The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-20
EIGHT GOVERNORS OF ALABAMA
1874-1901
No. 62-The Beginnings of the Birmingham Boom
Edward A. O'Neal Governor

By the year 1885 the Elyton Land COM
pany, under the management of President
H. NJ Caldwell. assisted by Secretary
the directory generally. especially Col,
d. S. Troy of Montgomery, had succeeded
in awakening a permanent interest
throughout Alabama in the fortunes OF
Birmingham. A sense of confidence in
the landlocked mineral wealth became the
foundation of most enthusiastic faith.
From Mobile, Eufaula, Montgomery. Sell
ma, Demopolis, Huntsville, Talladega,
Tuscaloosa, Greensboro. indeed from the
the population changed homes to Bir-
mingham.
Probably no town in America had ever
been SO suddenly built up by a population
so well educated so conservative in tone,
SO fixed in purpose to remain on the spot
ready for a tilt with any fortune that
might come.
The fame of the mineral deposits
brought capitalists from the east and
from the west but the dominating ele-
ment was native southern. Virginia, Ten
nessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Georgia,
the Carolinas sent their contributions to
the mass. but the natives of Jefferson
county more than held their own in the
animated rivalry of all for success.
Banks, churches, manufactures, street
railways. parks, theatres came like mag
ic. A shoe merchant from Montgomery
opened business on Second avenue and
soon discovered to his astonshment, that
4. F<s.. r.l. hs.nx rtar
there than In his old established town he
had left Fashionable tailors. mantua-
makers, fine clothing houses. the best
of grocery stores found immediate Gus
TOM The city school system was at once
set on foot with liberal support from the
city government, and in most admirable
method by the superintendent.
In a word, as the far famed Bonapar-
tist grant, on the Tombigbee, had been
suddenly settled by southern slave hold
ers, and the forest with unexanpled rap
idfty transformed into splendid cotton
plantations. so the same class of people
had come to Birmingham and with ener-
gy, tact intelligence and honesty had
amazed the world The mayor was a
young native of Alabama, the judges on
the bench We're southern born, the pastors
were southern born, the captains of in
dustry were southern born. Every man
OH the uutttDtN u lut ELY toIl toiii-
pany was native Of cotton state, and
to this association OF citizens the town
owed the prospects ahead.
1t was in response to public reputation
Of this kind that large number of young
men, lawyers, doctors and merchants
came. Among these was Oscar w. I'm
derwood, b. NJ. Allen, Joseph f. John
stcn, the young doctors Morris, brothers
They found there William A. Walker
Samuel e Greene Chambers McAdory
their peers, natives of Jefferson. They
found there. natives of Jefferson, the
young Drs. Davis, brothers, their peers
Messrs. W. C. Garrett and F. V. Evans
established the Daily Age. Messrs. Wat
kins, two brothers, from counties of the
valley of the Tennessee became their
successors Colonel Morehead and Mr..
Pinckard and Mr.. r. N. Rhodes set up a
rival, the Herald, across the street. both
morning papers. Mr.. #. " Evans set ur
the Evening Chronicle all alone, Joined
the next year by Mr.. George NJ Cruil<-
shank In rivalry Mr. r. n. Rhodes sci
up the Evening News
This was the general situation when