Thursday, January 31, 2013

The Price of Cotton

So what's the price of cotton...100 years or so ago?

You won't find the answer on this sign, but you will find this pre-computer age market 
board on the wall inside Side Porch Sandwiches. The board was discovered 
when the riverside building was renovated but may have been
 used in another Water Avenue building. 


Wednesday, January 30, 2013

C is for Civil Rights Freedom Wall


As spring arrives along with Civil Rights celebrations, many tourists
 will visit Brown Chapel AME Church where The Civil Rights Freedom Wall
 stands out front, along with a bust of Martin Luther King Jr. 

Linking to ABC Wednesday where the Letter of the Week is "C" 

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

The Federal Arch

Looking from the steps of the federal courthouse in Selma,
 you can see the side entrance of the Dallas County Courthouse.
 This arch commemorates our town's two U.S. senators, John Tyler Morgan
 and Edmund Winston Pettus. I wonder if we could add Jeff Sessions.
 He was born in Selma!

In a way, this arch kind of symbolizes today's "over-arching" federal bureaucracy,
 and if you'd like to read about how things were meant to be, head on over



 

Monday, January 28, 2013

Daffodil Debut


The annual daffodil debut has arrived!

Late January may seem early for spring flowers, but daffodils and snowdrops 
are usually the first to shoot up from the brown ground.
 Now, if the weather will just stay warm enough to keep them around!

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Toys of Yesteryear

John Deere tractors, steam shovels, a covered wagon, horse and buggies...
I wanted to play with all these toys of yesteryear!

They are arranged on a table inside The Harmony Club 
where an antique shop will be opening soon!

Saturday, January 26, 2013

The End of Water Avenue


The Old Depot Museum anchors the east end of Water Avenue,
and through its front windows, you can see Selma Hardware on the corner.

Friday, January 25, 2013

Federal Facade

Back in the day, the Federal Building in Selma was a busy place.

Several federal offices were housed here,
 and U.S. District Court judges and juries heard cases upstairs.

Trials and hearings that I covered dealt with rural airport drug raids, alleged voting fraud,
 election re-districting and ownership of the former Craig Air Force Base property. 

I can still hear the persuasions of then U.S. District Attorney Jeff Sessions
  and the pronouncements of U.S. District Judge William Brevard Hand.  

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Counting on Camellias

Winter gardeners down South count on camellias for showy blooms 
during the grayest and rainiest time of year.

Some years, camellias last all winter, but if we ever have really frigid temperatures,
 the blooms will turn black and fall off. This year's blooms are some 
of the prettiest ever, I think, and hey, it is late January already!

The camellia is also the state flower of Alabama.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Baker-Brooks House

If you have never visited Selma, Spring is a beautiful time of year,
 and Pilgrimage Weekend (March 15-16) is filled tours of historic homes,
 buildings, art shows and a cemetery "ghost" tour.

For the letter "B" over at ABC Wednesday, I chose a photo
 of the 1858 Baker-Brooks House. It was built by George Baker, 
a Philadelphia native who moved South and developed uses 
for cottonseed oil. He built Selma's first cottonseed oil mill 
and was a major financial contributor to many community projects.

During the Civil War, the house was in the flight path
 of Battle of Selma forces that fled to Valley Creek and the Alabama River.
 A mortally wounded Union soldier found refuge inside but died in the front hall.
 If you are very astute, you might be able to locate the area
 in the yard where a tunnel was dug to store food. 

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

The Big Picture

The Hobbit and Lincoln are just a couple of the big pictures
 that have shown at Selma's Walton Theatre in recent weeks. 

The Walton is where our parents and grandparents went to see westerns
 on Saturdays before it fell into disrepair. The building was renovated
 in the 1980s and became home to the Larry D. Striplin Performing Arts Centre. 


Monday, January 21, 2013

Good Grapes!

You know you're at Selma's Italian restaurant when you look up
 and see a bunch of grapes hanging from the ceiling! 

The grapes are just part of the charm at The Vineyard, located
 on the first floor of The Harmony Club on Water Avenue.  

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday

The United States gets a holiday Monday for Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday.

The civil rights leader, who was assassinated in Memphis in 1968, was invited to Selma
 in the 1960s to aid the voting rights movement for black Americans.
 He eventually led the Selma-to-Montgomery Voting Rights March in 1965 
that was protected by the National Guard.

A federal holiday honoring his birthday on the third Monday in January
 was signed into law in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan.
 You can read more about King HERE.

This bust of King is in front of Brown Chapel AME Church on Martin Luther King Jr. Street. 

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Cannon in New Live Oak

Mirrors made of rainwater reflected almost everything in Selma
 this past week, including the cannon in New Live Oak Cemetery.

Friday, January 18, 2013

River Rising

After days and days and days of rain, the Alabama River
 is rising and moving swiftly toward Mobile Bay. 

The brick fence in Bienville Park is a good overlook this time
 of year when the trees are bare. 

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Pilgrimage Preview

Plans are well under way for the 38th annual Historic Selma Pilgrimage
 when historic homes and buildings will be open for tours March 15 and 16.
 Several venues will feature Selma's Jewish heritage, including some homes,
 Check out the Selma Pilgrimage Facebook page for updates!  

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

The Confederate Anvil

It's A Day at ABC Wednesday, and one of the first exhibits you'll notice
 at The Old Depot Museum is the ANVIL out front.

According to the inscription, the anvil was used in Selma's Confederate Arsenal
 to make armament for the southern forces. In 1866, the Selma, Rome
 and Dalton Railroad purchased the anvil from the scrap pile,
 and it was used in the railroad blacksmith shop until 1936.
 in 1961, Southern Railway presented the anvil to the Sturdivant Museum Association,
 and now it sits in front of the Old Depot. 

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Monday, January 14, 2013

Clockmaker's Bench

It's cold.
It's rainy.

We can't hike the riverwalk or take pictures in Old Live Oak,
 so why not visit the Old Depot Museum?

Among the interesting finds inside is this clockmaker's bench,
 once used to repair clocks, watches and jewelry.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Tombstone Tabby

Tripping among the tombstones in Old Live Oak Cemetery last week
 was this pretty tabby. I imagine he goes there to watch the squirrels scamper.

Linking to Weekend in Black and White and City Daily Photo Blogs

 

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Friday, January 11, 2013

Thursday, January 10, 2013

In with the New

Two years ago, I posted a photo of the old Selma High School (formerly Parrish High)
 shortly before that building was torn down. The new building opened this past fall,
but final touches to streets, sidewalks and landscaping are ongoing.
 Here is what the new building looks like through the trees on the grounds


Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Zenith for a Raptor

This red-tailed hawk soared, dived, then circled our yard before perching
 upon the ZENITH of the tallest pine tree next door. Good thing I had
 a ZOOM lens handy! I hope he wasn't trying to ZAP our cats 
who were enjoying the first sunny day in days!

By the way, we're photographing the Letter Z this week over at ABC Wednesday.
 

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Winter Wedding

A towering arrangement of flowers, greenery and crystals stands
 above a table laden with strawberries, dips, crackers and toast.
 This winter wedding reception was held in a tent
 on the grounds of Sturdivant Hall. 

Monday, January 7, 2013

Back to the BCS

There is a Red Tide predicted in Miami tonight as it's back
 to the Bowl Championship college football game for the University of Alabama.
 Can the defending national champions beat the No. 1 Fightin' Irish of Notre Dame?
Bama lost the championship to the Irish by a point 40 years ago. 

As you can tell, Bama merchandise, both handmade and commercial,
 has been hot this year, and this is just a sample from a recent 
Selma arts and crafts sale. From little girls' pinafores to houndstooth hats,
 T-shirts and keychains, fans are declaring their allegiance in high fashion!



Sunday, January 6, 2013

Lunch at The Sand Bar

The Sand Bar is open, folks, and the view is as great as the food!

We tried the catfish basket and burger by the river
 and were "happy, happy, happy" that we did! 

Prices are very reasonable, and the view of the City Marina is beautiful.
 Plus, the day of our lunch, the Harriett II, a 19th Century riverboat
 docked at Montgomery, paddle-wheeled by. But wouldn't you know it,
 I had just put up my camera and could not get to it before the boat was downriver.



Friday, January 4, 2013

Alabama's Oldest YMCA

Selma is home to Alabama's first Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA)
 that was founded in 1858, and this is the oldest YMCA building still standing
 in the state. Built in 1885, the historic structure on Broad Street
 was in danger of demolition when it was purchased 
by the Selma-Dallas County Historic Preservation Society last spring. 

Today, it is undergoing stabilization so that it can be preserved for future use.
 You can see an architectural rendition and postcard of the original facade HERE. 

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Someday an Amphitheater

Someday, this former warehouse will be an amphitheater in Selma's Riverfront Park.

Work continues to renovate the historic riverside building
 and give new life to the area next to the walking trail. 

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Y is for New YEAR

On the second day of the new YEAR, ABC Wednesday celebrates Y,
 the second to the last letter of the alphabet. 

So, I'm sharing one of the most dramatic sunsets from 2012
 to carry us over into 2013, because frankly,
 it's been raining here all this YEAR!  

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Five O' Clock Shadow (Photo of the Year)

Happy New Year!

Five O'Clock Shadow is my choice for "Photo of the Year" for 2012.

While I did not post nearly as many pictures last year due to staying home
 and using less gasoline, there are several pictures that seem to outshine
 the multitude of photographs of the past! This is one of them. 
This photo from Feb. 5, 2012, also collected more than
 the usual number of comments, so it must have been popular with readers.

As the late-evening sun focused its energy upon the Edmund Pettus Bridge,
 shadows deepened, and the bridge just beamed!

See more favorite City Daily Photo blog pictures of 2012 HERE.