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1906 Map of Birmingham Special

Name: 1906 Topographic Map of Birmingham Special
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1906
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1906

About this map

Industrial expansion in the Warrior Coal Field is the primary driver of the landscape depicted in this 1906 survey. The rail network is remarkably dense for the era, with the Southern Ry, Louisville and Nashville RR, and the Birmingham Mineral RR crisscrossing the terrain to serve a constellation of extraction sites like Banner Mines, Kosmo Mines, and Graves Mines. The map reveals the intricate social geography of early mining life, showing compact worker settlements such as Brookside, Blossburg, and Baileys Quarters positioned near the pits and drift mouths.

Waterways like the Black Warrior River and its Locust Fork served as older landmarks, including the historic Island Ford, while newer industrial centers like Republic and Adamsville began to take shape along the rail corridors. For genealogists, the inclusion of specific post offices like Ono PO and Watson PO, alongside community anchors like Canhams Chapel and Mt Olive Church, provides precise locations for family homes and community centers that have since been altered by a century of urban growth.