Selma’s first bridge across the Alabama River opened in 1885. Opening and closing the necessary spans and collecting tolls was a 24-7 job performed by a bridge tender.  The bridge tender and his family lived in the bridge tender’s house which was constructed in about 1884.  In 1899, Dallas County bought the bridge and bridge tender’s house. Tolls were discontinued, and the bridge tender became a county employee. In 1940, this bride was replaced with the Edmund Pettus Bridge.  The old bridge was destroyed but its cornerstone can still be seen from the downstairs porch of the bridge tender’s house.