Birmingham

Birmingham was founded in 1871, during Reconstruction. Its founding was the result of a planned railroad crossing between the Alabama & Chattanooga Railroad with the South & North Railroad. The managers of the respective companies new in advance that a city would develop at this spot, so the Elyton Land Company was organized to purchase land where the city would eventually grow. Because Birmingham sat on a rich mineral deposit of coal, iron ore, and limestone, it quickly became a hot spot for businessmen and entrepreneurs who hoped to "get rich quick" in pure Gilded Age. The city quickly became an industrial powerhouse, due to the help of railroads that were able to transport goods quickly. Its booming iron and steel industries and quick growth earned it the nicknames "The Magic City" and "The Pittsburgh of the South", About 20% of the Birmingham's District's mners were immigrants, about 35% were native-born, and the rest were African Americans, making Birmingham a place of opportunity for blacks who felt oppressed by the cruel policies of redeemer democrats such as Jacob Skot. (to be continued)

http://www.nbirmingham.net/founding.htm