The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-05
ST, STEPHENS OF l TODAY NOT CAPITlL Ancient Town Was Located On
 the Tombigbee ONCE HAD 10000 PEOPLE Interesting Documents Are Held By Officers of st Stephens Historical
 Society Which Throw Light
 On Early History.
ONCE HAD 10000 PEOP

To the Editor of The Age-Herald
 In reading the Sunday issue of yot newsy paper the writer noticed the fad that Washington county. Alabama, vo CTS have decided to move the count seat from St. Stephens to Chatom, on new railroad now building through thA county. This same article states thA St Stephens was formerly the capital t Alabama. St. Stephens was the capital but not the St. Stephens of today
 The writer during some developments he was experimenting for oil and gss in Clark county, near Jackson, had od caslon to visit the present St. Stephenl four years ago, and while looking uB some titles at the present courthouse hal the pleasure of meeting Probate Judgs Rowle, who by the way holds. as an ol ficer of an historical society at thf place, one of the most beautifully wriE ten manuscripts it has ever been ny pleasure to read.
 This manuscript was written by a laGi advanced in years, who was a girl wheh St Stephens of capital fame was in eA istence. The above manuscript is writ ten in a blank book and is highly treaA ured by Judge Rowe. It gives in detail Aiit ApNii anu iAS peOPlt ol. CltpHeilS Q old was directly on the banks of tile Tombigbee river, on a bluff below M l. Crews shoals, at that time the head df navigation on Tombigbee river. This shoal was afterward blasted out by tile United States government so boats could go on up several hundred miles, from this fact St. Stephens, which from above history must have been good sized town (some say 10000 people), began to decay. The trade that formerly came from 200 miles by wagon from interior points gradually ceased. buildings were removed many to Mobile). The brick for these original buildings came from New England, so Judge Rowle informed us and were afterward removed to Mo bile and other points
 A visit to this old site now shows only a circular embankment which was a fort to protect the very early settlers against the Indians. This is on the bluff spoken of. A little farther back. in all most a wilderness nowadays are a few briekbats and holes designating where the buildings formerly stood. Not a sin gle habitation marks the spot where once the jolly French settlers held forth in revelry They were a jolly, easy going people, according to the manuscript spoken of above.
 St. Stephens of today is about three miles back from the river, on higher ground.
 MT. Benjamin Turner, well posted man. gave the writer much history of this nelghborhood, as he has been a sur veyor there for years. He says that the older town was abandoned gradually on ----~-- -A-la------- ltiraIv the fact that navigation was made pds. sible to higher points on the river by cleaning out McGrew's shoals and the transportation thus afforded was the be- ginning of the decay of St. Stephens.
 In mass of vines and bushes at this old site is an enclosure of stone with a monument to the memory of the wife of one of the former settlers. The whole thing was beautiful at one time, but four years ago almost impossible to find on account of the bushes and brfers.
 The present St. Stephens is a small village of perhaps three or four stores and fifteen or twenty houses, courthouse and Jail. Some day it will be near an oil and gas field sure.
 Very truly yours.
 w. R. OSBORNE.
 North Birmingham, fFeb. 1, 1906