Category Archives: Birmingham Historical Society

Birmingham Historical Society, Historic Preservation, Meetings, Neighborhoods, Parks & Recreation, Shades Crest Road, shades mountain

Permanently Preserving Hale Springs

Thanks to the efforts of conservation group Friends of Shades Mountain with support from the Birmingham Historical Society, Hale Springs is now part of the Bluff Park Preserve and is included in the City of Hoover’s Park Plan! This beautiful 18 acre property is the last open space on Shades Crest Mountain. However, it is currently for sale and in danger of development.

The next step is to include it in the Forever Wild Land Trust ensuring its permanent preservation for undeveloped public use. Friends of Shades Mountain have successfully nominated the property for consideration at a hearing on May 2nd at Jacksonville State University. Marjorie White, Director of the Birmingham Historical Society, has drafted the following document to make the case for its inclusion. Please consider attending the meeting or adding your support via a letter to the board members below of the Forever Wild Land Trust of Alabama or to the President of Friends of Shades Mountain.

Dr. James B. McClintock
Endowed Professor, Department of Biology
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Department of Biology
Campbell Hall 368
Birmingham, AL 35294

Mr. Jack Darnall
4007 Old Leeds Ridge
Birmingham, AL 35213

Mr. Jimmy Parnell
President, Alabama Farmers Federation
President and CEO, Alfa Insurance Companies
P.O.Box 11000
Montgomery, Alabama 36191

Dr. Brian R. Keener
The University of West Alabama
Dept. of Biological and Environmental Sciences
Station #7
Livingston, AL 35470

Friends of Shades Mountain

Larry Rodick, President
Friends of Shades Mountain
P. O. Box 59651
Birmingham, AL 35259
205-823-7367
friendsofshadesmountain@gmail.com

Not familiar with the Forever Wild Land Trust? This organization was established in 1992 and has secured more than 284,000 acres of land in Alabama for public use. The FWLT’s acquisitions have also created more than 363 miles of recreational trails within 23 new recreation areas and nature preserves, while providing additions to 9 State Parks and 20 Wildlife Management Areas.  Forever Wild has helped acquire lands for conservation at Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve, Tannehill State Historic Park, and the Cahaba River Park among others.

Q: How is land acquired by the Forever Wild Land Trust?

A: Individuals can nominate particular tracts of land for purchase; after a review process, the Forever Wild Land Trust Board of Trustees may then make an offer to buy that tract at the appraised fair market value.  For each tract the Board acquires, 15% of the appraised value is also deposited into the program’s stewardship account to cover future land management needs. Payment is NOT funded by taxpayers but rather is generated by interest earned from offshore natural gas royalties deposited into the Alabama Trust Fund.

Architecture, Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham pioneers, family history, Publications, Research

Promoting Birmingham – in 1910!

Early inspiration for residential developments, parks, urban streetscapes, and innovation are captured in these fascinating promotional pieces by developer Robert Jemison, Jr. More than 200 period photographs and drawings are included in each of these entertaining histories of Birmingham’s growth. There was so much vision, much of which came to pass! “Build it and they will come!”

“This book is all about the optimism of the time,” says Marjorie White, Director of the Birmingham Historical Society. “They believed that they were creating a world-class industrial region. There was so much building, so much progress. It’s the Golden Era in many ways–and what they created paved the way for the Birmingham we know today.”

Who were some of the original merchants? Where was the all-electric house? What was the 1909 plan for Fairfield? These and lots of other questions are answered in these captivating volumes! Birmingham Historical Society meticulously gathered all the information from the original Jemison & Company magazine articles at the Birmingham Public Library archives, then digitized and  reprinted them to form these easy to read publications. They are available for purchase via the links below.

The Jemison Magazine 1910-1914

The Jemison Magazine 1926-1930

Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham pioneers, BOOK, Olmsted Brothers, Parks & Recreation

Hand Down Unharmed

It’s ironic that the title of this Birmingham Historical Society book, Hand Down Unharmed, featured the important contribution of the first major donor to Birmingham Southern, M.P. Phillips. He believed so strongly in the legacy of Birmingham Southern that he gave his large lumber fortune to the college in a secret trust agreement, along with the M. Paul Phillips Library. A true visionary, how disappointed he would be in its May 2024 permanent closure. Have we handed down his legacy, unharmed? What have we lost?

from BHS newsletter dated February 2008

Phillips also celebrated green spaces and parks and brought attention to the Olmsted Brothers by funding the publication of their park plan for Birmingham. Birmingham Historical Society has published several books on the importance of this far-sightedness.

Only recently, in 2022, Birmingham Southern hosted a showing of the PBS special on Olmsted, entitled “Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America”. Our quality of life in Birmingham owes a great debt to the vision of these men. It is our ongoing responsibility to use this legacy wisely. Thank you M.P. Phillips. Everyone who benefitted from Birmingham Southern College will remember your commitment and celebrate your legacy, even if the college cannot remain open.

Birmingham Historical Society

Birmingham Southern’s History

Photo: WVTM – NBC News

The tradition of Birmingham Southern College spans over a remarkable 168 years, a legacy that will soon come to an end as the institution prepares to permanently close its doors on May 31st, 2024. Since its establishment in 1859, this esteemed private college has been a cornerstone of education, initially opening with a modest enrollment of only 52 students. Over the decades, it has played a pivotal role in shaping the lives of tens of thousands of individuals, who have gone on to become integral contributors to the vibrant community of Birmingham. The impact of Birmingham Southern College extends far beyond its campus, as its alumni have made significant contributions to the city’s overall quality of life, enriching the local fabric with their knowledge, skills, and dedication to progress.

The campus covers 192 acres and has important buildings like Munger Hall. Munger Hall was built in 1928 to replace Owen Hall, which was built in 1898 but later demolished. Each building has its own story and adds to the history of the institution. The architecture and history of these buildings connect us to the past and show how the campus has changed over the years. These buildings are a reminder of the institution’s strength and the values of those who shaped it.

Owen Hall, 1906

Birmingham-Southern College is the result of a merger of Southern University, founded in Greensboro, Alabama, in 1856, with Birmingham College, opened in 1898 in Birmingham, Alabama. These two institutions were consolidated on May 30, 1918 under the name of Birmingham-Southern College.

from Birmingham Southern’s website
Munger Hall, 1928

The Birmingham Southern institution is a significant part of history, with a rich legacy in education, government, medicine, and commerce. As a historical society committed to preserving such important contributions, we are deeply saddened by the closure of this esteemed establishment. The impact of Birmingham Southern’s closure will continue to resonate within our hearts as we recognize its profound influence on our history.

Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham pioneers, BOOK, Book Sale, Book Signing, City of Birmingham, Healthcare, lecture, Medical Care, Publications, Research, UAB

The Story of UAB – A Talk and Book Signing

Please mark your calendars for this book signing and talk about the history of Birmingham’s largest employer and one of the nation’s largest transplant programs. Based on the book by Dr. Arnold Diethelm, cardiovasular surgeon Dr. William Holman will recount the leadership of visionary doctors at UAB medical center.


About our speaker: Dr. Bill Holman
Following training at Cornell and
Duke Universities, the cardiovascular
surgeon joined the UAB faculty in 1987.

Currently Emeritus Professor
in Surgery, Dr. Holman championed
the editing and publishing of Order
from Chaos, his father-in-law’s
unpublished manuscript.

Watch the interview on CBS 42 by Jen Cardone

Director Marjorie White, greeting Ehney Camp. Tim Pennyciat, UAB Archivist on left
Peggy Balliet showing Dr. bill Holman a photo of the first fundraising gala for the Kidney Foundation.
BHS Volunteer, Katie Tipton
Speaker, Dr. Bill Holman
BHS Director, Marjorie White
First fund raising gala for the Kidney Foundation.
Peggy Balliet organized the first fund raising gala for the Kidney Foundation. She, Joe Farley and Marie Ingalls are in the photo along with UAB faculty.
Tim Pennyciat, UAB Archivist with Dr. Bill Holman
Annual meeting, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Birmingham Historical Society, Endowment, Heritage Society, Membership

Gift Memberships, New Memberships

At the 82nd Annual Birmingham Historical Society meeting featuring a talk by Guest Speaker Dr. William Deutsch, President Wayne Hester reminded the audience of the importance of $50 gift memberships, particularly for interested young people. The non-profit society depends upon the generosity of donors and members to provide free events and support its mission and research. Its volunteer organization relies upon the time and talent of its members. We encourage you to join us or give a gift! Thank you to all those who attended for your continuing support.

Left to right: BHS President Wayne Hester, Guest Speaker Dr. William Deutsch, BHS Director Marjorie White. Photo by Louise McPhillips

Ancient History, Birmingham Historical Society, BOOK, Book Sale, Historic Preservation, Research

The State Fossil of Alabama

Did you know that Alabama has a state fossil? (Although it looks like a dinosaur to the untrained eye, it’s a whale/mammal and dinosaurs are reptiles.) It was famously immortalized in Herman Melville’s, “Moby Dick” in 1851.

“But by far the most wonderful of all Cetacen relics was the almost complete vast skeleton of an extinct monster, found in the year 1842, on the plantation of Judge Creagh, in Alabama.

The Alabama doctors declared it a huge reptile…but some specimen bones of it being taken across the sea to Owen, the English Anatomist, it turned out that this alleged reptile was a whale, though of a departed species…”

A replica of the Eocen whale is currently suspended at the Alabama Museum of Natural History in Tuscaloosa, as presented by aquatic biologist and amateur paleontologist, Dr. William Deutsch, at Monday night’s packed 82nd annual meeting of the Birmingham Historical Society.

Photo by Louise McPhillips
Photo by Louise McPhillips
Photo by Louise McPhillips

His talk showed how and why Alabama is rich in fossils with “the highest fossil diversity of any state east of the Mississippi River”. He acknowledges the contributions of the many who’ve unearthed its history. And he tells why an understanding of our ‘deep time’ is important today.

Deutsch illustrated his talk, “A Walk Through Deep Time: 500 Million Years of Alabama History,” with a rope curled and stretched across the large auditorium to replicate time since the Big Bang. The indiscernible, minute, end point of the rope represented our modern times, causing him to end the presentation with a theological thought he ponders often on the age of the fossils he studies.

“The next time you see a fossil along a creek, roadside, or on display, stop ponder, and preferably hold it in your hand. The lowly fossil speaks a clear nonverbal message:

I am real. I am very old. I lived long before you–long before your species. If you allow, I will guide you to think deeply about time, life, death, and meaning. It’s in your hands. “

His well- illustrated, heavily researched, but easily understood book, Ancient Life in Alabama: The Fossils, The Finders, and Why it Matters was published by MindBridge Press in Florence, Alabama, and is available HERE.