Alabama Tourism and St. Stephens History
Posted in Freshwater Angling on the July 12, 2009
History awaits you at the St. Stephens Historical Park so make your Alabama tourism plans to include a visit to the area. This 200 acre park has a 90 acre quarry lake with white sand beaches for you to enjoy. Along with that you will be able to take a walking hike through the area which was the home to the first capital of the state of Alabama. Nothing remains of the town today, but the history is being uncovered and you can be a part of it.
The town was formed on the high bluff along the Tombigbee River the community grew because boats could go no further due to the rocky shoals in the river. When the shallow draft boats were built it permitted travelers to traverse the shoals and venture further upriver. With the capital being moved and the yellow fever outbreak the town just began to die off.
Since there is so much history affiliated with this area there is an archaeological dig underway to learn more of how life was in the 1770’s and early 1800’s when the community was thriving. To date there has been a building foundation uncovered which held a treasure of artifacts such as pearlware ceramics, bone-handled knife fragments, glass beads, bottle fragments and gunflints. The longer the dig goes on the more they find. It is hoped to eventually be able to complete a map of the area from the dig.