Jeffrey's Adventure to the Bridgetender's House

Jeffrey visited the Bridgetender's House today!  This small cottage is located next to the historic St. James Hotel on the bluff of the Alabama River.  It is the site of Selma's first bridge across the Alabama River and is listed on the National Historic Register.  The turning operation of the toll bridge required a bridge tender to manually turn the capstan to open the span.  The bridge tender lived in this house with his family and was on duty 24 hours a day!  Tolls were collected until 1900 when the county bought the bridge and made it free to cross.  The bridge was then removed in 1940 when the Edmund Pettus Bridge was opened.  

Jeffrey's Adventure to the St. James Hotel

Jeffrey the Ghost is staying at the St. James Hotel tonight because he found out it was one of the most haunted places in Alabama.  This is the view from the balcony right outside his room on the third floor.  The St. James was built in 1838 and opened as The Brantley.  After the civil war, it was operated by Benjamin Sterling Turner (the first African American ever elected to U.S. Congress), who reportedly hosted the legendary outlaw, Jesse James, in 1881.  The hotel ceased operations in 1892 because of hard times, but reopened in 1997.  Since its reopening, many guests have reported hauntings from Jesse James and his girlfriend, Lucinda.  The apparitions appear to be wearing clothing that was common in the 1880s and the scent of lavender is sometimes very prominent, which is Lucinda's favorite.  Jeffrey is excited that he may get to meet other ghosts tonight!

The St. James Hotel is definitely a must-see if you are staying in Selma - especially if you are coming next weekend for the Haunted History Tours!  Get ready for a spooky weekend!  Call the Chamber of Commerce at 334-875-7241 if you would like to purchase tickets for the Haunted History Tours on October 18th and 19th.

Panoramic view from the third floor of the St. James Hotel

Jeffrey's Adventure to Riverfront Park

Did you see Jeffrey at Riverfront Park today?? He spent hours walking on the concrete path along the Alabama River, sitting in the grass, and playing with the birds.  He plans on watching tonight's sunset there because he says it has the best view of the river and the bridge!

Riverfront Park is located a few blocks from the Edmund Pettus bridge.  At the entrance to the park is the newest addition, a gaslight commemorating those who fought in the civil rights movement.  To learn more about the gaslight, view our blog post here.  To learn about the upcoming renovations at Riverfront Park, click here.

Where do you think Jeffrey will go tomorrow?

Labor Day Fireworks Celebration

Yesterday, Selma had its first ever Labor Day Fireworks Celebration! The July 4th Celebration was postponed due to inclement weather and the date was moved to Labor Day.  There were hundreds of viewers gathered at Riverfront Park, the St. James hotel, the Edmund Pettus Bridge, and even in the Alabama River to watch the spectacular fireworks show! We hope you were among the viewers last night, but we have some pictures to share for those of you that couldn't make it.

All photos were taken by Ashley Brooke Mason