Old Cahawba hosts Canines, Camels, Cats and Critters Wagon Tour
Published 1:11 pm Saturday, September 7, 2019
Old Cahawba Archeological Park’s “Canines, Camels, Cats and Critters Wagon Tour” didn’t have animals on its tour.
The hour-long tour went on as scheduled Saturday in a wagon. Several stops were made as tourists learned about Cahawba’s most notable animal ancestors.
Old Cahawba Assistant Site Director Jonathan Matthews said the tourists didn’t bring their canines because the animals aren’t well behaved.
“The idea about the Canines, Camels, Cats and Critters tour was people wanting to bring their animals to the park,” Matthews said.
The biggest animal ancestor story was written by Old Cahawba Site Director Linda Derry, “Camels in Cahawba,” in Alabama Heritage magazine during the spring of 2014. Derry’s article included Benjamin M. Woolsey’s experimentation of using camels for agricultural work on his plantation in 1859.
“Thanks to Linda collecting research, we’ve heard stories about animals being part of Old Cahawba,” Matthews said. “It’s a great way to share history about Old Cahawba.”
Alice Hamlet and her father, Holt Hamlet attended the tour. They live on Molett’s Bend, located outside Orrville.
“This is the first time my father has been to Old Cahawba since it became a park,” Hamlett said. “My family donated land when it was the state capital.