Birmingham Photo of the Day (60): Hormel Meat Packing Plant

Wander around Alabama Mosaic, and you never know what you may find. Case in point is the photograph below, taken by Oscar V. Hunt [1881-1962] during his long, illustrious career in Birmingham. 

Whenever I find old photos of buildings, I like to see if the place still exists and if so what it's current use is. This photograph is pretty interesting just for the neat cars, which I guess would indicate sometime in the 1930's. The place on 14th Street North was a Hormel meat packing plant then; note the missing "m" in the sign. I wonder if the building was constructed for the plant or adapted for it.

As you'll see in the more recent photograph below and the Google Earth extract, the building still exists. A United Methodist ministry for the homeless, Church of the Reconciler, currently operates there. The building looks very nice, but has really not changed much over the decades.

Four photographs taken inside the Hormel plant in Montgomery in the 1950's are available here. You can learn more about Hormel here; the company has operated for more than 125 years. A photo of founder George A. Hormel is also below, along with a link to more about him.

Source: Birmingham Public Library Digital Collections

The building is now used by the Church of the Reconciler.

Source

Google Earth view of the building today.

George A. Hormel [1860-1946]

Source

Old Alabama Stuff (15): A 1903 Souvenir of Birmingham, pt. 2

This post is part 2 of my exploration of Souvenir of Birmingham, Ala. published in the city in 1903. I've looked at some of the photos included in the book in part 1, and we'll see some more here. As I noted in that first part, a number of photos I haven't covered are also in the book, which was probably issued as a promotion of the city to potential investors. Also in part 1, I discussed the provenance of this particular copy of the book. 

Let's begin..

Is this the Ensley Works or Sloss Furnace, which are shown below, or Thomas Furnace, which is featured in the book but I have not included here? The book itself doesn't identify the cover photograph. 

Capitol Park is one of four names given to the public space now known as Linn Park. In the Elyton Land Company's original design for the city, the area was designated Central Park. The park was given a new name soon after to match the city's interest in getting Alabama's state capitol moved from Montgomery to Birmingham. Whatever happened with that?

In December 1918 during Woodrow Wilson's second term, the park was renamed after the President. In October 1988 the park was rededicated and named after banker and industrialist Charles Linn. 

St. Vincent's Hospital was founded in 1898 by a Catholic priest and four sisters of the Daughters of Charity of St.Vincent's DePaul. Until this building was dedicated in November 1900, the hospital operated in a rented mansion. The facility continues to operate as St. Vincent's Birmingham in modern buildings on the same site.

Hillman Hospital began operation in 1888 to meet the medical care needs of the city's poor whites and blacks. The hospital acquired its name in 1896 to honor benefactor Thomas Hillman, an important local businessman. The building shown above was dedicated in July 1903 and remains a landmark on the UAB campus. 

Construction on Highland Avenue began in the mid-1880's by the Elyton Land Company, which wanted to open up 1500 acres it owned for residential development. Over the years the long and winding road has seen dummy railroad lines, streetcars, parks, and a golf course as well as stately mansions and businesses along its route. The town of Highland included some of the street upon its formation in 1887; the entire area became part of Birmingham in 1893. 

Avondale Mills was founded in 1897 by Braxton Bragg Comer, future Governor of Alabama. The mill was constructed on 1st Avenue North in what became the suburb of Avondale and later a Birmingham neighborhood. The company eventually operated as many as 18 mills around the state employing 7000 people. The company survived until 2006.

This Birmingham mill became controversial in the early 20th century because it employed numerous children. The mill eventually closed in 1971 and was torn down in 1976.  

Sloss Furnace produced pig iron near downtown Birmingham from 1882 until 1971. Once abandoned, the site is now a National Historic Landmark and almost as iconic as Vulcan or the Civil Rights Institute. The Sloss Furnace Company was the work of James Withers Sloss, one of the founders of Birmingham.

The giant Ensley Works was an open-hearth steel mill opened in 1888 and operating until 1976. The plant was originally owned by the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company which became a subsidiary of U.S. Steel in 1907. For many years the mill was the largest producer of ingots and rails in the Southeastern United States. 

James B. Helm operated a successful portrait studio in Woodlawn. You can see his house here. In the 1920 U.S. Census a James B. Helm is listed as living on 1st Avenue and identified his profession as "portraits and framer." I presume he was this Helm buried in Birmingham's Forest Hill Cemetery.

L.P. Hill of Ensley, an independent town until annexed into Birmingham in 1910, and photographer R.T. Boyett were the publishers of this booklet. One of Boyett's students was famed local photographer O.V. Hunt. I have so far been unable to find more information on either Hill or Boyett. 

This page and several following give more detailed information about the economy, real estate, and institutions of the city. 

Old Alabama Stuff (14): A 1903 Souvenir of Birmingham, pt. 1

In 1903 a publication appeared entitled Souvenir of Birmingham, Ala. This book consists of a number of photographs and several pages of text. The entire item has about 50 pages. I would guess it was intended as a promotion for potential investors in the area. Let's investigate. 

More to come in part 2. 

You can find the entire publication online at the Birmingham Public Library Digital Collections. In this post and a second one I discuss only a portion of the many photographs. Not included in either post are the court house, various banks, schools and other structures, a fire department photo and more. Perhaps I'll do a third post on those I haven't covered in the first two! 

The BhamWiki site notes that this elaborate structure opened in 1891 on the corner of 1st Avenue North and 19th Street as the Morris Block. Over the years several businesses occupied the building including a bank, realty, jeweler, tavern and billiard parlor. The Southern Association, a baseball minor league which operated from 1902 until 1961, was organized there in 1901.

After 1894 the upper floors became a luxury hotel. The place was known as the Earle Hotel for a few years in the 1940's and then returned to the Morris name. The building was demolished in 1958 and replaced with a three-story parking deck. 

This luxury hotel opened in 1901 on the corner of 4th Avenue North and 19th Street. The first two of its six stories housed not only the lobby and ballrooms but barber and shoe repair shops, cafes, jeweler, optician and a men's clothier. The hotel was named after T.T. Hillman, vice-president of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company; Hillman Hospital was also named after him. 

The Hillman remained Birmingham's leading hotel until the Tutwiler opened in 1914. The building survived until 1967; after demolition, parking replaced it. 

Birmingham's second city hall was constructed on the corner of 4th Avenue North and 19th Street on the site of the first city hall. The BhamWiki entry notes, "In addition to municipal offices, the building housed the Birmingham Fire Department, a National Guard unit, the first Birmingham Public Library and several retail spaces. It also housed a gymnasium that was opened for public recreation." See that entry for more history and photos of the building, including the fires in 1925 and 1944. A new city hall was finally constructed in 1950.  

Hugh Martin was a partner in the architectural firm of Miller, Martin and Lewis that designed many buildings in Birmingham and on the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa. Martin worked at the firm until his retirement in 1952. His son Hugh Martin, Jr., was a theater and film composer who wrote the classic song, "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas."

Opened in April 1887, this building was the city's first real train station. Although constructed by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, numerous other lines used it for decades. 

This view of 19th Street North has been annotated to point out City Hall and the Hillman Hotel. The street has served as one of the most important vectors of Birmingham business and history and continues to do so. 

The Birmingham News began publication in 1888 and after several name changes had settled on the name it still holds by 1895. In that year the paper moved into the three-story building seen here. In 1917 it moved to a six-story headquarters. Three years later the News purchased its rival the Ledger, which had occupied its own building in 1902. That structure was not part of the sale.  

The ten-story Woodward Building opened in 1902 and was the first steel-framed structure in the city. Although much changed, the building still stands today. 

Of course the book included photos of exemplary private residences. E.G. Sheppard owned the top one, E.N. Cullom the lower left, and Col. R.H. Pearson the lower right. 

In the 1910 U.S. Census Edward Northcroft Cullom [1858?-14 June 1924] and his wife Hattiel Louise Cullom were living at 1007 11th Avenue South. The 1910 Birmingham city directory says he was President of the Alabama Abstract Company and the Alabama Trust & Savings Company. The 1907 directory gives his office at 2026 3rd Avenue. He is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery. 

I have yet to learn anything about the other two men. 

I've discussed this building in a previous blog post, which has a different illustration. 

What Happened to Old Tuskaloosa Road?

Here's another bit of history I've passed many times over the years but only recently noticed--this street sign in Pelham announcing Old Tuskaloosa Road. That's a mighty new looking sign for such a short road, so I'm not sure what the story is behind that. You can see where it goes below.

In the Heritage of Shelby County, Alabama [1999, p.14], a section on early transportation notes the following:

"State of Alabama, Act, May 24, 1828, Vol. 4, p. 232, Road from Shelbyville to Tuskaloosa."

This reference apparently cites an Act of Congress authorizing the road--and perhaps funding--but so far I have been unable to track it down. Shelbyville is better known as Pelham today, and was the county seat until 1826 when Coumbiana was chosen. Tuscaloosa served as state capitol from 1826 until 1846, so roads to it were no doubt important. 

In the U.S. Statutes at Large, Volume 4, 1824-1835, p. 225, I did find this entry in a list of "post-roads" authorized by Congress on March 2, 1827: "From Moulton, by Walker Courthouse, to Tuscaloosa." I did not find any mention of the Shelbyville to Tuscaloosa road on page 232. Several roads in Alabama were authorized on May 24, 1828, but not that one. 

So where is the rest of this mysterious Old Tuscaloosa Road? How long did it last as an intact road over that distance? 

A Google search turns up such a designation in Helena, but also Jasper and a couple of other places. You can see existing roads in the area in the 1833 map below.

Further investigation awaits. 

Block USA is a construction company. Old Tuskaloosa Road ends quickly at their complex. Across Lee Street is the back of one of the buildings in the Summer Classics site that faces US 31. 

Here's a satellite view from Google Earth taken November 3, 2016.

This 1833 excerpt from a state map by Henry Tanner shows the existing roads. 

Source: Historical Maps of Alabama 

"Alabama Slide" A Fox Trot

In a recent blog post, I discussed a 1925 recording by Fred Hamm & His Orchestra of the "shimmy fox trot", "Flag that Train (to Alabam')". ] Here I discuss a more traditional fox trot published in 1915, the instrumental "Alabama Slide". 

Charles L. Johnson was a song composer born in Kansas City, Kansas; he died in Kansas City, Missouri. He spent his life in those two cities. Johnson wrote some 300 pieces, including 40 rags, but also waltzes, tangos, cakewalks, marches and novelty songs. In other words, he worked in many of the popular music genres of his time. 

You can find out much more about his life and work here. He was so prolific that he published some of his songs under pseudonyms. Johnson wrote music until his death at 74. Four of his ragtime pieces sold over one million copies during his lifetime. 

Songs featuring Sunny South and Dixie themes and places were also popular during his early career. I suspect that's the only reason "Alabama" appears in the title of this piece; I doubt Johnson ever came south. 

You can watch a 2010 video of John Remmers playing "Alabama Slide" here. 

More comments are below.

[

Charles L. Johnson [1876-1950]

Source: Wikipedia 

Johnson's "Crazy Bone Rag" was not published until 1918.  This cover of "Alabama Slide", originally published in 1915, must be a later edition. 

Fred John Adam Forster (1878–1956) entered the music business in Chicago in 1903 as a jobber, and later moved into publishing. He published several songs by Johnson.  

A puzzle about this cover is the handwritten notation "Iva Reading Empire Theatre" in the upper right. Did one of the sheet music's owners see Iva Reading play this tune at an Empire Theatre somewhere?

The entire sheet music can be found at the Indian University Sheet Music Collections.

Montevallo is Missing! [My 350th blog post!]

Well, sort of. And only on a map. Sort of....let's investigate.

On September 9th, the city of Montevallo had a festival to celebrate it's bicentennial. Like Pelham, once known as Shelbyville and Shelby County's original seat of government, Montevallo predates Alabama statehood in 1819. 

The first white settler in the county, Jess Wilson, arrived in 1814 and others followed as the Indian threat diminshed. The area became "Wilson's Hill" by 1822 and Montevallo in 1826 according to Clark Hultquist and Carey Heatherly's Montevallo [Arcadia Images of America series, 2011, p. 11]. You can read some more early history here. Montevallo was incorporated by the state legislature in 1848 when almost 1000 people lived there. 

Columbia in the southern part of the county became the seat in 1826 and a post office was established. The town became Columbiana in 1832 and incorporated in 1837.

I was perusing some old Alabama maps recently and noticed something interesting related to this early history. Excerpts are below; all map portions are taken from the state maps at the University of Alabama's Historical Map Archive. You'll note some mysteries as you look at these maps and read my comments. Montevallo appears on a map as early as 1823, then an 1824 map lists "Wilson Hill" but no "Montevallo". 

These maps from the 1820's and 1830's vary in the towns shown. Making maps in those days was hardly a standardized business. Did mapmakers in Philadelphia or Baltimore actually visit these places or copy from previous maps or what?

Feel free to leave insights in the comments section!

On John Melish's 1818 map of Alabama, we see Shelby County in its earliest form. The county was created by the legislature of the Alabama Territory in February 1818. The only named locations in Shelby at this time were Fort Strother and Fort Villanos, Camp Wills and Camp Bradley and Littafuchee. All but Fort Villanos would become part of St. Clair County when it was created in November.

Fort Strother was constructed during the Creek War by several thousand of Andrew Jackson's Tennessee Militia  just before the Battle of Talladega on November 8, 1813. Presumably the other fort and camps were also a part of that war. Littafuchee was an Upper Creek town; the name means "making of arrows." In October 1813 some of the Militia captured the town 

Portion of Fielding Lucas' 1822 map of Alabama that shows two towns in Shelby County at that time. A post office was established at the current Wilsonville in the same year; the town wasn't incorporated until 1897. But this map shows a weirdly shaped Shelby County; is this Wilsonville supposed to be Wilson's Hill? Montevallo is in southern Shelby County, after all, and today's Wilsonville is in the eastern part near the Coosa River.

On this section of Henry S. Tanner's 1823 state map, we find Shelbyville and Montevallo as well as Kelley's Village in the northeastern corner of the county.

Anthony Finley's 1824 state map lists only Shelbyville and Wilson Hill. What happened to "Montevallo"?

Henry S. Tanner's 1825 map again lists not only Shelbyville and Montevallo, but  also Kelley's Village. That third place is a mystery; it doesn't appear in Virginia Foscue's Place Names in Alabama [University of Alabama Press, 1989]. However, there are a Kelley Mountain and Kelley Creek in Shelby County.

Taken from David Burr's 1836 map of Alabama. Notice there are still only two towns noted in Shelby County, Shelbyville and now Montevallo. Poor Columbiana, the country seat, is getting no recognition here. 

From a Colorado Prison Riot to St. Bernard College

His obituary in the New York Times in 1971 began this way:

"CULLMAN, Ala., Aug. 17 (AP)—The Rev. Patrick Frederick O'Neill, a long‐time priest and hero of a 1929 prison riot, died yesterday in a nursing home here at the age of 84."

That prison riot took place in Canon City, Colorado. Let's investigate.

Frederick O'Neill was born in Manchester, Ohio, on February 24, 1887. He joined the Order of St. Benedict in 1907 and was ordained a priest in 1915. In 1929 he was at the Holy Cross Abbey in Canon City and ministered at the prison. On October 3, while he was there, a prison uprising began, and guards were taken prisoner. 

In order to end the standoff, O'Neill placed dynamite charges--twice-- against the wall of the building where the prisoners & captured guards were located. In 1932 he received a Badge of Honor from the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission for his bravery. You can read the details of his incredible efforts here. A detail account of the prison riot is here.

Benedictine monks came to Alabama and established Saint Bernard Abbey in Cullman in September 1881. The abbey operated Saint Bernard College from 1929 until 1979. O'Neill apparently came to Saint Bernard Abbey soon after the riot and taught at the college for many years. 

Author Melanie Patterson, in her book Cullman: Images of Ameria [Arcadia, 2013, p. 45], notes that Fr. Patrick O'Neill, OSB wrote a film based on his experience in the Colorado prison riot that premiered at the Cullman Theater in October 1939. The book includes a photo of the theater. 

That film is apparently Mutiny in the Big House, released in 1939 and starring Charles Bickford as "Father Joe Collins." You can view the film at the Internet Archive. The entry at the Internet Movie Database makes no mention of Patrick O'Neill. However, the entry at Turner Classic Movies notes that a review in Variety at the time of release does explain that the film is based on the O'Neill/Canon City story. That entry also gives some interesting details about the film.

How the story that O'Neill wrote the script and the film "premiered" in Cullman is something of a puzzle. Perhaps O'Neill did write something, but was not given credit on the final product--a common occurrence in Hollywood. And perhaps the film was shown at the Cullman Theatre during its initial release.

Source: Find-A-Grave

Source: Find-A-Grave

Entrance to the Saint Bernard Abbey Cemetery where O'Neill is buried. 

Source: Find-A-Grave

Source: Wikipedia