The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-02-14
THE RUINS OF ST. ste VEINS.
Alabama's First Capital City and the Leg.
end of Its Decay,

| end of Its Decay
Years ago, when our grandfdthers were
babies, 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
Wofthies go there to make laws Like the
statesmen of this day and time they mixed
considerable frolic with their labors, Most
OF them were rich and lived In dlulenee in
their lovely country homes, When they
went TO the capital, therefore, they pro.
ceeded to get out Of town life all there was
IN 1t. In consequence, old st. Stevens was
fast and goddess place. The biggest
gamblers in the state collected there and
heeced the rich and unsophisticited plant
ers and lawmakers
it is related that 1t was unwFitten 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 injuH ction that
if he returned he would be tarred and
feathercd Tradition says the good man
uplilted his hands and in hones indigna
tinn 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, tho center of
the state, and the present st. Stevens, the
seat ot Washington county was built upon
the river.
A visit to the site of the first capital Of
Alabama is full of interest As you ap.
proaCh il You discover the ruins of once
handsome dwellings. The stone founda-
tions show that they were massive and in
dieate that they were built with no regard
for economy.
Coming 10 thetown proper, ore can cas-
lily trace the streets and thoroughfares,
They We're carefully surveyed and laid OF,
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 loading 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 riph legisla-
tors. The CELLAR is about ali 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 so years ago adorns bur.
led beneath the floor shot little sprigs up be
tween the blocks of stone, and aA the twigs
grew and strengthened into trees the rocks
were pushed aside To let them slread.
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 tht masonry
of the foundation The building was small,
not, II the foundation is not misleading,
exceeding 45 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 neAroes and
play poker.
The boundaries of old 81 Stevens would
indicate city of some COCO 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 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
proitlsion, Cape myrtle, ivy and ever
green, honey Nsuckle, grape vine and wild
rose mix up and embrace each oLher 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 sre
unknown to this generation, although
many men OF history nre buried there in
unmarked graves, Birmingham tAla.J
Cor, Atlanta Constitution