The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-08-02

ment, until the new town was ready for the State officials and law makers. The
 session of the Legislature of 1sl9 and the Constitutional Convention of the same year were held in the Madison County
 town. The seat of the State Government was formally established at cahaha tn ] iS20.
 1 For much of the rich store of historical Information which has been garnercd
 about the old town credit Is due the ex- ertions of the Spanish Evacuation Cele-
 bratlon Committee. under whose charge the successful celebration of 1899 at St.
 Stephens was conducted. This committee
 was composed of Peter J. Hamilton, Chairman; Hannis Taylor, E. L. Rus
 sell and Thomas M Owen.
 Away from Beaten Paths. The site of tho dead Capital of Alabama
 Is far from the beaten paths of travel.
 It has but few visitors. No railroad ever
 touched It's neighborhood. It lies twelve
 miles from Carson Station. on the South ern Railroad. Nine miles from Carson and three miles from St. Stephens Is the
 town of New St. Stephens, the county site of Washington County. New St. Ste phens is small town, having perhaps
 200 inhabitants. It is not incorporated.
 The town Is a collection of comfortable homes built around the county court
 house, The officers of the St. Stephens Historical Society. an organization form
 ed to keep alive the historic interest in
 the old town. live in the new St. ste- J phens
 The verdure-clad ruin upon the Tombig- bee is peculiarly rich in historic interest.
 And the history made there does not re-
 late exclusively to Alabama Within It's confines was enacted at least one dra- matic incident which had an important
 bearing upon our national history.
 Tn St. Stephens began the United
 States's great policy of exp insien. The
 incident that marked the first exercise of this policy occurred within the narrow confines of the old Spanish Fort. The peaceful surrender of this fort by Lieu tenant Antonio Palavos to Lieutenant
 John McClary marked the first expansion
 of the bounds of the United States after
 It's independence had been recognized. The unfurlng of the Stars and Stripes upon
 the bluff overlooking the Tombigbee River
 marked the beginning of new national era. It was prophetic, this transfer of authority. on May 6, 1799.
 A century later, under many skies, the | incident was repeated. scores of times. The yellow flag Of Spain was hauled down | many times and the Stars and Stripes
 were run up In It's place. The inaugur-
 ation of the policy of expansion gives the 1 picturesque old fort a remarkable distinc- | ton.
 1 The eastern embankments of the old | fort remain to this day. The curved out
 lines of the old stronghold. it's bastions
 and entrances are still clearly outlined.
 The remains of the old powder maga- zine upon the bluff are pointed out. The old fort and the old town are fa-
 vorite picnic grounds for the residents of the surrounding country. A few vis-
 itors are drawn to the site of the town
 by it's historic attraction. They wander about the grass grown streets, Which are now all but obliterated and look
 upon the holes in the grounds which were once the cellars of the town. The old cemetery with it's messy marbles. is a
 favorite place for a stroll. and it con