Fairhope, Alabama was founded in 1894 as a Utopian colony by a group of Midwestern reformers who followed the Single Tax philosophy of Henry George. Before the founders selected their site, the eastern shore of Mobile Bay saw little development, and the future townsite was an overgrown pine barren occupied only by a few squatters. Under the Single Tax plan, residents leased their land from the colony and owned only their improvements, a system intended to discourage speculation and promote the highest and best use of land. By early 1895 roughly two dozen settlers had arrived, giving the community its name in the belief that their experiment had a "fair hope" of success. The colony soon acquired several hundred acres, including the bluffs overlooking the bay, reserving the prime waterfront for public use. As Fairhope grew, additional supporters of the Single Tax principles — many drawn by national newspaper coverage — moved in. By the turn of the century the town had about four hundred residents, and because the soil was poor for large-scale agriculture, many families rented rooms to visitors from Mobile and northern states seeking a summer resort or mild winter climate. - AsNotedIn