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. 

Linking to Signs, Signs and City Daily Photo Blogs

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" 

 and City Daily Photo Blogs

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

 to The Federalist Papers!

Linking to Our World Tuesday and City Daily Photo Blogs 

 

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!

Linking to Monday Mellow Yellows and City Daily Photo Blogs

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!

Linking to City Daily Photo Blogs

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.

Linking to Weekend Reflections and City Daily Photo Blogs

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.  

Linking to City Daily Photo Blogs 

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.

Linking to City Daily Photo Blogs  

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. 

Linking to ABC Wednesday and City Daily Photo Blogs

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. 

Linking to Our World Tuesday and City Daily Photo Blogs

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.  

Linking to City Daily Photo Blogs

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. 

Linking to Shadow Shot Sunday and City Daily Photo Blogs

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.

Linking to Weekend Reflections and City Daily Photo Blogs

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. 

Linking to Friday Fences, Skywatch Friday and City Daily Photo Blogs

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,

 Temple Mishkan Israel and The Harmony Club. 

 Check out the Selma Pilgrimage Facebook page for updates!  

Linking to City Daily Photo Blogs

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. 

Linking to ABC Wednesday and City Daily Photo  Blogs

Raindrops on Quince

The calendar may say mid-January, but flowering quince 

is blooming in the rain in New Live Oak Cemetery.

Linking to Our World Tuesday and City Daily Photo Blogs

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.

Linking to City Daily Photo Blogs

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

 

Misty River

A low fog crawled across the Alabama River Friday morning

 when the sun beamed after a shower.

Linking to Weekend Reflections and City Daily Photo Blogs

Cloudburst

Sometimes the evening sky just offers a spectacular show. 

Linking to Skywatch Friday and City Daily Photo Blogs

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

 near Memorial United Methodist Church.   

Linking to City Daily Photo Blogs

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.

 

Linking to ABC Wednesday and City Daily Photo Blogs

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. 

Linking to Our World Tuesday and City Daily Photo Blogs

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!

Linking to City Daily Photo Blogs

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.

Linking to Shadow Shot Sunday and City Daily Photo Blogs

Decanters

A set of decanters at Sturdivant Hall reflect both sunlight

 and southern elegance from the mirrored silver base. 

Linking to The Weekend in Black and White

and City Daily Photo Blogs

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. 

Linking to Friday Fences and City Daily Photo Blogs

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. 

Linking to  City Daily Photo Blogs

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!  

Linking to ABC Wednesday and City Daily Photo Blog

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.