Old Cahawba to appear on Discovery show
Published 7:06 am Saturday, April 13, 2024
Old Cahawba is being featured on the Discovery Channel show, focusing about abandoned sites in America this weekend.
The show 鈥淢ysteries of the Abandoned: Hidden America鈥� will be featuring the historic site in Dallas County on the episode titled 鈥淭he Secrets and Troubles of Old Cahawba.鈥�
According to the Discovery Channel鈥檚 description of the episode, 鈥淎 revolutionary leader visits Alabama鈥檚 first capital and leaves it bankrupt.鈥�
According to assistant site director Jonathan Matthews, the film crew visited during the summer of 2023 and conducted interviews with him and former site director Linda Derry.
鈥淭hey came around June or July last year and filmed on site,鈥� Matthews said. 鈥淲e really don鈥檛 have any idea what the episode is about, but based on the show鈥檚 description, it is probably going to be about (Gen. Marquis de) Lafayette.鈥�
According to Old Cahawba鈥檚 history, Lafayette, then age 67, arrived April 5, 1825, at the town by steamboat.
鈥淗e toured the United States from July 1824 鈥� September 1825 and toured Alabama March 31 鈥� April 8. There were grand parties and receptions and after it was all over, the state and the town collectively spent $15,000 on his visit, which was more than was spent on the first statehouse,鈥� according to a 2020 post on the site鈥檚 Facebook page.
鈥淐ahawba was once Alabama鈥檚 state capital (1819-1826) and a thriving antebellum river town. It became a ghost town shortly after the Civil War. Today it is an important archaeological site and a place of picturesque ruins,鈥� the website states.
Old Cahawba lies where the Alabama and Cahaba rivers merge.
The show was set to air at 9 p.m. Friday, but will be available聽 viademand on the Discovery Channel鈥檚 streaming platforms.
