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Industrial Alabama

This research guide contains a list of our resources on nearly 200 years of industrial production in Alabama, from early reports on the state’s geology and documents showing the use of mineral resources in the Confederate war effort to the late 19th century boom and 20th century dominance and decline of the pig iron industry.

Topical Introduction

As soon as non-natives began to settle in Alabama in the early 19th century, they began to notice coal deposits and other mineral resources in the central part of the state, at the southern extent of the Appalachian Mountain range. Before the Civil War, a handful of companies began extracting coal and iron in Shelby and Bibb Counties. As those companies came to supply coal to the Confederate war effort during the Civil War, they were targeted in Union cavalry raids in 1865.

The coal and iron industry was reestablished in the late 1870s. Birmingham, founded in 1871, became the center of an industrial boom because the Jones Valley region had deposits of all three things needed to make iron: coal, iron ore, and limestone. The Alice Furnace Company produced the first iron in the state in 1880. Other major companies to establish themselves in the period included Pratt Coal and Coke Company (1878), which was eventually bought by the Tennessee Coal, Iron, and Railroad Company (1886); Sloss Furnace Company (1881), which later became the Sloss-Sheffield Steel and Iron Company; Woodward Iron Company (1881); Pioneer Mining and Manufacturing Company; and DeBardeleben Coal and Iron Company.

Views of Birmingham-area industrial sites, circa 1882, from the John Horgan Jr. photo album.

Though central Alabama industrialists hoped to make the region a steelmaking powerhouse, the composition of its iron ore made for poor quality steel. Emphasis eventually turned to pig iron, the product of heating iron ore, which had uses beyond being a precursor to steel, for example, in the creation of cast iron for pipes and other molded products. In addition to the companies mentioned above, the United States Steel Corporation was also a major player, after its acquisition of TCI. Pioneer was acquired by Republic Steel Company.

After disruptions to the market caused by the Great Depression and World War II, the pig iron industry had another brief boom, led by United States Pipe and Foundry Company, which had acquired Sloss. However, by the late 1950s it could not compete with foreign imports. By the 1970s, every major company in the district, with the exception of U.S. Steel, had ceased production.

The materials below reflect some of these developments and changes. They also illuminate the effect of the industrialization of the state on its people. Early mining efforts sometimes relied on enslaved labor, and the brutal practice of convict labor was common until the late 1920s. Even among free laborers, mining and smelting was dangerous work. However, industrial work still attracted many who were fleeing the poverty of sharecropping, especially during the boll weevil crisis of the 1910s. Workers were generally forced to live in company towns and became indebted to the company, but they also often had better education and healthcare than might otherwise be available to them.

Workers at a Central Iron & Coal Co. site, Tuscaloosa County, 1902

Table of Contents

Archival Collections

Collections are grouped below by type, including materials generated by the companies themselves and individuals involved in industrial work, and related collections about industry. The largest collections are at the top of the list in each section.

Title links go to collection finding aids, and separate links are given for those collections and parts of collections that have been digitized.

Corporate Papers

Shelby Iron Company Records (MSS-1261)

  • Contains records of the Shelby Iron Company from 1862 to 1930, including correspondence, directors’ minutes, stockholder records, manufacturing records (charcoal reports, stable reports, mining, time books, payrolls by department), commissary records, grist mill toll books, furnace record books, and many other records. It also includes records of a subsidiary, Shelby Manufacturing and Improvement Company, 1890-1923. The virtually complete set of manufacturing records also parallels the birth and growth of the Birmingham iron industry. These records provide the most detailed accounts of Confederate iron making in the west, as well as a good deal of information about the rise (and fall) of industry in the South before and after the Civil War. 1860s-1930s. 488 linear feet.
  • Note: Researchers interested in African American history will find records that document the use of enslaved persons in iron production before and during the Civil War as well as the post-war employment of African Americans.

Republic Steel records (MSS-1186)

  • This collection contains correspondence, security and insurance records, and other materials of this Birmingham steel company. 1930s-1970s. 78 linear feet.

Cobb Coal Company records (MSS-0322)

  • This collection contains records from an Alabama coal company. 1920s-1970s. 45 linear feet.

Bessemer Coal, Iron, and Land Company records (MSS-0145)

  • This collection contains much of the business correspondence and records of the Bessemer Coal, Iron and Land Company, including lists of stock holders, minutes of meetings, maps of mine sites, and correspondence with government entities. 1880s-1980s. 12 linear feet.

Cobb Coal photographs (2010-007)

  • Ten photographs of Cobb coal mining. 1920s-1970s. 2 linear feet.

Brierfield Ironworks Records (MSS-0212)

  • Financial and legal documents of the Brierfield Ironworks along with some correspondence and printed materials, dating from 1866 to 1882. The materials are divided into two main groups: (A) those materials generated during Josiah Gorgas’ control of the ironworks (1866-1869), and (B) those materials generated during Thomas S. Alvis’ control of the operations (1869-1873). 1860s-1890s (Bulk 1860s-1880s). 1.5 linear feet.
  • Note: Related to original Brierfield furnace, Bibb Works. Reorganized under the names Bibb Furnace Company (1877), Brierfield Coal and Iron Company (1882), Alabama Iron and Steel Company (mid-1880s).

Essex Foundry records (MSS-0490)

  • Incorporation papers, by-laws, directors’ minutes, minutes of stockholders’ meetings, and related records of this Jefferson County, Alabama, company. 1910s-1960s. 1.4 linear feet.

Alabama Fuel and Iron Company records (MSS-0033)

  • The business records of a firm with extensive mine holdings in Alabama, including minutes of stockholders meetings, 1917-1953, minutes of the board of directors, 1927-1953, and miscellaneous material. 1910s-1950s. 1.2 linear feet.
  • Note: Business once known as the Alabama Fuel and Steel Company.

Birmingham Coal and Coke Company shipping records (MSS-0160)

  • Ledger of shipping records including destinations, prices and kinds of coal, dates, etc. 1920s. 1.2 linear feet.

Bessemer Rolling Mills papers (MSS-3479)

  • The accounting/cash book #3 of the Bessemer Rolling Mills. 1890s. 1 linear foot.

Central Iron and Coal Company Photographs (2007-009)

  • Four albums with a total of 70 photographs depicting different aspects of coal and iron production, from mining to building a furnace, and transporting the material by train, as well as workers’ houses, offices, and stores. Some of the photographs have locations identified as Bibbville and Vance, Alabama. 1900s. 0.5 linear feet.
  • Digitized materials: 70 images from 4 albums (entire collection)

Woodward Iron Company records (W-0061)

  • Correspondence, financial and legal records, annual reports, and employee newsletters produced by the Woodward Iron Company and members of the Woodward Voting Trust, from 1945-1977. 1940s-1970s. 0.5 linear feet.

Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company documents (MSS-1392)

  • A miscellany of materials relating to the Tennessee Coal, Iron, and Railway Comapny’s Fairfield Steelworks, later a part of the United States Steel Company’s industrial empire. 1920s-1960s. 0.43 linear feet.

Alabama Power Company Coal Mines (MSS-0046)

  • Variety of reports from Alabama Power Company’s Gorgas, Marvel, Blocton, and Cahaba coal mines in the mid-20th century. 1940s-1960s. 0.4 linear feet.

Alabam Coal and Iron records (W-0062)

  • Correspondence, annual reports and audits, maps, and other material related to coal and iron production in Alabama. 1870s-1940s. 0.3 linear feet.

Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company Records (W-0104)

  • Two letterbooks, containing copies of letters written by Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company Assistant General Manager G. B. McCormack from 1893 to 1898. Also includes a ledger documenting the company’s tax returns from 1894 to 1895, and photographs depicting TCI industrial complexes. 1890s. 0.3 linear feet.

Montgomery and West Point Railroad minute books (W-0102)

  • Contains two minute books, with entries from directors’ and stockholders’ meetings of the Montgomery and West Point Railroad from March 1846 to June 1870. 1840s-1860s. 0.2 linear feet.

S. A. and M. Railway survey notes (MSS-0076)

  • Material relating to Savannah, Americus, and Montgomery (S.A. & M.) Railway. 1880s-. 0.2 linear feet.

Milner Coal and Railroad Company meeting minutes (W-0101)

  • Minutes of directors and stockholders’ meetings between 1900 and 1910. 1900s. 0.15 linear feet.
  • Note: A notable feature of the company’s legacy was its early and extensive use of convict labor. Managed by President John T. Milner, the company employed a staff of 200. Approximately 150 of these employees were prisoners incarcerated in Alabama’s state and local prisons.

Dallas Iron Works letterbook (W-0097)

  • Contains the Reconstruction-era letterbook and account book of the Dallas Iron Works in Selma, Alabama. 1860s-1870s. 0.1 linear feet.

Gulf and Ship Island Railroad Company documents (MSS-0602)

  • Documents dealing with various financial considerations concerning mortgages, bonds, consolidations, etc., between 1912 and 1914. 1910s-1930s. 0.1 linear feet.

Segco Mine Number One papers (MSS-1241)

  • Final inspection report and blueprints for Segco Mine Number One in Walker County, Alabama. 1960s. 0.1 linear feet.

Shelby Iron Company Correspondence During the Civil War (W-0071)

  • Correspondence, contracts, and receipts related to the production of iron at the Shelby Iron Works from 1863-1865. 1860s. 0.1 linear feet.
  • Note: Includes correspondence with Holly Springs Iron Works.

DeKalb Land and Mining Company minute book (MSS-0422)

  • This collection contains the company’s record and minute book for the period 1911-1920. 1910s. 0.08 linear feet.

Bessemer Land & Improvement Co. and Bessemer Coal, Iron & Land Co. stock certificates (MSS-3712)

  • Early stock certificates from these significant coal and land development companies. 1880s-1910s. 0.06 linear feet.
  • Note: Bessmer Coal, Iron and Land Company was previously known as Red Mountain Iron and Coal Company and Eureka Mining Company.

Cahaba Coal Mining Company meeting minutes (MSS-3805)

  • Meeting minutes for this Alabama coal mining company. 1890s. 0.05 linear feet.

Atlanta and West Point Railroad Company freight routes (MSS-0093)

  • Freight traffic routes for this Georgia railroad company. 1850s-. 0.04 linear feet.

Brookside-Pratt Mining Company records (MSS-0215)

  • This collection contains the pay records for W.M. Meadows for the year of 1919 at the Brookside-Pratt Mining Company. 1910s. 0.02 linear feet.

Personal Papers

Woodward Family papers (MSS-1577)

  • An extensive collection, including business and personal correspondence, financial records, photographs, and other materials of this Birmingham, Alabama, family, which owned and operated the Woodward Iron Company. 1830s-1950s (Bulk 1860s-1940s). 34.6 linear feet.
  • Note: S. H. Woodward was also associated with LaBelle Iron Works (Wheeling, W.V.). J. H. and A. H. Woodward were also associated with LaBelle Iron Works (Wheeling, W.V.); Wheeling Steel Corporation; Seaboard Air Line Railroad; and Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic Railroad.
  • Digitized materials: 28,681 items (entire collection)

James Bowron Papers (MSS-0193)

  • A substantial collection of papers and materials relating to James Bowron, one of the 19th century iron and mining pioneers in the Deep South. It includes Bowron’s 1632-page, unpublished autobiography, as well as his daily journals, letters, and pictures. 1860s-1920s. 7.6 linear feet.
  • Note: Bowron was associated with Tennessee Coal, Iron, and Railroad Company; Bessemer Coal and Iron Company; and Gulf States Steel.
  • Digitized materials: 561 items (entire collection)

John H. Adams papers (MSS-0009)

  • The correspondence of a Birmingham, Alabama, mining engineer, businessman, poet, and public servant. The collection also includes a small group of papers of Adams’ son, John R. Adams, an attorney and realtor. 1890s-1940s (Bulk 1910s-1930s). 1.2 linear feet.
  • Note: The elder Adams was associated with Sloss Iron and Steel Company; O’Neals Lime Works; Sayre Mining and Manufacturing Company; Birmingham Trussville Iron Company; Cleveland-Alabama Mining Company; Republic Iron and Steel Company; and Northern Kentucky Coal Mining Company. The younger Adams was associated with O’Neals Lime Works. They were involved with the creation of the Vulcan statue at Vulcan Park in Birmingham.

Joseph Squire autobiography (MSS-2298)

  • Joseph Squire’s autobiography. 1860s-1900s?. 1 linear feet.
  • Note: Squire was an early pioneer or coal mining in Alabama. He was associated with Alabama Coal Mining Company and Little Cahaba Iron Works.

George O. Baker and Joseph M. Baker papers (W-0066)

  • Correspondence, ledgers, and other papers of Selma, Alabama, businessmen, George O. Baker, his son, Joseph M. Baker, and their various companies and businesses, including Chilton Lumber Company, Dallas Iron Works, and Dallas Oil Company. 1880s-1890s. 1 linear feet.
  • Note: The elder Baker was also associated with Montevallo Coal Company and Central Oil Mill. The younger Baker was also associated with Alabama Cotton Oil Company.

Thomas and Biddle W. Worthington papers (MSS-1582)

  • The papers, chielfy business-related, of this father and son, both of whom were important in the Birmingham, Alabama business community. 1910s-1980s (Bulk 1910s-1930s). 0.6 linear feet.
  • Note: The elder Worthington was associated with Arkansas Manganese Ore Company. The younger Worthington was associated with Sloss-Sheffield Steel and Iron Company.

Frank Jones photographs (2009-213)

  • Eight black and white photographs of Shelby Iron Company, Shelby, Alabama, along with photos of the workers, a store and a hotel. 1880s-1910s. 0.5 linear feet.

Henry DeBardeleben business records (W-0052)

  • Official meeting minutes, stockholder letters, stock certificates, and legal documents produced by the DeBardeleben Coal Corporation, the Bessemer Land and Improvement Company, and the Bessemer Coal, Iron and Land Company. 1880s-1950s (Bulk 1880s-1900s). 0.5 linear feet.
  • Note: DeBardeleben was also associated with the DeBardeleben Coal and Iron Company, which later merged with the Tennessee Coal, Iron, and Railroad Company.

J. A. Montgomery business records (W-0068)

  • Correspondence, time book, and ledger of Birmingham, Alabama, industrialist J. A. Montgomery. 1880s-1890s. 0.2 linear feet.
  • Note: Montgomery was associated with the Birmingham, Powderly, and Bessemer Railroad Company.

R. M. Patton documents (MSS-1111)

  • This collection consists of a letter regarding lands due the Wills Valley Railroad Co. (part of Northeast and Southwest Alabama RR) upon completion of 20 miles of track, also an offer to purchase mineral rights to the same from Governor R. M. Patton, who was also President of the Board of Directors of the Central Mining and Petroleum Company of Alabama. Also contains a copy of some legislation. 1860s. 0.02 linear feet.

Working Lives Oral History Project

Drawn from the Archive of American Minority Cultures (MSS-0084). Title links go to the digitized audio + transcript. Each item page has a long, detailed description of that oral history’s contents.

  • Interview with Alex Bryant: 2 audio cassette(s), with 30 pages of transcript. Includes mentions of hazards or injuries, convict labor; and references to the following companies: Republic Steel, Tenn. Coal Iron and Railroad Co., Sloss Furnaces.
  • Interview with Anderson Underwood: 2 audio cassette(s), with 33 pages of transcript. Includes descriptions of work; mentions of disease or medical issues, hazards or injuries, race relations, convict labor, unionizing (Mine Mill and Smelter Workers, United Steelworkers); and references to the following companies: Tenn. Coal Iron and Railroad Co., Debardeleben (various).
  • Interview with Bobby Clayton: 2 audio cassette(s), with 25 pages of transcript. Includes descriptions of work; mentions of camp life (Muscoda), disease or medical issues, hazards or injuries, unionizing (Mine Mill and Smelter Workers).
  • Interview with Clarence Darden: 2 audio cassette(s), with 29 pages of transcript. Includes mentions of camp life, disease or medical issues, unionizing (United Steelworkers, Mine Mill and Smelter Workers); and references to the following companies: U. S. Steel.
  • Interview with Cleatus and Louise Burns: 2 audio cassette(s), with 58 pages of transcript. Includes mentions of camp life, unionizing.
  • Interview with Constance Jones Price: 2 audio cassette(s), with 25 pages of transcript. Includes mentions of hazards or injuries, unionizing (United Mine Workers); and references to the following companies: Republic Steel.
  • Interview with Curtis Maggard: 2 audio cassette(s), with 48 pages of transcript. Includes descriptions of work; mentions of hazards or injuries, race relations, unionizing (United Steelworkers); and references to the following companies: Tenn. Coal Iron and Railroad Co., Debardeleben (various), American Cast Iron Pipe Co., Stockham Valves and Fittings.
  • Interview with David B. Martin: 2 audio cassette(s), with 26 pages of transcript. Includes mentions of hazards or injuries; and references to the following companies: Tenn. Coal Iron and Railroad Co.
  • Interview with Dr. Wallace Clyde: 1 audio cassette(s), with 5 pages of transcript. Includes mentions of disease or medical issues, hazards or injuries; and references to the following companies: Tenn. Coal Iron and Railroad Co.
  • Interview with Earl Brown: 2 audio cassette(s), with 23 pages of transcript. Includes descriptions of work; mentions of camp life, hazards or injuries, race relations, unionizing (United Mine Workers).
  • Interview with Eva Russell: 2 audio cassette(s), with 28 pages of transcript. Includes mentions of hazards or injuries, unionizing (United Mine Workers).
  • Interview with Frank Sykes: 2 audio cassette(s), with 57 pages of transcript. Includes descriptions of work; mentions of hazards or injuries, unionizing (United Mine Workers).
  • Interview with Frederick Cox: 1 audio cassette(s), with 36 pages of transcript. Includes mentions of race relations, unionizing; and references to the following companies: U. S. Steel.
  • Interview with George Brown: 2 audio cassette(s), with 21 pages of transcript. Includes mentions of hazards or injuries, unionizing.
  • Interview with Herman A. Taylor: 2 audio cassette(s), with 58 pages of transcript. Includes descriptions of work; mentions of race relations, unionizing.
  • Interview with Howard McAdory: 1 audio cassette(s), with 31 pages of transcript. Includes descriptions of work; mentions of hazards or injuries, unionizing (United Mine Workers).
  • Interview with James “Nar” Williams: 3 audio cassette(s), with 45 pages of transcript. Includes descriptions of work; mentions of race relations, unionizing; and references to the following companies: Tenn. Coal Iron and Railroad Co..
  • Interview with Jessie Grace: 2 audio cassette(s), with 50 pages of transcript. Includes descriptions of work; mentions of camp life (Muscoda), hazards or injuries, unionizing.
  • Interview with Jessie Whitely and William Wilson: 1 audio cassette(s), with 9 pages of transcript. Includes descriptions of work; mentions of unionizing.
  • Interview with Katherine Smith: 2 audio cassette(s), with 18 pages of transcript. Includes mentions of camp life.
  • Interview with King Chandler, Jr.: 1 audio cassette(s), with 12 pages of transcript. Includes mentions of camp life (Muscoda), unionizing (Mine Mill and Smelter Workers).
  • Interview with Leola Harris: 2 audio cassette(s), with 47 pages of transcript. Includes mentions of camp life (Muscoda), hazards or injuries.
  • Interview with Leon Alexander: 2 audio cassette(s), with 41 pages of transcript. Includes mentions of hazards or injuries, race relations, unionizing (United Mine Workers).
  • Interview with Lera Maggard: 2 audio cassette(s), with 30 pages of transcript. Includes mentions of women laborers.
  • Interview with Lizzie Lopp: 1 audio cassette(s), with 17 pages of transcript. Includes mentions of hazards or injuries.
  • Interview with Mack Gibson: 2 audio cassette(s), with 36 pages of transcript. Includes descriptions of work; mentions of hazards or injuries, unionizing.
  • Interview with Monroe Lide: 2 audio cassette(s), with 49 pages of transcript. Includes descriptions of work; mentions of hazards or injuries, race relations, unionizing.
  • Interview with Morris Benson: 2 audio cassette(s), with 39 pages of transcript. Includes mentions of unionizing; and references to the following companies: Tenn. Coal Iron and Railroad Co.
  • Interview with Reverend Fred C. Jones: 1 audio cassette(s), with 38 pages of transcript. Includes descriptions of work; mentions of hazards or injuries, race relations, unionizing.
  • Interview with Reverend Maxwell McBride: 2 audio cassette(s), with 48 pages of transcript. Includes descriptions of work; mentions of hazards or injuries, women laborers, unionizing.
  • Interview with Robert Washington: 2 audio cassette(s), with 60 pages of transcript. Includes mentions of hazards or injuries, race relations, unionizing (United Steelworkers, Bricklayers Masons and Plasterers).
  • Interview with Sam Andrews: 3 audio cassette(s), with 58 pages of transcript. Includes descriptions of work; mentions of hazards or injuries, unionizing (United Steelworkers, Bricklayers Masons and Plasterers).
  • Interview with Thelma Emmons: 2 audio cassette(s), with 44 pages of transcript. Includes mentions of camp life (Muscoda).
  • Interview with W.J. Ridgeway: 1 audio cassette(s), with 16 pages of transcript. Includes descriptions of work; mentions of convict labor, unionizing.
  • Interview with William E. Mitch: 2 audio cassette(s), with 25 pages of transcript. Includes descriptions of work; mentions of race relations, convict labor, unionizing (United Mine Workers); and references to the following companies: DeBardeleben Coal Co., Woodward Iron Co., U. S. Steel.
  • Interview with Willie Haley: 2 audio cassette(s), with 22 pages of transcript. Includes descriptions of work; mentions of hazards or injuries, unionizing (United Steelworkers, Bricklayers Masons and Plasterers).
  • Interview with Willie Johnson: 2 audio cassette(s), with 50 pages of transcript. Includes mentions of convict labor, unionizing (United Mine Workers).
  • Interview with Wyatt Barnfield: 1 audio cassette(s), with 10 pages of transcript. Includes descriptions of work; mentions of race relations, unionizing.

Confederate States of America, War Department, Nitre and Mining Bureau, District 10 letter (MSS-0350)

  • Letter dated 4 October 1864, from W.H.C. Price, Superintendent of the C.S.A. War Department’s Nitre and Mining District 10, to P.J. Weaver, requesting his urgent cooperation in the manufacturing of nitre. 1860s. 0.02 linear feet.

Alabama Industrial and Scientific Society records (MSS-0038)

  • Materials relating to the organization, including: meeting minutes, account books, lists of members and officers, and other items. 1890s. 0.4 linear feet.
  • Note: An organization of “civil and mining engineers, mine and furnace owners and managers, chemists, metallurgists, geologists, and all others interested in the material progress of the state into a society for the promotion of the scientific examination and discussion of practical everyday affairs,” the Alabama Industrial and Scientific Society was founded at the University of Alabama on 11 December 1890. Its officers included Cornelius Wade, C. A. Meissner, Erskine Ramsey, William B. Phillips, Thomas Seddon, F. M. Jackson, T. H. Aldrich, M.C. Wilson, J. H. Fitts, and Eugene Allen Smith.

Alabama Manufacturing Association records (MSS-0041)

  • Includes membership information, correspondence to members, newsletters, data on industrial growth, and civic booster brochures from various Alabama cities. 1950s-1970s. 1 linear feet.

Alabama Marble Quarries prospectus/stock subscription form (MSS-0042)

  • A prospectus describing the marble quarried by the firm in Talladega County, Alabama, and the demand for it. At the bottom of the second page is a stock subscription form. 1910s. 0.06 linear feet.

Alabama railroads of the past collection (W-0042)

  • Stock certificates, shipping receipts, and correspondence related to the operation and history of seven Alabama railroads: the Mobile and Alabama Grand Trunk Railroad Company; the Alabama and Mississippi Rivers Railroad; the Mobile & Girard Railroad Company; the Montgomery Southern Railway; the Tennessee and Alabama Railroad; the Atlanta and West Point Railroad; and the Montgomery Traction Company. 1950s-1940s. 0.1 linear feet.

J. W. Worthington report on furnace properties (W-0082)

  • One report notebook containing correspondence, maps, and reports on coal fields and iron furnaces located in Sheffield and Florence, Alabama, and West Point, Tennessee. 1890s. 0.2 linear feet. Worthington was a civil engineer and the manager of Sloss-Sheffield Steel and Iron Company. Compiled for J. W. Gates, who founded Republic Iron and Steel Company.
  • Note: The collection also contains a small collection of materials related to the creation of the Pensacola, Alabama, and Tennessee Railway, presumably collected by Worthington for inclusion in his report to Gates.

John C. Fletcher paper (MSS-0522)

  • Transcript of a presentation by John C. Fletcher at the Alabama Clergy Conference, 1970, on the impact of industrial society and the post-industrial revolution on the youth of America. 1970s. 0.13 linear feet.
  • Note: Fletcher was an ordained minister and an expert in medical ethics.

John Horgan Jr. Photographic Album (2009-170)

  • Album with twenty-three industrial photographs taken around Birmingham, Ensley, Sheffield, Anniston, Bessemer, and Woodward, Alabama in 1889. Photographer from Birmingham, Alabama, John Horgan, Jr. took the photos for Truman H. Aldrich and presented them to him in June 1889. 1880s. 1.33 linear feet.
  • Digitized materials: 23 images from 1 album (entire collection)

John Mason Dill Archive: Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company Photographic Collection (WP-006)

  • This collection consists of photographs, drawings and graphic materials depicting John Mason Dill and his coworkers at the end of his working career as one of the draftsman at the engineering office at the Tennessee Coal, Iron, and Railroad Company in Birmingham and Fairfield, Alabama. 1910s-1950s. 0.5 linear feet.
  • Note: Dill worked as a draftsman in the engineering office of the company.
  • Digitized materials: 502 images (all photos in collection)

Mrs. Alvin Mosley Interview Transcript (MSS-2651)

  • Transcript of an interview given by Mrs. Alvin Mosley of Ensley, Alabama, on November 30, 1942, on Birmingham radio station WBRC, regarding the government supervised Labor Board election at the TCI (Tennessee, Coal, Iron and Railroad Company) and the United Steelworkers of America union. 1940s. 0.1 linear feet.

Nicholas B. Stack papers (MSS-1333)

  • Scrapbooks and other documents of this Birmingham, Alabama, politician dealing with Birmingham politics, mining strikes, and other business endeavors. 1880s-1930s (Bulk 1900s-1930s). 0.4 linear feet.

R. H. Banister industrial scrapbook (MSS-3798)

  • Industrial scrapbook containing articles and images pertaining to the Woodward Iron Company. 1900s. 1.42 linear feet.

Robert H. McKenzie dissertation, correspondence, and notes (W-0072)

  • Copy of Robert H. McKenzie’s dissertation, “A History of the Shelby Iron Company, 1865-1881,” and a small collection of correspondence and research notes related to the dissertation. 1970s. 0.3 linear feet.
  • Note: McKenzie received a PhD in History from the University of Alabama.

Robert Praytor booklet (MSS-3629)

  • Booklet, “Firing Em Up!: Cahaba Coal Mining Co., 1889: Historic Beehive Coke Ovens, Blocton AL,” by Robert Praytor. 1990s. 0.1 linear feet.

Books and Other Published Items

Items are grouped by time period, then type or originator. Book collection name + call number is given at the end of each reference.

Early Efforts (1830-1880)

Various Reports

  • Alabama Bureau of Industrial Resources. Report of the Commissioner of Industrial Resources of the State of Alabama for the Year … to the Governor. 1869, 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874. [Alabama HC107.A4 A3…]
  • Ingram, G. Report on the Advantages and Connections of the New Orleans and North-Eastern Rail Road : And the Coal and Iron of Alabama as a Source of Traffic for the Line. “German Gazette” Steam Job Printing, 1873. [Rare HE2791 .N482 1873x]
  • Brumby, R. T. A Brief Account of the Analysis of the Blount, Shelby, and Talladega Springs: Also a Few Observations on the Coalfields, Iron Ores, Marbles, &c of the State of Alabama. 1838. [Alabama QE82 .B68 1838x]
  • Jackson, Joyce. History of the Shelby Iron Company: 1862-1868. Published by Brasher Publications, in conjunction with the Historic Shelby Association, Inc., 1990? [Alabama T378 J135h 1948]
  • Tait, James L. Report of Colonel J. L. Tait, Fellow of the Geological Society of London: On the Iron and Coal Lands of the Red Mountain Iron and Coal Co. Barrett & Brown, Printers and Binders, 1870. [Alabama TN24.A2 T34 1870x]
  • Shelby Iron Company Board of Directors. Letter to Hon. Chas. B. Mitchell, in Relation to the Iron Business of Alabama. Mississippian Steam Book and Job Office, 1864. [Confederate Imprints TN704.U5 S54]

Confederate Government Documents

  • General orders. No. 14: [Amendment to general orders, no. 72 of 1962 pertaining to certificates of disability and regulations authorizing the superintendent of the Nitre and Mining Bureau to enforce existing contracts of the government in iron, lead and other munitions] [Confederate Imprints UA585 .A3 1863 no.14]
  • General orders. No. 36: [Authorizing the Superintendent of the Nitre and Mining Bureau to pay, from the appropriation for the purchase and manufacture of nitre, the traveling expenses of officers of the nitre corps] [Confederate Imprints UA585 .A3 1863 no.36]
  • General orders. No. 49: [Regulations pertaining to the clothing of deceased soldiers, regulations pertaining to the payment of engineer officers while employed on reconnoissances, surveys or other duty under special orders causing temporary absence from their posts, and regulations exempting from impressment all supplies of contractors engaged exclusively in iron or munitions of war for the government] [Confederate Imprints UA585 .A3 1863 no.49]
  • General orders. No. 85: [Publication of an act of Congress to establish a Nitre and Mining Bureau] [Confederate Imprints UA585 .A3 1863 no.85]
  • General orders. No. 102: [Revoking general orders no.36 which authorized the Superintendent of the Nitre and Mining Bureau to pay, from the appropriation for the purchase and manufacture of nitre, the traveling expenses of officers of the nitre corps] [Confederate Imprints UA585 .A3 1863 no.102]
  • General orders. No. 133: [Regulations pertaining to the impressment of copper, coal, and other such minerals and regulations pertaining to to personal expenses for officers of the conscription bureau] [Confederate Imprints UA585 .A3 1863 no.133]
  • General orders. No. 10: [Extending general orders no. 85 of 1863 to impress iron to the impressment of ore, timber, and all materials essential to the production and manufacture of iron]. 1864. [Confederate Imprints UA585 .A3 1864 no.10]
  • General orders. No. 18: [Regulations pertaining to assignments and military orders for Nitre and Mining Corps] [Confederate Imprints UA585 .A3 1864 no.18]
  • General orders. No. 82: [Suspension of general orders no. 77 and orders for the Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance and the Chief of the Nitre and Mining Bureau to place in the field one-fifth of all men employed under their respective service] [Confederate Imprints UA585 .A3 1864 no. 82]

First Boom (1881-1900)

  • Porter, John B. The Iron-ores and Coals of Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. Transactions of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, 1886. [Alabama TN403.A6 P67 1886]
  • Phillips, William Battle. Iron Making in Alabama. Jas. P. Armstrong, printer, 1896. [Alabama TN704.U5 P5]

Alabama Geological Survey Reports

  • McCalley, Henry. On the Warrior Coal Field. Geological Survey of Alabama. Barrett & Co., state printers and binders, 1886. [Alabama QE81 .A33 no.1]
  • Squire, Joseph, and Eugene Allen Smith. Report on the Cahaba Coal Field, by Joseph Squire.: With an Appendix on the Geology of the Valley Regions Adjacent to the Cahaba Field. Geological Survey of Alabama.  The Brown Printing Co., 1890. [Alabama QE81 .A33 no.2]
  • MCalley, Henry, and A. M. Gibson. Report on the Coal Measures of the Plateau Region of Alabama … Including a Report on the Coal Measures of Blount County. Geological Survey of Alabama. Smith, Allred & Co., State Printers, 1891. [Alabama QE81 .A33 no.3]
  • Gibson, A. M. Report on the coal measures of Blount Mountain: with map and sections. Geological Survey of Alabama. The Brown Printing Company, state printers, 1893. [Alabama QE81 .A33 no.5]
  • Gibson, A. M. Report upon the Coosa Coal Field, with Sections. Geological Survey of Alabama. Roemer Print. Co., 1895. [Alabama QE81 .A33 no.7]
  • McCalley, Henry. Report on the Warrior Coal Basin. Geological Survey of Alabama. Vance Printing Co., 1900. [Alabama QE81 .A33 no.10]

Company Documents and Promotional Materials

  • Alabama Lands for Sale!: Over Half a Million Acres of Coal, Iron Ore, Timber, and Agricultural Lands for Sale in the State of Alabama. Birmingham: Rogers Printing Co., 1887. [Alabama F326 .A66 1887]
  • Charter, Act of General Assembly Confirming the Same: And By-laws of the Tuskaloosa Coal, Iron, and Land Co., Tuskaloosa, Ala. 1887. [Alabama F334.T9 T89x]
  • Annual Report of the Tennessee Coal, Iron, and Railroad Company. 1893. [Alabama HD9517.A13 T4x 1893]
  • Charter and by-laws of the Shelby Iron Co. Press of the Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co., 1885. [Alabama HD9519.S54 S54 1885x]
  • Along the Route of the Proposed Alabama and Mexican Gulf Railway: 120 Miles through the Warrior and Cahaba Coal-fields, Coal, Iron, and Limestone; 120 Miles through the Pine Forests of Alabama and Florida. Alabama and Mexican Gulf Railway, 1885. [Alabama HE2791.A433 A46 1885]
  • Best Coal and Iron Property Now to Be Had in the South: Only Fourteen Miles from Chattanooga. Republican Press Association, 1889. [Alabama TN805.A5 B47 1889x]
  • Report of the Kentucky & Alabama Coal, Iron, and Land Company. 1883. [Alabama TN805.A6 K36 1883x]
  • Prospectus of the Fort Payne Coal and Iron Co.: A Corporation Organized under the Laws of the State of Alabama. Washington Press, 1888. [Alabama TN805.Z6 F65 1888x]

Histories and Commemorative Materials

  • The Iron and Steel Museum of Alabama: Tannehill Historical State Park. 1981. [Agee F323 .I7 1981x]
  • Shelby Iron: A Celebration of Our History, and a Look to the Future. The Historical Shelby Association, 1993. [Alabama HD9519.S54 S53 1993x]
  • Bennett, James R. Old Tannehill: A History of the Pioneer Ironworks in Roupes Valley (1829-1865). Birmingham, Ala.: Jefferson County Historical Commission, 1986. [Alabama HD9519.T36 B46 1986x]
  • Fuller, Justin. History of the Tennessee Coal, Iron, and Railroad Company, 1852-1907 [thesis]. Chapel Hill, 1966. [Alabama HE2791.T252 F8x]

Consolidation and Plateau (1901-1940)

Alabama and US Geological Survey Reports

  • Burchard, Ernest F, Charles Butts, and Edwin C. Eckel. Iron Ores, Fuels, and Fluxes of the Birmingham District, Alabama; With Chapters on the Origins of the Ores. United States Geological Survey. GPO, 1910. [Alabama TN403.A6 B8]
  • Lines, E. F. Investigations of the Coal Fields of Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Virginia, and Alabama by the United States Geological Survey in 1906. United States Geological Survey. GPO, 1907. [Alabama TN805.P4 I58 1907x]

Corporate Documents

  • Annual Report of the Sloss-Sheffield Steel and Iron Company. 1918. [Alabama F334.B6 S427 19th 1918]
  • Ensley Land Co., Steel Making in the South and the Town of Ensley, Alabama: Six Miles West of Birmingham. Real Estate Management Co., 1900. [Alabama Tall F334.E48 S74 1900x]
  • Rules and Regulations Governing the Safety of Employes [sic] of the Black Diamond Coal Mining Company. 1931. [Alabama TN295 .B42 1931x]
  • Rules and Regulations Governing the Safety of Employes [sic] of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company: Ensley Works. 1921. [Alabama TN295 .T46 1921]
  • Rules and Regulations Governing the Safety of Employes [sic] of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company: Ore Mines and Quarry Workmen. 1937. [Alabama TN295 .T46 1937]
  • Alabama Consolidated Coal & Iron Company and Southern Iron & Steel Company: Plan and Agreement of Merger and Reorganization. 1911. [Alabama TN704.U5 A533 1911x]
  • Tennessee Coal, Iron, and Railroad Company. Mining and Steel-making Methods in Alabama. 1924. [Alabama HE2791 .T138 1924]
  • Pratt Consolidated Coal Company. Production of Coal and Coke by Alabama Mines and Ovens, 1907. [Alabama TN805.Z6 P7 1907x]

Other Reports and Histories

  • Armes, Ethel. The Story of Coal and Iron in Alabama. Pub. under auspices of the Chamber of Commerce, 1910. [Alabama HC107.A4 A8]
  • Chapman, H. H. Iron and Steel Companies in Years of Prosperity and Depression [dissertation]. 1935. [Alabama HD9515 .C45 1935]
  • Sternman, Charles A. Development of the Iron and Steel Industry in Alabama, a Statistical Study [thesis]. 1933. [Alabama HD9517.A4 S74 1933]
  • Henry, Georges Leon. The Cedar Cove Mine of the Big Sandy Coal and Iron Company [thesis]. 1926. [Alabama HD9549.B54 H46 1926]
  • Illustrated Story of Birmingham, Alabama: The Iron, Steel and Coal District of the South. 1913. [Alabama Oversize F334.B6 I6x]
  • Coal Mining in Alabama. Birmingham, Ala.: Alabama Mining Institute, 1936-37. [Alabama TN805.A6 A4 v.1 (1936/1937)]

State Government Reports

  • Alabama Office of State Mine Inspectors. Annual Report of State Mining Department of Alabama, Coal Mines. 1935-1938. [Alabama TN24.A2 A3 1935/1938]
  • Alabama Division of Vocational Education. A Report of the Conference for Training Foreman Leaders for the Coal Mining Industry Held at the University of Alabama, May 25 to 29, 1931. [Alabama TN802 .A4]
  • Alabama Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor. Alabama’s Coal Mining Industry in Relation to the Current Inactivity of the State’s Coal Mines: Report of the Board of Mediation, May 19, 1941. [Alabama TN805.A6 A3 1941x]
  • Alabama Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Safety and Inspection. Coal Mining Laws. 1911, 1923, 1928, 1930, 1935, 1940, 1951. [Alabama TN224.A2 A4…]

Second Boom and Decline (1941-1970)

Alabama and US Geological Survey Reports

  • Rothrock, Howard Eugene. Geology of the Coal City and Fairview Basins, Coosa Coal Field, St. Clair County, Alabama: Preliminary Map. United States Geological Survey. 1948. [Maps G3973.S2 1948 R67x]
  • Geology and Coal Resources of the Northeast Part of the Coosa Coal Field, St. Clair County, Alabama. Geological Survey of Alabama. 1949. [Alabama QE81 .A15 no.61 pt.1-2]
  • Iron Ore Outcrops of the Red Mountain Formation in Northeast Alabama. Geological Survey of Alabama. 1947. [Alabama QE81 .A33 no.19]

Corporate Documents

  • Agreement between Tennessee Coal, Iron, and Railroad Company and United Steelworkers of America CIO. Birmingham, 1945. [Alabama HD6515.I52 A34 1945]
  • Annual Report of the Bessemer Coal, Iron & Land Company: Report of the President and Treasurer. 1903-1918,1920-1927,1929-1954, 1955/1956-1964/1965, 1966/1967. [Williams HD9519.B48 B4x…]
  • Gregg, Robert. A Message to the General Office Employees from Robert Gregg, President, Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company. 1949. [Alabama HD9519.T4 G72 1949x]
  • The Tennessee Coal, Iron, and Railroad Co. at Home in Its New General Offices at Fairfield, Ala. 1951. [Alabama HD9519.T4 T4 1951x]
  • United States Steel Company, Tennessee Coal and Iron Division. Welcome to TCI: A Century of Service to the South. 1960. [Alabama HD9519.T4 W47 1960x]
  • Coal Reserves of Alabama: Served by Southern Railway System. Southern Railway System, 1972. [Alabama TN805.A6 S69]
  • Steel Making: Southern District. Republic Steel Corp., 1960s. [Alabama TS330.G33 S74 1960z]

Other Reports and Histories

  • Kirk, Ralph E. Early History (1798-1899) of the Most Essential Raw Materials for Manufacture of Iron and Steel in Alabama. 1958. [Alabama HD9517.A2 K5 1958x]
  • Gregg, Robert. Origin and development of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company. New York, Newcomen Society of England, American Branch, 1948. [Alabama HD9519.T4 G7]
  • Badham, H. L. History of the Bessemer Coal, Iron, and Land Company from 1886 to 1948. [Alabama HD9549.B47 B32 1948x]

State Government Reports

  • Hicks, Rupert. The Iron and Steel Industry in Alabama. Alabama Department of Industrial Relations, 1950. [Agee HD9517.A2 I5 1950x]
  • Alabama Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Safety and Inspection. Coal Mining Laws. 1911, 1923, 1928, 1930, 1935, 1940, 1951. [Alabama TN224.A2 A4…]

Later Geological and Industry Reports (1971-2000)

Alabama & US Geological Survey

  • Winston, Richard B. Virinite Reflectance of Alabama’s Bituminous Coal. Tuscaloosa, Ala.: Geological Survey of Alabama, Energy and Coastal Geology Division, 1990. [Alabama QE1 .A4 no. 139]
  • Winston, Richard B. Preliminary Report on Coal Quality Trends in Upper Pottsville Formation Coal Groups and Their Relationships to Coal Resource Development, Coalbed Methane Occurrence, and Geologic History in the Warrior Coal Basin, Alabama. Tuscaloosa, Ala.: Geological Survey of Alabama, Energy and Coastal Geology Division, 1990. [Alabama QE1 .A4 no. 152]
  • Szabo, Michael W. A Field Guide to Mineral Deposits in South Alabama. Geological Survey of Alabama, 1973. [Alabama QE1 .A4 no. 90]
  • Harper, William B., and W. Everett Smith. The Mineral Industry of Alabama, 1970. Geological Survey of Alabama, 1973. [Alabama QE81 .A28 no. 23]
  • Riley, H. L., and W. Everett Smith. The Mineral Industry of Alabama, 1971. Geological Survey of Alabama, 1973. [Alabama QE81 .A28 no. 24]
  • Riley, H. L., and W. Everett Smith. The Mineral Industry of Alabama, 1972. Geological Survey of Alabama, 1974. [Alabama QE81 .A28 no. 31]
  • Smith, W. Everett, and O. E. Gilbert. Mining and Minerals in Alabama. Geological Survey of Alabama, 1975. [Alabama QE81 .A22 no. 47]
  • Boyle, James R., and T. L. Nealy. The Mineral Industry of Alabama, 1974. Geological Survey of Alabama, 1977. [Alabama QE81 .A22 no. 48]
  • Sokolosky, Peter K., and Camilla G. Musgrove. Alabama Coal Data for 1979. Geological Survey of Alabama, Energy Resources Division, 1982. [Alabama QE81 .A22 no. 58A]
  • Tolson, Janyth S. Alabama Coal Data for 1985. Geological Survey of Alabama, Energy Resources Division, 1986. [Alabama QE81 .A22 no. 58G]
  • Tolson, Janyth S. Alabama Coal Data for 1986. Geological Survey of Alabama, Energy Resources Division, 1987. [Alabama QE81 .A22 no. 58H]
  • Tolson, Janyth S. Alabama Coal Data for 1987. Geological Survey of Alabama, Energy Resources Division, 1988. [Alabama QE81 .A22 no. 58I]
  • Tolson, Janyth S. Alabama Coal Data for 1988. Geological Survey of Alabama, Energy Resources Division, 1989. [Alabama QE81 .A22 no. 58J]
  • Smith, W. Everett, and George D. Wade. Minerals in Alabama, 1985. Geological Survey of Alabama, 1986. [Alabama QE81 .A22 no. 64D]
  • Dean, Lewis S., and W. Everett Smith. Minerals in Alabama, 1986. Geological Survey of Alabama, 1987. [Alabama QE81 .A22 no. 64E]
  • Dean, Lewis S., and W. Everett Smith. Minerals in Alabama, 1987. Geological Survey of Alabama, 1988. [Alabama QE81 .A22 no. 64F]
  • Dean, Lewis S., and W. Everett Smith. Minerals in Alabama, 1989. Geological Survey of Alabama, 1990. [Alabama QE81 .A22 no. 64H]
  • Ward, Willard E., II, and Francis E. Evans, Jr. Coal, Its Importance to Alabama. Geological Survey of Alabama, Division of Energy Resources Research, Office of Coal Research, 1975. [Alabama QE81 .A28 no. 53]
  • Rheams, Lawrence J., and D. Joe Benson. Depositional Setting of the Pottsville Formation in the Black Warrior Basin. Tuscaloosa, Ala.: Alabama Geological Society, 1982. [Alabama QE81 .A6 no. 19]
  • Rheams, Karen F. Kyanite-sillimanite in Rocks and Saprolite of the Alabama Piedmont. Geological Survey of Alabama, 1986. [Alabama Tall QE81 .R4 1986x]
  • Puente, Celso, and John G. Newton. Effect of Surface Coal Mining on the Hydrology of Crooked and Turkey Creek Basins, Jefferson County, Alabama. United States Geological Survey, Water Resources Division, 1979. [Alabama TD195.C58 P8x]
  • LaMoreaux, P. E. Coal: Alabama’s Energy for the Future. Geological Survey of Alabama. 1974. [Alabama TN805.A2 A4 1974x]
  • Rheams, Karen F. Mineral Filler and Extender Resources in Alabama. Geological Survey of Alabama, Mineral Resources Division, 1990. [Alabama TN967 .R47 1990]

University of Alabama Programs

  • Alabama’s New Surface Mining Law. Tuscaloosa, Ala.: University of Alabama, Center for Public Law and Service, 1982? [Alabama KFA256.A33 A2 1982x]
  • Green, N. L., and C. M. Lesher. Geology of the Hog Mountain Tonalite and Associated Lode Gold Deposits, Northern Alabama Piedmont: Final Report for the 1986-1987 Project Year. Tuscaloosa, Ala.: University of Alabama, School of Mines and Energy Development, 1988. [Alabama QE82.N67 G74 1988x]
  • Simpson, Thomas A. Geological Characterization of Overburden for Surface Coal Mine Blast Design in the Warrior Coal Field, Alabama. Tuscaloosa, Ala.: University of Alabama, School of Mines and Energy Development, 1986. [Alabama TN279 .S55 1986x]
  • Mayer, Morris L. An Economic Impact Study of the Expanding Coal Mining Industry in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. Tuscaloosa, Ala.: University of Alabama, School of Mines and Energy Development, 1980. [Alabama TN805.A6 M3x]
  • Misiolek, W. S., and J. E. Bailey. Analysis of Bituminous Coal Production Costs in the Warrior Coal Field : Economic Analysis of the 1977 Reclamation Law. Tuscaloosa, Ala.: University of Alabama, Mining and Mineral Resources Research Institute, 1980. [Alabama TN805.A6 M5x]
  • Wang, G. C., Frank S. Tsay, and Shriram Rajendra Dharwadkar. Engineering Study of Coalbed Degasification in the Warrior Basin of Alabama: Research Report. Tuscaloosa, Ala.: University of Alabama, School of Mines and Energy Development, 1984. [Alabama TN805.A6 W3 1984x]
  • Simpson, Thomas Alexander, and Ernest Anoma. Availability and Feasibility of the Recovery of Alabama Lignite Resources: Final Report. Tuscaloosa, Ala.: University of Alabama, College of Engineering, Bureau of Engineering Research, 1979. [Alabama TN831 .S457x]
  • Shotts, Reynold Q., and C. H. T. Wilkins. Conservation of Metallurgical Coals in the Southeast: Research Report. Tuscaloosa, Ala.: University of Alabama, School of Mines and Energy Development, 1980. [Alabama TP326.A2 S6x]
  • Batson, Robert G. Brass Foundry Sand System Quality Improvement Study: Final Report; Prepared for American Cast Iron Pipe Company. Tuscaloosa, Ala.: University of Alabama, College of Engineering, Bureau of Engineering Research, 1988. [Alabama TS565 .B375 1988x]
  • Matson, Jessica O. Brass Foundry Shipping Container Study: Final Report; Prepared for American Cast Iron Pipe Company. Tuscaloosa, Ala.: University of Alabama, College of Engineering, Bureau of Engineering Research, 1988. [Alabama TS565 .M38 1988x]