The Story of Coal and Iron in Alabama

683 Pages·2014·43.486 MB·English

by  Ethel Armes

THE STORY OF COAL AND IRON
IN ALABAMA

THE STORY
OF COAL AND IRON
IN ALABAMA
ETHEL ARMES
PREFACE TO THE 2011 EDITION
BY JAMES R. BENNETT
The University of Alabama Press
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Preface to the 2011 edition Copyright © 2011
The University of Alabama Press
Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0380
Previously printed at The Book-Keepers Press
2408 Canterbury Road
Birmingham, Alabama
All rights reserved
Manufactured in the United States of America
Typeface: Bell MT
00
The paper on which this book is printed meets the minimum requirements
of American National Standard for Information Sciences-Permanence of
Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Armes, Ethel, 1876-1945.
The story of coal and iron in Alabama / Ethel Armes; preface to the
2011 edition by James R. Bennett.
p.cm.
"Library of Alabama Classics."
Originally published: Birmingham, Ala. : Pub. under auspices of the
Chamber of commerce, 1910.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-0-8173-5682-8 (pbk. : alk. paper) - ISBN 978-0-8173-8577-4
(electronic) 1. Alabama-Economic conditions. 2. Mines and mineral
resources-Alabama. 3. Coal mines and mining-Alabama. 4. Iron
industry and trade-Alabama. I. Title.
HC107.A4A82011
338.2'72409761-dc22
2010046566
TO MY MOTHER
LUCY HAMILTON KERR ARMES

CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Xlll
PREFACE TO THE 2011 EDITION xv
INTRODUCTION XXVll
CHAPTER I - THE PLANTING OF THE SEED
CHAPTER II - RECORDS OF EARLY GROWTH 12
CHAPTER III -FIRST FURNACE AND FIRST RAILROAD 27
CHAPTER IV - EARLY RECORDS OF JEFFERSON
AND WALKER COUNTIES 40
CHAPTER V - IRON MAKING AND COAL MINING IN TUSKALOOSA
COUNTY, 1830-1861 58
CHAPTER VI - BIBB AND SHELBY COUNTIES, 1820-1861 70
CHAPTER VII - PIONEER IRON MAKING IN NORTHEASTERN ALABAMA,
1830-1861, AND FIRST STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 82
CHAPTER VIII - EARLY RAILROAD ENTERPRISES 104
CHAPTER IX - INTERNAL CONDITIONS OF STATE
AND OUTBREAK OF WAR 121
CHAPTER X - CONFEDERATE ARSENAL AND NAVAL FOUNDRY 134
CHAPTER XI - COAL MINING IN CIVIL WAR PERIOD 149
CHAPTER XII - IRON MAKING IN WAR PERIOD 157
CHAPTER XIII - IRON MAKING IN WAR PERIOD (continued). THE
FALL OF SELMA 178
Vlll CONTENTS
CHAPTER XIV -RESURRECTION OF THE IRON WORKS 1866-1870 195
CHAPTER XV - THE FOUNDING OF A GREAT WORKSHOP TOWN,
1869-1872 215
CHAPTER XVI - RECONSTRUCTION OF OXMOOR AND ADVENT OF
LOUISVILLE AND NASHVILLE RAILROAD INTO ALABAMA 1872-1873 238
CHAPTER XVII - LIFE SAVING MEASURES 1873-1878 255
CHAPTER XVIII - BIRMINGHAM MILITANT 1876-1880 266
CHAPTER XIX -A CHAPTER OF PROGRESS 1880-1886 283
CHAPTER XX - THE NORTHEASTERN COUNTIES 187(}-1890 309
CHAPTER XXI - THE GREAT BOOM OF BIRMINGHAM 1886-1887 330
CHAPTER XXII - MORE BIG BUSINESS 1886. RECORDS OF SLOSS IRON
AND STEEL COMPANY AND PIONEER MINING AND MANUFACTURING
COMPANY 347
CHAPTER XXIII - ADVENT OF TENNESSEE COMPANY INTO ALABAMA
(1886) AND ITS EARLY TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS 360
CHAPTER XXIV - A SERIES OF LIVELY INCIDENTS IN THE
BIRMINGHAM AND SHEFFIELD DISTRICTS 1887 394
CHAPTER XXV - THE MARCH OF THE T. C. I. 1888-1895 420
CHAPTER XXVI - AFFAIRS OF BIRMINGHAM DISTRICT 189(}-1909.
BIRMINGHAM COAL AND IRON COMPANY. DIMMICK PIPE COMPANY.
SOUTHERN IRON AND STEEL COMPANY. SLOSS-SHEFFIELD STEEL AND
IRON COMPANY 436
CHAPTER XXVII - PRESENT DAY AFFAIRS OF BIRMINGHAM DISTRICT
(continued). HISTORY OF THE T. C. I. (continued). ORGANIZATION OF
ALABAMA CONSOLIDATED COAL AND IRON COMPANY 461
CHAPTER XXVIII - THE MAKING OF WALKER COUNTY. PRATT
CONSOLIDATED COAL COMPANY, GALLOWAY COAL COMPANY, CORONA
COAL COMPANY, EMPIRE COAL COMPANY AND OTHERS 488
CHAPTER XXIX - THE TRIUMPH OF THE T. C. I. 507
ILLUSTRATIONS
OLD TANNEHILL 11
Following page
OLD MAHAN HOMESTEAD, COURTESY OF ANNA PFAFF 24
COLONEL TANNEHILL'S OLD HOUSE 24
PUBLIC ROAD NEAR BRIERFIELD ROLLING MILLS, COURTESY OF ANNA
PFAFF 24
IN THE BLUE CAHABA HILLS ON THE ROAD TO BRIGHTHOPE, COURTESY
OF ANNA PFAFF 24
SITE OF OLD CEDAR CREEK, FIRST BLAST FURNACE OF ALABAMA,
COURTESY OF W A. ORMAN 32
RUINS OF BRIGHTHOPE FURNACE IN BIBB COUNTY, COURTESY OF ANNA
PFAFF 32
ROB Roy CATALAN FORGE ON TALLADEGA CREEK, COURTESY OF R. S.
HODGES 32
HISTORIC SPAULDING MINE ON RED MOUNTAIN 46
ISHCOODA CAMP ON RED MOUNTAIN 46
OLD FRENCH CANNON 48
A SMITHY IN THE LONG-LEAF PINES 48
"UNCLE" NAT'S CORNER OF REPUBLIC IRON AND STEEL COMPANY'S
LAND 48
THE PINEY WOODS EXPRESS 48
THOMAS PETER 64