A Little Birmingham History...

BenjaminO

Member
Since getting into the hobby, I've many times wondered about where the iron used in Southern foundries came from. Having a vague sense from my schooling days that the South was relatively poor of minerals which accounted for it being less industrialized than Northern areas. I stumbled today upon a little snippet of history that answers my question and also reveals the origin of the BSR "Red Mountain" namesake. I love me some history and geology!
http://redmountainpark.org/history/the-story-of-red-mountain-park/
 
This paragraph really caught my eye:

While the sheer amount of iron ore in the ground was impressive, those reserves were only one of a trio of natural resources that made the area unique. Along with the ore, Jefferson County and the surrounding region also had tremendous quantities of limestone and coal. When Birmingham was founded in 1871, it was envisioned by its founders as the first industrial city and the hope of the “New South”. It was rightly touted as the only place in the world where all of the raw ingredients of iron could be found in such close proximity.
 
Thanks BenjaminO. That is a very informative site. I have been a BRS Red Mountain fan for sometime now and still can't complete a full set of RM skillets.

Jack
 
Benjamin, thanks for this interesting link to historical info. Geology and history have always been great interests for me too, and I bet many other forum members agree!
 
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