[2bohemians]

We are curious about the city of Marion, Alabama.
We realize it's a small country town with probably not too much around.
Anyone out here in the world that can share a little more info about the town. Do people work in Demopolis or Tuscaloosa?

[Southlander]

Biggest thing in Marion is the Dollar General Store, followed by Jack's Hamburgers (or is it Hardee's? It's been a while). People work in Demopolis and Selma, mostly. There might be a few who commute to Tuscaloosa, but it's quite a drive, mostly on 2-lane roads.

The astonishing thing to me was the open cropland, just sitting there uncultivated. Folks told us it was either owned by big corporations, or by local folks who make more money from the government by NOT growing that they did by growing anything else.

There is the Marion Military Institute, a prep and first-year college level boarding school with very fine young men and women students. And Judson College, a Baptist-supported women's college.

A good bit of land is rented or owned for hunting. You can find a few excellent hole-in-the-wall restaurants. The nearby settlement of Faunsdale is barely a crossroads, but it has a bar that hosts parties thrown by sororities and fraternities at the University of Alabama, and the area is the location of a big mostly-African-American festival.

Of course, Marion used to be a very busy and good-sized town in the 1800s, and quite a few mansions still exist in the area. Many are falling into disrepair and can be bought for a song. We have friends who bought one years ago and travelled there every weekend to work on it, until they retired to it a few years ago. Last time we went there, it was early May and all the wisteria was blooming.

If you want peace and quiet, and want to be far from city temptations, Marion is a good place.

[2bohemians]

Originally Posted by Southlander

Biggest thing in Marion is the Dollar General Store, followed by Jack's Hamburgers (or is it Hardee's? It's been a while). People work in Demopolis and Selma, mostly. There might be a few who commute to Tuscaloosa, but it's quite a drive, mostly on 2-lane roads.

The astonishing thing to me was the open cropland, just sitting there uncultivated. Folks told us it was either owned by big corporations, or by local folks who make more money from the government by NOT growing that they did by growing anything else.

There is the Marion Military Institute, a prep and first-year college level boarding school with very fine young men and women students. And Judson College, a Baptist-supported women's college.

A good bit of land is rented or owned for hunting. You can find a few excellent hole-in-the-wall restaurants. The nearby settlement of Faunsdale is barely a crossroads, but it has a bar that hosts parties thrown by sororities and fraternities at the University of Alabama, and the area is the location of a big mostly-African-American festival.

Of course, Marion used to be a very busy and good-sized town in the 1800s, and quite a few mansions still exist in the area. Many are falling into disrepair and can be bought for a song. We have friends who bought one years ago and travelled there every weekend to work on it, until they retired to it a few years ago. Last time we went there, it was early May and all the wisteria was blooming.

If you want peace and quiet, and want to be far from city temptations, Marion is a good place.

Southlander,

Thank you SO much for your very informative and thoughtful post. After some talking about, we kind of feel like Marion may not be right for us. Though we have this 44 acre property that we are very attracted to. Perhaps we can take a drive up just to see the area as it does sound lovely and we are kind of looking for "country" life.

For now, we will probably stay put in our little slice of paradise but will continue our search as a secondary priority.

Again, thanks for all your help along the way --- we super appreciate it!

[Southlander]

Well, that certainly would be a country kind of life! You ought to visit, though. The whole area seems to be pretty much untouched since the 1940s or '50s.

Sorry to seem to pop up everywhere, but I know we have very few posters from that part of Alabama, and we used to visit Marion every May for a few years and talked to several local people. I can't say enough about the young people at Marion Military Institute. They helped us for a couple of years and they were wonderful! Efficient, attentive, showed up on time and with the items we asked them to bring. If they are the ones who are in charge of today's military, the future is in good hands!

[Alatex]

Of course, Marion used to be a very busy and good-sized town in the 1800s, and quite a few mansions still exist in the area.

My great-great grandfather was the mayor of Marion at its height in the 1800s, and the house where my great-grandmother grew up is part of the college now. They were well-acquainted with artist Nicola Marschall.

It's unfortunate that the economy of the area is so bad, and that the town is so isolated now. It really was considered a very nice college town way back then.

If you're looking for "affordable country life," but not so far removed from
the rest of the world, I'd suggest Moundville as an alternative. It's close enough to Tuscaloosa to have the advantages of a suburb, but just far enough away to be affordable and feel rural.

[Farmstarve]

If you ever hear County Commissioner Albert Turner jr. Moved come on down.