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Vulcan: a Symbol of Birmingham's Industrial Epoch

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Vulcan: a Symbol of Birmingham's Industrial Epoch Vulcan: A Symbol of Birmingham’s Industrial Epoch Jameson A. Pressley Faculty Mentor: Dr. James Sanders Day Faculty Mentor:University Dr. Jamesof Montevallo Sanders Day Pressley 1 As dawn broke over Missouri on the morning of 30 April 1904, the eyes of the world were on St. Louis. The city’s residents and both national and international visitors busied themselves for one of the most important days in the history of the United States and the world. By mid- morning, masses traveled in droves to Forest Park to watch St. Louis make history with the opening ceremony of the 1904 World’s Fair, also known as The Louisiana Purchase Exposition. As morning turned to early afternoon, a crowd of roughly 190,000 people listened to numerous keynote speakers, including political leaders and various officials from the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company’s Board of Directors led by Board President David R. Francis. A four-mile long procession included bands conducted by famed composer John Philip Sousa.1 Shortly after noon, Francis made his way to the area designated for the inaugural and placed his fingertip on the key designed to open Forest Park’s gates. With the press of a button, Francis declared the Louisiana Purchase Exposition open to the public. Crowds roared as hundreds of machines hummed to life. Waters held in the subterranean caverns under Festival Hall rushed thunderously down the park’s cascades, while ten-thousand flags unfurled from their masts simultaneously. The nations of the world watched as Forest Park came to life.2 Over the next seven months, fair-goers marveled over the latest advancements in human ingenuity within the sectors of technology, fine arts, manufacturing, science, civics, foreign policy, and education.3 Visitors to the Fair caught a glimpse of the Liberty Bell. They walked through various international pavilions resembling famous landmarks, such as Ireland’s Blarney Castle and India’s Taj Mahal. For a dime, people collected the autograph of Geronimo, arguably one of the most legendary Apache leaders.4 Yet, with the closing of Forest Park’s gates in December 1904, Alabama’s Vulcan statue remained one of the most highly regarded exhibits of the entire Exposition, rightfully earning a reputation as a crowd favorite.5 Housed in the Palace of Mines and Metallurgy, Vulcan represented more than one sector of technological innovation; rather, in Vulcan, attendees observed a structure incorporating several areas of industrial and technological advancement. The process of designing and casting the figure demonstrated progressions made in technological practices associated with the science of metallurgy and manufacturing. Fundraising efforts became a communal activity, as Alabama’s business owners and residents honored their civic duty by contributing to the project by any means possible. Last, Vulcan presented a challenge solved by fostering international relations between an Italian-born sculptor living in New York and Vulcan’s conglomerate of local sponsors. Furthermore, a statue of Vulcan’s magnitude represented a complex work of art complete with its own set of unforeseen challenges. Nevertheless, the process of taking Vulcan from a simple artistic rendering to the largest cast iron statue in the world is nothing short of remarkable. The idea for Vulcan emerged from the desire to promulgate Alabama’s industrial dexterity to the developing nations of the world. However, Vulcan grew to represent the bedrock principles of vision and perseverance exhibited by the Birmingham community since the city’s founding.6 Even today, Vulcan is more than just a statue to the people of Birmingham. He educates, intrigues, and entertains. He acts as a sentry, silently guarding the community humming at his feet. He captivates all who venture to his post atop Red Mountain, where he stands as a symbol of Birmingham’s Industrial Epoch. Yet, to grasp the full extent of this public affection for Vulcan, one must understand the significance of the very soil on which he stands. Since its establishment, the Birmingham District has experienced times characterized by significant triumphs, and conversely by devastating failures. Birmingham’s boom-and-bust periods are woven into the fabric and heritage of this unique town, standing as a testament to the Pressley 2 extraordinary resilience, unrelenting strength, and remarkable sense of civic pride held by its citizens. Astonishingly, one of the darkest periods in American history served as the catalyst that ignited a series of events that set the stage for the Birmingham District’s meteoric rise. During the last few months of the American Civil War, Union forces undertook an operation designed to hinder the Confederacy’s ability to sustain its war efforts against the Federal army. Ultimately, U.S. Brigadier General James H. Wilson and his cavalry unit entered Alabama 13,480 strong and took aim at southern industrial facilities.7 In the spring of 1865, Brig. Gen. Wilson commenced a blitzkrieg-style offensive against the industrial facilities of Alabama and Georgia. Beginning in March, Wilson’s men carved a path of devastation from Gravelly Springs, Alabama, to Macon, Georgia. Railroads served as vital arteries necessary for ensuring the movement of men and materiel from place-to-place. Accordingly, Wilson ordered his men to raze any rail line responsible for connecting Central Alabama to the outside world. In Selma, Union raiders leveled the Confederate Arsenal, Naval Foundry, rolling mills, train depots, and Nitre Works. Overall, Wilson’s men destroyed eleven iron works throughout the State, effectively delivering a death blow to the Confederate war effort.8 With Alabama no longer capable of sustaining the Confederate army, the Rebels faced certain defeat. Wilson’s Raid concluded with the capture of Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy, on 10 May 1865 near Irwinville, Georgia.9 Wilson’s onslaught reduced Alabama’s industrial centers to little more than smoldering embers. According to Ethel Armes, all of the state’s resources related to iron-making were almost all but lost.10 Although faced with insurmountable odds, a group of northern industrialists remained steadfast in their determination to exploit the valuable resources contained in the soil of Jones Valley. Modern-day Birmingham radiates from Jones Valley, a small part of the Appalachian foothills. This northern mineral region contains four coal fields: the Warrior, Cahaba, Coosa, and Plateau. The Warrior field encompasses an area spanning approximately 3,000 square miles (roughly 70 miles long and 65 miles wide). The Warrior passes through several Central Alabama counties – Jefferson, Blount, Cullman, Winston, Fayette, Tuscaloosa – while all of Walker County lies within range of the field. The Warrior field gained a powerful reputation as a site which provided a superior grade of bituminous coal that could be used in the production of steam, gas, and coke, the primary fuel source needed in the iron- and steel-making processes. Additionally, the Warrior field contained the Pratt Seam, which provided untold amounts of coal to Birmingham’s iron industry beginning in the 1870s. The Cahaba field spans an area of roughly 355 square miles (66 miles long and 5 to 6 miles wide). The field passes through parts of St. Clair, Bibb, Shelby, and Jefferson Counties. Exploration of this coal region began during the 1830s, while mining activities did not take place until the late 1830s and ‘40s. The Cahaba gained notoriety as a field containing high-grade coal used for domestic purposes, as well as for making steam and as a fuel source. As the smallest of the four fields, the Coosa incorporates an area equal to 340 square miles and stretches across Shelby and St. Clair Counties. Despite the sheer size of the Plateau field, the area has remained largely undisturbed. In addition to a wealth of consumable coal fields, Jones Valley possesses other significant mineral resources. Underlying the entire valley are thick layers of limestone and dolomite, also referred to as fluxing stone. These seams range in thickness, with limestone reaching depths of 200 to 500 feet, and dolomite spanning depths of 400 to 600 feet. Also situated within the valley is Red Mountain, located on the southern edge of Birmingham. This natural landmark is named Pressley 3 for the rich veins of red hematite iron ore coursing throughout. The mountain’s largest seam fluctuates in thickness from ten to twenty-two feet.11 The presence of coal, iron ore, and fluxing stone within relatively close proximity is what made the region significant to the founders of the Birmingham District. These resources represent the “Holy Trinity” as these are the primary ingredients necessary for iron production. However, these resources provided no value unless they were extracted, processed, and transported to commercial buyers. Unless adequate lines of transportation could be established to ship finished products to northern markets, Alabama would remain a cotton state. Prior to the Civil War, Alabama’s infrastructure remained largely underdeveloped. This encouraged Alabama’s lawmakers to pass legislation allowing the governor to take reasonable action to stimulate railroad expansion within the state. Therefore, in 1858, Alabama Governor Andrew B. Moore tasked John Turner Milner with finding an ideal location for a new railroad designed to connect the shipping lanes of the Alabama River to those of the Tennessee. As an experienced miner, city surveyor, and civil engineer, Milner proposed the future site of the South & North Alabama Railroad. Soon thereafter, he accepted a position as chief engineer of the South & North, which placed him under the management of company president Frank T. Gilmer. While surveying Central Alabama, Milner gained a comprehensive understanding of the sheer abundance of raw mineral deposits situated underneath Jones Valley. He disclosed his findings to Gilmer, who authorized Milner to begin land purchasing negotiations with executives at the Alabama & Chattanooga Railroad.
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