Daytrip to Old St. Stephens offers insight into true-to-life ghost town

On Friday, my brother-in-law - Dr. Kenny Day of Athens - and I took a field trip to a place that I’ve always wanted to visit, the St. Stephens Historical Park in Washington County, Alabama.

Located southwest of Jackson and about an hour north of Mobile, on the banks of the Tombigbee River, St. Stephens was the original site of Alabama’s territorial capital. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it’s the site of Alabama’s first bank, first school, first state assembly and first steamboat construction. Prior to Alabama becoming a state in 1819, St. Stephens was arguably the most important place in the state, that is, before the state’s capital was moved to Cahaba.

Kenny and I both enjoy hiking, and we were drawn to the park not only for its history, but also for its numerous hiking trails. We weren’t disappointed. The trails, including an “archeology trail,” are well-marked, easy to hike and will take you through some of the finest scenery in southwest Alabama. No trail maps were available (due to budget cuts), but I got the feeling that we only touched the tip of the iceberg during our daytrip.

The trails will take you by on-going archeological digs inside the park, including a large dig at the site of the former Globe Hotel. An information booth near the trail’s entrance tells of the many important finds that have already been made at St. Stephens and tells you who to contact if you’d like to volunteer for an upcoming dig.

I wanted to check out the Old St. Stephens Masonic Lodge building, pictured above, which currently houses the St. Stephens Historical Commission Visitor Center & Museum. It’s located just outside the park’s entrance, and unfortunately, it was closed on Friday probably because it was the day after Thanksgiving. The property does include an interesting historic marker, a newer one-story Masonic lodge and a couple of old, unusual graves behind the St. Stephens Fire Station.

It costs $3 per person to get in the park, but once inside, you’ve got the entire day to check out all the trails, historic markers and other sites. One of the coolest things about the park is that it’s laid out with markers that give you an idea of the scope of the original town, where the streets were, where important buildings and homes were located as well as important events in this ghost town’s history.

Before you leave, be sure to drive down to the park store, which is located about a mile from the start of the archeology trail. Located on the banks of 100-acre Lake St. Stephens, this is where you’ll find horse enthusiasts preparing to take advantage of the park’s many horse-riding trails. A quick glance at some of the automobile tags in the parking lot told me that folks from across the southeast were enjoying the park on Friday.

You might also want to swing around to the river landing and hang a toe into the historic Tombigbee River, which is one of the state’s most important waterways. Near the landing, you’ll find the remains of old quarry and dredging works as well as a lookout point that gives you a wide view of the surrounding scenery.

On the way out, we also parked and headed down the trail to the “Indian Baths,” a site that the lady at the gatehouse told us to check out. The “Indian Baths” weren’t far from the road and consist of a stone waterway that’s probably more impressive at times when the area isn’t suffering through a drought.

In the end, Kenny and I had a good time and weren’t disappointed by the trip. It was neat to see a place that I’d heard and read a lot about over the years. For more information about the St. Stephens Historical Park, visit www.oldststephens.com.

How many of you have been to Old St. Stephens? What did you think about it? What did you like or dislike about it? Let us know in the comments section below.