Court House Moved to Selma

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

Thus did our beautiful little city pass through one of the most trying scenes. Soon however, order was restored, and all went to work to repair the ruins that war had visited upon them, and in less than three months the hammer, the saw and the trowel were again heard. New and large stocks of goods were opened almost every day. The artisan was again ready for business; the doctor ready to cure the sick, and the lawyer ready for his fee. The blacks soon realized the fact that freedom would not give them and their children bread and meat, and they two were ready to take in the situation. By the fall season of 1865, Selma presented really a thriving appearance. The only thing to mar the prospects and business of the place was the appearance of the small-pox, in a most violent form. This loathsome disease was not confined to the poor, but attacked all classes; but it was finally checked and soon forgotten in the rush and push of business. The most remarkable of the whole change in affairs was, that in less than a month after, a thousand dollar bill of Confederate money would not buy a breakfast. Greenbacks were as abundant as Confederate money ever had been, and really the change in currency was scarcely felt.

The bloody scenes of war had ceased, and no longer did the bitter feeling of hostility exist. The "Yanks" and the "Johnnies" were equally ready to join in a cotton speculation. They were found in same places of business, each owning as joint stock his share, and really in less than a year, had it not been for meeting a "blue coated" officer or soldier occasionally, one would have scarcely known there had been a terrible war, and such an one as had never been witnessed in this Continent.

In May 1866, the people of the county moved the court house from Cahaba to Selma; Cahaba became almost uninhabited, all following the court hoist to Selma. This of course brought quite an additional population to Selma, some of whom, however, did not, nor never have, engaged much in building houses In Selma.

Capital and energy characterized the class of men who located in Selma in 1865 and 1866. The most of them had money, and with it an energy deserving all praise. They invested their money, and the consequence was new buildings went up like magic. A national band had been organized among the other numerous places of business--John M. Parkman, President, and C.B. Woods, Cashier, with a capital of $100,000. This institution, haw ever, did not last long, becoming swamped in schemes of speculation. So rapid did our people and business increase that by 1870 we had a city in full Blast.

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