Alabama's first permanent capital was at Cahawba, a town on the Alabama River about 10 miles downstream from Selma. The photo is of a poster inside the visitor center of Cahawba Archaeological Park, managed by the Alabama Historical Commission. Now a ghost town, Cahawba was devastated by repeated floods and other calamities. Its demise after the Civil War contributed to the rise of Selma. The poster shows our state's original capitol. The cupola on top was salvaged and today sits atop a church in Lowndesboro.
The park offers exploration of ruins, hiking and picnicking,
