What is the true story behind Monroe County's Jenny Bell Hill?

Intersection of Rocky Hill Road and Tom Hayles Road.

Jenny Bell Hill is one of the most unique places in all of Monroe County.

With an elevation of 358 feet above sea level, this highpoint in southwest Monroe County is said to be so high that on clear nights a person standing at Jenny Bell Hill can see the street lights from Jackson, which lies far to the northwest over in Clarke County, way on the other side of the Alabama River. Opinions differ somewhat among locals as to exactly where Jenny Bell Hill is located, but most maps agree that it is located on Rocky Hill Road, near the intersection of Tom Hayles Road, a few miles north of Uriah.

I found myself passing through this area the other day and was reminded that I was driving through one of the highest points in Monroe County. Those of you who have been through this quiet community before will know that there are just a few houses scattered along this red dirt road, which is largely surrounded by farm fields and stands of dark pines. The other day, a few farmers in large green tractors were taking advantage of the hot, dry weather to spray the vast acres of cotton planted on both sides of the road.

As I passed down Rocky Hill Road, I was caused to wonder how this highpoint compares with other well-known highpoints in Monroe County. Later, I consulted my trusty National Geographic map of Monroe County, and the results were interesting. According to those maps, Lookout Hill near Vredenburgh is the highest point in the county with an elevation of 436 feet, about 80 feet higher than Jenny Bell Hill.

A number of streams and branches also flow through this area, and they eventually feed into major creeks like Lovetts Creek and Baileys Creek. Because of these abundant freshwater sources, these high hills were no doubt once heavily populated by ancient Indians long before settlers arrived in this part of the world. I would not be surprised to learn that remnants of old village and burial sites could be found near Jenny Bell Hill if one knows where to look.

Another thing that makes this location unique is its unusual name. Like many people, I’d always presumed that the hill was named after a woman named Jenny Bell. However, a number of local residents have told me that Jenny Bell was actually a man, whose death remains somewhat shrouded in mystery all these years later.

Versions of the story vary but most agree that Jenny Bell was killed after he won the pot in a gambling match after working with a logging team in this area. Some say that he was found dead on the hill that now bears his name, and people later began to call the hill “Jenny Bell Hill” because folks associated the place with the discovery of his body. Most agree that all of this happened many years ago, most likely sometime in the early 1920s.

Despite my best efforts, I was unable to dig up any more details about the real Jenny Bell. A review of Monroe County cemetery records revealed no known burial site for this man, although I did find dozens of graves for individuals with the last name “Bell.” Only a few of those individuals passed away in the 1920s.

The closest possible match that I found for Jenny Bell was the grave of William J. Bell, who is buried in the Poplar Springs Cemetery, which is actually just a few miles from Jenny Bell Hill. However, William J. Bell passed away in 1941, many years after the events said to have taken place in the 1920s. It’s unclear what this man’s middle name was exactly, but some records indicate that his middle name might have been Jehu, not Jenny.

In the end, let me hear from you if you know anything more about the history of Jenny Bell Hill or the man it’s named after. I’d also be interested to hear from anyone in the reading audience with any information about old Indian sites in and around Jenny Bell Hill. Also, let me hear from you if you know any good ghost stories, tall tales or local legends from this unique part of Monroe County. It would be a shame to let this information fade into the forgotten past like so much of our lost local history.