The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-01-24

70 the Pacific, towns once prosperous
teeming with life and high ambitions. but
which from one cause or another lost
their grip on life. and returned to the
wilderness whence they sprang. Most
striking Of 81 these perhaps is St
stephens. the first capital Of Alabama,
/, built on a bold bluff of the Tombigbee
River. seventy miles above the modern
metropolis OF Mobile, says Charles Burr
Todd. IN the New York Pest Once its
streets were populous with people, there
was q State capitol. courthouse, land
Office (where nearly all the good land in
Alabama Territory was Sold public
schools, two hotels, bank, and theater-
but no church. as all accounts agree
although why there was none does not
clearly appear. Now the place IS wholly
ruinous. with mammoth live oaks in pub
lie square and streets and parapet and
bastions Of the fort. and the one tine
Statehouse IS traceable only by the fraS-
ments Of It's basement walls.
On May 6. 1899. came the centennial OF
the evacuation of St stephens by The
Spanish. and a large and representative
company from Mobile, led by Philip Ham
ilton. historian Of that city, went I'D
the rivers in steamboats, and fttingiy cele-
brated It amid her ruins 4 space had
been cleared in the grove Of huge live
oaks and Csdars that covered the former
fort on the summit OF the bluff A refec-
ton was spread on imprOvised tables IN
der the trees. There was a historical
address by Mr.. Hamilton, a paper read,
: which had been written by very old
LADY who had once lived in s. stephens
and which described its streets and
houses. its people. manners, and Gus
toms fin a sprightly and vivaciOUs fashion
From these and other sources We learn
that some very important and inter
esting events took place at this outpost in
the wilderness. For one thing, It marked
the farthest advance northward Of the
Spaniard- Here he was met by the p:O-
neer. hosts OF the AnglO-Saxon and forced
back until. a hundred years later-1SSS-
he lost his hold forever on the American
continent. The fort at ST Stephens was
built about I7S9 by the Spanish 10 pro-
tect their Floridian territories from
American settlers who had swarmed over
the AIleghenies. and were then threaten
ing them by way Of the Alabama-Tou-
bigbee valley II was also meant as a
trading post with the Indians
Across the Boundary.
Scarcely was the Revolution over ere
Andrew ElIcott. American surveyor gen
eral, began running the southern boundary
line Of the United States eastward from
the Mississippi Great Britain had fixed
that boundary at 81 degrees north. Spain
disputed II. Pinckney, sent TO negotiate
the dispute. worked long to no effect, but
at length Spain threatened by war with
England. agreed 10 IL Close behind Eli
cott went Lieut. John McCIary. cutting
his weIl-knOwn Trace through from
Natchez, on the Mississippi, 70 the Ala
bama-Tombigbee basin. When the two
men reached the Tombigbee, they set Up
e slab Of brown stone, stin standing on
Its bank. and found that the Spanish
fort. St Stephens was north OF The line
full thirty miles. and, OF course. within
American territory. So the Spanish COM
msndant, Minor. evacuated the fort on
May 6. 1799-marching out with his troops
while Lieut. MCClaTy and his Ameri-
cans marched IN and hoistsd the Stars
and Stripes
From this time on settlers began pour
ing into the Mobile valley by hundreds.
from Georgia through the country Of the
Creeks. from the new West BY the Big
bee River. from Virginia and the Caro-
linas by the Alabama and its tributaries.
4 Federal road was cut by the gen
eraI government from Georgia 10 the
Mobile Valley. CIeaTings appeared on
every side Agriculture became the one
industry Cotton was king. and but little
else was raised Prom time 10 time.
treaties were made with the Indians al
Fort Confederation. HobuchintOopa, and
Mount Dexter, the settlers thereby ac-
curing new territory and the friendship
OF the ChOctaws.
Growth of st. Stephens.
St. Stephens glory as an Indian trad
ing post dated from 1853, when Joseph
Chambers. the then Indian agent there.
turned the old fort into a trading factory
with Its bomb-proofs for storing skins
and the blOck-h0uses for store rooms. His
successor, George 6 Gaines. Of Tennessee.
built above the fort a brick warehouse
the first brick building in Alabama. and
81 which, II is said. the first sessions Of
the Supreme Court Of Mississippi Terri
tory were held IN 1874, Washington COUn-
y was made q separate judicial district
IN time, McClary's troops built Fort Stod-
dard. further down the TOmbigbee. but ST.
Stephens was By no means abandoned.
A gslIage grew up around It houses Of the
trappers, couriers. attaches traders, and
others. About 1877, St Stephens was
formally laid out as a city on land once
known as the Chastalng Claim, which had
been purchased by Gaines and HIS asso-
GATES Its plan has been lost TO the sOr-
row Of local antiqusries, but by 1871, when
Alabama Territory was created, il had
grown into a town OF al least three thou
sand Inhabitants, with regular streets and
squares. a park, a market, two OF more
hotels. a theateT. and many shops and
stores carrying large stocks OF goods for
trading with the Indians and the out
country. On q corner was q bank, and op-
p0site II the capitol Of Alabama Terri
tory, IN which for several years the ses-
slons OF the Territorial Assembly were
held There was also q governors house,
and houses Of other officials. and a Ger
tain dignity Of form and display OF arms.
Chase of Burr.
An historical incident tha3 lends add
uonaI interest to the former capital was
the attempted kidnapping there, in 1877, Of
Col. Aaron Burr, ex-Vice President Of the
United States When Burr. his splendid
dreams Of empire shattered by the acts
Of his rival in Washington. learned that
bis arrest by the military power had been
ordered, he fed East from the Mississippi. /
hoping. no doubt. TO reach his sOn-in-iaw.
Gov. Aston. Of South Carolina, and
through his aid escape from the country.
he came over the BIcClaTy Trace" and
spent a night az s.. stephens, at the
house Of an old political ally. who, how
ever was not at home. Toward mid
night. as the story runs. two men OF the
village having heard that Col Burr was
in the town, and stimulated by the /
reward Of 500 offered for his arrest. I
determined TO take him. They knocked I
at the door Of the house where he was l