Birmingham state herald., 1896-03-01
THE IRON INDUSTRY.
Its Early History in the Birmingham District and the Men Connected Herewith.

"Why was not all this wealth devel- oped before?" is the question that rises to the lips of every visitor to Birming ham. It is a natural question. He hears on every side the remark that Birming ham is young city, and that the cotton rows have scarcely been leveled -to make way for her streets if'df1 these boasted resources-of the Birmingham district are aS represented, why were they allowed to remain unnoticed since the creation of the world until within the last few wears? Surely not from ignorance, for nature herself pointed out the way. All through these mountains are seen small coves or "lime sinks, in which are found pieces of iron and coke. Ihese coves are the craterS of extinct Volca- noes The volcanic fires melted the iron ore and coal lying together and the product was iron This was indeed Vul- cans workshop. But man was slow to take the hint from nature The natives used red iron ore to dye their homemade clothes and called the ore "dye-rocks. " The planters of the cotton belt were making fortunes, and were well content They looked down on this poor hill country" A member of the legislature from the black belt said in speech that "a crow could not fly over Jefferson county without taking his rationS With him." Now this county returns more taxable values than any five counties in the state.
 The first iron made of the Red noun tain ores was in the early forties. one of the pioneers hauled wagon load or the ore to blacksmith shop and had his horse shod with the iron. Just before the war this section began to attract at tention, but the war threw everything into chaos. The Confederate government during che war erected a furnace at old l. INn h lNo miles east of Birmingham, and made iron for the cannon which were being molded in Selma. If 1t had not been for the war, and if the people of the state had not been embarrassed with their riches in cotton and slaves, the resources of this sec ion would have been developed a half century ago. After the war, when men were looking around to restore their fall en fortunes, attention was again direct ed to the mineral region of the state. Prof. N. T. Lupton and other men of sci- ence had visited this county and ana lyzed the ores. and given a fiattering &C., count of their investigations, Bishop Hargrove, as guardian for several minor heirs came up from Dallas county and looked on the wealth of Red mountain. He had SEQ, 900 to invest for his wards, and was pleased with what he saw. He admitted the possibilities of the future, and realized that a great career awaited this God-blessed country But the ques- ton arose in his mind. When will 1t come to pass?" It might be fifty years before this natural wealth would be transmitted into gold. The children that looked to him for support might not reap any of the benefits of the investment in their lifetime. He returned to south Ala bama to invest and lost the opportunity 10 make his wards millionaires. Bolder spirits soon afterward blazed the path which has now become a highway The construction of the Alabama Great South ern and Louisville and Nashville rail roads opened up this section to the world. Coal mines were opened, and after thor ough test 1t was found that this coal would make splendid coke. Upon the one fact that coke will make heat sufficient to melt the ore does the making of iron depend The names of DeBardeleben, SIoss. Hillman, Underwood, Thomas and Woodward will ever be associated with fhe first iron making in Jefferson county. They are the bold spirits that know no such word as "fail."