Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham pioneers, family history, Railroads, Research

About our historic sister city…

Did you know we have a namesake in the United Kingdom, also known as the UK’s second city? It was established by Lord Mayor Peter de Birmingham, who was allowed to hold the first market on his property by King Henry II in 1166. By 1538, in Birmingham, England, there were 1,500 people in 200 houses selling goods, and the town was developing a reputation as a metalworking center. It’s now famous for being the first manufacturing town in the world with a population of 2.5 million.

Hundreds of years later, in 1871, Birmingham, Alabama, was chartered. As it had vast deposits of iron ore and coal, founders envisioned an industrial future similar to Birmingham, England, so the name Birmingham was proposed.

“Who suggested the name? There is some dispute – and no official record of the name’s source – but the most conclusive evidence points to (James R.) Powell. This is supported by the fact that he had recently toured Birmingham, England, that country’s second-largest city and the leading center of the Industrial Revolution, and was inspired by the massive iron works there. In 1930, Powell’s daughter, Mary Powell Crane, recalled in her biography of her father that he was “greatly impressed by the industries” of the English city and “never tired of telling about his visit” there.” – Alabama News Center

As we continue to record our relatively new history in Birmingham, Alabama on our website birminghamhistoricalsociety.com, we are occasionally confused with Birmingham, England online.

A recent example was an offer of this impressive inherited collection of special editions of the Birmingham Mail newspaper. Anyone from Birmingham, England interested? Let us know and we’ll put you in touch!