Book Description

"On November 15, 1894, a small group of men and women met on a bleak stretch of bay shore near Mobile, Alabama, to establish a colony. It was a decidedly Utopian undertaking in a period characterized by many similar social experiments and ideal communities, most of them failures. This group, which gathered at 'Stapleton's Pasture' to found Fairhope, hoped to demonstrate the benefits of the single tax as a means of curing social and economic evils. They hoped to make a practical test of the doctrines of Henry George. Today, the wealth of parks, downtown developments, public and private schools, a library, modern infrastructure, and attractive commercial and residential sections all attest to Fairhope's unique position among many other older communities in the same region. Its residents represent a diverse array of interests and talents, and as a haven for many artists, writers, and musicians, it embodies a strong regard for individualism and a higher tolerance for nonconformists than many communities of its size. Paul E. and Blanche R. Alyea's study of Fairhope, first published in 1954, is the history of this unique and improbable community, and the single-tax social experiment that gave rise to it. A new introduction by the historian and long-time Fairhope resident Tennant McWilliams provides invaluable context and entertaining anecdotes concerning not only Fairhope's founding, but the lives of the Alyeas, the couple who thought to first set down this history, and for abiding relevance and value of their study for today's visitors and residents"--