Monroeville, Ala., the seat of Monroe County, is known as the Literary Capital of Alabama, but it is more than Harper Lee's hometown. It was founded in 1858 and originally called Centreville. Union troops occupied the town in April 1865 during the Civil War, but thanks to a local judge, the town was not plundered.
A historical marker in downtown Monroeville describes the incident: "The following eyewitness account was written by T. C. McCorvey of Tuscaloosa in April 1865 during the War Between The States: A boy of 13 has a distant recollection of some of the incidents of the raid on Monroeville. The first raid naturally created a wild panic in the village. When couriers arrived announcing the approach of the Federal cavalry along the road from Claiborne, women and children crowded terror-stricken to the village hotel. The probate judge of Monroe County at that time, Murdock McCorvey and Mrs. Mary Eastin Spottswood rode out two or three miles on the Claiborne road to meet the advancing raid and ask protection for the homes of the village. They were conducted to Lt. Col Asa L. Gurney, of the 2nd New York detachment. Not a house in the village was pillaged."
The town was renamed for James Monroe and incorporated in 1899. The City of Monroeville website says: "A crossroads community just outside the plantation region of the Black Belt, the community was largely agricultural. In the mid-1930s a Vanity Fair textile mill opened and along with wood products contributed to a dynamic local economy."
Since the closure of the plant in 2009, the community of about 6,500 has struggled economically. Its focuses are agriculture and tourism. The main source of tourism is the fame of two people who called Monroeville home: Truman Capote and Harper Lee. The two literary powerhouses put the tiny town on the map. Today, their stories are told through letters and memorabilia at the Monroe County Museum, located in the restored 1903 courthouse.
"Scenes from ..." is a photo feature of small towns throughout Alabama. To suggest a town to be featured, email Kelly Kazek at kkazek@al.com. Follow her Scenes from Alabama Towns on Pinterest.