Selma, Ala. Daily Photo: Bienville Park

Showing posts with label Bienville Park. Show all posts

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Signs, Signs (Ecor Bienville)

A century before Selma became a town, the site that sits high on a soapstone bluff was called Ecor Bienville. In 1714, Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville, Governor of the Province,made a friendly visit to the Alibamo Indians here. The monument to commemorate his visit was erected in 1932 by National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Alabama. This monument recently was moved closer to Water Avenue due to sewer repair on Lauderdale Street. The background fence was added and the riverbank cleaned of vines and shrubs, creating a better view of the Alabama River and Edmund Pettus Bridge. Linking to Signs, Signs and City Daily Photo Blogs

Friday, January 30, 2015

New View from Bienville Park

Not very long ago, this view of the bridge was obscured by trees,

vines and brush. But "thanks" to a sewer collapse that caused

the bank to sink, repairs were made, and Bienville Park has a new fence

and a new view of the Alabama River and Pettus Bridge.

Note the winter sky with wisps of white.

It looks cold, but we enjoyed a spring-like day

with the temp near 70 degrees F.

Linking to Skywatch Friday, Good Fences

and City Daily Photo Blogs

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Riverwatch

After shooting the tour bus for yesterday's Skywatch Friday photo, I turned 180 degrees and shot a "riverwatch" photo. Here is a peek of the Alabama River from Bienville Park. Thanks to more rainfall, the river level is higher this year and should provide many more recreational opportunities for boaters and skiers and fishermen.

Friday, May 30, 2008

On Tour (Skywatch Friday)

A motorcoach tour bus from this company in Baltimore, Md., stopped at Bienville Park on Water Avenue Wednesday while its occupants visited the National Voting Rights Museum. Selma attracts numerous tour bus groups to its Civil Rights sites. In the background at far right is the Harmony Club, formerly a Jewish social club, now a private residence.
May is a good month to visit the Deep South. It typically is our driest month of Spring with daytime temperatures in the 80s.
There are plenty more Skywatch shots out there! Visit them at Wiggers World.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Pettus Bridge from the Park

In winter when the trees are bare, Pettus Bridge is easily viewed from Bienville Park on Water Avenue.

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Ecor Bienville

Long, long ago, Selma's first recorded name was Ecor Bienville.
The French colonizer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur De Bienville visited the Alibamo Indians here in 1714 while he was governor of the province.

I'm sure others of you have heard of Bienville.
He also founded New Orleans, Louisiana as well as Mobile, Alabama. His brother, D'Iberville, founded the Louisiana colony at Biloxi.

Born in Montreal, Canada, Bienville's other claims to fame include service in the French Navy, explorer, governor of Louisiana and military commander.
He is credited with maintaining the colony of Louisiana after the death of his brother. According to various biographies, Bienville's administration faced challenges with famine, Native Americans and the governments of Spain, Canada and France.

This stone marker is in tiny Bienville Park on Water Avenue by the Alabama River. It was erected by the Colonial Dames of America.
Click to enlarge the photo for a better view of the inscription.

WELCOME!

Selma is among the oldest cities in Alabama and has the largest contiguous historic district. It is known for its Civil War and Civil Rights history. The Battle of Selma was one of the last fought in the War Between the States, and the town was a center for the Voting Rights Movement in the 1960s. Today, with a population of about 20,000, Selma is the largest town in the western Black Belt region. The Black Belt, named for the color of its soil, stretches across Central Alabama from Mississippi to Georgia.