The story of the Vine and Olive Colony has intrigued Alabamians ever since it was first revealed in Albert Pickett’s 1851 history of our state. Pickett is generally considered the first historian of Alabama and he wrote extensively about the arrival of French expatriates to modern-day Marengo County. Various myths about the French settlers and their community have been passed down over the years, particularly the idea that the colony was populated by tragic French aristocrats, but the truth is more interesting than fiction.

It is mistakenly believed that the Vine and Olive Colony was populated by wealthy aristocrats who wanted to craft a paradise out of the southern wilderness. The only notable person involved with the colony was General Count Charles Lefebvre-Desnouettes. The aristocrat climbed up the ranks of the French Revolutionary army and received his title from Napoleon in 1808. Several other Napoleonic officers also arrived in Alabama but only for brief periods; Lefebvre-Desnouettes eventually left the state in 1821 to return to France, drowning off of the coast of Ireland. By 1830 the colony was depleted of its Napoleonic settlers, but this did nothing to stop romantic stories about the Vine and Olive Colony from remaining a part of the cultural history of our state.

As a student completing degrees in religious studies and library science, it is probably not surprising that collective memory and memorialization are among my research interests. At bottom, both disciplines are fundamentally concerned with history. Scholars of religion study not only the traditions and rituals that are passed down within different groups but also how history shapes the way that people relate to themselves, each other, and the world writ large. Archivists parse written records to decide what is valuable enough to preserve, and librarians play an important role in providing the public with access to transcribed history. As a subject of study, collective memory bridges the two fields by examining how we—as a society—sacralize people and events that we have agreed are important. 

One of the things I find so wonderful about Alabama is just how many historic, Victorian homes can be found here, and how those same homes are so well-preserved by numerous organizations, including the Alabama Historical Commission. The Jemison –Van de Graaff Mansion for instance, built in 1859, is located right here in Tuscaloosa. People go on tours there to relish in its archaic beauty, as well as plan community events. The Victoria, built in 1887 and located in Anniston, is another example. It was transformed and restored in 1996, becoming a stunning bed and breakfast. Historic homes like these can be found all over Alabama. They are sometimes open to the public and shared with the community, but many are also endangered—like the Kildare-McCormick House.