The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-26
REMINISCENT STORY OF
 BIRMINGHAM'S EARLY DAYS
BY FRANK P. o'HRlEN.

zen of Birmingham, was the senior mem- Der of the firm. The first brick store erected in the city was built by MT. George M. Figh of Montgomery, for MT. J. B. Ford, is stIll standing. The build- ing was known for years as the Ford building, and is located on First avenue, 100 feet below the OBrien Opera house lot The first brick residence was erected by MT. Michael Cahalan in February, 1872, on the corner of Fourth avenue and Twenty-first street, immediately oppo- site the county jail The Relay House, the first hotel opened in the city, was built by the Elyton Land company in. November, 1871, and was conducted by Mr. William Ketchum the father of Mrs. George R. Ward and grandfather of AL derman Ward. MT. William Ketchum was the first postmaster the post office was located on the land at present oecu- pied by the freight and passenger offices of the Louisville and Nashville railroad at the foot of Nineteenth street.
 The first weekly newspaper published in Birmingham. the Elyton Sun, was moved from Elyton by its owner and publisher, MT. Henry A. Hale, in Decem- Der, 1871. The office was located in the second story of the Ford building on First avenue. The first daily ever issued in the city was known as the Daily Item", was issued by the "Cant-Get- Away Club, during the cholera epidemic for the months of July, August and Sep tember Eugene A. McCaa, Esq, Frank A. Duval and the writer were the edi- tors. The first permanent morning daily published was the Daily Age" founded on the Weekly Iron Age, and started in the spring of 1880 by Hon. W. C. Gar rett Frank V. Evans and their associ- ates. Colonel J. W. Sloss Dr. Henry M. Caldwell Major Andrew Nara, L. H. and Robert Watkins and Frank P. O Brien. The first afternoon paper was the "Evening Chronicle" published by George M. Cruikshank and MT Daniel Grace. The first issue was printed May 1, 1884. The second afternoon paper, the Daily News" was organized by Gen. eral Rufus N. Rhodes and associates ear- ly in the spring of 1SS7 The writer was also associated with General Rhodes in this venture.
 Mir Albert F'ulghum was the first freight and Southern Express agent ever appointed in Birmingham. He was agent for the Alabama Great Southern railroad. He came to the city from Gadsden in August 1871. MT. John s. Cox, at present agent for the Louisville and Nashville was the first agent appointed by the said road He relieved MT. William Ber- ney, who represented the South and North Alabama, July 1st, 1871.
 Birmingham Eraternal was the first Masonic lodge organized in the city, was instituted in November, 1871, with Broth- CT John A. Milner as worshipful master The lodge room was in the second story of the Nara building, corner of First
 The Churches.
 avenue and Nineteenth street
 The first celebration of the holy sacri- fee of the mass was had Sunday, Octo- Der IS, 1871, in the little two room house on Fourth avenue immediately in rear of the brick residence opposite the eoun- ty jail, then the property of MT. Michael Cahalan, Esq, the father of Frank Ca- halan, Esq, Miss Mary Cahalan and the Mesdames Wheeler and Mackin. The celebrant was Rev Father McDonough