Sloss speakers bureau sloss furnaces sloss furnaces. An interior photo of pig iron being cast in sloss furnaces in 1906. The entire history of sloss furnaces as it relates to birmingham could fill several books, though w. Sure enough a phalanx of alabama residents headed to sloss furnace. The sloss furnace in birmingham, alabama is considered to be one of the scariest places on earth. In all this, there were the hands of sloss furnace.
When the furnaces closed in 1970, the city rallied around the site and converted it into a museum to celebrate the impact the factory had on the region. It was operated as a pig ironproducing blast furnace from 1882 to 1971. Colonel james withers sloss started sloss furnace in 22 march 1881 and in june 1881 construction began on the first blast furnace on 50 acres. We recommend booking sloss furnaces national historic landmark tours ahead of time to secure your spot.
Published on mar 3, 2018 sloss furnaces located in birmingham alabama is a national historic landmark. The plant grew fast and was in operation from 1882 until 1971, becoming one of the largest sellers of pigiron in the. Sloss furnaces is the newest installment in the images of america series of books from arcadia publishing, a nationwide line that includes 68 books detailing different aspects of alabama history and about 20 in the birmingham area alone. Sloss furnaces and the rise of the birmingham district ebook. Birmingham historical society putting the past to use for. Sloss furnaces is a 32acre blast furnace plant where iron was made from 1882 to 1971, when the plant was closed due to obsolenscence. On 9 september 1887, richard jowers was working at furnace. Sloss furnaces and the rise of the birmingham district contradicts earlier interpretations of southern industrialization by showing that birmingham, which became a leading symbol of the new south, was in fact deeply rooted in the antebellum plantation system and its peculiar institution, slavery. Sloss furnaces, a national historic landmark designated so in 1981 by the u. Mar, 2020 sloss furnaces has been dubbed as one of the most haunted places in america by national publications and featured on ghost hunters. Sloss furnaces was operated as a pig ironproducing blast furnace from 1882 to 1971.
The sloss furnaces january 18, 2014 it felt like we were trespassing. Sloss furnaces national historic landmark central city. It operated as a pig ironproducing blast furnace from 1882 to 1971. We can also bring sloss education to your classroom. Celebrating the history of sloss furnaces alabama newscenter. Sloss furnaces national historic landmark is currently the only 20thcentury blast furnace in the nation being preserved and interpreted as an. Jan 29, 2018 sloss furnaces operated from 18821970 making it the longest continually running blast furnace in birminghams history. Founded by james withers sloss, the furnace produced 24,000 tons of iron in its first year of operation. Sloss, california, a former town in mariposa county.
Sep 17, 2018 many years ago, i drove by sloss furnaces in birmingham for the first time. Sixty feet high and eighteen feet in diameter, sloss s new whitwell stoves were the first of their type ever built in birmingham and were comparable to similar equipment used in. Sloss furnaces national historic landmark birmingham. The history of sloss furnaces sloss furnaces are a birmingham staple, hosting many shows and even a haunted house throughout the year. More recently, a segment of the factory opened up to artists, and sloss metal arts was born. Sloss furnaces national historic landmark encyclopedia.
Hauntings fright furnace birminghams haunted house. We continually strive to create the best experience possible to all our visitors and guests. Uncover the mystery of sloss with its education coordinator. Department of the interior in birmingham, alabama was a blast furnace, which produced pig iron from 1882 to 1971. Sloss furnaces and the rise of the birmingham dist university of. Yet, upon close examination, it will be found that sloss iron is at this very moment doing yeomans service in the production and processing of many of our chief foods. Jun 02, 2014 in 1897, the times published another article about sloss furnaces, this one about the body of a young man discovered in a water tank. Sloss furnaces national historic landmark sloss sculptures sloss furnaces in birmingham, jefferson county, stopped production in 1970 after nearly a century of iron manufacturing. After closing it became one of the first industrial sites and the only blast furnace in the u. Reopened in 1983 as a museum and national historic landmark, sloss sponsors an active arts program that focuses on cast and formed metal sculpture. Sloss furnaces and the rise of the birmingham district.
This video is a walk through showing the paranormal hot spots as well as a little history in this. Sloss furnaces national historic landmark began as a museum in 1983 providing visitors with a unique experience and valuable insight into birminghams industrial past. Sloss furnaces, alabama images of america series by. The haunted sloss furnace in birmingham, al frightfind. Harry hargreaves, a europeanborn engineer, was in charge of construction. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. Now, visitors can try their hand at metal work in the legendary furnaces.
Days before halloween, aj mccarron used his twitter account to seek a recommendation for a haunted house. Sloss furnaces national historic landmark birmingham 2020. A leading force in alabama industry, the sloss furnace company and its founders were integral to the citys rise as an industrial power in the south. Historic site in birmingham, al foursquare uses cookies to provide you with an optimal experience, to personalize ads that you may see, and to help advertisers measure the results of their ad campaigns. David lewis, author of sloss furnaces and the rise of the birmingham district, sloss furnaces was born at a time when the doldrums of the postwar era had ended and the south was feeling a measure of confidence for the first time since the opening years of the civil war. After closing, it became one of the first industrial sites and the only blast furnace in the u. Four years later, our sites namesake, shorpy higginbotham, would be working for the sloss sheffield iron co. Karen utz is the curator of sloss furnaces national historic landmark and an adjunct history instructor at the university of alabama at birmingham. It was in operation from 18821970 making it the longest continually running blast furnace in. James withers sloss started construction on the sloss furnaces in 1881, just 10 years after the citys founding. We were clambering over giant pipes and between industrial silos, feeling our way through underground tunnels and into dark rooms with dusty, dangerouslooking machines.
Find all the books, read about the author, and more. In the early 1900s, james slag wormwood was the foreman of the graveyard shift where 150 workers toiled to keep the furnace fed. Sloss furnaces, a birminghambased ironmanufacturing complex, was established in 1881. May 14, 2017 timeline world history documentaries recommended for you. N estled deep in a city full of new businesses and fancy car dealerships lies a piece of history with a haunting background. Check out these eerie birmingham sites thatll give you. Sloss furnaces, city of birmingham share epic history of industrialism. David lewis sought to compile it into one, appropriately named sloss furnaces and the rise of the birmingham district.
A key part of the plants early design was the use of two whitwelltype furnaces that were 60 feet 18 m tall and 18 feet 5. Sloss furnaces national historic landmark, birmingham, al. We can tailor the lessons to what your class is studying at the time, or just tell the general story and. Sloss furnaces is a national historic landmark in birmingham. Navigate through the site and learn about how iron was made in the magic city. As birmingham entered the 20 th century, it was often referred to as the magic city, as people from throughout the country, and world, flocked to work in the mines, furnaces and mills. Second saturdays at slosswalks and talks in grandmothers garden, apriloctober, 10. Oct 25, 2005 from 1882 to 1972, sloss furnaces in birmingham, alabama transformed coal and ore into hard steel. Sloss furnaces walk through and brief history youtube. Peter sloss, scottish meteorologist and broadcaster working for bbc scotland. Our educati on coordinator, ty malugani, can come out to your school to teach about sloss furnaces, its history, science, technology, workers, or any other aspect of its storied past. Reopened in 1983 as a museum and national historic landmark, sloss sponsors an active arts program that. Sloss furnaces national historic landmark has a reputation for being one of our citys spookiest sites, but its actually steeped in history of the men who worked there to build our city. Sloss furnaces national historic landmark, birmingham.
It operated as a pig iron producing blast furnace from 1882 to 1971. Sloss furnaces national historic landmark, opened to the public in 1982, provides visitors with a glimpse of birminghams industrial past and interprets its history in a museum that preserves the artifacts of the citys oncegreat iron and steel industry. Our curator and historian at sloss furnaces, karen utz, can speak on a number of topics to fit your needs. From skyscrapers in new york to automobiles made in detroit, sloss furnaces were relied on for providing materials to produce thousands of products. We invite you to come visit and learn about the materials, the process, the products, and the people who ran the furnaces and built this city. Sloss furnaces operated from 18821970 making it the longest continually running blast furnace in birminghams history. Sloss furnaces was created in 1881 by james withers sloss and within only 2 years is producing 250 300 tons of iron per day. This was somewhat akin to the beatles announcing their whereabouts in the liverpool daily post.
We will continue to update the virtual tour so check back often for new info, tour stops, and activities. Ghost adventures sloss furnace birmingham, al full episode. From 1882 to 1971, birminghams sloss furnaces transformed coal and ore from surrounding acres into the hard steel that would pave the way for the industrial revolution. He was standing near the top of the sloss furnace, and he slipped off there. Find paranormal activity in birmingham alabama the sloss. Given the facilitys tragic history, its hardly surprising that sloss furnaces has a haunted reputation. Elizabeth butler sloss, president of the family division. The furnace and its various owners played a large role in the economic development of birmingham. Find the best and real ghost tours, haunted houses, haunted hospitals, haunted prisons, hotels and paranormal investigations in birmingham, alabama, the sloss furnace in birmingham learn all the details at. Our readers may well wonder what connection sloss pig iron could possibly have with food. This entrepreneur quickly capitalized on birminghams fortunate location and the enormous amount of cheap labor available in the form of freed slaves.
Take one step into the infamous underground tunnel and it becomes pretty obvious how sloss earned its hairraising reputation. But can this unassuming furnace landmark be paranormally active. Ghost in the sloss furnaces by kathryn tucker windham. The steel formed to shape the industrial revolution. On the outskirts of the magic city sits sloss furnaces. True enough, every wellbalanced diet includes iron, but not exactly in the form of pigs. Sloss furnaces and the rise of the birmingham dist. Read sloss furnaces and the rise of the birmingham. Sloss furnace, birmingham, alabama library of congress. Its antiquated and rich history is a testament to the will of the southerners who helped forge its persevering success. See all 3 sloss furnaces national historic landmark tours on tripadvisor. Sloss furnaces, city of birmingham share epic history of. The sloss speakers bureau brings the history, importance, and story of sloss furnaces to you. Read sloss furnaces and the rise of the birmingham district an industrial epic by w.
The book reflects the history of technology at its best, interweaving an array of themes and topics all interconnected with a relatively peripheral manufacturer of pig iron, the sloss furnaces company and its successors. Celebrating the history of sloss furnace from alabama newscenter on vimeo. Sloss furnaces national historic landmark is currently the only 20thcentury. A unique book shop with a collection of rare tomes and a nostalgia museum.
Read sloss furnaces and the rise of the birmingham district. Take a virtual tour of sloss furnaces national historic landmark from anywhere in the world. Past installments chronicled, among other subjects, birminghams broadcast television history. He places slosss history in a rich context personal, historical, economic, even geologic. But many people dont know the deep history of sloss furnaces a history that includes helping with war efforts, and enriching both the local and national economies. Aug 09, 2015 southern paranormal investigated sloss furnaces in birmingham al on the 7th of august of 201. Sloss furnaces national historic landmark home facebook. I am now the education coordinator at sloss furnaces, amazingly able to work at a place that i truly love. Sloss utilized the convict leasing system only in its coal mines. Sloss furnaces is a national historic landmark in birmingham, alabama in the united states. Virtual tour of sloss furnaces national historic landmark. Sloss furnaces, a national historic landmark in birmingham, alabama. Between the years 1882 and 1971, the sloss furnace and its employees were given task with turning coal and ore into the steel.
Please let us know if there is anything we can do to make your time here. In the year of 1882, this particular industrial establishment began transforming the coal and various types of ore that was located in the area into steel that was hard and extremely durable. Birmingham iron and steel companies encyclopedia of alabama. I thought it strange that this obviously abandoned factory would be left there for all to see an eyesore to passersby and a strange way to make a first impression on people coming to this modern city now known as a hub of banking and medicine. Kathryn tucker windham was an american storyteller, author, photographer, and journalist.
Nov 09, 2009 karen utz is the curator of sloss furnaces national historic landmark and an adjunct history instructor at the university of alabama at birmingham. Over the course of its actual industrial existence, there were many tragic deaths that occurred there. The story of sloss preservation and modern use was documented in alabama public. She talked about its 90 years of iron production, the history of the iron industry in the region, and the importance of the sloss furnaces to the history of birmingham, alabama. The furnaces ran 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Colonel james withers sloss, a north alabama merchant and railroad man built sloss furnace. The sweeping narrative that lewis has produced amply justifies its subtitle, an industrial epic. From skyscrapers in new yorks glittering skyline to automobiles being built in detroit, america came to rely on birmingham and sloss furnaces for providing materials needed to produce thousands of. Timeline world history documentaries recommended for you.
Sloss furnaces produced iron for nearly 90 years, which gave rise to the city of. In september of 1887, according to lewis book, jowers fell to his death in alice no. Above all, sloss furnaces resonates with the class of competition and the frenetic energy with which southerners joined other americans in a rush to transform a continent after a fratricidal drive for independence had failed. The sloss furnaces of birmingham, alabama initially appears as a normal national historic united states landmark. Sloss furnaces 2 tuscaloosa paranormal research group.
Sloss furnaces, alabama images of america series by karen r. Joseph sloss and clarissa wasson james withers sloss april 7, 1820 may 4, 1890 was a planter, industrialist, and the founder of the sloss furnaces, and a leading figure in the early development of birmingham, alabama. Our most popular books will be on sale at heavily discounted prices, just in time for the holidays. This pathbreaking book tells the dramatic story of a unique manufacturing complex and the city that it helped to create. Photo courtesy of the library of congress photographic archives. In the 1920s sloss furnaces was rebuilt allowing them to more than double production, making up to 900 tons of iron every day. The sloss steel foundry or sloss furnaces was built in birmingham, alabama by james withers sloss, a planter and investor who had been a colonel in the civil war and who realized that pig iron could be made in birmingham purely from alabamas own iron ore, coke, and limestone. The site was declared a national historical landmark in 1981, one of the few industrial sites to be so designated, and offers visitors a chance to experience birminghams industrial history. In this video, we capture a black shadow, the evp of a little girl telling us bye bye and a chair is taken away by a force unseen. The sloss furnaces, they said, were of central importance to the history of birmingham.
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