Alabama's first state capital is now a deserted ghost town. Cahawba (also spelled Cahaba) served as the capital from 1820 to 1825 during the antebellum period and was a thriving town prior to the Civil War. The town was a major distribution center for cotton that was shipped down the Alabama River to the port town of Mobile. When the railroad line was built in 1859, Cahawba experienced another financial boom.
During the war, the town boasted a population upwards of 3,000 people. The town meeting house was used as a prison for Union POWs. The Confederate government used the railroad that ran through Cahawba in order to extend the rail lines for military supplies. A cotton warehouse came to be known as Castle Morgan during the war when it was established in 1863 and used as a prison. A horrifying event occurred when the town was flooded in 1865, many of the 3,000 Union soldiers suffered as water filled the prison, and the townspeople suffered much economic hardship as business were destroyed.
"St. Luke's Church" — Photo Credit: Jeffrey Reed
Located in Dallas County, a bit southwest of Selma, Cahawba is now a protected state historic site. Today, the Alabama Historical Commission maintains the town, which is a rich archaeological site as well. In 1973 the town was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Today, visitors can meander through the streets and see abandoned cemeteries as well as several prominent ruins.
"Kirkpatrick Slave Quarters Home" — Photo Credit: Leigh T Harrell
After the war the courthouse was used as a meeting place for newly-freed men to discuss politics. The town became a community for former slave families during Reconstruction. These families transformed the once-bustling town into a rural town with blocks upon blocks of fields and gardens. Around 1900, a former slave bought much of the town for $500 and repurposed the materials from many of the abandoned bulidings for sale in Mobile and Selma.
Because the town was abandoned so abruptly, it's since become popular amongst ghost story enthusiasts. During the 19th and early 20th centuries it was reported that a ghostly apparition in the form of a glowing orb would wander the garden maze of one of the town's prominent citizens, C. C. Pegues. The book 13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey by Kathryn Tucker Windham and Margaret Gillis Figh claims discuss this folklore in the tale “Specter in the Maze at Cahaba.”
After all that exploring, head to Selma for some out-of-this-world barbecue. Hancock’s Barbecue has been serving up delicious BBQ for over forty years. Definitely try the ribs and pulled pork salad.
