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1904 Map of Birmingham Coal District

Name: 1904 Topographic Map of Birmingham Coal District
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1967
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1967

About this map

The Locust Fork Black Warrior River defines the northwest corner of this industrial landscape, where the coal-rich hills of Jefferson County supported a dense network of early 20th-century mining operations and railroad junctions. The terrain is dominated by ridges such as Bagley Ridge and Nashville Mountain, which are cut through by the numerous rail lines essential to the region's economy, including the Southern RR and the Kansas City Memphis and Birmingham RR.

Smaller settlements and mining camps like Blossburg, Brookside, and Cardiff cluster along the creeks, while larger centers such as Pratt City, Ensley, and Wylam anchor the industrial south near the Jones Creek valley. Local genealogy is supported by the location of rural landmarks including Orphans Chapel, Mt Olive Church, and the Ono PO at Linn Crossing. The extensive mine workings, from the Banner Mines in the west to the Shigart Mines near the center, illustrate the sheer scale of the Birmingham Coal District during its peak extractive era.