USA > Alabama > Hand-book of Alabama. A complete index to the state, with map > Part 29
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THE COUNTIES.
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in county, 1,000 acres. Health and climate good. Good schools and churches of all the leading denominations. The schools at Camden, Snow ITill, Pine Apple and Oak Grove are excellent.
WINSTON COUNTY.
Established by act February 12, 1550, under the name of " Hancock," in honor of Governor John Hancock, of Massa- chusetts ; but name changed, by act of January 2, 1858, to " Winston," for John Anthony Winston, Governor of Alabama from 1853 to 1857. Lies in the northwestern portion of the State. Area, 630 square miles ; all coal measures; all wood- land. Surface generally much broken. Soils sandy and not generally very fertile; the farming lands are mostly in the lowlands and in the creek bottoms, where the soil is of greater depth and more fertile. Prevailing timber, red, white and black oaks, hickory, short leaf pine, chestnut, etc. The main dividing ridge between the waters of the Warrior and Tom- bigbee rivers runs almost north and south through the entire length of the county, near its western line. This (Byler) ridge, in the northwestern part of the county, also divides the waters of the Warrior from those of the Tennessee river, flowing through Big Bear creek. The principal streams of the county are Black Water creek and the Sipsey fork of the War- rior with its tributaries, Clear creek, Brushy fork and Rock creek on the east side of Byler ridge, and. on the west side, the sources of the Buttahatchie and New rivers, which flow into the Tombigbee' river, and of Big Bear creek, a tributary of the Tennessee. The rarest and most beautiful ferns are found in the " rock houses," or overhanging ledges, on the ravines lead- ing to the water courses in this county. and there are beautiful rapids and waterfalls, the Clear creek falls rivalling in beauty many which, in other parts of the world. are annually visited by thousands of tourists. Population, white, 6,520; colored, 32; total. 6,552. County seat, Double Springs .* Acres in
. So called from the remarkable springs which isup from the hillsides in that locality, and which are famous for their boldness and purity.
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county, improved, 15,256 ; unimproved, 141,171 ; total, 156,427. Railroads in county, miles of main track, Birmingham, Shef- field & Tennessee River, 23.20. Newspaper, Herald, weekly, Double Springs. Chief crops, cotton, corn, oats, potatoes, etc. Crops in 1889 (census of 1890)-cotton, acres, 5,312; bales, 1,464 ; value, 863,370 ; corn acres, 11,942 ; bushels, 140,971 ; oats, acres, 2,105 ; bushels, 13,338. County produces excellent or- chard fruits. County rich in coal and iron ore, slate, copper. and granite building stone and millstone grit are also found. Game abounds and excellent fish. Lands, $2.00 to $10.00 per acre. Government lands in county, 82,740 acres. Water pure and abundant for all domestic purposes. Health and climate equal to the best in the State. Educational facilities moderately good and improving, and ample church advantages in the towns and populated sections.
PART NINTH.
SKETCHES OF SOME OF THE PRINCIPAL CITIES AND TOWNS OF ALABAMA.
MOBILE .*
First of the cities of Alabama, in point of population. Sit- uated in the extreme southwestern portion of the State, on the west bank of Mobile river, immediately at the head of Mobile bay, from which it derived its name.i Distant, by rail, 179 miles southwest from Montgomery, Alabama, and 141 miles east by north from New Orleans, Louisiana, and, by water, about thirty miles north of Mobile Point, where the Gulf of Mexico begins.' Established on its present site in 1811.# Built on a sandy plateau but slightly elevated above the level of the sea. Incorporated, first, as a city, December 19, 1819; last act of incorporation, December 10, 1886. Population, 31,076. City divided into eight wards, and is governed by a mayor and a board of seven aldermen, from the city at large, and a board of eight councilmen, one from each ward, elected every three years, in March, and styled, together, " The Mayor and General Council." City has a full corps of city officials, an efficient police force and police patrol system, a well equipped paid fire department and fire alarm telegraph system, and is lighted both
. For a description of Mobile county, in which the city of Mobile is situated, see page 111, ante.
t See note on page ir, ante, for origin of name.
4 See page 7%. onte, as to settlement of Mobile.
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VIEW OF ROYAL STREET, MOBILE, ALA.
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CITIES AND TOWNS.
by gas and electricity. City supplied with water of the purest quality and in abundance, by two systems of water works. Such is the purity of the water that it is used for chemical purposes without distillation. Gravity pressure sufficient to force water to the top of the highest buildings, through hose attached direct to the fire plugs, without the aid of engines. City has thirty-eight miles of city and suburban street rail- ways, operated by steam and animal power, and is now build- ing another street railway, to be operated by electricity ; two daily newspapers ; a weekly newspaper; two theatres and several large halls of public amusement ; five asylums, three protestant and two Catholic; a home for the aged and infirm, and a home for widowed women : two large hospitals, the city hospital and the United States marine hospital ; Providence infirmary, in charge of the sisters of charity; forty-seven churches, representing the leading denominations ; five banks ; nine building and loan associations, principal office or branch ; three local fire insurance companies ; a full complement of associations, clubs and societies, and all the other appointments of an important city. The commercial organizations are the chamber of commerce, the cotton exchange and the commercial club. City is the county seat of Mobile county. The courts held in the city are : Federal, United States circuit and district courts for the southern district of Alabama; State, circuit court, city court, chancery court and probate court. City a port of entry. There are twenty-seven schools, public and private, in the city and its public schools are among the best in the south. The Medical College of Alabama is located in the city. Streets wide and well laid off and lined with beauti . ful shade trees. Flowers and flower gardens abound. Climate mild and equable, thermometer seldom touching freezing point and snow rarely seen. Health compares favorably with that of the healthiest cities of the Union. The shell road, for which the city is celebrated, winds along the western shore of the bay to the south for about seven miles, and is a beautiful and exhilerating drive. Frascati garden, on this road, about two miles south of Mobile, immediately fronting the bay and fanned by its breezes, is the famous pleasure resort of the people of the city. The suburban resorts of Mobile are Spring Hill, six miles west ; Citronelle, on the Mobile & Ohio railroad,
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HAND-BOOK OF ALABAMA.
thirty-three miles north, and Point Clear and other watering places on the eastern shore of Mobile bay, reached by daily steamers. It was in Mobile that those mystie societies orig- inated, whose annual street parades and balls on new year's eve and mardi gras attract so many visitors and have made the city famous. Four lines of railway radiate from Mobile- the Mobile & Ohio, the Louisville & Nashville (Mobile & Montgomery and New Orleans & Mobile divisions), and the Mobile & Birmingham (part of the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia railway system) .* The city has an extensive and well improved river front, and into the broad and deep Mobile river, which flows by its wharves and empties into Mobile bay, are gathered the waters of eight other rivers, with an aggre- gate navigability of 1,310 miles. Steamboats of large capacity, and carrying both freight and passengers, ply the most of these rivers regularly, going, through the entire winter and early spring, as high as Wetumpka, Alabama, on the Coosa. 367 miles ; Aberdeen, Mississippi, on the Little Tombigbee, about 400 miles, and Tuskaloosa, Alabama, on the Black War- rior, about .413 miles from Mobile. The Plant steamship line from Mobile was established in 1889 by the Plant system, which controls other steamship lines and nearly all the rail- roads in south Florida. The steamers of this line make weekly trips between Mobile and Port Tampa, connecting at the latter port with the same line of steamers for Key West, Havana and Jamaica, as well as the steamers from the Manatee river. The steamers of this system also connect at Havana with steamers for Mexico and Central and South American ports. Besides the Plant steamship line to Tampa, Mobile has direct water communication with New York, both by steamers and sailing vessels. Mobile is the only seaport of Alabama, and is connected with the Gulf of Mexico by a ship channel, twenty-eight miles in length. which has been dredged by the general government to a present depth of twenty-three feet. The work of widening and deepening this channel is being actively carried on by the general government. The commerce of Mobile, while not so large as the city's fine geographical situation and exceptional means of communication would warrant, is still very considerable. The city's general trade
. For description of these several railroads, see post, The Railroads of Alabama.
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statistics for the year closing August 31, 1892, were as follows : Cotton receipts, bales, 287,971 ; value, 810,607,852.00; receipts of naval stores, value, 8535,699.00; imports of foreign goods, value, 8165,784.00 ; value of domestic exports to foreign ports, 82,841,914; exports of lumber. 61,098.595 feet; of timber, 5,072,088 cubic feet; of shingles, 175,000,000; trade in fish and oysters, value, 8207,000.00. The shipments of early veg- etables for that year were: Cabbages, crates, 110,387 ; value, $137,983.00 ; potatoes, barrels, 58,433 ; value, 887,649.00 ; beans, boxes, 24,845 ; value, 818,633.00 ; tomatoes, boxes, 1,825; value, $1,825.00; various boxes, etc., 1,303 ; value, 82,500.00. The entrances and clearances for the year ending June 30, 1892, were : Vessels arrived, 375; tons, 232,325; cleared, 377 ; tons, 232,747. Owing to the light and productive nature of the soil, the advanced seasons and the absence of cold and frost, the raising and shipping of early fruits and vegetables from Mo- bile and vicinity to northern markets is a profitable business. This industry has grown rapidly within a few years past, until it has assumed very large proportions. The canning of these fruits and vegetables also offers inducements to capital and labor, as does also the canning of oysters, which are here found in abundance and of the finest quality. Mobile is also noted for its excellent fish market. Game, too, abounds in certain seasons. The valuation of the property, real and per- sonal, in Mobile, as assessed for taxes for the year 1891, was $14,000,000.00. The annual tax rate for the purposes of the city government is limited to 6 mills. The following are the distances by water from Mobile to the points named : To Mat- amoras, 700 miles; Tampico, 850 miles ; Vera Cruz, 950 miles ; Yucatan, 700 miles ; Havana, 575 miles ; Kingston, 1,200 miles ; Aspinwall, 1,550 miles; Greytown, 1,250 miles.
BIRMINGHAM.
Situated in, and the county seat of, Jefferson county,* about fifty miles northward of the centre of the State, and near the middle of its mineral region. Founded in 1871 by the Elyton
* For a description of Jefferson county, see page 301, onte.
VIEW OF TWENTIETH STREET, BIRMINGHAM, ALA.
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CITIES AND TOWNS.
Land Company. Named for the English city Birmingham. First sale of lots in June, 1871, at which time the site was an old field.t Population in 1890, 26,178, as against 3,086 in 1880. Incorporated, first, as a city, December 19, 1871 ; last aet of incorporation, December 12, 1890. City divided into five wards and governed by a mayor and ten aldermen, two from each ward; has an efficient paid fire department; an electrie fire alarm telegraph system ; a strong and efficient police force, with patrol system ; is well lighted with both electricity and gas, and laid off with broad, straight streets, running at right angles with each other, and paved with granite or macadan- ized. Water supply drawn from the Cahaba river, a distance of eight miles, and is abundant and of excellent quality. City has many handsome public buildings and private residences, and among the former may be mentioned the county court house, built at a cost of $300,000.00; the United States court house, which, when completed, will cost $350,000.00; "the Morris " block, probably the most tasteful business bloek in the South, built by the late Josiah Morris, the eminent banker of Montgomery and one of the founders of Birmingham, at a cost of $350,000.00; the Caldwell House, one of the largest, handsomest and best appointed hotels south of Washington city, and the union passenger depot, in or from which more than fifty passenger trains arrive or depart daily. The city has two daily and eight weekly newspapers, thirteen banks, several fine hotels, a handsome opera house, three electric light companies, several beautiful parks, and a complete tele- phone system extending over the entire district. Seven dummy lines, six electric railways and several horse car lines, with an aggregate of over one hundred miles of track, connect the city with its suburbs and neighboring towns. There are forty-seven churches in Birmingham and three others build- ing. The Young Men's Christian Association also have a building, and the United Charities support a large infirmary. The Sisters of St. Benedict conduct a parochial school of 250 students, and the members of the Baptist church support Howard College, 167 students, at East Lake. There are
t In 1883 the land company declared its first dividend, and since that date it has paid in dividends on its capital stock of $200,000.00, more than $3,500,000.00, and the present assets of the company are estimated to be worth not less than $10,000,000.00. 23
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several other well patronized private schools. The public schools of Birmingham occupy seven comfortable and well ventilated buildings and employ sixty-nine teachers, and the city has invested upward of $300,000.00 in its public schools. The city joins the county in the support of the charity hospi- tal; a modern institution, capable of accommodating 300 patients. The courts of the city are: Federal, United States circuit and district courts of the southern division of the northern district of Alabama; State, circuit, city, criminal chancery and probate courts. Six great railway systems reach Birmingham,* the Louisville & Nashville, the Alabama Great Southern division of the Queen & Crescent system, the Georgia Pacifie division of the Richmond & Danville system, the Central of Georgia, the Kansas City, Memphis & Birming- ham, and the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia (Blocton branch). The Birmingham Mineral road, owned and operated by the Louisville & Nashville, has eighty-five miles of finished track running southwest from the city and fifty miles of fin- ished track north and east of the city, and opens up one of the `best mineral regions in the world. Birmingham lies in the very heart of the mineral belt. The great Warrior coal field reaches her corporate limits on the northwest and extends for miles in either direction ;** Red mountain, a ridge of iron ore, touches the southeastern limit, and lies in a line parallel with, and at no point over eight miles distant from, the coal ; ¡ Flint ridge and other small ridges lie between the coal and iron and furnish an inexhaustible supply of fluxing limestone. The development of this coal and iron has kept pace with the building of railroads, and the city is the centre of the coal mining and iron producing section of the State.# Successful production of coal and iron, and an advantageous geographieal position, has given Birmingham an almost unique equipment for miscellaneous manufactures, of which there is a large num- ber in the city. Climate mild and pleasant. Health excellent. Elevation above the gulf at Mobile, 596 feet. City has a
* For descriptions of these several systems, see post, "The Railroads of Ala- bama."
** For a description of this coal field, see post, " The Coal of Alabama." t See post, "The Iron of Alabama," for a full description of Red mountain.
# For names and description of these coal mines and iron industries, see, post,
"Coal Mines of Alabama " and " Iron Works of Alabama."
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CITIES AND TOWNS.
number of attractive suburban resorts, easily accessible by railroads or steam dummy lines. Among these may be men- tioned Lakeview, with its beautiful park, drives, lake and hotel ; East Lake, with its pretty grounds and placid lake, the . . site of Howard College and the East Lake Atheneum : North Birmingham park, with its beautiful walks, and Red Mountain park, on top of Red mountain. Assessed value of real estate in the city in 1891, $13,059,000.00. Total assessed values in Jefferson county in 1891, 841,008,106.00. City tax rate, 50 cents on each $100.00.
MONTGOMERY.
Montgomery, the capital of Alabama and county seat of Montgomery county,* is situated near the centre of the State, on the east bank of the Alabama river, 179 miles by rail, and about-400 miles by river, northeast of the city of Mobile.f About ten miles to the north of the city, the Coosa and Talla- poosa rivers unite and form the Alabama river. The site of the city is a steep. wide bluff, running back from the river, and was known to the modern Indians of that vicinity as Chunna- nugga Chatty, or "High Red Bluff." Incorporated, first, Decem- ber 3, 1819, and, again, December 23, 1837. Named for General Richard Montgomery, who fell in the attack on Quebec, Deeem- ber 31, 1775. Became the capital of the State in 1846, and was the first capital of the Confederate States, whose government was organized in the city in 1861. Jefferson Davis, first Presi- dent, and Alexander II. Stephens, first Vice-President of the Con- federate States, were 'inaugurated in Montgomery, on the steps of the State capitol, February 18, 1861. City has a sandy soil, with a elay foundation, and fine natural drainage. Population in 1890, 21,883, against 16,713, in 1880. City divided into six wards, and governed by a mayor and city council, composed of twelve aldermen, two from each ward, eleeted, mayor and aldermen, every two years, in May : has a full corps of subor-
* For description of Montgomery county, see page 318, ante.
t The first steamboat to ascend the Alabama river as high as Montgomery from Mobile was the Harriet, in 1:21, which made the trip in ten days.
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VIEW OF DEXTER AVENUE AND COURT SQUARE, MONTGOMERY, ALA.
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CITIES AND TOWNS.
dinate city officials; complete system of underground sewers, built on the Waring plan ; wide and regularly laid out streets, which are well shaded, and paved with belgian blocks or flint chert and lighted with electric lights : street railways operated by animal power; an effective police force and fire department and fire alarm telegraph system. Water supply, obtained from five large artesian wells, which flow into three reservoirs, of 4,000,000 gallons capacity, and from which the water is pumped to a stand pipe, is abundant and of superior quality. City has two daily newspapers, a weekly newspaper, and several other papers and journals, religious or otherwise; two large and several smaller hotels, two theatres and several large public halls, six banks and banking institutions, a con- siderable number of manufacturing industries; churches of all the leading christian denominations ; excellent public and private schools, and all the other adjuncts of a growing and prosperous city. City noted for its many handsome private residences, abounding in shade trees and flowers. The rail- roads entering the city are the Louisville & Nashville (Mobile & Montgomery and South & North Alabama divisions), West- ern of Alabama ( Montgomery and Selma divisions), Central of Georgia (Montgomery & Eufaula division), Alabama Mid- land, and' Savannah, Americus & Montgomery .* Montgom- ery, by reason of its situation on the Alabama river, enjoys exceptional water transportation facilities. The city's geo- graphical location for trade is not surpassed by that of any interior city in the south. Within a mile of its corporate limits begin the rich prairie lands of the State, on the south and southeast, while on the east and west are lands of great fertility. It lies in the very heart of the cotton producing section of Alabama, and equi-distant from the yellow pine district of the State, on the south, and its iron and coal dis- tricts, on the north. The city has a number of large and handsome buildings, among which may be mentioned the State capitol, the county court house, the United States post- office building, the Moses block, Temple building, and the Exchange and Windsor hotels. The courts of the city are : Federal, United States circuit and district courts for the middle district of Alabama; State, supreme, circuit, city,
. For descriptions of all these railroads, see post, " The Railroads of Alabama."
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HAND-BOOK OF ALABAMA.
chancery and probate courts. ' The land office of the land district of Montgomery is located in the city, and the office of the collector of internal revenue of the United States. Health of city excellent and climate good. Elevation above the sea, 162 feet. The principal trade of Montgomery is in cotton, and the cotton receipts for the past five years have been as follows: 1887-88, 107,507 bales; 1888-89, 107,106; 1889-90, 145,045; 1890-91, 152,431 ; 1891-92, 165,417. Assessed value of real property in city in 1891, 87,313,320.00 ; personal prop- erty, 83,501,022.00 ; total, $10,814,042.00. Total city tax rate, $1.124 on each $100.00.
ANNISTON.
Anniston is situated in Calhoun county,* Alabama, and is distant, by rail, 133 miles northeast of Montgomery, Alabama, and sixty-three miles east of Birmingham, Alabama. Founded in 1883 by the Woodstock Iron Company, which owned all the territory embraced in the limits of the present city until 1883, when the town was opened to the public. First act of incor- / poration, February 4, 1879 ; last act, February 23, 1889. Population in 1890, 9,998; in 1880, 942. City divided into four wards and governed by a mayor and eight councilmen- two councilmen from each ward. Streets carefully laid off, well constructed, and lighted by gas and electricity. City has an effective police force ; fire departinent ; fire alarm telegraph ; street railway ; water works that afford an abundant supply of water of the very best quality, drawn from mountain springs, clear and cold ; more than twelve miles of sanitary sewers, of most approved pattern, and all other appointments of a first class city with its population. City has excellent public and private schools. Among the latter may be mentioned the Noble Institute for Boys and the Noble Institute for Girls, both superior schools, with school buildings built of stone and brick. For beauty of location and salubrity of climate, it would be difficult to conceive of a more eligible site for a city. Anniston has many fine public and private buildings. The " Anniston Inn," a wooden building and a graceful specimen
*For description of this county, see page 273, ante.
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of Queen Anne architecture, equipped with all modern im- provements, has been pronounced the most complete hotel in Alabama. There are in the city other well appointed hotels of attractive appearance. The office building of the Anniston City Land Company is a large and imposing structure, and many of the city's business houses are of a character seldom seen outside of the largest cities. The Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company's passenger depot (used as a union depot) is built of stone, with interior finish of highly polished solid wood. In churches, Anniston is without a rival in the State and is the wonder of strangers. Several of these sacred edi- fices are built of stone and are very costly and beautiful. One of the heaviest chimes of bells in the United States hangs in the massive tower of the church of Saint Michael and All Angels. Three great railway systems reach Anniston : * The Richmond & Danville (Georgia Pacific division) ; the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia (Selma, Rome & Dalton divis- ion and the Louisville & Nashville (Alabama Mineral division), which put the city in direct communication with all points north, south, east and west. City has five banks, with an aggregate capital of 8800,000.00, and two daily newspapers and several other papers and journals. The city is located upon immense deposits of the best iron ore, and in the imme- diate vicinity of inexhaustible supplies of limestone, coal and timber, leaving nothing to be desired from a manufacturing standpoint. The first iron furnace operated in Alabama was situated only a few miles from Anniston, and the ruins of the old Oxford furnace, destroyed by raiders during the war, is within the city's corporate limits. The highest grade of iron manufactured in Alabama today comes from what is known as the Anniston district. Anniston receives annually about 65,000 bales of cotton ; its trade in general merchandise is very considerable and its manufacturing interests very large. Here are located the Woodstock Iron Company's four large iron furnaces, capital stock, 83,000,000.00 ; the Anniston Man- ufacturing Company's large cotton mill, with 11,700 spindles and 320 looms and capital stock of $250,000.00; the United States Rolling Stock Company's extensive works, capital stock, $3,000,000.00; pipe works: extensive car wheel works;
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