaving devastated fields in its wake.