Category Archives: Parks & Recreation

Birmingham Historical Society, Neighborhoods, Olmsted Brothers, Parks & Recreation, Planning, Engineering, and Permits, Publications

Good News for Village Creek Greenways!

The 44 miles of Village Creek make up 53% of Birmingham’s Special Flood Hazard area. The creek stretches across Birmingham metro area from Roebuck Springs in the east to Ensley in the west and played a major part in Birmingham’s industrial beginnings. The Freshwater Land Trust is now actively working to develop the area into a continuous recreational trail and greenway, while preserving local habitats. However, in the interim, repeated flooding over 50 years has resulted in more than 17 federal disasters.

(Video showing flooding of Village Creek near the airport by WVTM 13)

The Birmingham Historical Society has been advocating for green space along this corridor since 1984 beginning with the BHS study of the floodplains in East Lake, East Birmingham, and Ensley for the US Army Corps of Engineers. (See an excerpt below.) During that study, it was discovered that the celebrated Olmsted Brothers (a NY landscape architecture firm well known for their design of Central Park) had presented a plan for Birmingham back in 1925 for continuous greenways along the creek. This plan was subsequently reprinted and publicized by the society.

From the BHS study, Village Creek, 1985

Katie Britt, Alabama’s senator, has now secured $2.6 million for Village Creek floodplain restoration. This will provide a long-term solution, protect residents, particularly those in Ensley, improve infrastructure, and reduce flooding risks for motorists traveling through these areas. The federal/local partnership is an investment in local neighborhoods as well as quality of life with trailways for walkers, runners, and bikers throughout the city as illustrated by Phase I of the Ensley Greenway below. Thank you to all those involved and who continue to invest in Birmingham’s future!

Birmingham Landmarks, Birmingham pioneers, Brock’s Gap, Coal Mines, Parks & Recreation, Railroads, Red Mountain, Red Mountain Park

Follow the Gaps for Railways, Hiking Trails, and Roadways!

Did you know that there are over 9 wind or water gaps in the Birmingham vicinity? The interactive topographical map below locates and names the gaps, many of which formed the rail bed for the Birmingham Mineral Railroad. Others form hiking trails today including the popular Grace’s Gap hiking trail at Red Mountain Park and the historic Brock’s Gap in Hoover.

Click on the location or select the name of the gap in the list following the map for more information on its location, elevation, and in some cases, water source. Thanks to John Troulias for finding the map and James Lowery for sharing it with Birmingham Historical Society.

At least nine gaps are located in the immediate vicinity of Birmingham . Thanks to John Troulias for finding the map and James Lowery for sharing it with Birmingham Historical Society.

The 4.2-mile Grace’s Gap Overlook trail in Red Mountain Park features sweeping valley views and abandoned mining ruins.

Nineteen gaps are located within Birmingham metro area with an additional eleven outside Interstate 459. Click on map above and select location for detailed information.

Historic Preservation, Hoover, Parks & Recreation, Shades Creek, Shades Crest Road, shades mountain

Protecting a Preserve in Bluff Park

Birmingham may soon have an 18 acre natural preserve near Tip Top Grill in Bluff Park, thanks largely to Larry Rodick, President of Friends of Shade Mountain, who has been spearheading the effort. Birmingham City Council has approved an agreement to work with Hoover and the non-profit organization to protect this historic and scenic site. Plans include gaining permission to create trails from the top of the bluff through the valley and all the way to Shades Creek. Read more about Bluff Park’s history HERE and HERE.

Group of four individuals posing in front of a Birmingham City Council backdrop, smiling and standing together.
Left to right: Marjorie White: Birmingham Historical Society Director, Larry Rodick: President of Friends of Shade Mountain, and preservation advocates Peggy Cornett, and Tabitha Lacy at the April 14th COB Council Meeting.
From Friends of Shades Mountain FB
Birmingham Landmarks, Birmingham pioneers, Coal Mines, Parks & Recreation, Railroads, Red Mountain, Red Mountain Park, Shades Creek, shades mountain

Historic Hiking Trails in Birmingham

Are you a hiker? Do you enjoy nature trails? Are you interested in history? If so, there is lots to explore on Birmingham’s historic hiking trails as posted by AllTrails and available right on your smartphone.

The app provides driving directions, maps, points of interest, photos, and even plant identification with estimated times, length of trails, elevation changes, and difficulty. Abandoned mines and railroad tracks, along with associated structures, tell the story of Birmingham’s early industrial heritage. The topography and natural environment offer clues into why the area developed as it has.

Red Mountain, Full Loop by Randi Bechtel
Irondale Furnace Trail by Brian Cash

Want more? Check out the numerous Birmingham Historical Society publications that go into depth about Birmingham’s industrial history including:

And follow the posts on the preservation of Ross Bridge

The weather is beautiful! It’s time to get outside and HIKE

Birmingham Historical Society, BOOK, Parks & Recreation, Publications, University of Alabama

Bartram’s Travels – 250 Years Ago

Brian Rushing, enthusiastic naturalist and Director of Economic Initiatives at University of Alabama, will dress up as 18th century environmentalist William Bartram as he shares the highlights of Bartram’s journey through the South in 1775. His talk on Sunday, November 16th, 2 PM, will be followed by a reception at Birmingham Historical Society.

Bartram’s journal entries over 250 years ago about Alabama are filled with enthusiastic praise for its beautiful topography, vibrant plants, diverse animals, and the rich cultures of its indigenous people. He marvels at its ‘majestic rivers’ and ‘delightful regions’ . Rushing shares Bartram’s fervor for Alabama’s natural wonders and is eager to share this passion in his talk on Sunday. Please plan to attend.

Members may also pick up 2025 publication – Building Birmingham’s Industrial Base.

A man dressed in historical attire sits in front of a table with various artifacts, books, and documents, under a tent in a forested area, depicting the historical figure William Bartram at Fort Toulouse.
Invitation to a talk and reception by the Birmingham Historical Society commemorating the 250th anniversary of William Bartram's Travels, featuring Brian Rushing.
An illustration of a Great Yellow Bream fish, labeled as Old Wife, alongside details about an event titled 'Bartram's Travels: Building Birmingham’s Industrial Base'.
Altamont, Neighborhoods, Parks & Recreation, Red Mountain

Beautiful new website of Altamont Park Conservancy

This beautiful but heavily forested and neglected overlook at the crest of the mountain in Redmont Park needed attention to preserve its beauty and longevity. So neighbors and parkgoers alike called upon landscape architect and long-time Birmingham Historical Society Trustee, Birgit Kibelka, to develop a Master Plan. Watercolors by local artist Adrienne Retief illustrate the goals they commissioned. Read about its history and follow along on their website as they execute their plan!

A watercolor of the west entrance to Altamont Park, featuring trees and a curved road.
Annual Gathering, Annual meeting, Architecture, Birmingham Civil Rights, Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham Landmarks, Birmingham pioneers, civil rights, Historic Preservation, Parks & Recreation, Planning, Engineering, and Permits, Rickwood Field

Rickwood Field – Did You Know?

Birmingham Historical Society co-sponsored the 1993 documentation known as HABS AL-897 to establish Rickwood Field as America’s oldest ballpark.

The project’s 28 photos, 22 drawings, and a 58-page historical report, at the Library of Congress, are now available worldwide.

To commemorate their involvement, the Birmingham Historical Society created a poster (illustrated below) documenting the Society’s role in helping launch the Rickwood Revival of the 1990s.

The Society brought Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), a federal program that documents historic architecture in the United States, to Birmingham to conduct the field work necessary to establish the national significance of the ball park, not only architecturally but also as the home of the Black Barons launching baseball stars including Mules Suttles, Satchel Paige, and Willie Mays.

Up until then, the newly formed Friends of Rickwood assumed that they were the oldest park without documentation, despite other contenders, because Comiskey Park in Chicago had just been demolished.

The Friends took the HABS drawings and made them into promotional renderings to kick off their long-term campaign to preserve and enliven the park. It’s a remarkable success story…about which we will hear more at the Annual Meeting February 24th at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. It’s FREE and open to the public. Please join us!

What is HABS?

Purpose: 

  • To create a public archive of American architecture
  • To establish standard practices for surveying and listing historic sites
  • To help restore and rehabilitate historic properties
  • To inform new designs based on historical precedents

History: 

  • Established in 1933 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
  • Originally a make-work program for unemployed architects, draftsmen, and photographers
  • Became a permanent program of the National Park Service in 1934
  • Formally authorized by Congress in 1935
  • Documentation: Measured drawings, Large-format black and white photographs, Written histories, and Supplemental materials. 

Significance:

  • HABS documentation is part of the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress.
  • HABS is the nation’s oldest federal preservation program
  • HABS documentation is often a key part of preservation efforts  
Annual Gathering, Annual meeting, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Birmingham Civil Rights, Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham Landmarks, Birmingham pioneers, BOOK, Book Sale, Book Signing, Cake & Pie Contest, Cake Contest, Meetings, Membership, Parks & Recreation, Publications, Rickwood Field

The 83rd Annual Meeting Featuring America’s Oldest Ball Field – Rickwood

ALL ARE WELCOME at the 83rd Annual Meeting of the Birmingham Historical Society at 7PM on Monday, February 24th at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

The meeting will feature guest speaker, Gerald Watkins, Director of the Friends of Rickwood, and a lifetime baseball enthusiast! His talk, Rickwood: Then & Now, will tell the story of America’s oldest grandstand and ballpark. The Friends’ fundraising campaign, spearheaded by Terry Slaughter, Tom Cosby, and Coke Mathews, enabled the park to be restored, expanded, and subsequently brought Alabama’s first Major League Baseball game to Birmingham. Books about Rickwood will be available for sale, and chocolate cake entries from the annual cake contest will be judged and available after the meeting for sampling!

Baseball fans, society supporters and members, and Alabama historians, don’t miss this meeting!

Birmingham Civil Rights, Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham Landmarks, Coal Mines, family history, Parks & Recreation, Red Mountain, Red Mountain Park, Research

Visit Red Mountain Park with Self-Guided Phone Tour

Lots of stories from those who lived or worked on Red Mountain, as well as from scholars who have studied the area’s history, will soon be available on your phone, offering both historical & personal insights. These narratives will bring to life the daily struggles and triumphs of individuals who shaped the community, providing a personal connection to the past. Four key mining sites will be discussed: each site carries its own unique story, revealing the complexities of mining operations, the lives of the miners, and the impact of this industry on the surrounding environment and local culture.

Sites on tour include: Mine No. 13, the Smythe Mining Camp excavation site, Mine No. 10, and the park’s Wenonah entrance on Venice Road.

 

“Red Mountain Park is hosting “Go Tell It On Red Mountain” – An Oral History Presentation on Sunday, November 17th at 2 PM. The program will feature a panel discussion with the project’s scholars and UAB collaborators facilitated by Laura Anderson from the Alabama Humanities Alliance. Together, they will share stories from Birmingham’s mining era and discuss the project’s development. Afterward, attendees will be encouraged to take a self-guided audio tour on their phones to a few key historical sites.”

 

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.