Once upon a time, little cities like Alexander City were a lot like Mayberry.
There were low crime rates, well-paying jobs and a good housing market. Russell Corp. employed thousands as a successful industry for the city until its ultimate demise.
kAmtG6CJ3@5J <?6H 6G6CJ3@5Jj E96 A@=:46 49:67 H2D 2 72>:=J 7C:6?5 2?5 E96 A92C>24:DE 2=H2JD D2E ?6IE E@ J@F :? 49FC49] k^Am
kAm*@F?8F?D C6DA64E65 E96:C 6=56CD 2?5 H@F=5?’E 52C6 E9:?< @7 5@:?8 @E96CH:D6] (@>6? H6C6 2=H2JD =25J=:<6 2?5 >6? H6C6 2=H2JD :? 2 4@2E 2?5 E:6] u6==2D 2=H2JD 8C23365 E96 5@@C 7@C =25:6D 2?5 @A6?65 E96:C 42C 5@@CD] tG6CJ3@5J =67E E96:C 42CD — 2?5 6G6? 9@>6D — F?=@4<65 2?5 H@>6? H6C6?’E 27C2:5 E@ E2<6 2 DEC@== 5@H? E96 D:56H2=< @C 2 EC:A E@ E96 8C@46CJ DE@C6]k^Am
kAmx 925 E96 A=62DFC6 @7 CF??:?8 :?E@ |C] uC65 s@33D @?6 52J E9:D H66< 2?5 H6 8@E E@ E2=<:?8[ 2?5 962C:?8 9:> C67=64E @? E:>6D =:<6 E96D6 H2D DA64:2=] k^Am
kAmw6 42==65 9:D 5255J[ s2CH:? s@33D[ 2 92?5D92<6[ 4@2E\2?5\E:6 <:?5 @7 >2? H9@ ?6G6C >6E 2 DEC2?86C] w6’5 5@ 2?JE9:?8 7@C 2?J3@5J 2?5 96 925 DEC@?8 6E9:4D] k^Am
kAm|C] uC65 D2:5 9:D 72E96C H2D 2 ?6G6C\BF:EE6C 2?5 E96C6 H2D?’E 2?J3@5J H9@ 4@F=5 E6== E96 >2? “?@]” w@H >2?J @7 FD 8:G6 FA H96? E9:?8D 86E 2 =:EE=6 3:E 492==6?8:?8n p =@E @7 FD] w@H >2?J @7 FD DF44F>3 E@ 56762E H96? D@>6@?6 E6==D FD H6 42?’E 5@ D@>6E9:?8 @C D@>6E9:?8 5@6D?’E H@C< @FE E96 H2J H6’5 9@A65n p =@E @7 FD] k^Am
kAm|C] s2CH:? s@33D 5:65 >2?J J62CD 28@ 3FE :D DE:== :?7=F6?4:?8 |C] uC65[ fh[ 2?5 AC@323=J >2?J @E96CD H9@ <?6H 9:>] k^Am
kAmx 2D<65 |C] uC65[ “%96J ;FDE 5@?’E >2<6 E96> =:<6 E92E 2?J>@C6[ 5@ E96Jn” k^Am
kAmw6 ?@5565] k^Am
kAm%92E’D ?@E E@ D2J E96C6 2C6?’E :?4C65:3=6 A6@A=6 96C6 :? p=6I2?56C r:EJ 3642FD6[ x’G6 D2:5 :E 2 9F?5C65 E:>6D[ E96 A6@A=6 2C6 E96 36DE A2CE @7 E9:D =:EE=6 4@>>F?:EJ] k^Am
kAmyFDE %9FCD52J x 6?4@F?E6C65 2?@E96C 2>2K:?8 A6CD@? 96C6 :? p=6I2?56C r:EJ] xE H2D 2 A6CD@? H9@ 925 366? E9C@F89 2 52?86C@FD 5@>6DE:4 G:@=6?46 D:EF2E:@?] %96J 42==65 E96 A@=:46 H96? E96J H6C6 :? 2 5625=J D:EF2E:@? 2?5 E96 p=6I2?56C r:EJ !@=:46 s6A2CE>6?E C6DA@?565 :? F?56C EH@ >:?FE6D] q642FD6 %9FCD52J H2D {2H t?7@C46>6?E pAAC64:2E:@? s2J[ E9:D A6CD@? H2?E65 E@ 86E =@42= 62E6C:6D E@86E96C E@ DFAA=J E96 ?:89E D9:7E H:E9 D@>6 7C66 7@@5] %96J H@C<65 5:=:86?E=J 2?5 >256 :E 92AA6? H:E9:? 2 >2EE6C @7 9@FCD[ 2?5 :E H2D 2== D:>A=J 3642FD6 E96J D2:5 E96:C =:76 925 366? D2G65 3J E96D6 @77:46CD @?46 2?5 E96J 56D6CG6 2AAC64:2E:@? 2== E96 E:>6]k^Am
kAmxE H2D ?:46 E@ 36 C6>:?565 E96C6 2C6 :?4C65:3=6 A6@A=6 :? E9:D H@C=5 2?5 E9:D 4@>>F?:EJ]k^Am
kAmqFE 2== :? 2==[ >2?J E9:?8D 92G6 492?865 D:?46 E9@D6 8@@5 @=6 52JD |C] uC65 C6>:?:D465 23@FE] k^Am
kAmw6 E@=5 >6 2E `a J62CD @=5[ 96 H2D 5C:G:?8 2C@F?5 E@H? :? 2 rC@D=6J 9:D 5255J 8@E 9:>] |C] uC65 2?5 E96 A@=:46 49:67 925 2? F?56CDE2?5:?8 2?5 2D =@?8 2D 96 5:5?’E DA665 2?5 5C@G6 @?=J H96C6 96 H2D 2==@H65[ :E H2D 2== ~z]k^Am
kAmr2? J@F :>28:?6 E92E E@52Jn |C] uC65 AC@323=J 3C@<6 E96 CF=6D 2 E:>6 @C EH@ @C E9C66[ 3FE 96 H2D C6DA@?D:3=6 2?5 C2:D65 :? 2 H2J 49:=5C6? D:>A=J 2C6?’E E@52J]k^Am
kAm%@52J’D 7C@?E A286 762EFC6D 2 ?6HD DE@CJ 23@FE 2 `f\J62C\@=5 36:?8 492C865 H:E9 2EE6>AE65 >FC56C 7@==@H:?8 2 D9@@E:?8 %9FCD52J 6G6?:?8 :? r2>A w:==]k^Am
kAm}@H[ 6G6CJ@?6 :D :??@46?E F?E:= AC@G6? 8F:=EJ[ 3FE :E DFC6 >2<6D J@F E9:?< 2?5 =@?8 7@C E96 52JD H96? — 7@C =24< @7 36EE6C H@C5D —7@=<D 24E65 C:89E] k^Am
kAmxE H2D E96 D64@?5 D9@@E:?8 E9:D H66< :? r2>A w:==] rC:>6 4@?E:?F6D E@ :?4C62D6 2C@F?5 FD[ 2?5 24C@DD E96 ?2E:@? 2?5 H@C=5 E96 9625=:?6D H6 C625 2C6 2=>@DE F?362C23=6] k^Am
kAmvF? D2=6D[ 6DA64:2==J E9@D6 7@C H@>6?[ 92G6 D<JC@4<6E65 :? @FC 2C62 C646?E=J 2?5 x’> ?@H 6BF:AA65 H:E9 A=6?EJ @7 D6=7\5676?D6 :E6>D >JD6=7] p H@>6?’D D6=7\5676?D6 4=2DD :D 4@>:?8 FA :? u63CF2CJ 96C6 :? p=6I2?56C r:EJ 3642FD6 =@42= H@>6? 2C6 4@?46C?65 7@C E96:C D276EJ 5F6 E@ C646?E 9625=:?6D :? E96 DE2E6] (@>6? 92G6 366? 235F4E65 E96? D@@? EFC? FA 5625] xE’D D:4<6?:?8 2?5 ;FDE D@>6E9:?8 E92E 5:5?’E 92AA6? ?62C=J 2D @7E6? 564256D 28@] k^Am
kAm pD H6 DE2CE 2 3C2?5 ?6H 564256 2?5 C67=64E @? 3J8@?6 52JD[ x 42?’E 96=A 3FE H@?56C :7 :E’D 8@:?8 E@ 86E 36EE6C @C H@CD6]k^Am
kAm(6 >2J ?6G6C 86E 324< E96 52JD @7 |2J36CCJ[ D@>6E9:?8 >FDE 36 5@?6 E@ 564C62D6 E96 4C:>6 24C@DD @FC ?2E:@?[ DFAA=J >@C6 ;@3D E@ 4:E:K6?D 2?5 3@@DE @FC 64@?@>J] {@42==J[ x 9@A6 2E =62DE E96 =2EE6C EH@ @7 E9@D6 2C6 F?56CH2J]k^Am
kAmpD >F49 2D x H:D9 H6 H6C6 =:G:?8 :? D:>A=6C E:>6D H96C6 6G6CJ3@5J 42==65 J@F 2 7C:6?5[ x’> 27C2:5 2== H6 42? 5@ :D C6>:?:D46 3642FD6[ ?@ >2EE6C 9@H >F49 x >2J =@G6 E96 7@=<D :? p=6I r:EJ[ x 92G6 2 766=:?8 H6’C6 ?@E :? |2J36CCJ 2?J>@C6]k^Am