A Recovery Period

From "Selma; Her Institutions, and Her Men" by John Hardy, pub. 1879:

The terrible sickly seasons of 1840 and 1841, especially that of 1840, had a most deleterious influence upon the place. The sickness of the place, together with the great monetary crash upon the country, both combined to put a complete stop to the work on the Selma and Tennessee Railroad. The commerce of the place languished; instead of a population coming to the town, many of its substantial men left the place to seek another location. This state of affairs continued from about 1841 to about 1947, when the place commenced gradually assuming a cheerful aspect.

In 1848 Col. John W. Lapsley, Col. P. J. Weaver, Col. Thornton B. Goldsby, Gen. Brantly, Wm. Johnson, Hugh Ferguson, and others, procured a charter from the Legislature for the Alabama and Tennessee Railroad. This acted upon the place like a charm. New life was infused into all classes of the people, especially as the stock to build the road was soon subscribed. The company was organized and the work of construction commenced. The older class of citizens became encouraged and felt permanent in their business and homes. A new people commenced coming into the town, many of whom were men of means. Such men as Maj. John Mitchell, who invested is means in building up and improving the town. Among the buildings he erected was the three-story brick, at the corner of Water and Washington streets, the building known as the Mobile House. He had extensive additions made to what is now known as the St. James Hotel building. Col. Goldsby erected quite a number of handsome and substantial brick buildings on the corner of Broad and Alabama streets, now occupied by Oberdorfe & Ullman, Wm. Rothrock, Cawthon & Coleman. The dilapidated wooden shanties all along Broad and Water Streets gave way to the good substantial brick edifices now along those streets. F. S. Jackson, a man of much wealth and great energy, located near the town and invested largely in real estate which he improved. From 1847 to 1852, perhaps the rapid improvement of Selma was unexampled in the Southern States. In 1847 the war with Mexico came on. Men were called for, and some sixty of the gallant young men of Selma, rallied to the call of Capt. Andrew Bogle, who joined a part of a company; Thos. E. Irby, Captain, Andrew Bogle, Lieutenant. Among the boys were James H. Bogle, E. W. High, George C. Reives and Jordan Reives. During this period Col. Philip J. Weaver visited Germany and brought with him to Selma about three hundred German immigrants, who added much to the industries of the town; many of these immigrants were artisans and mechanics, and many of the descendants of whom are now to be found in the city and the surrounding country. Small suit of a town was put off, and by an act of the State Legislature, the name of the "City of Selma" was assumed, and in reality the place was justly entitled to the application. One newspaper was not sufficient for the wants of the new city--two must be had, and in accordance with this demand, Messrs. Ethridge, Gantt & Shelton established the Southern Interprise, The Reporter already being published.

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