Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-07-16
THE RUINS OF ST. STEVENS.
AIabams's First Capital city and the Leg
end of Its Decay.

emu pi Its Decay
Years ago, when our grandfathers were
bahies, the capital of Alabama was the
beautiful little city of st. Stevens. 1t was
the first capital Of the state, and each year
there assembled there the men who started
the good old ship Of state so safely on her
journey. But not alone did these old
WORTHLESS go there to make laws. Like the
statesmen of this day and time, they mixed
considerable frolic with their lahors. Most
of them were rich and lived in opulence in
their lovely country homes. When they
went to the capital, therefore, they pro
ceeded to get out of town life all thereSvas
In it. In consequence, old st. Stevens was
a fast and goddess place. The biggest
gamblers in the state collected there and
ileeced the rich and unsophisticated plant
ers and lawmakers.
It is related that It was unwritten law
that no preacher should invade the pre-
cincts of St. Stevens. One day Baptist
minister reached there and proposed to
preach. He was unceremoniously seized,
put in skiff and rowed across the river,
where he was left with the injunction that
if he returned he would be tarred and
feathered. Tradition says the good man
uplifted his hands and in honest indigua-
ton prophesied the decay and ultimate
abandonment of St. Stevens. His proph-
ecy was fulfilled, for nothing now remains
of old st. Stevens except some rock foun-
dations, some marble columns, some grave
stones and some memories. Fifty years
ago the town was abandoned, the capital
was moved to Tuscaloosa, the center of
the state, and the present st. Stevens, the
seat of Washington county, was built upon
the river.
A visit to the site of the first capital o,
Alabama is full of interest. AS you APP
proach it you discover the ruins of once
handsome dwellings. The stone founda-
tions show that they were massive and in
dictate that they were built with no regaro
for economy.
Coming to thetown proper, one can cas-
lily trace the streets and thoroughfares,.
They were carefully surveyed and laid off,
and many of them were paved with stone.
Near the center of the old capital city are
found the remains of the old state bank
and those of the leading hotel About all
that remains of the former institution is
the stone vault, in which was kept the
money of the state and of the rich legisla-
tors. The CELLAR is about all that remains
of the principal hostelry, and from the
bottom of this massive oaks are now grow
ing. The cellar is laid in solid stone ma
sonry, but some 80 years ago acorns bur
led beneath the floor shot little sprigs up be
tween the blocks of stone, and as the twigs
grew and strengthened into trees the rocks
were pushed aside to let them spread.
Probably the place of most interest,
however, is the foundation of the first cap
itol. That it was handsome building for
those times is evident from the masonry
of the foundation. The building was small,
not, if the foundation is not misleading,
exceeding 40 feet square. Just in front of
it is one of the grandest old oaks in the
world, under whose shade did our old
great -grandfathers most probably sit, dis
cuss affairs of state, swap negroes and
play poker.
The boundaries of old St. Stevens would
indicate a city of some 5000 people, but
the population was never more than half
that large
One of the most interesting things about
the ruins of old st. Stevens is the ceme-
terry. Probably not a spade nor hoe nor
rake has touched it's soil for more than
half century, and yet the choicest flow
ers and vines and trees grow there in rank
profusion Cape myrtle, ivy and ever
green, honeysuckle, grape vine and wild
rose mix up and embrace each other as no
florist ON earth could make them do.
Handsome marble shafts shoot high up in
the air, but each is covered with mat
ting of ivy. The names on the shafts are
unknown to this generation, although
many men of history are buried there in
unmarked graves Birmingham (Ala.)
Cor. Atlanta Constitution.